Chapter 67: Starting over

Dorah was in class, listening to the lecture, when her phone beeped. She ignored it, not wanting any distractions. "Finally," Emma groaned as the teacher left the classroom after the bell signaled the end of the lesson. "Lazybones," Dorah teased, chuckling at her friend's behavior. "How did you end up like this?" she added sarcastically. "You don't need to ask," Emma said, rolling her eyes playfully. Dorah shook her head sideways and unlocked her phone. It was a message from Jace. "Come to the auditorium during lunch break." "What's it this time?" she muttered, replying with a simple Okay. "What's up?" Emma asked, noticing Dorah talking to herself. "It's nothing. Jace asked me to come to the auditorium during lunch break. I hope everything's fine," Dorah said worriedly, but she shook it off, trying to stay positive. "I can go with you," Emma offered. Dorah turned to her with a puzzled look, trying to figure out what was up with her. "What?" Emma asked, frowning at the way Dorah was staring at her. "I'm going during lunch break," Dorah repeated, as if to remind her. "Yeah, I know. You said it earlier," Emma replied, raising a brow. "There won't be food there, and I know you don't joke with food. What changed?" Dorah asked, suspicious. Emma playfully hit her arm. "You're not serious. What do you mean by 'I don't joke with food'? I've changed. I can spare some time to be with my baby, you know," she said, grinning. Dorah chuckled, shaking her head. By lunch break, Miranda and Prudence had also decided to tag along with Emma and Dorah to the auditorium. As they stepped inside, they saw Jace sitting in the front row, his face buried in his palms. The auditorium was quiet except for the faint sound of Ronald and Jason adjusting the mic stand. "What's up?" Dorah asked Maxwell, who was sitting beside Jace. Before Maxwell could reply, Dorah walked up to the stage, where Jason and Ronald were setting up the microphone. "And what do you guys think you're doing?" she asked, her tone sharp. "What does it look like we're doing?" Jason smirked. "Is there some event I'm not aware of?" she asked, eyeing them curiously. "Jace wants to go on stage," Ronald said, expecting Dorah to explode. "What?!" Miranda exclaimed, immediately squatting in front of Jace. Dorah looked like she was about to blow up. "You're joking, right?" she asked, glancing from Jason to Ronald. "Do we look like we're joking?" Jason replied as he hopped off the stage. Jace lifted his head and forced a smile at Miranda. "That's fake," she muttered, seeing right through him. "I'm fine, Best. I'll be fine," Jace reassured her, bringing his left hand to her face and gently caressing her cheek. "Why didn't you stop him?" Dorah snapped at Ronald. "You think we didn't? Max was trying to talk him out of it when you guys walked in," Ronald replied. Emma and Prudence stood there, confused by what was going on. "But why can't he go on stage? It'd be nice if he did. I want to see him sing," Emma said innocently. "He can't," the others half-yelled in unison, turning to her with unfriendly stares. "Easy there! It was just a suggestion. But why can't he?" Emma asked, curiosity getting the best of her. "It's complicated," Dorah said, pacing back and forth, running a hand through her hair. "But...." "He has a phobia of the stage. He always has a panic attack whenever he steps on one," Mr. Alfred, their manager, said as he entered the auditorium. "Oh... that's why he fainted during the competition you guys attended last session?" Prudence asked. Jason nodded. "I remember that time too," Emma mumbled under her breath. Jace clenched his fists. He hated that they all remembered. It had been one of the most humiliating moments of his life. "Jace, are you ready?" Mr. Alfred asked. "But....." "If you guys keep doing this, it'll only hold him back," Mr. Alfred interrupted Dorah. "He made this decision. Don't make him regret it." Miranda sighed and got to her feet. "You don't have to worry. I'll step back if it gets too hard," Jace said with a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's sit down," Ronald suggested to Dorah, but she refused. "Guess we're all standing, then," Jason muttered. "He'll be fine," Maxwell added as Jace walked toward the stage stairs. Jace stood at the bottom of the steps, staring at the empty platform ahead. His palms were damp, his heartbeat uneven and erratic. His mind whispered, "Turn back. This isn't for you." But another part of him... the part that was tired of being afraid... whispered back, "You have to do this." The auditorium was quiet. Miranda moved beside him, her voice low with concern. "Are you sure about this?" Jace inhaled deeply. He wasn't sure. Every part of him screamed to turn back, but he had made up his mind. "Yeah," he murmured. "I need to do this." "We can wait if you want," Ronald said, worriedly. "I don't want to wait," Jace said, forcing his feet forward. Dorah gave him a small nod. "Take your time." Jace swallowed hard and climbed onto the stage. The wooden floor felt unsteady beneath him, though he knew it was just his own shaking legs. He took another breath and stepped toward the microphone stand. The familiar setup was supposed to bring comfort, he had stood here countless times before. But today felt different. The stage lights flicked on, casting a warm glow over him. He gripped the mic, his fingers tightening around the cool metal. His throat went dry, but he cleared it and exhaled slowly. "You can do this." His mind whispered back. "Can you?" The memory tried to creep in, the last time he had seen his mother standing on a stage just like this, right before she... no. Not now. He shut his eyes for a brief second, then opened them again. His bandmates were watching, waiting. Not with judgment, but with quiet encouragement. Jace took a shaky breath. His fingers trembled as he brought the microphone closer to his lips. The moment he tried to sing, his vision blurred. His chest tightened, and his pulse pounded in his ears. The auditorium spun. His breath hitched. His knees buckled. Then, everything went dark.