CW: Sexual content, alcohol use. Read discreetly.

One of the fluorescent lights in the room that Richard Wingo Pascual is in continuously flickered so hard that it could cause him a seizure for his non-existent epilepsy. As if that could ever bother him aside from the sour scent of sweat that lingered all over the dance studio, to where all he hears is his shoes that tap on the wooden floor, and the inverter that hasn't been cleaned in nearly a year causing the four walls to be painfully hot. It didn't stop both him and his co-member, Kyle, from practicing their choreography for Where The Party At.

After several arm swings, leg twists, and hip thrusts, the two are drenched in their fluid, gasping for air. The voice that called them both made them realize something. It was obvious from the start.

"You are two members short!" exclaimed their coach.

How was that a problem for this old man? They can manage without those pesky twins! Doesn't he know what they are capable of even though its just the two of them?

"Sir," said Kyle. "Can we try again? I think—"

"No one will try again until Brandon and Brian arrive. You, Richard!" Their coach points straight at him.

Why him??

"M-me?" Richard points to himself. He could already hear the pretty boy mumble just because.

"Can't you contact them? Are you friends with them on Facebook?"

"I can't. I don't know who they are on FB," he explained... or most likely excused. He can't make excuses to this oldie. He just won't buy any explanation from him.

Richard knows that people who put "Bhosxz" (boss) on their Facebook names are a thing. It's confusing and cringe for him. How will he put it in his wo—

Enter the twins in question. Brandon and Brian Lewis are smiling, cheerfully entering the room as if nobody in their boy band is getting scolded by their aging coach. Richard was looking all over nothing, and he could hear Kyle's laughs that he was NOT delighted to see them. Ain't nobody got time for those! He facepalmed mentally.

Richard knows exactly what happens next.

Kyle said, "Care to explain to our coach why you two are late?"

Exactly like last week! Except that all four of them weren't forgiven for their excuses. They had to redo the choreography because of it, according to the old guy, it was so messy. Richard and Kyle had to be in front to replace the childish Lewis twins that are all play and no work done.

"I... reached God of Tetris rank," uttered Brandon.

Richard bets all his properties about what the other Lewis has to say. It's about dragons! Surely.

"I... had to expand my Dragon City for new dragons to feed and breed, Kyle." Brian scratched his head. Richard hit the jackpot again! Mentally.

"You just don't want to be here, Brian, because it smells like your rotten cheese feet!" Brandon complained to his twin.

"Who the hell told you? You really love to mimic everything girl-face says!" Brian bickered at Brandon, pointing to Kyle, making him shock.

"Can you repeat that, Bri?" Kyle bombarded. "I wanna hear you say that to my face! You said I'm a gi—"

They heard a loud whistle being blown. The four turned to the fat old man. He's not having it today! Richard knows what exactly this coach will say... it's not like he wishes he had a new, different dance coach or anything. All the coach ever knows that all of them are lazy. They tried a lot of times to prove this guy wrong. But...

"You four wasted enough time today! Especially, you both!" The fifty year old referred to Richard and Kyle. "You know that the music show is a week away! If you don't master the dance today, you will be doomed to obscurity. Get back to your positions, pronto!"

Jagged Edge went back to their places on the dance floor. Once the upbeat music starts blasting loudly from the old, rusty speakers, Richard is the first to step in to move his arms and body. As he could see his members, Kyle's arm movements, body rolls, and footwork were sexier and more attractive than his. The Lewis twins, unfortunately, are scratching their heads. Maybe he could teach them later or else they... as in all four of them, will get an earful from their coach who shall not be named.

When they saw that the lousy twins weren't following. He asked the coach to stop the music for a while. He and Kyle prompted to teach them both. Richard was supposed to be a singer for an R&B group, not a dance teacher! This is not what exactly he dreamed of.

This is when he doubts that this was the right path to fame and fortune. Richard knows that the old coach that will dismiss them anytime is listening right now. But who is he to think about what others will say?

They were dismissed, as expected. The old coach said that he's seen enough bullshit from these four today. Jagged Edge went out of the practice room fake-coughing. The twins pretended to gag. Good grief, these bastards started to laugh their asses off!

"Bro, Kyle's been telling me that your favorite foot powder is on sale by twenty percent! Buy one, take one!" Brandon snickered.

"Well, my stinky foot should land on your face right now. You got on my nerves today, Brandon!" the cranky Brian huffed.

"Stop it, you two!" Kyle butted in. "Let's just call it a day. Can we go straight to the bar? I'm thirsty!"

"I thought you're too young to drink, Kyle? Won't Tito Babyface get mad?" Richard asked.

"Speaking of, your dad just got sued," Brian mentioned, looking at Kyle. "I just watched the news."

"I don't think I'll be ready to hear that, I better scurry, you guys," Brandon permitted. He tapped Brian's shoulder and gestured to leave. They disappeared from Richard and Kyle's sight.

"I'm sorry about mentioning your dad. Can we talk about that somewhere else, somewhere private?" Richard inquired. "I'll listen."

