Free Beatless by Amber L. Johnson

bile.
    Concern washed over his face. "It's not that huge."
    I nodded and crossed to the side of the room to face the wall and give myself a pep talk. He followed, his chest meeting my back timidly while he wrapped his arms around me. I held onto his wrists and breathed deeply.
    "Breathe," he reminded me and I rested my head against his shoulder inhaling deeply. "There you go. Better?"
    I couldn't find the words to tell him that he made it better. That he calmed my nerves. So I just nodded and waited for him to let me go.
    "Is Sam coming?"
    I shook my head no. "She said she wasn't feeling well and didn't know if she could handle, and I quote, 'a bunch of hormonally deprived youths.'"
    "They're not all deprived," he chuckled and I elbowed him in the stomach, turning to give him a glare.
    The manager, Dave, stepped into the room. "Ready?"
    Everyone nodded.
    I took one last look at myself in the mirror on the far wall. The short skirt and bright red tights made my legs look curvy. And the baby-tee with the embroidered flower on the chest made my boobs look bigger than normal. I hoped I didn't fall in the shiny Mary-Jane’s Berkley let me borrow. And I hoped that I could even get one note out of my traitorous throat.
    We were introduced to the sound of the entire building clapping and letting out concert whoops. I took my place in the back, behind and to the side of Tucker. Berkley took center, and to her left was Marcus, behind him Sara. We held microphones, our heads tilted down until the lights came up. When they did, the mix Tucker had slaved over started - our prerecorded voices pumping in over the speakers - above the sounds of the swelling applause from the excited crowd below the stage.
    We'd assured ourselves that the pre-recording wasn’t cheating.
    Because we were the show.
    On the eight count Berkley began to sing, swaying in time to the beat that we created. Each of us met her with our parts, and within the span of a minute, the crowd was losing it. The sound of our voices lifted toward the rafters and across the sea of people that I could barely make out beyond the stage lights. I was stiff and concentrating on my notes, not even paying attention to the other people on the stage.
    I needed to pee.
    I needed water.
    I needed to throw up.
    But after the second song, a miracle happened.
    Sara had just finished her part and I was coming in on mine, when I closed my eyes and held onto my microphone, singing my solo with every ounce of passion in my body. I don't know when it happened but I could feel my hips begin to sway and I bent a little at the waist to get one long note out.
    Opening my eyes, I could make out Tucker just in front of me, turned with his face angled over his shoulder, a look of complete surprise etched into every back-lit feature. "Holy shit," he laughed into the microphone.
    The room exploded with cheers and Berkley pointed her finger, calling me to the front by her side. She continued to sing and pulled me close, swaying in time to the music. We moved together while she sang to me, and I did my part back until everything faded out and it was just the two of us holding out the last notes of the song. When we stopped, I inhaled raggedly, and she leaned forward to give me a sweet kiss on the cheek.
    I thought the walls would collapse under the sound of the applause from beyond the stage.
    Two more songs went like that and then we said goodnight. I practically ran off the stage, almost tripping in those stupid heels. Ripping them from my feet, I propelled myself through the back door and out into the night, gasping for air under the endorphins that were racing through my blood.
    Tucker followed, his arms snaking around my back as he placed his chin on my shoulder. It was so natural. I couldn't fight it.
    "That was so good," I said while tears started to fill my eyes. "I didn't think I could do it. That we could do it."
    “I did."
    I spun around in his arms and locked my fingers behind his neck, angling