You never planned on signing up for the school talent show.

You definitely never planned on signing up with Patty Bladell.

It all started when the sign-up sheet appeared in the hallway. You glanced at it once, amused, and kept walking. Patty, on the other hand, stopped like she’d just seen destiny written in glitter.

“We should do it,” she said suddenly, grabbing your arm.

You blinked. “Do what?”

“The talent show. Us. Together.”

You laughed. “Patty, I don’t even know what my talent is.”

She narrowed her eyes at you with that familiar competitive spark. “Everyone has a talent. I refuse to believe you’re just standing there being attractive and mysterious for no reason.”

Against your better judgment… you agreed.

Practicing with Patty was absolute chaos. One minute she was hyper-focused, barking instructions like a coach. The next, she was laughing on the floor because someone messed up a step. You argued over music, over timing, over who got the center of the stage. Somehow, between all the bickering and accidental laughter, something real started forming.

Trust.

The night of the show, the auditorium was packed. Lights blazed. People whispered. Patty stood beside you backstage, bouncing on her heels.

“I’m not nervous,” she said quickly.

“You just said that without me asking.”

“…I’m extremely nervous.”

You smiled at her. “You’ve got this.”

She looked at you for a second longer than necessary. “No. We’ve got this.”