Rafa's POV:
By now…
Chaos was my personality.
"Rafa."
"Hmm?"
"Why are you standing on a chair?"
I looked down at Angela.
"…for perspective."
"You're in a hallway."
"Exactly."
CJ walked past. "I'm not even questioning it anymore."
"Growth," I said.
Sam shook his head. "You've changed."
"I've evolved."
Felix, leaning against the lockers—
"You've lost it."
I jumped off the chair.
"Rude."
"Accurate," he replied.
I rolled my eyes—but smiled anyway.
Yeah.
This was me now.
Loud.
Chaotic.
Unfiltered.
And apparently?
People loved it.
"WAIT," Angela suddenly said, grabbing my arm. "Did you see this??"
She shoved her phone in my face.
A post.
From the school.
ISA Talent Showcase – Auditions This Week
"NO WAY," CJ said. "This is about to be a disaster."
"This is about to be iconic," Angela corrected.
I stared at the post.
Talent show.
Auditions.
People performing.
In front of everyone.
"…absolutely not," I said immediately.
"Why not??" Angela asked.
"Because I don't have a talent," I said.
"You literally have 10 million followers."
"That's not a talent, that's WiFi."
Sam laughed. "She's not wrong."
"You're funny," Angela said. "Do something with that."
"Like what? Stand there and talk??"
"Yes."
"…that's embarrassing."
"You film yourself talking to your phone daily," CJ pointed out.
"That's different."
"How?"
"…it just is."
Felix pushed himself off the locker, walking over.
"You should do it."
I looked at him.
"…why?"
He shrugged.
"Because you'd win."
My heart did that thing again.
"I wouldn't."
"You would."
"You're biased."
"Yeah," he said. "I am."
I looked away.
"…I'll think about it."
"Liar," Angela said.
"I said I'll think about it!"
"You're already thinking about it."
"…shut up."
Later that day—
I was scrolling.
Bad idea.
Notifications everywhere.
Videos blowing up.
Comments flooding in.
And then—
Something caught my eye.
A new account.
Familiar face.
"…no way."
I clicked it.
Livia.
She made a TikTok account.
I blinked.
"She's serious?" I muttered.
Angela leaned over. "What?"
I turned my phone.
"Oh," she said. "…oh no."
Livia's profile was…
Trying.
Very hard.
Same style videos.
Same angles.
Same captions.
Even the way she talked—
"She's literally copying you again," CJ said.
"I can see that."
Sam scrolled. "This is painful."
Keagan nodded. "Yeah."
I frowned slightly.
Her latest video started playing.
"Okayyy fit check—" she said, clearly trying to sound confident.
But it didn't land.
It felt forced.
Unnatural.
The comments?
"Why does this feel off…"
"She's trying too hard 😭"
"Not everyone can be Rafa"
"This is awkward"
I paused.
"…okay that's kinda mean," I said.
"She did it to herself," CJ replied.
"I know but still…"
I scrolled more.
Low views.
Low likes.
Nothing like—
Mine.
Something in my chest felt weird.
Not guilt.
Not really.
Just—
Strange.
"She's not going viral," Angela said.
"…yeah."
"Like at all."
I nodded slowly.
And for a second—
I wondered why.
Because it wasn't just the style.
It wasn't just the videos.
It was something else.
Something you couldn't copy.
"…she's not being herself," I said quietly.
They all looked at me.
"What?" CJ asked.
"She's trying to be me," I said. "That's why it's not working."
Silence.
"Wow," Sam said. "That was deep."
"I have my moments."
Felix glanced at me.
"Exactly," he said.
I looked at him.
"…what?"
"You don't try," he added. "That's why it works."
My heart—
Yeah.
Again.
I looked away quickly.
"…stop being right."
"No."
Later—
I found myself staring at the audition post again.
Talent show.
Performing.
Everyone watching.
My heart started beating faster.
"…no," I muttered.
But I didn't scroll away.
Not this time.
Because maybe—
Just maybe—
I wanted to try.
