Chapter Text
Do you ever have that moment where you get so lost in your passion, or doing something you love, that you rise into a higher space where it’s just…you being you?
No drug could be powerful enough to make someone this happy.
Happy enough to have lyrics spilling out of their mouth without reading the handcrafted lyrics sitting on the music stand.
Happy enough where their hands travel up and down the microphone stand like caressing a loved one after being separated for so long.
Happy enough to forget about their so little time on this planet. With their pure wings that sprouted from his back, they were going to fly until the end of the sky.
No human could ever experience this high, so whose thoughts are we listening to?
An angel’s?
A star’s?
Or it could just be—
“JAKE!” A voice exploded in his ears, dragging him back all the way in the moon back to ‘earth’.
Jake screamed, his grip on the microphone like a strangler vine to keep himself from stumbling backward like a birdbrain. Next to him stood a very annoyed girl with pink hair so bright you could see it from space.
And you actually can, given their circumstances.
“Milly, don’t do that again! You almost gave me a seizure!” Jake scolded, awkwardly shuffling back to his original state.
“To be fair, you wouldn’t listen any other way.” A teal-haired girl to Jake’s right leaned in with a knowing grin.
“Yeah. You just sang your high note 4 minutes after the song ended.” A dark-skinned boy commented from behind a bass speaker. “I’m both impressed and disturbed.”
Jake’s face flushed with a rosy color.
(Ehehehe. Get it? Rosy? Cuz, uh, Rosy Clozy?...Ok, I’ll shut up now.)
“I can’t help it. It’s like I get completely lost in the song and I forget where I am and–”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. We’ve all gotten used to it by now.” The teal-haired girl reassured, patting Jake lightly on the shoulder.
“Which isn’t something we should’ve gotten used to, you know.” A pouty man with purple hair huffed, looking down at his hands on the keyboard.
The last one who hadn’t spoken yet, a boy closer to the other with light orange hair (but not in a ginger way) came forward. “Hey now, let’s not start anything so late, Zander.”
Jake gazed around the open room, the floor littered with wires and unconnected plugs. It smelled of plastic, most likely from the speakers, the heavy music sending its collected dust across the place. Most everyone had brightly colored hair, which, maybe in another world, wouldn’t be as natural. It helped Jake distinguish them from the identical, loose, entirely white uniforms everyone in the garden received.
The pink-haired guitarist, Milly.
The purple-haired keyboardist, Zander.
The black-haired lyricist, Sean.
The light-haired drummer, Luke.
And last but certainly not least, the teal-haired vocalist (besides Jakes), Hailey.
Jake couldn’t help but laugh, “I’d say that was a pretty awesome run-through, though! You know what they say, when life gives you lemons—”
“Squirt them into the eyes of your enemy!” Milly happily barked.
“Have it with water.” Luke calmly finished.
“Eat it whole.” Sean said.
Everyone in the room looked at Sean.
“I like the way your face squeezes. It adds to the experience.” He had a dreamy look on his face. Funny how he was fantasizing about a literal lemon.
“Ok, I’m bored. Are we gonna go through this again or what???” Milly jumped in ecstatic delight.
“Until we get all that energy out of ya, we’re going to rock till we die!” Jake roared, his voice competing with Milly’s to see who could get louder.
Hailey raised her hand, “I’m gonna sit this one out. My head’s starting to hurt after all this yelling we’ve been doing.”
“Should’ve thought of that before joining a rock band.” Sean teased playfully, earning a glare from Hailey.
“You’re the one who made me sing all these growls, so you don’t get to say anything!” Hailey argued back with no real bite. This was simply playful banter between bandmates.
“Alright! Who’s ready to rock and roll?” Jake cheered into Milly’s face, already prepared to be hit with something bigger.
“I am!”
“I can’t hear you!”
“I AM!”
“Like you’re singing for the elderly in the back!”
“I AAAAAAAAAAA—”
The door swung open.
In the doorway loomed a white, slug-like beast. Six massive arms, pale and glistening, dangled from its massive torso, each ending in curling claws. Clad only in a red bathrobe, the sparse hair on his belly was barely visible.
All the bandmates froze on the spot. Jake was the first to greet the beast. “AH! M-Min! How’s it going, my man…?”
Min took a wheezy breath in, his tiny mouth not gathering much air.
“It…is…3 AM!”
Everyone scrambled to grab their tossed belongings as quickly as possible. Min screaming at the top of his lungs, “GO TO BED,” did not help at all! As the kids all rushed out the door, passing a very steamy Min.
“S-S-Sorry, Min!” Hailey stammered.
“Won’t happen again, Min!” Luke promised.
“We just lost track of time, Min!” Sean explained.
“Yeah, yeah, what they said, Min!” Milly quickly followed.
