"This is a terrible idea," Remington said.

Jeisson rolled his eyes and poked at Remington's back until Remington finally went through the door, all the while shouting, "No touching!"

Remington looked horrified as he entered the bar that the rest of the Mathletes were already in. His eyes darted around the room and then down to his feet. He lifted up one foot. "The floor is sticky. Are we even allowed to be here?"

"Relax, it's a bar and grill," Jeisson explained. "Look, there's like a four-year-old over there." Jeisson waved his hands over to a nearby booth where a small family was chowing down on hot dogs and fries.

"That kid is definitely at least twelve."

"Whatever, I'm not good with ages. Point is, this is a family-friendly establishment." 

That was mostly true. The later the night got the more bar-like the place would become. Jeisson knew this from experience. It was a hole-in-the-wall joint and the food was mediocre at best. They had beer on tap and well drinks, nothing fancy. The decor was standard and clearly had not been updated for ages. Everything had a worn look to it, and not in that vintage retro kind of way. Some of the cushions on the booths even had holes in the corners. The place was poorly lit, giving it an even grittier feeling.

Kelly had brought Jeisson there a few times before. She knew one of the hostesses. The bartenders always accepted Jeisson's fake ID. 

But, the best thing of all (at least in Kelly's mind, and now it proved useful to Jeisson as well), was that they did karaoke nights on Saturdays. Kelly loved karaoke. Of course, Kelly loved a lot of things. Jeisson was indifferent, but he had a plan. 

"Grab a table," he told the Mathletes, then went to the bar. He got a round of tequila shots and a beer for himself and Kelly. They didn't even card him. Although he had a momentary feeling of guilt about it, he used the credit card he had on hand. His mom had said he could spend money on a Lyft, and this was about the same cost. She wouldn't look that closely at the bill, he knew. 

After paying, Jeisson found the Mathletes in the corner at two hightops they had pushed together to fit everyone. Kelly was already at the fold-out table the karaoke guys were set up at to sign up for her first song. An equipment guy was setting things up on the very small, rinky-dink stage just behind her. 

"Seriously, what are we doing here?" Nat asked, looking like she was fighting back the urge to punch Jeisson in the face.

"Would you all just relax? Is that even possible with you guys?"

"Absolutely not," Remington said with conviction.

"You're going to make us sing, aren't you?" Alice said, looking with wide eyes at the stage.

The server came then with the tray full of shots, the beers, and a small bowl of limes. She set everything down on the table and left without so much as a smile or a word. Kelly re-joined them just as Jeisson was handing out the shots, one for everyone except Remington. 

"I don't get one?" Remington asked.

"You don't want one," Jeisson said.

Jeisson thought he had been pragmatic, but suddenly he worried that Remington might take offense. He watched him carefully for a moment. Remington surprised him by giving a slight smile. "Thanks," he said.

"Yeah, sure. I'll not get you a shot anytime, man. The rest of you, bottoms up!" Jeisson threw back the shot. Kelly and Nat were quick to join. Alice stared at her shot glass a moment, but then tossed hers back too. She made a sour face and quickly grabbed a lime, which only made the sour face worse.

Shang and Kyle hesitated with their shots. "Hey, if you don't want them," Jeisson said, "happy to take one for the team and drink them for you. Just thought it would help loosen everyone up."

"I want to, it's just, I've never had alcohol before," Kyle said.

"Me either," Alice said. "It's gross. But... warm?" She made a thoughtful face.

Kyle looked down at his glass with reverence. "This is like, a moment. A teenage right of passage. A transition into adulthood. Nay, manhood. It's--"

"Just take the fucking shot!" Nat said, glaring up at the ceiling. 

"Okay, here we go!" Kyle threw back the shot, dribbling some of it down his chin. He made a disgusted face. "Oh my gosh, that burns. I need water." He rushed to the bar.

"Rights of passage aren't always easy," Nat said, shaking her head. 

Shang gave a shrug, took back his shot like a champ, and then nodded, his face blank and completely unfazed.

"So what's the plan, Stan?" Nat said, turning to Jeisson.

"You all need to learn to loosen up. To be able to have eyes on you and still perform. I figure, none of us are singers, right? But if we can get up there and sing and make fools of ourselves, and survive, then... doing something we actually like and are good at in front of people, that shouldn't be too hard, right?"

The Mathletes gave hesitant nods of acquiescence. 

"Okay, so, let's sign up and pick our songs. Except for you, Nat. I'm picking your song."

"What?" Nat grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from going to the karaoke table with the others.  "That's not fair!"

"It's totally fair," Jeisson argued, sliding her hand off him. "Your issue is not nerves. It's trust."

She continued to complain, following him to the table. Until finally he rounded on her. "Do you want to be a nerdlinger forever?"

She stepped back, appropriately chastised. "No," she admitted reluctantly. "I don't."

"Then... trust."

