Ted's POV

"What?! Why?!" Tessa cried. I just told Tessa that we would be going to the ice cream parlor with Zach and Sam and her reaction was, you know... expected.

"I-I felt bad declining. I-I might hurt his f-feelings," I explained and she gave me a look of disbelief.

"You felt bad?! The guy literally makes fun of you every single time he sees you and you still feel bad?!" Her blaring tone of a voice echoed throughout the now empty hallways.

"J-Just because he treats me that way doesn't mean I need to treat him that way too," she shook her head after hearing what I said.

"That's the problem. You're too kind-hearted and selfless. You'd rather get hurt so that others get hurt,"

"W-Would you go if I told you I'd be auditioning for the annual singing contest?" Her face immediately lightened up from what I said.

"Really?!" I nod and smiled from her excitement. She pulled me into a bone-crushing hug and cheered through the hallways.

"MY TWIN IS FINALLY BREAKING OUT OF HIS SHELL!" I laugh at her reaction.

"S-So let's go," her face immediately changed.

"I might be happy that you will audition and agreeing to come but it doesn't change the fact that you're still extremely kind-hearted and selfless," we start walking to our car as she said.

"I-Is that a bad thing?"

"Too much of anything is bad. Try to loosen up and take risks. You being timid and paranoid at everything isn't going to help you in the long run. Auditioning for the singing contest is a good starting point for you and if something out of the ordinary happens, try not to oppose it and just go with the flow," she replied. We eventually made it to the ice cream parlor which was only a 5-minute drive from school.

We entered the shop to see Zach and Sam waiting patiently at a table. They noticed us and greeted us with a wave. Well, Zach did. Sam came running to me when her eyes landed on me.

"C'mon Ted. Let's pic a flavor," she tugged me frenetically towards the counter with an array of different ice cream flavors.

I laugh at how ecstatic Sam is about ice cream. She points to the cookie dough flavor and we look at each other.

"That's my favorite flavor," we simultaneously said which made us both laugh. Zach and Tessa came up to us to ask what we were laughing at but we shrug it off.

As he promised, Zach paid for our ice cream and we sat at a booth. I sat in between Tessa and Sam while Zach was beside Sam.

"I have news," I spoke to Sam.

"What?"

"I'm auditioning tomorrow," I whispered to her. Her face went from neutral to shocked then to excited real quick.

"Really?!" She whisper-shouted.

"Finally, someone who can beat Vanessa," she continued.

"Woah, take it easy. We don't even know if I'm gonna pass the audition," I remind her.

"Oh please, we all know you would pass the audition and beat Vanessa," I laugh at what she said. You see, Vanessa's the reigning champion of the contest since freshman and since then, no one has taken her place.

By this time, we notice the tension between Zach and Tessa. Tessa was constantly giving Zach daggers while Zach was trying to act cool but I could feel his anxiety from a mile away.

Sam and I switch seats to talk to each others' siblings. Why did I agree to this? Okay, Ted, you're just going to talk to him. Nothing bad is going to happen. Well, I hope so.

"H-Hey" I started.

Oh God, help me.

"S-Sorry about Tessa cause you know, she's u-um... Tessa" he could definitely hear the nervousness in my voice cause he took my hands and shook them.

"C'mon, loosen up. I don't bite," he said, still shaking my hands.

"Unless you want me too," Um...

"What?"

"Nothing," he smirked. There were a good 15 seconds of awkward silence before I started talking again. I'm getting used to talking now huh?

"T-Thanks for the treat. You really didn't need to do that," I told him.

"It's nothing compared to all the things I did to you before," I nod.

"I'm sorry," he all of a sudden said.

"F-For what?"

"For all the things that I have done to you for the past 3 years. To be honest, I don't even know why I did those things. I know it'll take some time before you acc-"

"Okay" I cut him off

"What?"

"I accept your apology,"

"Wha- I don't understand. Why'd you accepted my apology that quick?" He questioned which wasn't a surprise.

"I-it's easy to accept an apology from someone you don't hate a-and I don't really hate you," I smiled. He just nods and looks away. We've been here for almost 30 minutes now and it's probably best if we go.

We said our goodbyes and thank yous, and went to our car. Tessa was unusually quiet but I didn't comment on it. We bought food first for dinner before going home.

We arrive home to see that dad was hike already. We enter our house and greeted our dad who was watching TV. We ate early dinner and proceeded to do our normal tasks.

I lay on my bed, trying to think of what to do. All my homework due tomorrow was already done and I don't have anything else to do. Ah, right. The audition tomorrow.

What should I sing? I have a few songs on my mind that I have been singing for the past month. I narrowed it down to three which we're One day by Tate McRae, Paris in the Rain by Lauv, and There for You by Troye Sivan.

What's funny is that some people think I look like Troye and that Tessa looked like Sage, his sister. I didn't really believe it because what I meant by some people was Tessa and her obsession with Troye.

I went to Tessa's room to ask for help on picking a song since the song I will be singing the same song at the audition and the main contest.

She told me that even though she really wanted the Troye Sivan song, One Day was better suited for my voice and I believe her only because she's my sister and she hears me sing those songs every day.

I started to practice singing. I didn't really need to practice it much since I have been singing it often already. It was almost 8 PM and I decided to just sleep early. I lay on my bed and stared on the ceiling, trying to sleep when I heard a notification from my phone.

Weird.

No one really messages me. The only people who'd be messaging me were Sam and my friend circle. I check who it is and saw that it was from an unknown number.

Unknown Number
Hey Ted.

What do I do? Do I reply? The only logical thing to do is to block the number but then I remembered what Tessa said to me.

"Try to loosen up and take risks. If something out of the ordinary happens, try not to oppose it and just go with the flow"

Taking her advice, I texted back.

Ted
Hey, do I know you?