“It was all Jake’s fault, Min,” Zander blamed.
“No, it wasn’t, Min!” Jake defended himself.
Min just sighed, a steam cloud puffing out with each exasperated exhale. He watched the last of the children disappear down the hall, their apologies becoming one with the quiet.
Ah, what a lovely morning!
The clouds are drifting across the sky in perfect harmony.
The fish in the freshwater ponds are surprisingly calm today.
And all the children are enjoying the garden's pleasant, manufactured warmth.
A gentle breeze brushed over the ever-upright blades of grass. If it weren’t for their plastic smell, one could mistake them for actually being real.
But how could one? After all, none of these children have ever felt or seen real grass before. It’s not uncommon to grow curious about how the real world looks like.
One child stated that grass typically grows very tall, explaining why the garden grass is constantly trimmed overnight..
Another kid said the trees were not spheres, but had a definite shape. These things called ‘branches’ would stretch out wherever they pleased. And green, flat plants called leaves would regularly fall from them.
But those curiosities were always overshadowed by the bread and circus ← (look this up).
In an open meadow stood five 'children'. Well, not quite. These five were well past the biological age to be considered children, yet it was simpler to refer to them as such, just as everyone else did at Anakt Garden.
While being stuck in such a situation as an adult might feel embarrassing, it's more common than you might imagine. A surprising number of students, in fact, never get adopted before turning 18. What happens then? We'll discuss that later when we get to it.
Luke had just completed his third flower crown of the hour. He looked at it in awe, like it were a prized treasure. His attention shifted to Zander, who was sitting on his left. Zander already had one flower crown around his neck and a comically large one all around his waist.
“Ok, let’s see if this one fits.” Luke said, holding the new flower crown carefully with both hands.
“I’m getting the feeling that you think my head is big,” Zander accused with furrowed eyebrows.
“No no, not at all!” Luke quickly denied, upset Zander would even consider that. “If only I had some measuring tape, I wouldn’t have to redo these all the time.”
“Then ask the art kids if you could borrow one.”
“...I get the feeling they don’t like us very much.”
Zander couldn’t help but chuckle, “Oh, really? What makes you say that?”
Sean’s head popped over Zander’s shoulder. “If it matters, probably not, but they did steal a quarter of our supply of sweet jelly last month.”
“The only good jelly too!” Milly suddenly perked up, kicking her legs as she lounged on the grass, “And can I just say, I’ll never understand anyone who prefers plain jelly over sweet.”
“I do.” Luke admitted.
Amidst all the commotion, a girl remained purposely isolated from the rest. She hugged her knees for comfort, burying her head under her weakening arms. Zander noticed the last of a certain someone’s input and turned to notice a gloomy Hailey sitting by herself.
“Hailey?” Zander immediately rushed over to her with a concerned look. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you still have that headache?” Luke joined in, mimicking Zander’s caring expression.
Hailey’s head lifted slowly, facing her worried friends, “Oh, uh, yeah, kinda.” You could see the white collar around her neck, and the small dot of light, that’s supposed to be green all the time, is red.
“What do you mean ‘kinda’?” Zander asked, confused.
Hailey looked aside, swallowing her lower lip. Her brain and heart were internally arguing with each other, and she looked conflicted on how exactly to phrase her troubles. With a heavy heart, she just went for it.
“I’m worried about Jake.”
Zander scowled at the mention of Jake’s name.
“See?” Hailey immediately pointed out Zander’s sour look. “Every time I talk about him, you always look like that.”
“What!?” Zander sparked, deeply offended, “Look like what?”
“Like this.” Milly pulled her lips down to make an exaggerated frown. Zander grunted, turning away. Milly only laughed before turning to Hailey, “But what are you worried about, girl?’
“It’s been a while since he’s gone back from his…interview,” Hailey explained.
“You don’t think he’s gonna break the pact just like that after all this time, do you?” Sean said, scooting closer to Hailey’s side.
“No, of course not…”
“Then what are you worried about?”
“Just… a gut feeling. Something feels off,” Hailey murmured, her gaze fixed on the darkened window. “He’s never been one to be late, not by this much.”
“I’m sure someone like Jake would at least say goodbye first if he actually got adopted.” Luke suggested.
“I know someone like Jake wouldn’t get adopted at all!” Sean attested before quickly taking back his words. “Wait, that came out wrong…”
“Whatever he does, if Jake even thinks about breaking the pact, I’ll kill him before he ever reaches that exit door!” Milly swore.
“Shhh! Shhh! Milly, don’t say that so loudly!” Hailey nervously hushed, putting a hand over Milly’s mouth to her annoyance.
Hailey felt Zander hug her from behind, listening intently as he begrudgingly reassured her that Jake was going to stay, even if he himself hated the idea.