I don't know when the idea stopped being scary…
And started being exciting.
"Angela."
She looked up instantly. "Why do you sound serious?"
"I made a decision."
The table went quiet.
CJ slowly put his drink down. "Oh no."
"I'm auditioning."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT???" everyone at the table said at the same time.
"Shhh!" I whispered. "Not so loud!"
"You said you weren't doing it!" Sam said.
"I changed my mind!"
"Why??" CJ asked.
"…because I want to."
They all stared at me.
"…okay main character," Angela said.
I ignored that.
"I'm not doing it alone though."
Pause.
Slowly—
I turned to Angela.
"…you're doing it with me."
She froze.
"…excuse me??"
"We're dancing."
"…WE'RE WHAT??"
"Dancing."
"I don't dance."
"You literally danced yesterday in your room for fun."
"That was different!"
"How?"
"…no audience."
I grabbed her arm. "You'll be fine."
"I will not be fine."
"You will."
She stared at me.
Then—
"…fine."
I gasped. "WAIT REALLY??"
"Yeah," she said. "But if I embarrass myself, I'm blaming you forever."
"Deal."
CJ clutched his chest. "This is going to be iconic."
"No one can know," I said quickly.
"WHAT??" he said. "Why not??"
"Because if I back out, I don't want the whole school knowing."
"…fair," Sam said.
"Secret mission," Keagan added.
Felix, who had been quiet this whole time—
Looked at me.
"You're actually doing it."
"…yeah."
A small pause.
Then—
He smirked.
"Good."
My heart—
Yeah.
Still not normal.
Later that day—
I was scrolling again.
Bad habit.
And then—
There it was.
Livia.
Again.
New video.
"…oh no," I muttered.
Angela leaned over. "What now?"
I turned my phone toward her.
"Oh."
The video started playing.
"Hey guys," Livia said, smiling in a way that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I just wanted to do a cute little video today—"
I already felt it.
The secondhand embarrassment.
She twirled slightly.
Tried to laugh.
Posed.
Everything felt…
Forced.
Too practiced.
Too unnatural.
"…why is she talking like that," CJ said.
"I don't know," I whispered.
"She's trying to be 'cute,'" Angela said.
"It's not working," Sam added.
We kept watching.
She tried to do a transition.
It lagged.
She tried to smile again.
It looked… awkward.
I paused the video.
"I can't," I said.
"Check the comments," CJ said immediately.
"I don't want to."
"Do it."
I sighed.
Then scrolled.
"This is hard to watch…"
"Why does this feel so fake 😭"
"Girl just be yourself"
"Not everyone can force personality like that
""I'm uncomfortable"
I winced.
"…okay that's actually brutal."
"Internet doesn't play," Sam said.
I looked back at the video.
For a second—
I didn't feel annoyed.
I felt…
"…she's trying too hard again," I said quietly.
"Yeah," Angela said.
"But like… not in a mean way," I added. "She just—doesn't know what works for her."
Silence.
"Wow," CJ said. "You're being nice."
"I can be nice."
"Rare moment."
"Shut up."
Felix glanced at the screen.
Then at me.
"You don't do that," he said.
"…do what?"
"Try to be something else."
I paused.
"…I used to."
"Not anymore."
I looked at him.
"…yeah."
That night—
Angela and I were on FaceTime.
"Okay," she said, stepping back from the camera. "If we're doing this, we need a routine."
"I have ideas."
"Of course you do."
"I'm chaotic, not unprepared."
She laughed.
"Show me."
I stood up.
And started dancing.
Not perfectly.
Not professionally.
But confidently.
Freely.
Angela watched for a second.
Then—
"…wait."
"What?"
"That's actually good."
I grinned.
"I told you."
She stood up too.
"Okay fine—let's do this."
And just like that—
It started.
Secret practices.
Late-night calls.
Messy choreography.
And a lot of laughing.
And for once—
It wasn't about followers.
Or views.
Or comments.
It was just…
Fun.
But still—
In the back of my mind—
The stage was waiting.
And soon?
Everyone would be watching.