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Beacon Hills High School had always been a slightly strange place, aside from the constant attacks and break-ins on school property, the academic area was always, what college scouts and recruiters call, diverse. That being said the school system some how knew how to force student's into areas of their strengths by making them experience almost everything around them, which was the reason Stiles Stilinski was currently sitting in the back of the auditorium by himself with only his phone to keep him company. For the last six weeks he had come to the auditorium everyday at 2:15 p.m. to join his senior class in what the school called 'Dramatic Appearance Class' which meant that the "popular" teens spent their time making fun of kids who were forced into public activities. One of the most disappointing facts about the whole class being in the auditorium for this class was the lose of his best friend.
Ever since Scott McCall started dating super popular girl Allison Argent and suddenly was good at Lacrosse he seemed to have forgotten about his life long best friend. At first it was fine, cancelled gaming nights so his bro could hang out with his girlfriend or having to skip their weekend veg sessions so he could hang out with Isaac Lahey, Vernon Boyd, and Erica Reyes, then it got worse. One day Scott stopped saying hi to him in school, ignoring him as they met each other in the halls in favor of slowly sliding into the popular crowd seemingly to forget about Stiles. It wasn't a surprise in the end though, Stiles always knew his bro would wake up and realize he could do better. Stiles had plans for this, to just blend into the back ground and be forgotten again by the mobs of teenagers around him, but Jackson fucking Whittmore would not let it pass. The rich asshole took every opportunity to belittle the brunette every moment he was found alone.
It messed with his mind, more than Jackson probably meant it too. It lead to long nights of tears and nightmares, or when he couldn't sleep and slowly started to close off from everyone around him. He knew his dad was worried and took to locking his gun in his cruiser at night the moment he came in the door. The looks the older Stilinski man would send his way does nothing to help him feel better but the worse part. The absolutely worse part was when Melissa McCall would see him in the grocery store and corner him to ask how he was and to tease him about how he hadn't been sneaking into Scott's room recently. Stiles got pretty good at lying about what was happening around him and putting on a face so it was no surprise that Drama and Acting seemed so natural to him.
The moment the senior class was introduced to the new 'DA' Class he knew he was going to go crazy. The first week was spent listening to lectures by their schools acting coach, and guidance councilor, Ms. Margaret Franz. It was also filled with jokes at the other student's abilities and talents mainly by the front middle row of popular students. Week two and three were focused around taking and developing a character, while four and five were surrounding a scene that students were required to preform in front of the class. Now in week six, it was about a musical number that was going to be preformed by the student in front of the whole class.
Not many people could actually sing and in all the songs before him not many people actually had talent. There were a few acceptations like Lydia Martin, Isaac, and, weirdly enough, Boyd, but to Stiles intense pleasure Jackson and Scott didn't have a talented bone, when it came to music, in their bodies. He was the last to go though, making his stomach drop as Allison climbs off the stage after her rendition of Helpless from the musical Hamilton. On stage the Ms. Franz calls to some of the guys to clear the stage of Allison's props and to set up for Stiles musical number. He didn't ask for much when it came to his 'room' nothing more than a prop tub, sink with a 'mirror' above it, toilet, and door. He sucks in a slow breath as they set it up not wanting to move from his place.
When it came to picking their songs Ms. Franz gave them free choice, as long as they wrote her a paper on why they should be allowed to sing that song. For people like Allison and Lydia the choices were obvious about why they were allowed to pick their song. When Stiles submitted his first song, he was rejected and was required to pick a song that he could emotionally connect with, and boy did he find it. From the moment that he stumbled upon the song Michael in the Bathroom from the musical Be More Chill he knew it was his song.
Ms. Franz smiles form the stage and gestures out toward the student's, "Now for the last act, Stiles Stilinski."