She gave a grunt of frustration, then turned on her heel and went back to the table. Jeisson let out a long sigh. This group was going to be the death of him. He signed up for himself and Nat. When he went back to the table, Kelly had ordered another round of shots for everyone, except Remington. 

Kelly was the first one called as soon as the karaoke was set up. She rushed to the stage and immediately dove into a fascinating rendition of "Hold On" by Wilson Philips. Fascinating because she was belting it out like a rock god with the motions to match, throwing her hair back and forth and making exaggerated kicks and bows. The crowd ate it up, and not just because she was making a racket and was not the best singer around. Even those over by the quieter dining section were popping their heads over the booths to take a peek. By the last chorus she had everyone singing along.

The Mathletes were in bit of awe of her when she came back to the table. 

"You... are my new hero," Nat said, capping off her words with a genuflect.

"Don't do that, the floor is sticky," Remington protested.

The karaoke administrator called Kyle's name next. Instead of blushing like he normally did, all the blood left his face, leaving him looking paler than ever. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Jeisson patted him on the back. "Nah, that's just the tequila talking. Get on up there."

"I can't follow Kelly, she was amazing!"

Kelly waved her hand in dismissal. "I was just having fun. Don't take it so seriously."

"You got this." Jeisson gave Kyle's shoulder a squeeze, trying to send some confidence his way.

Kyle took a deep breath and headed for the stage with slow steps.

"Don't choke!" Nat called after him.

Kyle tripped on his own feet, turned to glare back at Nat, then continued on, even slower than before. Eventually, he made it onto the stage. He curled into himself as he held the mic, waiting for the song to start. His eyes went back to the Mathletes. Jeisson gave him a thumbs up, while Nat gave him a thumbs down. 

"Would you stop?" Jeisson said, pulling Nat's arm down. "He needs our support."

"This is how I support people. He knows that."

Jeisson actually couldn't argue with that. The mechanized karaoke version of "One Last Time" by Ariana Grande started. Jeisson recognized it from one of Kelly's Spotify playlists. 

"Ooo, nice choice," Kelly said with an approving nod. She glanced back at Jeisson. "I wasn't really that amazing, right? I mean, they know I can't sing."

"It's not about the voice," Jeisson said. "At least, not in your case. It's about the attitude."

"I have a good attitude?"

"The best," Jeisson said sincerely, smiling down at her. She smiled back up at him and Jeisson felt a stirring in his gut. This sudden desire to kiss her. Which was strange, because he never kissed Kelly. At least, not unless it was just foreplay leading to something else. But they weren't about to get it on in this bar, so where was the urge coming from?

Kelly seemed to sense it too. Her smile fell, and for a few long seconds she just stared into his eyes, like she was waiting for him to do it. 

A loud whooping tore Jeisson's eyes away. Alice was cheering, waving her hands high. On stage, Kyle had loosened up in a real way and was in the middle of a big note. He wasn't hunched over anymore, his arm was out to his side and his head tossed back as he belted the note into the mic. The whole bar was cheering, not just Alice. 

He was good. Not Ariana Grande good (who was?), but good. Jeisson realized his mouth was hanging open and shut it. He clapped loudly and cheered with the rest of the Mathletes. Who knew Kyle had this in him? It was more than what Jeisson had hoped for the night.

Kyle ended the song and left the stage to big applause. He stumbled toward the table, seemingly drunk off the praise. And maybe the tequila shots. His face was flushed now, bright red, his forehead sweaty as he chugged from his water glass.

"Okay," he said, after heaving a big breath. "That was kind of fun."

"Don't you wanna go again?" Kelly asked with a smirk.

"I can't believe you could sing this whole time and never told us," Alice said.

Kyle looked down at the table, the glow of his victory dimming considerably. "I figured you'd just make fun of me."

The rest of the Mathletes shared a look of guilt. Except for Remington, who got called up to the stage at that exact moment. The group was distracted momentarily, dying to know what song Remington had chosen. To his credit, he didn't really seem nervous at all. Rather, he just seemed like his normally stiff self as he gripped the mic in both hands. 

The song began and Jeisson couldn't place it for a while, until Remington started singing. "Stay" by that 90s singer. Remington was quiet, and he more talked than sung. But still, there was something about his small and reserved rendition of the song that was moving. People watched on, the bar seemed to quiet. 

"Are you crying?" Nat said accusingly.

Jeisson turned to see Kyle rubbing at an eye. "What? It's a good song, okay? Plus I think maybe I'm one of those weepy drunks."

"You are not drunk," Nat said.

"He might be drunk," Jeisson argued. If he was to peg anyone at this table for a lightweight, it'd be Kyle.

Alice was up next for karaoke. She was super nervous and her voice shook at the beginning of her song, the latest Halsey single that Jeisson couldn't remember the name of. But the Mathletes cheered her on, and she gained confidence as she went, not unlike Kyle. She wasn't half bad either.

When it was Shang's turn, Jeisson stopped him before going to the stage. "Your book," Jeisson said, motioning for him to hand it over.