“He’s not going anywhere,” Zander affirmed, his voice a low, determined hum. “Not without us. Not ever.”
Jake stood behind the glass enclosure, a tangle of wires overhead. In an adjacent room, beyond a tinted window, three aliens observed him, much like one might study an animal at the zoo.
One of these was none other than Min, dressed in a lab coat rather than a sleeping robe to appear more sophisticated in front of the couple. The purple mole-like creatures looked at Jake with skeptical expressions, unsure whether to critique his appearance or what his personality chart stated.
“It says here he’s an excellent singer. What exactly can he do?” The husband asked.
Min tapped a clawed finger on the tablet, a slight frown creasing her brow. "His vocalizations are his primary talent. He does not play any specific instrument, unfittingly. He’d be a great attraction when hosting casual parties with friends or family to set the mood. If you have multiple humans, you could even form a small band and have him as the lead vocalist. With his personality, as the kids say, he's got that "swagger" that makes me see a future for him in jazz.”
He gestured vaguely towards Jake, who was currently tracing patterns on the condensation of his side of the glass. “Allow me to coax him into a demonstration.”
Min pressed a button on the side panel. In Jake’s cell, an intercom hissed with a piercingly high frequency. Jake winced, covering his ears.
“Jake, perform a C Major scale for us.” Min commanded.
Jake flinched, his eyes wide with apprehension. He glanced at Min through the glass, his expression unreadable. He took a deep breath, the sterile air filling his lungs. Hesitantly, he began to hum a simple melody, followed by him opening his mouth and walking up the scale in an unsupported head voice. You could hear the scratches in his throat. The purple creatures exchanged knowing glances, their skepticism slowly melting into a disappointed glare.
“Do you honestly believe this thing has a future?” The wife scolded.
“My apologies. You should know I caught Jake last night singing rather loudly with his…bandmates. All that singing most likely strained his throat.” Min explained.
“I’d rather not waste my money on something that doesn’t know how to perform on its own.” The husband coldly stated, “We’ll have to pass on this one.”
“Very well,” Min said politely, nodding as the couple turned their backs on him without another word. After they slammed the door shut, Min pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a prolonged, angry groan.
“Jake, I know you’re faking.”
“I’m not! I swear, my throat is just not on top of it today.”
“That’s the same excuse as last time. If you’re gonna make me look like a fool, at least get creative with it.” Min scolded, crossing his arms. “You should know you’re far past the expected time of adoption. If you do not start taking these interviews seriously, believe me when I say the consequences will be dire.”
“Yes, Min.” Jake looked to the ground.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” Min demanded, slamming all of his hands onto the side panel. It’s a miracle how he hadn’t accidentally pressed any buttons.
“Yes, Min!” Jake corrected himself, staring straight into Min’s eyeless form.
“Better,” Min grunted. “I’m not allowed to talk about it, but there comes a point where I don’t have to follow the guides as a counselor. Perhaps you should spread this message to the rest of your pathetic little show.”
Jake gulped, the dryness in his throat suddenly feeling far more real than it had a moment ago. He knew Min had a bunch of pent-up rage from the years of him and his band abusing the guides Min had to follow to keep this job.He feared that one day, his messing around would come back to haunt him, and they would strip away all of his hopes for the future just like that. He met Min’s gaze, or rather, where his gaze would be, and braced himself.
“I understand, Min. I’ll do better.”
Jake walked across the garden with his hands behind his back, passing by younger kids playing around, fishing with their bare hands, or making flower crowns, a trend that had grown recently. He smiled, a warm nostalgia filling him sweetly. He imagined earlier days where, before he found his passion for music, he and his friends would run around, chasing each other like the little rascals they were. He almost teared up just thinking about it.
Jake got so absorbed in his daydream, he didn’t pick up the low figure creeping up behind him.
“Boo!” A pair of arms ensnared Jake in a tight hold.
“AHHHHH!” Jake wailed at the top of his lungs. His reflexes kicked in, and his hand whipped backward before slapping the prankster across the face so hard he could've flown.
Jake caught his breath, pausing to examine whoever had scared the daylights out of him. He immediately recognized the messy green hair, barely dark enough to tell apart from the grass.
“Henry, I swear! What was that for!?” Jake lashed out.
“For taking too loooooooong.” Henry drawled, moaning in pain on the ground.
Two other boys ran past Jake to meet the fallen Henry; one with faintly pink hair and one with orange hair (in the ginger way).
“Dude, it was just a prank! Why do you always go out of your way to give Henry a concussion?” The pink-haired chided.
“Maybe if he didn’t run up on me so much, I wouldn’t have to, Drew! Besides, it was an accident.” Jake defended himself.
“You were an accident!” Henry wailed dramatically, holding his throbbing head.
