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“They knew?” I asked, surprised.
“Only when they saw me here.”
We turned to head off stage and I spotted Toby peeking at us from a ways away, keeping his distance, but also looking like he wanted to come over.
“One second,” I said, squeezing my dad’s hand. Still blown away by the fact that he was here. I was a bit scared to look away and then he’d disappear. Then Toby would tell me how I went a bit crazy pretending someone was there when there wasn’t.
Dad glanced back and spotted Toby. “All right.”
I rushed over to Toby who didn’t hesitate to engulf me in a huge hug. “That was fricken amazing. I told you, you would nail it.”
I grimaced. “I butchered it.”
“In a cute adorable way. I didn’t realize you could do all that with your voice.”
I smiled, starting to feel a bit shy. “It’s rough. I’ll feel it in like half an hour, once my vocals cool down.”
Toby kissed my cheek. “My turn is coming up.”
“And you’ll nail it too. The guys saved us a seat in the front row so we’ll be right there.”
“Make funny faces for me?” he asked, suddenly seeming extra nervous.
I tilted my head to the side slightly as I registered how scared he really seemed. Toby was always so outgoing, so this was a bit new to me. I saw his nervousness when he had to perform in front of our class, but this was so much more. He had been restless back then. Anxious, yes. But right now, I felt like I was looking at a terrified Toby.
“Toby? Are you okay?” I squeezed his arm and was reminded of how strong Toby really was under his goofy, bubbling personality. His muscles were hard, tense.
“I will be. I just want to be done.”
“This is only extra credit, so you don’t have to do this,” I said.
“I may have been doing badly on my essays. This will make up for that.”
I raised my eyebrows at that news. Mrs. Odera loved making us self-reflect on our songs when we submitted our assignments. Usually two to five pages depending on the project. I hadn’t realized Toby was slacking with that.
After making a mental note, I leaned up and gave him a brief kiss, trying to transfer all my confidence to him. I needed him to feel the confidence I had in him, to absorb it and make it his own. When I pulled away, he was giving me a lopsided grin, proving that it had worked.
“You are going to go up there and become a rap genius. And as you asked, I’ll be in the front row, making silly faces.”
That broadened Toby’s grin, his eyes lighting with laughter. He pulled me in for a tight hug, tucking his face into my neck. His breath was warm as it tickled me.
I shuddered at the intimacy, letting his scent comfort me.
“I’m glad your dad showed up,” he whispered and then pulled away. “Okay. I need to go warm up my voice and practice a couple lines. Rapping isn’t easy. Not as hard as your song, but still not easy.”
“Okay. And if you really struggle, do an Eminem impression. You’re good at doing those.”
Toby laughed, shaking his head. “My rapper impressions are absolute trash. I’d never do them justice.”
Toby shoved me off toward my dad who had been patiently waiting. Dad had his phone out, but it was forgotten in his hand as he frowned at me.
“What?” I asked.
“I didn’t realize you were dating him.”
“He’s a good guy,” I said, suddenly feeling a little defensive.
Dad’s eyes widened, and he cleared his throat as we headed off stage. “I don’t mean anything by it. I know you’re at that age. It’s just…I need to adapt to this, I guess.”
