Back in Regina's music room, it was obvious from the way the Plastics were performing that they had actually put in some serious practice after breaking up the day before.
After about an hour of Mike fine-tuning their performance, the girls could finally get through the whole new song without a hitch. Now, they just needed to stick to the routine and keep practicing, and they'd be ready for the recording studio.
With the vocals mostly sorted, Mike clapped his hands to gather everyone. "Alright, let's talk instruments."
Under the expectant gazes of the girls, Mike looked at Karen. "You've got good rhythm. I want you to focus on the drums."
Thanks to his [Perfect Pitch] ability, Mike could easily evaluate musical aptitude. While none of the Plastics were tone-deaf, they weren't exactly musical prodigies, either. Karen, who usually seemed like the space cadet of the group, actually had the best natural sense of rhythm—truly a case of finding a diamond in the rough.
After assigning Karen her role, Mike turned to the others. "Regina, Gretchen, you two start on guitar. Cady, you take the bass..."
Once the instruments were assigned, Mike walked them through some basic chords and simple beats.
Regina and the others struggled to pick it up, but Karen, banging away on the drum kit, seemed to be finding her groove.
"Just keep practicing like that for now. We'll see how you sound next weekend..." Mike said, rubbing his temples as he listened to the messy chords.
Honestly, at the rate they were learning, there was a good chance they wouldn't be stage-ready by Christmas.
"Mike, aren't you going to perform with us on Christmas? You wrote the song, after all..." Regina asked, clutching her guitar.
Regina didn't become the school's "Queen Bee" by being an airhead. She had her own agenda here. She knew perfectly well that the Plastics' musical skills weren't exactly going to set the world on fire.
Dragging Mike on stage would serve two purposes: one, it would show off the group's connections; and two, it was an insurance policy. With a pro like Mike anchoring the performance, the worst-case scenario wouldn't be a total train wreck.
Hearing the invitation, Mike thought for a moment. "We'll see."
If the girls still weren't up to par by the day of the show, he'd have to step in to save the performance. Strictly speaking, this whole "Plastics Pop Group" thing was his project, anyway.
Since Mike didn't say no outright, Regina—who knew him pretty well by now—took that as a "maybe." She didn't push her luck. Instead, she flashed a bright smile and went to the side to practice her guitar chords in earnest.
It was clear that since her brief period of social exile, the Queen Bee had matured a lot in how she handled people.
The rest of the day drifted by as Mike constantly corrected the girls' mistakes.
---
By early evening, Cady drove Mike home in her dad's SUV.
Just as he was getting out, Cady seemed to remember something. "Oh, right! Mike, Ms. Norbury told me to tell you to stop by the Mathletes room on Monday."
"Did she say why?" Mike asked.
Since getting his independent study pass, Mike hadn't set foot in the Mathletes room in over a month. With the Math Olympiad coming up at the end of the year, it was probably about the competition.
"I don't know, she didn't say." Cady shook her head.
"Alright, I'll swing by tomorrow." Mike had a pretty good guess what it was about, so he didn't stress over it.
"See you tomorrow!" Cady waved and drove off.
"See ya."
After watching her leave, Mike headed straight to the Coopers' for dinner. Even though George had found a job at a sporting goods store, Mike still chipped in for groceries since he wasn't exactly hurting for cash.
"You're back!" Meemaw greeted him with a smile as he walked in. "How's the song coming along?"
Mike hadn't kept the songwriting gig a secret from Meemaw or the others.
"Rehearsals are going okay. It should be good enough for the Christmas show," Mike replied.
Based on previous years, as long as the act wasn't a total disaster, anyone could get on stage. And even if the Plastics couldn't sing perfectly, their looks and popularity would guarantee a warm reception from the student body.
"That's good. I'll be there to cheer you on," Meemaw said, always up for a good time.
"I won't let you down." Mike was fairly confident in his song.
He smiled and sat down at the dinner table.
"Mike, do you think I have a peculiar personality?" Sheldon asked quietly after hesitating for a while.
"Why do you ask? Did someone say something to you?" Mike asked, curious.
Is Sheldon peculiar? The answer was a definitive yes.
"No one said anything." Sheldon shook his head.
He didn't want to expose his conversation with Paige, especially since she had already been picked up by her parents. With no one around to contradict him, Sheldon lied without a hint of pressure.
He lowered his voice again. "I've been reviewing the data. It suggests that people with peculiar personalities often end up dying alone..."
Ever since his talk with Paige, he'd been researching the topic, worried sick that he would end up lonely. The data he found wasn't encouraging, which only fueled his anxiety.
Mike saw through the kid's worry. "Don't worry, Sheldon. In the future, you're going to meet a lot of great friends who will tolerate you and stick by your side."
Considering Sheldon would eventually meet Leonard, Penny, and the rest of the gang, his luck in the friendship department was actually incredible.
"Are you sure?" Sheldon perked up instantly.
"Positive." Mike shrugged. He didn't explain further, but his absolute confidence was enough to make Sheldon happy.
---
Monday rolled around, and as Christmas approached, the festive spirit was taking over the school. Various cliques were busy preparing their acts for the talent show.
After turning down several invitations from random girls, Mike grabbed lunch with the Plastics and then headed to the Mathletes room with Cady.
"Yo, Mike! The busy man finally graces us with his presence!" Kevin G, the Mathletes captain, greeted him, decked out in his usual hip-hop attire.
"Long time no see." Mike smiled and bumped fists with the energetic captain.
"Bro, you interested in joining my crew, the 'Cool Dudes'?" Kevin asked with unearned confidence. "With you and me on the mic, the Christmas show is gonna be lit. The ladies are gonna lose their minds!"
Judging by his commitment to the hip-hop aesthetic, Kevin G was a guy who loved the spotlight. He wasn't about to miss a chance to show off at the Christmas Talent Show.
Before Mike even walked in, Kevin had already convinced two other Mathletes to join his rap group.
---