“Henry, calm down.” The ginger instructed before holding up two fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Woooow, Liam.” Henry gave a derpy smile, lazily placing a hand on Liam’s cheek. “I love you, man…”
“He’ll be fine.” Liam assured the rest.
“So I take that it didn’t go so well?” Drew said with a teasing grin.
“I’m glad it didn’t! They were so judgy for no reason.” Jake huffed. “I feel like everyone’s been so mean lately, and I don’t like it.”
“How sad is the real world that they gotta take it out on us kids?” Liam chimed in.
“Some people just suck, and you’ve gotta live with it. I learned that the hard way with Min,” Drew replied.
“Hey, speaking of Min…He told me something about ‘dire consequences’ if we don’t get adopted soon and that I should ‘spread the message’.” Jake mentioned with a nervous glance.
“Min’s just trying to scare you as always. He knows he can’t hurt us.” Drew brushed aside, not taking Jake’s worries all that seriously.
“You should’ve heard him! His voice got all low and croaky. I-I think he’s being serious this time.”
“I get where you’re coming from, Jake. You should follow my mindset more!” Liam suggested proudly.
“Which is…?” Jake asked skeptically.
“Whenever something bad is happening, I always tell myself, ‘it could be worse’.”
“You jinxed us all, you idiot!” Henry panicked, still with a dazed expression.
Jake and Drew laughed at each other, watching the two boys share a single brain cell. However, out in the distance, a familiar voice called for Jake.
“Ahem!” Zander’s voice coughed from afar.
Jake turned around, seeing all of his bandmates grouped together with the same look of perplexity. While most didn’t seem all that surprised to find Jake with this certain clique, they were definitely not happy either.
“L-Look, Hailey! I told you Jake would stay.” Luke tried to ease the tension.
“Y-Yeah…” Hailey weakly responded, looking off to the side.
“Wait, wait. You thought I would leave you?” Jake asked.
“That’s not important!” Zander fumed, stepping in front of all the other bandmates. “This is who you first go to after being gone for so long!?”
“No, no, no! They ran into me first. I only got distracted, I swear,” Jake fretted.
“Wow, way to speak about us like that when we’re right here,” Drew denounced loudly.
Jake turned around, growing even more anxious being cornered like this. He felt like was in the center of a war between two armies.
“Zander, calm down. He’s allowed to have other friends.” Sean placed a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“The same friends who make our lives a living heck!?” Zander argued back.
“Woah, woah, I feel like that’s a bit of an exaggeration. You know we’re only messing with you, right?” Drew defended himself with a smug look.
“An exaggeration…?” Hailey whispered lowly to herself.
Jake quivered, unsure who to even look at. One wrong move could completely destroy his bond with either friend group. If he completely screwed it up, he could lose it all on the spot.
“I-I can explain it all, guys…” Jake’s voice quavered before he exploded. “JUST NOT NOW!”
Jake sprinted away to the side, where he couldn’t pass anyone.
“Hey! Get back here, you coward!” Milly immediately chased after him like an angry guard dog. Jake screamed throughout the garden, startling bystanders as he ran away from the vicious pink-haired devil.
It’s up to you to decide if Jake coincidentally running into a downward hill was good or bad luck. Jake stumbled down the hill like a tumbleweed, his screams comically cut off every time he hit the grass. When the even ground broke his descent, he was in so much pain he felt like he might pass out. It wouldn’t be too bad, for he could’ve escaped all of his problems for at least a little bit.
But then…
“Whoa! Jake! Are you ok?” A gentle voice asked with deep concern.
Jake forced his eyes open, where he met none other than the gorgeous bluebell eyes of the only thing that could make him happy on the worst of days.
Daisy.
The way her snow-white hair moves like water whenever she dances in the middle of the meadow.
The way her voice is as gentle and comforting as a guardian angel’s.
The way her eyelids flutter like butterflies taking their first flight.
How could one not fall in love with such a graceful beauty?
“I-I-I-uh-I err, uh, I-I’m fiiiine!” Jake blabbered, too captivated by Daisy to focus on getting his words to sound right.
Daisy extended a hand to help Jake up. “That fall sure looked like it hurt. Do you want me to call the nurse?”
“Uh! No no, don’t worry a-about me, D-Daisy. Thanks a ton for, erm, uh, caring so much. Just…thank you.” Jake’s face was a blooming red now.
“Hehe, you're welcome, Jake. I’m glad to hear you’re alright.” Daisy laughed sweetly. “You know, I overheard you singing last night when I was making my way back to my room.”
“Y-You did?”
“Yeah! You sounded amazing, Jake! You have the voice of an angel!”
Jake felt like he could die of happiness on the spot. His heart felt too big for his ribcage to contain, and all he could do was sigh blissfully in response to Daisy’s melodic voice. Before he could properly thank Daisy, something from above interrupted him.