To say he was nervous would be an understatement. He was shaking with his nerves and it didn't help that from the middle rows he could hear the laughter from them all. Even as he stands and walks up the alley way toward the stage he can pick out his ex-best friends voice in the crowd. It makes his heart break a bit more inside but he forces on a calm face as he gets to the stairs easily climbing up them to take up the props if they are where he wanted them. The sink-mirror mix sits middle back stage, with the toilet and shower being right stage slightly staggered so you could notice both props, and lastly the door sets on the right stage, everything tilted a bit so the crowd of teenagers can see each prop clearly. He walks slowly center stage stopping next to Ms. Franz who smiles again and reaches out to squeeze his arm in good luck.
He watches her head off stage before slowly turning to the teenagers. Oddly enough they all fall silent, most of them giving him reassuring smiles knowing he can't be as bad as some people. The ones who glare and make faces joking about being, of course, Jackson and his lackies, sadly that also including Scott to an extent even though he has fallen silent when their TA (teacher's aid) walks up to mic him up. He sucks in a slow breath when the TA steps back and says, "You should be ready," and walks off.
Stiles faces the crowd fully when Franz says from her seat in the back, "Please introduce yourself and what song you have picked!" Her voice carries with ease that only a coach seems to pull off.
Nodding he clears his voice and rubs the back of his neck, "Uh, Stiles Stilinski and I'm preforming the song Michael in the Bathroom from Be More Chill," there is a small rumble through his class mates but he easily ignores it before walking over to his first position, right of the door setting himself up to grab the knob but not push it open.
The lights dim in the auditorium only seeming to focus on the stage, Stiles sucks in a slow breath before letting it out as the first notes start from the speakers around him. He pushes open the door and leans against it with his head bowed before he let's out a soft voice, surprising himself slightly at how okay it sounds, " I am hanging in the bathroom, At the biggest party of the fall, I could stay right here or disappear, And nobody'd even notice at all." His voice trails off as he pushes off the prop door, thanking god when it doesn't crash to the floor.
He walks across the room to step in the middle of the so called 'room', "I'm a creeper in a bathroom," He let's his eyes trail to Scott as he continues singing, " 'Cause my buddy kinda left me alone," He quickly looks away and digs out his phone reaching a hand up to run it through his hair staring down at the blank screen, "But I'd rather fake pee than stand awkwardly, Or pretend to check a text on my phone."
He shoves his phone back into his pocket and walks forward to look at his reflection in the mirror, " Everything felt fine, When I was half of a pair," He cracks a smile in the mirror, it looks broken even to himself, "For no fault of mine, There's no other half there." He quickly turns his face away from the mirror, turning back to face the center of the stage leaning against the sink.
"Now I'm just, Michael in the bathroom," He smiles depressingly at the audience like he is finally let in on a big joke. "Michael in the bathroom at a party," He slowly starts to slide down to the ground pulling his knees up to his chest slowly sliding into his own emotions forgetting that he is preforming before his class. "Forget how long it's been," His head slowly bows, "I'm just, Michael in the bathroom, Michael in the bathroom at a party."
He turns toward the door and raises his voice as if some one had just yelled at him, "No you can't come in!"
He sighs and faces forward again, "I'm waiting it out 'til it's time to leave, And picking at grout as I softly grieve," He gestures toward the floor getting into the song, finally some anger rising as he climbs to his feet and sings with more force, "I'm just Michael who you don't know, Michael flying solo, Michael in the bathroom by himself, All by himself." He digs his hands into his hair and pulls starting to pace slowly.
"I am hiding but he's out there, " He gestures toward the door walking up to it, "Just ignoring all our history, Memories get erased," He rolls his eyes clinching his fists at his side before turning his back to the door and heading back toward the tub, "And I'll get replaced, With a newer cooler version of me."
He pivots on his heal to look at the door longingly with a small smile on his face, "And I hear a drunk girl, Sing along to Whitney through the door," He sways across the floor raising his hands to the sky, " 'I wanna dance with somebody'," and then he pauses and lowers his hand face falling, "And my feelings sink, 'Cause it makes me think, Now there's no one to make fun of drunk girls with anymore." He turns back toward the tub and walks over to it sliding inside leaning against the ride his feet hanging out but his body mainly facing the crowd.
