Five Girls - Chapter 41: The Mic Sabotage

University Auditorium - Evening

The auditorium was packed. Students filled every seat, buzzing with excitement. Tonight was the annual talent show, and Wony was performing.

She had been preparing for weeks. Her song was a beautiful, elegant pop ballad. She had practiced her vocals, her stage presence, her every movement. She was going to be perfect.

Zhao was in the front row, ready to support his girlfriend.

Alice was also in the front row. But she had a different plan.

"I have a great idea," she whispered to Chima.

Chima immediately looked worried. "Alice. Whatever you're planning, don't."

"It's a SURPRISE for Wony!"

"But she doesn't like surprises!"

"She'll love this one!"

"What is it?"

Alice just grinned. "You'll see."

***

Wony walked onto the stage. She was wearing a stunning silver dress, her hair perfectly styled. She looked like a goddess.

The crowd cheered.

Wony smiled gracefully. "Thank you all for coming. I'll be performing a song I've been working on for a while. I hope you enjoy it."

She nodded to the technician backstage.

The music started. Soft and gentle. Perfect for her pop ballad.

Wony opened her mouth to sing.

Suddenly, the music cut out.

Wony froze.

Then a new sound filled the auditorium.

Loud. Aggressive. Distorted.

Electric guitar. Heavy drums. Screaming vocals.

Wony's eyes went wide. "What is this?!"

The crowd went wild. They thought it was part of the performance.

"This isn't my song!" Wony shouted. "This is—"

She looked to the side. Alice was standing backstage, grinning, holding a phone with a music app open.

"ALICE?!" Wony screamed.

Alice waved. "SURPRISE! I THOUGHT YOU NEEDED SOME ROCK IN YOUR LIFE!"

"THIS ISN'T ROCK! THIS IS CHAOS!"

"CHAOS IS FUN!"

***

Wony tried to salvage the performance. She tried to sing over the rock music.

But it didn't work.

"I... I can't... THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"

The crowd was loving it. They were cheering, headbanging, having the time of their lives.

Zhao was watching with a mixture of horror and amusement.

"Wony!" he called out. "Just go with it!"

"GO WITH IT?! THIS ISN'T MY SONG!"

"It's entertaining!"

"I DON'T WANT TO BE ENTERTAINING! I WANT TO BE ELEGANT!"

Alice was laughing backstage. "THIS IS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER DONE!"

Chima grabbed her arm. "Alice! You're ruining her performance!"

"I'm ENHANCING it!"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15cMTGV8IH

Wony was losing it. She was trying to sing, but the rock music was overwhelming.

"I CAN'T DO THIS!" she screamed into the mic.

The crowd cheered louder.

Zhao was laughing now. "Wony! Just have fun with it!"

"FUN?! THIS ISN'T FUN! THIS IS HUMILIATION!"

Fatimah was trying to get backstage. "Let me through! I need to stop this!"

She ran to the sound booth. "Turn it off!"

The technician shrugged. "I don't know how! Alice changed the settings!"

"WHAT?!"

"She hacked the system!"

"ALICE CAN HACK?!"

"Apparently!"

Wony was now trying to physically remove the mic from the stand. She was failing.

"Someone help me!" she shouted.

Naila was in the audience, watching calmly. "This is entertaining."

"NAILA! THIS ISN'T ENTERTAINING!"

"It is for me."

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MY FRIEND!"

"I am. And I'm enjoying this."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8e2beCqjUd

The rock music reached its peak. The crowd was going insane.

Wony gave up. She dropped the mic. She stomped off stage.

Alice was waiting for her. "WONY! WASN'T THAT AMAZING?!"

Wony grabbed her shoulders. "ALICE! I WILL END YOU!"

"BUT THE CROWD LOVED IT!"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CROWD!"

"I DO!"

"YOU'RE NOT EVEN PERFORMING!"

"BUT I CREATED A MOMENT!"

Wony screamed.

Chima ran over. "Okay, okay. Let's all calm down."

"I AM NOT CALM!"

Fatimah arrived. "Alice, you really shouldn't have done that."

"I was trying to be supportive!"

"SUPPORTIVE?!"

"Yes! I thought she needed to loosen up!"

Wony glared at her. "I don't need to loosen up! I need to be elegant!"

"Elegant is boring!"

"ELEGANT IS NOT BORING!"

***

Backstage - 15 Minutes Later

Wony was sitting in a chair, her head in her hands. Alice was standing nearby, looking slightly guilty but not entirely sorry.

"I'm sorry," Alice said. "I thought it would be fun."

"It wasn't fun."

"But the crowd loved it."

"The crowd doesn't matter."

"I matter."

"ALICE!"

Zhao walked over. "Wony, can I talk to you?"

Wony looked up. "Zhao, I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be. That was the most entertaining performance I've ever seen."

"ENTERTAINING?!"

"Yes. It was fun. It was different. It showed a side of you I've never seen before."

"I don't want to show that side!"

"But I liked it."

Wony paused. "You... liked it?"

"I loved it. You were real. You were passionate. You were... human."

Wony's expression softened. "Really?"

"Really."

Alice grinned. "SEE? I WAS RIGHT!"

"ALICE, DON'T PUSH IT!"

***

Campus - Night

They were walking home together. Wony was still annoyed, but she was starting to see the humor in it.

"I can't believe you did that," she said to Alice.

"I can't believe you didn't enjoy it!"

"I DIDN'T!"

"You did a little."

"I DIDN'T!"

Wony paused. "Okay, maybe a tiny bit."

Alice cheered. "I KNEW IT!"

"But I'm still mad at you."

"That's fair."

Chima shook her head. "This is the weirdest talent show ever."

Fatimah nodded. "But the most memorable."

Naila was walking slowly. "I'm just glad I didn't have to perform."

"You never perform."

"I know. That's why I'm happy."

Wony sighed. "Next time, I'm choosing the music."

"Good idea," Zhao said.

"And Alice is banned from backstage."

"That's also a good idea."

Alice pouted. "No fair!"

"Life isn't fair!"

"BUT I'M YOUR BEST FRIEND!"

"Friends don't sabotage performances!"

"We're not friends. We're rivals!"

"WE'RE NOT RIVALS EITHER!"

The argument continued all the way home.

But everyone was smiling.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmX4RiOH3T

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