“Attention all children from Anakt Garden #39 over the age of 18.” The intercom loudly blasted across the meadow. “Please meet in Meeting Room #222. It’s extremely important that every one of you shows up. Failure to make attendance within the next hour will result in 3 days of isolation.”
“A meeting…?” Daisy repeated, “I wonder what it could be for.”
“Yeah…” Jake replied, sharing the same confusion as Daisy did.
“Well, I guess I should be off. I’d like to make it early. See you there, Jake!” Daisy waved goodbye to Jake before quietly walking away with a smile.
Jake wanted to say something to keep Daisy with him a little longer, but could only stare in longing as he watched her fade into the distance. While marveling at her, a sly voice from behind caught him off guard.
“Oooooooh!” Milly taunted.
“Why are you like this…?” Jake sighed in embarrassment.
The blonde boy walked through the hallway, passing numerous photos of the other children in the garden that went from most recent to oldest. The more he walked, the younger he imagined himself to be.
One had a photo taken when he was 12. He was in a choir, singing a song for a bunch of elderly aliens. He remembered how a lot of the women called him a walking stick. It wasn’t his fault the food here lacked protein!
He couldn’t help but hum the forgotten tune as he reminisced on simpler times. He saw it now, his fingers pinching the lemon-scented sheet music, highlighting his lines to the song in his favorite blue highlighter that was covered in teeth marks. It’s like every song he’s ever sung was buried within the infinite library in his head, every lyric to be heard another day. Not even a lobotomy could erase the songs he’s learned, cherished, and held true to his heart.
To him, music is what makes him human. It’s what gives him purpose.
After all, it’s his talent. What else are humans good for anyway?
Jake stopped at a certain photo that had to be taken when he was around 8. It was of him and Liam, Henry, and Drew, playing hopscotch on a set made of flowers and plastic sticks. He remembered Henry was so bad at the game and would always accidentally kick the sticks out of place, and Liam had to angrily remake the set over and over again. Whenever he and Drew tried to help, he would shout, ‘You’ll just ruin it! Let the master do their craft’ pridefully.
It was hard to believe that was a whole decade ago.
Jake didn’t notice it until now, but he was only 10 steps from the door to the meeting room. Hopefully, nothing bad was beyond that door. He walked up to it and gently turned the handle. The door seemed to open by itself, revealing a room full of children all sitting down in chairs. There had to be at least sixteen. Strange how so many failed to get adopted.
He looked around for an empty spot, and found just about 3. One was right next to Drew, Liam, and Henry, which they most likely saved for him. Another was fairly close to his bandmates. And the last was right behind Daisy.
Oooh, why must fate be so cruel???
Jake gulped, his eyes darting between the three available seats. Daisy. Of course, it was Daisy. He could feel the familiar blush creeping up his neck. He’d have to sit there, right behind her, with the scent of her lavender shampoo probably wafting in his direction. The thought made his stomach do a weird flip. But then, he caught Liam’s expectant look, and Drew’s casual nod towards the empty chair. Guilt was really eating him away for thinking of not accepting their offer when they went out of their way to save a spot.
But the feeling rose more when he saw his bandmates notice him. Milly excitedly waved to him; Sean and Luke greeted him with small smiles; Zander looked off to the side, pretending not to notice him, and Hailey gave him a pleasant wave.
“Ok, Jake, calm down. If you avert your eyes from absolutely everyone, maybe they’ll think you didn’t notice them and just went for the nearest sea–”
“SIT DOWN!” Min suddenly barged into the room, his form barely fitting through the doorway. He raised a fist high, “In a seat in 10…!”
“Ah-Ah uh, sorry Min–”
“9…!”
Crap, now all attention was on him! The absolute nearest seat was behind Daisy. While avoiding the gazes of everyone, he slipped into the chair with his head buried into his hands. He whined in embarrassment, praying his hands muffled the noise.
Min nodded before he started his ‘lesson’.
“Alright, I believe you all know why I’ve called you here. Every child in this room has failed to get adopted. I shouldn’t even be calling you children! And I must say that never in my 40 years have I seen this many.”
Jake could hear Henry snorting to Drew, mocking Min by mouthing his words.
“I’ve told you all time and time again that it was very important you complete this goal, for your wellbeing, and frankly, mine. However, my contract strictly states to never speak of such consequences, since my boss prefers the children to have an ‘open mindset for potential owner’s’, whatever that means. So, I’d figured it would be better to show you instead.”
Min’s arm extended to reach a light switch, dimming the room. Another hand reached for a remote sitting on the sill of a whiteboard. He pressed a big red button, and soon, a hologram appeared right in front of him, temporarily blinding the alien and sending him running out of the room. Everyone shared a collective laugh before the projection played a video that had a charming green cartoon alien narrating what was happening.
