𝐓𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐂 ✗ 𝐉𝐀𝐇𝐒𝐄𝐇 𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐘

𝟎𝟏𝟖

"I'm terrified." I admitted honestly, while I draped my lips in lipgloss. Maybe I shouldn't have said yes to this.

"Of what? Outdoing everyone else?" Char asked while playing with my hair that I finally settled on leaving in a slicked back ponytail after 45 minutes of trying different simple styles off of pinterest.

"You know good and well that I'm not about to outdo anyone who performed today." I rolled my eyes, so many underground artists performed their hearts out, and I'm pretty sure I was the only 'ally' who had space on the stage today and the fact that I was one of the closing acts? Surreal.

I had to call my brother to make sure he ain't pull some strings to make it happen.

"Damn." Jahseh audibly muttered under his breath.

"Hey Jahseh." I sent him a small smile, the nerves were too strong for me to fake any form of enthusiasm.

"You nervous?" He questioned, seemingly concerned. I chuckled, not really used to him showing empathy towards anyone, so the fact that it was towards me caught me off guard.

"You care?" I countered.

"If I didn't you think I'd be here sacrificing my rep for you?" He quipped.

I pulled a face. "Well what's the worst that can come out of that? Bruising your pride, and crushing your ego?" I rhetorically asked, its not like he was groping some of the guys here, I really didn't see the big deal and how I should be grateful for his presence-not that I wasn't, I found it cute that he'd take time out of his day for me, but I didn't want him to feel like he was doing me a favor by being here.

"You say that like that isn't a good enough reason to stay the fuck away."

I sent him a blank look. "It isn't." I hit his chest as I glanced out on the stage and saw them decorating it with rainbow streamers and immediately remembered what I was here to do. "And you're not helping."

"Smoke a joint or sumn ion know." He shrugged. My expression stayed blank to let him know that I really didn't ever appreciate his dry humor and especially not at that given moment.

"Um okay." He started off. "When you're uncertain of all else, passion is one thing that shouldn't falter."

"Remember why and who you're doing this for. I've only heard you hum and sing softly to yourself and from that and the way your brother talks about you I know you're crazy good." He complimented and I bit the smile that was threatening to make an appearance.

"Music is mainly used as an outlet for you to hear from people and feel heard, and now you can be that outlet for others, isn't that partially the reason why you want become a psychologist?"

I nodded, rolling my eyes. "Mainly."

"Well keep that in mind as you sing to the people privileged enough to listen." He placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me around to the stage and I took not of the small crowd that started to form.