"But I need it."

"No, you don't. You're going to be reading the words on the screen, right? That's kind of the same thing."

Shang looked nervously toward the stage, gripping his book tighter.

"Look, if it helps, I'll stand right next to the stage. If you really need it, I'll give it to you."

Shang gave a nod and handed the book over. Jeisson was pretty sure he had the tequila to thank for that bit of bravery. And himself to thank for thinking of the tequila. Truly, a stroke of genius.

Jeisson kept his promise and stood by the stage, but Shang didn't even reach out for the book. His eyes stayed glued to the screen, reading the words there as he sang "500 Miles" with a surprising amount of energy but very little vocal talent.

"Okay, I concede. This was a good idea," Alice said, coming to stand next to Jeisson. She had to talk loud and lean up to Jeisson to be heard.

Jeisson just smiled proudly at her. Alice leaned up further, her lips close to his ear. "Why did you decide to help us?"

"You guys wore me down," Jeisson shouted back with a shrug.

"But you could be friends with anyone at school," Alice continued. "Or no one. Instead, you're hanging out with us. You're a Mathlete. Why?"

Jeisson thought about Remington, who might have been intentionally sabotaging his own grades so he wouldn't beat Quinn. Or Nat, excited for a split second that a guy she liked might be asking her out, only to find it was a cruel joke. "You guys are who you are. You like what you like. Even if it does mean you get bullied. I can respect that."

Alice stared at him for a moment, her face serious, no smile. Which was rare for her. She leaned in closer. "You know, no one ever bullies me. Not unless I'm with Nat or Remington or Kyle. I know it's terrible but... sometimes I think... I wish that they would notice me too, you know? But I'm just... invisible."

Jeisson wasn't sure how to respond to this admission at first. He hadn't seen it coming. Then again, alcohol made people say things sometimes. He looked back at the other Mathletes, and saw Remington looking their way. Or rather, looking at Alice. 

"You're not invisible," Jeisson said to Alice. "There are people who notice you. Trust me."

Alice smiled uncertainly as Shang's song finished. He immediately joined them to retrieve his book. Jeisson patted him on the back. "You did it, Man." 

Nat's name was called and she walked up to the stage, glaring at Jeisson the whole way. She snatched the mic from the MC's hand and stomped onto the platform. She stared out at the crowd, a menacing look on her face.

"She needs to chill out," Alice said, shaking her head.

The opening chords of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" started. Nat's eyes went wide. She stared over at Jeisson. 

"This is a duet!" she hissed. He could barely hear it over the music and the sounds of the bar. "Jeisson! This is a duet!"

Jeisson just shrugged in response, earning the most vicious stare he'd ever seen from Nat to date. And that was saying a lot. The lyrics began and Nat sang into the mic, a beat behind. "Don't go breaking my heart," she whisper-sang nervously.

Before Kiki Dee's line began, Jeisson grabbed the second mic from the MC and hopped onto the stage. "I couldn't even if I tried," Jeisson sang, smiling at Nat the whole time. 

Nat was so startled she almost missed her next line, falling behind again. She looked back at the monitor. "Honey, if I get restless."

"Baby, you're not that kind."

They fell into a rhythm as they sang the next lines of the verse, Nat singing Elton John's part and Jeisson sticking with Kiki Dee's. The Mathletes and Kelly gathered around the stage, cheering them on. The chorus hit and they harmonized together, as best as two non-singers could. 

Nat even put an arm around Jeisson as they sang together. Jeisson knew she was mimicking the music video. Just like he knew that Elton John was her all time favorite music artist.

When the last chorus hit, Jeisson waved up the rest of the team. They all crowded onto the stage, singing together. They finished on one last, strong line. "Don't go breaking my heart!"

The bar cheered. They piled off the stage and gathered at the table. Nat offered to pay for the next round of drinks. In just a moment, it seemed like everything had changed. The whole group was in sync. They were laughing, celebrating. Everyone was in a good mood.

They danced, they drank, they sang some more. At one point as Jeisson was singing a song with Kelly, he saw Remington and Alice talking at the table, their heads close together. It made him smile. 

"You did a good thing," Kelly whispered into his ear as they stepped off the stage.

"What? Getting a bunch of kids drunk for the first time?"

"You know what I mean. This is a good group, Jeisson. I think you've found your people."

Jeisson snorted. "Hardly."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Why do you always have to do that? Can't you just admit that you have friends? That there are people in this world who love you?"

Jeisson didn't like the way she was looking at him, with her big brown eyes. And he didn't like what she was suggesting. So he went to the bar and ordered another round he knew he couldn't afford, that he'd get in trouble for later. But he didn't care. 

***

Sorry for the hold on this one readers! I've had to put this story on hiatus while I focus on The Art of Falling to prep it for the Wattys. I'll get back to this one in October, but I had this chapter mostly written so wanted to finish it up and share with you. :)