“Greetings, children of Anakt Garden! If you’re watching this video, you’ve failed to get adopted before you turn biologically into an adult.”
A chorus of boos played in the video. Liam scoffed, muttering to himself, “rude.”
“But fear not, humans! There is still hope for you, and there is still a spot in the galaxy that YOU can take! This is what our program is made for; to give children like you one more chance to prove you have purpose. That there is something you can give and do for us! What is this program, you ask? Why, it’s none other than the annual talent competition…”
A big logo flashed on the screen.
“ALIEN STAGE!”
Everyone in the room awed in curiosity.
“Alien Stage is a competition where children like you compete for the hearts of our kind. We broadcast our show for the whole galaxy to see, so everyone gets a scoop of what you have to offer. The winners are guaranteed to get adopted by those who would pay millions for a talent like yours, so a life of luxury is in store for you!
Imagine a life that fulfills all your needs and where people cherish and adore you, all because you can sing, dance, and act. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today and show the galaxy that you deserve to live!”
As the video cut off, all Jake could imagine is him on stage in the flashiest of outfits, millions of people cheering him off as he sang a song that transcended hearts and souls. The sweat cooling him off, his own voice loud enough to deafen himself, all while people basked in his musical high. It would be such a dream to show people what he was capable of.
That he was worthy of such a life.
That he deserved to live.
Min walked into the room, rubbing his face with a silk cloth. He tossed it aside carelessly before flipping the light switch and bringing light back to the room, much to the dismay of the children’s eyes.
“Alright then. I’m certain you all get the idea. Now, this year’s theme is singing, meaning you can either perform as a soloist act or a band. Signups will be at the lunch table, but all of you must sign up before Friday because that is when we’ll depart.”
Everyone in the room broke to murmur to the people next to them. Jake only spoke with himself, still pondering on this golden opportunity.
Min shushed everyone, and all the children froze on the spot to look at the creature anxiously.
“Anyways, ask your friends if you want to perform together, have a song in mind, blah blah blah,” Min sounded like he was reading off a script, “However you decide to waste your time, you better have your act down by the end of the week. Don’t miss the deadline, and no, we will not be providing any backup singers or instruments for you. This is entirely on you. Now get out. I have a lot of important business to attend to.”
Jake stood up too fast; his vision flickered like a static TV. He could feel his heart in his throat, and he suddenly felt aware of all the blood pumping throughout his body, keeping him alive. This was his chance.
His one and only chance.
He had to take it.
He had to show everyone what he was capable of.
He had to show them that he deserved this.
He deserved to live.
He deserved to be on that stage.
He deserved to be loved.
He deserved to be happy.
He deserved to be free.
“Wow! The whole galaxy?” Milo gasped in disbelief, his eyes sparkling in the dark bedroom.
“Haha, yeah! The world is going to know my name in just a week. It’s literally my dream come true.” Jake beamed, smiling gently.
“I can’t believe I’m gonna be related to a superstar! I’m never gonna lose two truths and a lie now!” Milo squealed, his legs kicking underneath the blanket.
Jake laughed, leaning back as he sat on the side of the bed, “I feel so alive! I’m not sure how I’m gonna be able to sleep tonight. All my dreams are coming true right now and…it’s almost too good to be true.”
“So what are you even gonna do on stage?” Milo asked.
“Well, singing is the theme this year. You could either go solo or as a band.”
“Oh! Are you gonna be with your band?” Milo asked excitedly.
“That’s…what I’m still trying to figure out.” Jake sheepishly admitted, “On one hand, I could go with the music club. But on the other hand, I could perform with Drew and the others. I’ve also always dreamed of pursuing a solo career. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have all eyes on them?”
“I wouldn’t. I get so scared thinking about all those people watching me.” Milo shivered, slipping into the blanket.
“Then I’m afraid you’re just not made for the show life, lil’ man.” Jake teased playfully. Milo stuck his tongue out at him in response.
“How long will you be gone, Jake?” Milo asked, his tone suddenly a lot less lively and more…afraid.
“That’s a good question. Min was rather vague on what exactly the show will look like. All I know is that I’m leaving Friday first thing in the morning.”
“But…I don’t want you to go…” Milo frowned, reaching out for Jake.
Jake paused, his grin fading as he met Milo’s gaze. He gently took Milo’s outstretched hand, his thumb stroking the back of his fingers. “Hey,” he whispered, his voice losing its boisterous energy. “I’m going to be alright. I promise to visit as soon as I can. And think of all the stories I’ll have to tell you when I get back.” He squeezed Milo’s hand. “Besides, who else is going to keep this place from falling apart while I’m gone?”
“I-I am!” Milo said heroically.
“That’s right…” Jake ruffled Milo’s blonde hair with a chuckle.
