As soon as I entered the university, I quickened my pace, slowing from a run to a brisk walk. Sweat ran down my forehead, and I could hardly believe my luck.
All because I got distracted. All because I got off at the wrong station.
"Seriously, Ren… a subway concert, and now this…" I muttered as I walked toward the classroom.
When I opened the door, the class was already in session. Professor Priscila, wearing a dark blue dress with her hair tied in a bun, paused mid-sentence. Her eyes landed on me.
"Cadence… arriving late to my class throws off the entire rhythm."
All eyes in the room turned toward me. I felt heat rising to my ears.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I… I got off at the wrong station," I stammered.
A few snickers escaped from the back. Oriol, in his seat, covered his mouth with his hand, trying to hide his grin.
Priscila set her notebook on the desk and took a deep breath, as if counting silently.
"Sit down, Cadence. And since you're here, you'll help with the exercise. We're working on how a melody can change meaning depending on the emotion applied to it."
"Great…" I muttered under my breath as I walked between desks.
Oriol made room beside him and gave me a teasing grin.
"Were you staring at a girl, or what happened?" he whispered as I sat down.
I rolled my eyes and set my guitar on the desk. "Shut up."
Priscila lightly tapped the podium, drawing everyone's attention."Alright. I want each of you to try giving the same song a different emotion. Same base, but a different feeling. Let's see how you can reshape the lyrics to change the idea."
Some students immediately perked up, scribbling in their notebooks. The song to work on was Stand by Me.
I started writing quickly; this time, it wasn't hard. I gave the song a comical, school-life twist instead of a typical love theme.
I tried to stay unnoticed, but I knew it was only a matter of time before the professor's gaze fixed on me. And it did."Cadence, to the front."
I got up reluctantly. The classroom murmurs quieted, and I noticed many stifling laughter.
The teacher pointed with her eyes to where I should stand."I'll start the background track. Sing your version for everyone, and remember, no being late."
(Vindictive evil lady…) I thought to myself. I grabbed my sheet and waited for her to press play.
Priscila tilted her head, that half-smile appearing that she always wore when she wanted to embarrass you in front of everyone. She extended her bracelet-laden arm and pressed the button."All right… now sing. Remember, put intention into the music."
I closed my eyes for a moment and, unintentionally, remembered what happened in the subway: the baby's laughter, the applause, that joy that had transformed the entire train car.
The music began.
🎵 "Stand by Me (Ren Cadence Edition)"
When the night has come, and my homework's not begun,
And the moon is the only light I see...
No, I won't be afraid, I won't be afraid,
If my coffee and ramen... stand by me.
Chorus:
So darling, darling... feed, me this time,
Oh, stand by me...
Oh, stand, by me... stand by me...
If the books pile high, and my brain just wants to die,
And the cafeteria lines are long...
I won't cry, I won't cry, I'll just try,
And maybe my snack will... stand by me.
Chorus:
So darling, darling... feed, me this time,
Oh, stand by me...
Oh, stand, by me... stand by me...🎵
When I finished, Priscila nodded slowly."Much better than I expected. Excellent, Cadence." She gestured for me to sit.
"Miss Malibran, to the front," the professor said, pointing to another student.
As I sat down, Oriol murmured,"That was… epic. Mind if I copy a bit?"
I rolled my eyes and smiled inwardly. "It was the first thing that came to mind."
Oriol paused his pencil and shot me an annoyed look. "Only you, Ren… Only you," he said, giving my arm a playful nudge. "At least I think even the prof enjoyed your version."
Even sitting, I could still feel the energy of the song.
"Eh… Cadence, you should start your own parody section," Oriol added quietly, winking at me, "The next Twerp Tempo or Tempo the Twerp?."
I stifled a laugh and muttered under my breath, "Idiot…"
Oriol let out a mischievous giggle and settled into his seat, clearly satisfied with his comment.
"I'm not sure 'Twerp Tempo' sounds like something I'd want to keep… Thanks, but no," I murmured, still hiding a small smile.
"But why not? It's perfect! Sounds like someone who always messes up, but does it with style," he shot back, as if it were the clearest logic in the world.
Meanwhile, Priscila was checking other students' notebooks, jotting down small corrections in red.
The rest of the class continued, each student performing their own versions of Stand by Me. Some went dramatic, others gave it a melancholic or even comedic twist, some clearly borrowing from me.
The atmosphere felt lighter, music loosening the stiffness of the classroom.
Meanwhile, Oriol kept sneaking glances at me, trying to hold back laughter whenever someone did something especially ridiculous with their lyrics, or when it was obvious they'd copied one of my lines.
When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, I gathered my things.
"Hey Ren, karaoke tonight?" Oriol asked, slinging an arm over my shoulder as we walked to the next class.
I nodded, feeling a small thrill of excitement. "Yeah… I think it's time to try my skills live… Sorry if I steal the spotlight later."
"Get ready to be the 'Twerpy Tempo' most famous in the neighborhood," Oriol laughed, giving my shoulder a friendly punch as we headed toward the sound engineering lab.
When we arrived, the smell of coffee greeted us. I felt a little tempted, but aside from the professor, no one could eat. The microphones were ready, and each student's synthesizer was already powered on.
"Welcome to the creative chaos," the professor greeted from behind a screen with a smile. We all waved and took our seats to get started.
Author's Notes:If you're enjoying my story, I'd love a comment, it really helps me keep going.Or if you have ideas about which world Ren could visit next, I'd love to hear them, although the third one is already decided.