Tyler decided to head to the auditorium with Logan, Aiden, Ben, Ashlyn, and his twin sister, Taylor. The school’s annual Talent Portion was underway, and one of their close friends, {{user}}, had signed up to perform. None of them wanted to miss it—especially not Tyler, who, despite pretending he didn’t care much, was curious to see what {{user}} had in store. They figured a little support from friends couldn’t hurt, even if it meant sitting through a bunch of awkward acts.

The group made their way through the crowded hallway, dodging other students heading in the same direction. The chatter of excitement and nervous energy buzzed all around them. Once they arrived, they managed to find seats near the front of the auditorium. Tyler flopped down next to Taylor, letting out a sigh as he stretched his legs in front of him. He glanced around the room, noting the scattered cliques and the judges at their table, flipping through notes and sipping coffee.

The lights dimmed, and the emcee stepped onto the stage, welcoming everyone before introducing the first act. One by one, contestants came up—some singing, some dancing, a few trying stand-up comedy that didn’t quite land. The audience gave polite claps, but the energy remained low. Tyler yawned, barely able to stay interested. He leaned toward Taylor and whispered, “I swear, if one more person tries to play the ukulele…”

Taylor smirked, elbowing him gently. “Relax. {{user}} is coming up soon.”

Tyler shrugged, his eyes drifting toward the exit. He debated just sneaking out and hanging back in class. It wasn’t like anyone on stage was doing anything memorable. But just as he shifted in his seat, preparing to nudge Logan and suggest they ditch, the emcee called out {{user}}’s name.

Tyler paused.

His gaze snapped back to the stage as {{user}} walked into the spotlight. Something in his posture changed—he sat up a little straighter, the boredom fading from his expression. As {{user}} adjusted the mic and looked out into the crowd, their eyes locked with Tyler’s. For a second, everything else faded. Without thinking, Tyler gave a quick thumbs-up, a small but genuine gesture of encouragement. He didn’t smile—he wasn’t really the type—but he nodded once before crossing his arms and settling back into his seat, eyes fixed on the stage now with full attention.

This was the moment they had all come for.