“Jake?”
“Yes, Milo?”
“Will I ever see you again?”
Oh, Jake’s heart just ripped in two.
“Of course, my man. You know goodbyes aren’t forever…”
Jake helped tuck in Milo, making sure he was all snuggled up to have the best sleep of his life.
“Time for you to go to bed, ok? It’s getting late.” Jake said softly, still holding onto Milo’s hand.
“Good night, Jake.” Milo moaned listfully, on the brink of sleep. “I love you…”
Jake watched as Milo closed his eyes. He took a long minute to appreciate his brother’s existence. How precious can one human be? He hesitantly sat up from the bed, letting Milo’s hand slip from his grasp and fall onto the mattress. He made his way to the door and slowly opened it, wincing at it’s creaking. When he stepped outside, he was met with the worried faces of his bandmates.
“Jake, you ok?” Hailey asked.
“Oh, yeah, yeah, I’m cool!” Jake masked with a smile, wiping away his face in case there were any stray tears.
“You know, we don’t have to do it tonight if you’re not feeling your best.” Luke suggested, looking out for Jake’s wellbeing.
“What! No! I’m seriously ok. The only thing that could really cheer me up is hanging out with you guys.” Jake confessed.
“Well, I’m not stopping you.” Hailey nodded with a small smile.
“Come on! I’m tired of waiting!” Milly chirped, jumping up and down.
“Quit waiting for me, then. Let’s go!” Jake cheered, taking Milly by the hand and dashing down the hallway. The duo whooped as they ran, not caring if they woke up anyone. Hailey quickly followed behind, urging the two to quiet down. Sean went with the crowd, unable to stop laughing. Before Luke could join in on the fun, he noticed Zander staying behind with no sign of moving from his spot.
“You coming?” Luke asked.
“I’m going nowhere if Jake is there…” Zander stubbornly grumbled, keeping his arms crossed.
“Ok, but just know that Hailey is going to be with Jake…overnight...” Luke slyly goaded, pretending to walk away.
…
“Not on my watch, they’re not!” Zander ran right past Luke, leaving him laughing in the dust.
Everyone stopped in a more secluded part of the garden, where there were more trees than ever and a small stream adding to the ambience of the silent night. The children all laughed at the feeling of freedom, basking in both the amazing feeling of the artificial moonlight and the fact they were finally going to perform in front of millions of people to see. They were finally a full fledged band. They were all so engrossed in the magic of the moment, lost in their own worlds. The air hummed with a playful energy as the children danced around the stream; the water pouring was the most beautiful song the garden could give.
“Can you believe it!? We’re actually going to be on stage!” Sean exulted, hugging himself, “People will finally be able to hear the lyrics I spent hours on! It will all finally pay off!”
“Hey! Were we not enough for you?” Milly bickered.
“Hmmm, think, Milly. Would you prefer the whole world hears your music or that 5 close friends hear it?” Sean asked.
“Our music, you mean,” Luke corrected. “Also, at least I know who I’m performing for, rather than a bunch of strangers.”
“Don’t act like you don’t like the fame!” Jake joined in, shaking Luke by the shoulders with a proud grin.
Hailey walked up to the group from behind, unsure how she could contribute to the happy moment without bringing down the mood with her troubles. “Are any of you nervous at all?”
Everyone turned around to meet Hailey. Luke answered first, “Of course I am. But I know that as long as I’m doing it with you all, I don’t have much to worry about.”
“You’re just saying that,” Zander walked in with a more relaxed face than usual.
While the mood was set, they spent most of their time at the stream talking about the past and everything that led up to this moment. The whole heartfelt moment moved like a time-lapse. They sat at the edge of the stream, kicking the water with their bare feet while having the ‘remember when’ conversation.
“Remember when Zander accidentally dropped all of Sean’s lyrics and they fell into the pond?” Hailey recalled.
“Ugh, you’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?” Zander groaned.
“Trust me, man.” Sean wrapped an arm around Zander’s neck. “This is more of my punishment than yours.”
They played all the games they grew up with together, from Red Light, Green Light to Duck Duck Goose and Ring Around the Rosie. Luke always suggested they played Kagome Kagome, but nobody wanted to since the song creeped everyone out. But since it was their last week in the garden, they played it to make everyone happy.
Now you’re probably finding it funny how a bunch of grown adults are playing little kid games. But you have to remember, they’re still classified as children in this world. And as such, they’re treated like children, or even worse, pets to be adopted. They were never really taught to function on their own, since that was entirely up to whoever decided to adopt them. But with no proper guardian to rely on, they were never given the permission to grow. The sizes in their clothing may change, but the white bagginess of them will always make them meant for little kids. The softness of the fabric will always keep them in a state of comfort, unwilling to face and dark truths lying beyond this enclosure. As long as they stay in the garden, they will always be kept as ‘children’, all for the appeal of the public.