Kyle sighed. He looked at Richard with sad eyes that were so bright a while ago, while his smiling plump lips fell into a frown. He meaningfully looked down the floor.

"Maybe it's best if I talk to Sisqo about it. It's a family problem. Bye now, Dick."

~

Richard has to admit, he hates it when friends turn their backs on him. He really dislikes it when people he loves don't talk about their problems to him, but the same people are the loudest when they say that he's causing it. One even betrayed him, well, that one believed a rumor by one of his ex-girlfriends that Dick was a womanizer.

Richard then swore to himself a long time ago that he'll never ever trust anyone. Jagged Edge was only forgivable as he happened to join them just because they had the same dream. The guy just let the bitter taste of beer slither down his throat, sitting down his desk, glancing at his empty apartment. Only the guitar that his father gave him, sitting at the leftmost corner of his condo, was the most meaningful thing ever.

Here he goes again.

Richard has been seeing that empty can of beer under the lamp on his table for hours now. All he wants right now is to drown in these cold feelings. He may look tough to everybody that meets him, but he's totally helpless when he's alone. Even a phone call can't save his life.

Richard lay down on his bed, pulled down his bottoms, and started to massage his dragon while he thought about all his failed relationships and what could have happened if he wasn't such a fucking coward to refuse their invites. What was he thinking? He doesn't act this way, does he? He only touches himself whenever a woman turns him on, for crying out loud!

His fantasizes about a beautiful fairy goddess, one of his recent exes bouncing on top of him as she rides on his mythical creature, with the warmth of her body wrapped all over. Richard knows that all she wants right now is to pleasurably escape her dark fate just to be with him for a while.

He went back to his reality, then fainted after he came lots. He sobered up, realizing that indecent song number the guy performed on himself, he started to sob. The moaning, panting, whimpering, Richard fell into a deep slumber.

~

Kyle was laughing at him for minutes now, still not finishing his noodles. "You did what last night, Etits?" He asked, chuckling.

"Don't call me that, Kyle!" Richard yelled, hitting his fist on the shack's table, hard enough for his saucers and cutlery to jump. It even made Kyle's noodle soup spill a little.

"Whoa, calm down, bro!" Kyle exclaimed, going back to giggling. "See? That's what I imagined you doing with your piece of flesh." He points at Richard's fist earlier.

"As if you've never played with yours when you were a kid," Richard mumbled, crossing his arms. The boy in front continued cackling, jesting about that incident.

"Well, maybe you should get a girlfriend..."

Richard cut Kyle off. He shook his head. "No more girl hunting for now," he uttered with finality. "I need a break. They keep betraying me."

"Not so fast, brother. You're the one whose betraying them. Can you imagine how many times you slept with several other women just to get caught by your current bitch back then?"

Dick just sighed, shaking his head. He hates it more that people see right through him.

"Can I take a look at your Facebook messages?" Kyle permitted.

Dick just shook his head again. "You can, but you may not!"

"Alright, may I? Señor Ricardo?" Kyle asked again, correcting the last time he did.

"No." Richard pocketed his iPhone 4S.

"Please?" Kyle puppy-eyed him.

"Can't you take 'no' for an answer, Kyle?" He brought out his phone. "What the hell are you gonna do with it?"

Kyle swiped Richard's phone from his hand. "Getting you a girlfriend, I don't want my man to be wifeless..." Then he whispered to his right ear, tickling Richard, making him laugh a little. "I don't wanna lose your seeds too early. Have yourself some kids!"

"Ew, Kyle!" Richard cried. "I said I don't want children."

He heard Kyle burst out laughing another time... can this guy stop!? Just yesterday, he has this "huge family problem" but now he's laughing it off like an innocent 7 year old and that it's no big deal for them. When will he learn!?

"What the hell are you looking at!?"

He hopes that Kyle doesn't see his mom's messages to him. It's gonna be an embarrassment of a lifetime.

"Take a look at this, bro. Is this how you court a girl!?" Kyle showed his conversation with a certain 이지효 on Facebook. "And... a Korean lady, too!! Her... her surname's like my middle name."

You: Hi.

You: Where you from?

Richard can't fucking believe he's been judged by one of his best friends only because of a text exchange! He facepalmed to himself.

"She didn't reply because you're boring to talk to. Let me show you how to text a girl, be straight to the point. Don't just say 'hi' and then beat around the bush!"

Kyle typed on the on-screen keyboard of his iPhone, showing it to Richard.

Let's go to the bar later tonight? Drinks on me. Sent!

"But you're too young to drink, Kyle!"

"Oh, I'm not gonna drink, you are." Kyle pressed his finger on Richard's chest. "You totally forgot, between you and me in Jagged Edge, you're more handsome than me. Use that charm of yours!"

Then it made sense to him. Richard has all the looks, all the talent, what else can the industry expect? He's a soulful star, after all.

"Don't think about getting a girlfriend anymore, because she'll get you instead!" Kyle smiled at him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: The pronunciation for "Etits" is Eh + Tits. It's also a Filipino (slang) word for... /insert lenny face/ I can't go from here guys! Your (open) minds know what it means!