Postgrad Partners

Mysterious New Girl

"Tara, let's see what you've got." Jade set her coffee cup down and picked up two microphones. She tossed one mic to Tara, who caught it easily in her hands.

Sikowitz handed Tara a sheet of paper with the song's lyrics, which she glanced at for a moment before passing it back to him, "I know the song." He nodded back and proceeded to hit the Play button on his laptop.

The familiar R&B and electronic synth intro quickly brought a smile to Jade's face. She and Tara turned their backs to the audience until a stream of heavy beats led into the first verse. Jade turned on her heel, about to sing the first lyrics, but another voice suddenly filled the stage.

Someday I'll let you in
Treat you right, drive you out of your mind~

Tara belted out the lyrics first, making Jade stand still, jaw dropped, and watching the smaller girl "steal" her first verse. The audience of students quickly sat up straight, staring at Tara in total shock as she stepped forward with grace and stage presence; completely different from the aloof, donut-munching stranger barely a minute ago. Jade managed to shake out of the daze in time for the next lines, which Cat usually sang before.

You never met a chick like me!
Burn so bright, I'm gonna make you blind~

Jade stepped in line and turned to face Tara, who also did so with a surprisingly smug look on her face. They both sang the lines into the chorus, keeping up their respective faces at each other; smug and near-irritated.

Always want what you can't have
Is it so bad if you don't get what you wanted?
Make you feel good as I whip you into shape
Yeah, so let's get it started!

Give it up, you can't win
'Cause I know where you've been
Such a shame you don't put up a fight
That's a game that we play at the end of the night
It's the same old story, but you never get it right

Give it up!

Neither one of the two missed a beat, despite how fast the lines came, making the audience cheer with excitement as they cleared the chorus. Jade, however, kept her eyes fixed on Tara, who was backing away from Jade with a grin and crooking her finger almost...teasingly in keeping with the post-chorus lyrics.

Come a little closer
Come a little closer, baby, baby
Come a little closer
Come a little closer, baby, baby~

It was clear that Tara was nailing the lesson perfectly at Jade's expense, and that made her almost furious enough to break from the song, but she tempered herself and stepped toward Tara, taking back her first lines of the next verse.

Stop trying to walk away
No, you won't ever leave me behind!

Tara turned her back as Jade closed the gap between them and nonchalantly dismissed her with a wave of her hand as she picked up the rest of the verse.

No~ You better believe that I'm here to stay (Is that right?)
'Cause you're the shade and I'm the sunshine, ooh~