It’s rather, no, extremely gross when you think about it.
And unfortunately, the children never bought into that idea. Because they had each other. As long as they stuck together, nothing bad could happen.
That’s what the pact was all about.
“Either we’re all getting adopted at once, or we’re never leaving this garden. That’s the only way the band will stick together.”
The words hung heavy above the six as they lay in the circle in the field of grass, admired the projected, still stars of the glassy sky. A wave of exhaustion was washing over them, but Jake didn’t want the night to end in such silence. He turned over to his side, where Hailey was.
“You know, as much as I’ve always dreamt of being a superstar, fantasizing about all the fame and outfits and love, now that it’s right around the corner…I’m beginning to have second thoughts.”
“Ah, so you’re just as nervous as I am…” Hailey said. “I’m worried about how the other aliens will see me. Will they remember me as a winner, a loser, a fan favorite, or completely forget me? I don’t want this one and possibly only chance on stage to define me as something I’m not.”
“But you’re anything but a loser, Hailey! Just ask any of us!” Jake argued purposefully.
“That’s different. You’re like my best friends, of course you’ll be supportive.”
“The best kind of friends are the ones who aren’t afraid to spill the truth.” Sean chimed in. “And you’ve seen how direct we’ve been with each other, saying how we could be better after each run-through instead of brushing it aside. If we did that, we clearly didn’t care about the music.”
“I think it’s Zander that’s doing 80% of the critiquing.” Milly commented.
“No, I’m not!” Zander badgered.
“I think what he means, Hailey, we’re not walking into this without a worry in the world. There are many things I’m scared about, like something terrible happening and we drift apart.” Luke admitted with a creeping blush.
“Hmmm…Well, I’m worried about not adding enough to the band, since I stand behind a desk all day writing the lyrics.” Sean added with a thoughtful look.
“...Alright!” Milly huffed, spilling everything out as fast as possible, “I’m scared about losing! This might be our only time on stage, and I don’t want to make a fool of myself, or look like I wasn’t good enough.”
“Again, we.” Luke said.
Everyone turned to look at Zander, expecting him to say something.
“Ugh…fine! I’m worried about anything happening to Bethany while we’re gone, and I wasn’t there…” Zander confessed begrudgingly.
“I really don’t know what it is I’m specifically worried about…losing myself, losing all of you, or letting everybody down. But right now, none of that seems to matter, since I’m so happy to be with you all. Sooo happy.” Jake gushed.
“You care about us enough to stay, right?” Hailey asked.
“Of course I do. Tell me what more can I say to make you see that I do.”
“Then you’ll be with us as a band, right?”
Jake paused, thinking back to his other friends. He picked up that Hailey seemed upset at his hesitance, and was quick to reassure her.
“I know it’s difficult to have someone like me in your band, always running off to be a whole other person. It’s like leading a double life. But…maybe I like having both. Who says I have to choose?”
“Well, you kinda have to for this instance, since there’s no way we’re performing with Drew.” Zander said.
“I meant choosing what friends to keep. No matter what band I choose to play with, I’m still going to care about you all.”
“But by joining another band, you’d be breaking our pact…Only the winners will get adopted, meaning you’ll either leave on your own, or get left behind…” Hailey affirmed. “You can’t have your cake and eat it too, Jake.”
Jake looked at the profound expressions of his bandmates, all eyes on him, but not in the way he envisioned in his daydreams. He knew they were right. You can’t always have everything you want, even in a seemingly perfect simulation such as this. That’s the burden that human emotion brings: bringing sorrow into even the happiest of moments.
He'd hate to be the one to break the pact, not only jeopardizing his bond with his bandmates—his only real connection to music—but his mistake could also lead to the entire band breaking up. But the thought of also letting his first friends down, who have proven to always stick by him even when he’s at his worst, to focus on people he’s only met not too long ago. Would they think he’s abandoning them, lying to them, ignoring them, completely forgetting he exists? What do they think of them now?
He hates the idea of being the catalyst of either friend group falling apart. He hates it, he hates it, he hates it.
Why can’t he just make everyone happy?
“I-I’m sorry…” Jake teared up, “I-I don’t know what I’d do without you…without anyone. Even just one person, I-I have it all…I can’t lose anyone…I can’t lose anything…and have it be my fault.”
Jake felt surprised as multiple arms held him in a small cocoon, with hands interlocking above to strengthen the embrace. All of his bandmates joined him to simply rest and to stop thinking about such stuff when they should be on top of the world. They have each other, after all. A collective sigh escaped the huddle. The weight of whatever could go wrong, it all momentarily dissolved within the protective circle.
“How cunning you are,” Hailey murmured.