"Now it's just, Michael in the bathroom," He gestures in front of him head leaning back against the rim, "Michael in the bathroom at a party," He throws an arm over his eyes, while using the other to make a drinking gesture, "I half regret the beers, Michael in the bathroom. . . Michael in the bathroom at a party," He pulls his arm back staring at it adding a small choke to his voice, "As I choke back the tears, I'll wait as long as I need 'til my face is dry, Or I'll just blame it on weed, Or something in my eye," He shrugs and drops his arms and raises his voice, "I'm just Michael who you don't know, Michael flying solo, Michael in the bathroom by himself."
" Knock knock knock knock," He sits up quickly gripping the edges staring at the floor, "They're gonna start to shout soon."
He sucks in a deep breath, "Knock knock knock knock," in his mind he notices with satisfaction that some of the class that he asked to help sing this part has started right in exactly the right time.
He pushes out of the tub as he sings panicky, "Oh hell yeah I'll be out soon!"
The singing in the crowd gets a bit louder as he rushes to stand in the middle of the room, "Knock knock knock knock," He pulls out his phone to look at it before dropping it on the ground and pulling on his hair again, "It sucks he left me here alone."
The voices raise to join him at volume and intensity, "Knock knock knock knock," he spins around for a moment looking for something to help him, "Here in this teenage battlezone."
The voice over crowd his making him hide a smile as he turns to face the sink, "Clang clang clang clang."
"I feel the pressure blowing up," His breathing escalates like he is about to have a panic attack.
"Bang bang bang bang," It starts to echo around the room, almost like it is suffocating everyone in the room as he rushes toward the mirror.
"My big mistake was showing up," He grabs the edge of the sink staring down at the empty sink.
"Splash Splash Splash Splash," His heart starts to pound wildly as he reaches out turning on the water.
"I throw some water in my face," He mimics the action of splashing his face quickly, before looking into the mirror and turning to face the crowd again a forced smile on his face, "And I am in a better place," He moves toward the door and reaches out toward the knob, "I go to open up the door," His hand freezes not turning the knob, "But I can't hear knocking anymore."
He sighs and smiles a bit, sad and pained as he reaches up presses the heal of one hand into one of his eyes, "And I can't help but yearn, For a different time." He sighs and turns his face away from the crowd.
He looks at the mirror and sings softly the intensity of the song seeming to slowly slide away, "And then I look in the mirror, And the present is clearer, And there's no denying, I'm just," He sucks in a pained sob for once feeling his calm exterior break as tears start to slide down his face for a second. He takes a moment to quickly whip his face before turning to face the crowd for the big finale.
"At a party," His voice breaks not meeting any of the other kids eyes, "Is there a sadder sight than," a few more tears slip through again, "Hmhmm hm hm hmhmmm, Michael in the bathroom at a party, This is a heinous night." He shrugs weakly before walking forward into center stage knowing all eyes are on him and the room fills with more tension as the music picks up again.
"I wish I stayed at home in bed watching cable porn," He sucks in a deep breath as he gestures out at the audience grinning sadly.
He sucks in another breath before making his hand form the shape a gun and raise it up to his temple," Or I'd offed myself instead," His voice cracks before he instead reaches both hands to raise them to slide into his hair to pace around for a second before throwing his arms out in front of him like he is swiping stuff off an imaginary table, "Wish I was never born!"
"I'm just Michael who's a loner," He rolls his eyes and throws his hands into the air slowly tapping his feet to the beat moving his body from side to side a bit, "So he must be a stoner, Rides a PT cruiser," that depressing smile is back on his face, "God he's such a loser! Michael flying solo, Who you think that you know. Michael in the bathroom by himself, All by himself, All by himself." He lets his voice trail off a bit in the last note his hands slowly falling to his sides again.
He crosses his arms over his chest pointing his hand out at the crowd a slight sarcastic glint in his eyes, "All you know about me is my name." His voice holds a sense of finality before shrugging a bit he drops his arms again.
He gives the crowd a two thumbs up sarcasm dripping from him before walking toward the door grabbing the knob, "Awesome party! I'm so glad I came." He throws open the door and the lights go out and everything is silent.