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MidReal Story
The Unexpected Love
Scenario:In a college setting, Tiffany Simmons Navigates relationships with friends Riley Thompson and Jason Reed while trying to overcome insecurities about herself. She joins the school musical to challenge herself and meets new people.
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Tiffany Simmons
introspective, and determined. Tiffany struggles with her weight and body image, often comparing herself to others. She has a close friendship with Riley Thompson and Jason Reed, who support her through life's challenges. Despite her insecurities, Tiffany decides to join the college musical to challenge herself and gain confidence.
Jason Reed
protective, and humorous. Jason often teases Tiffany about her insecurities but ultimately supports her endeavors. He shares a close friendship with both Tiffany and Riley Thompson, providing a sense of security for both women. Jason's playful nature helps lighten the mood in tense situations.
Riley Thompson
supportive, and confident. Riley is the one who encourages Tiffany to join the college musical to help her overcome her insecurities. She has a strong bond with Tiffany and Jason Reed, often providing emotional support and advice. Riley's presence helps Tiffany feel more confident in social situations.
I was sitting in the student union with my best friend, Riley Thompson, and our other best friend, Jason Reed.
We were on a break from classes and we were having some coffee and doughnuts.
Riley was talking about how she should join the college musical, which was being directed by Professor Hanson.
I thought it was a great idea.
She had a wonderful voice and was very dramatic.
She would be great in the musical.
Then she turned to me and said I should join it also.
I laughed and told her no way.
I could not sing and would look funny up on stage.
I am a little overweight and feel that I would not look right in tights.
Riley knew this, so why did she bring it up?
Why did she want me to humiliate myself?
"Why do you want me to join the stupid musical?"
I asked her.
"Tiffany, you know I don't think it would be stupid. I think you would be great. You have a very good voice," she replied.
"I can't carry a tune," I said.
"I think you would be surprised at how good you could be. It's not just about singing. It's about acting also. You would have fun with it and get to meet new people," she said.
"Is this some kind of a fat thing?"
I asked.
"Do you think I'm pushing you to do something that you don't want to do because of your weight?"
I slumped back in my chair and started fiddling with my half-eaten doughnut.
Riley and Jason exchanged glances.
I hated that I had made things awkward.
I knew Riley didn't think of me as fat, but I was overweight and it bothered me.
"I'm sorry, Riley. I know you don't think of me as fat. I just don't think I could do it. I'd be too nervous and would look ridiculous on stage," I said.
"Fine, maybe we should all audition together. Wouldn't that be hilarious?" she said.
I looked at her, thinking she was being sarcastic.
But then Jason spoke up.
"That's a great idea, Riley. We would have fun doing it together."
He stood up on his chair and put one foot on the table in front of him.
Then he started singing "Don't Stop Believin'" in a very off-key way.
Other students in the union started looking at us.
Jason was using an air guitar and doing a very exaggerated performance.
He was moving his hips and dancing around in a very theatrical way.
He was even making funny faces at us as he sang.
Riley was grinning at him, and I could see her trying not to laugh.
I couldn't help it; I started laughing at his antics.
The tension from our argument dissipated, and I was enjoying the show he was putting on.
A few students at nearby tables were turning to stare at him, and Riley nudged me to look at them.
They were all smiling or laughing at Jason's over-the-top performance.
He was completely unself-conscious about how ridiculous he looked.
There was something about that that made my walls come down, and I found myself humming along when the chorus came up.
Then I stood up next to him and belted out the lyrics in a very off-key way.
I was energized by Jason's performance and my own sudden burst of confidence.
I glanced over at Riley, and her eyes were shining with excitement.
She started clapping in a rhythmic way, her hands moving in perfect time to our makeshift song.
She stood up on her chair and started singing along with us.
Her voice was very clear and strong, and it rose above the noise of the cafeteria.
The two girls from my chemistry class came over to our table, swaying their hips to the beat of the song.
Riley beckoned them over, gesturing for them to join in.
They did, and soon their voices blended with ours.
Then I saw more students coming over to our table to watch Jason's antics and sing along with us.
"See, Tiffany? You're already a star," Riley shouted over the growing chorus.
Jason grinned at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Imagine what we could do on an actual stage!"
When the song ended, I collapsed back into my chair, my chest heaving from the impromptu performance.
The students around us were still singing and dancing, but they were starting to disperse.
Jason plopped down next to me, his face flushed and grinning.
Riley jumped off her chair and gave me a tight hug.
The two chemistry girls came over to our table and started talking to Riley.
They complimented me on my voice and said we should definitely try out for the musical together.
My hands were shaking slightly from the adrenaline rush, but for once I wasn't thinking about how I looked or what other people might think of me.
I was replaying that moment when I stood up on my chair and just let go.
I pulled out my phone and opened the college website.
I typed in "musical audition" and scrolled through the search results.
Jason leaned over my shoulder, pointing at the list of songs on the screen.
Riley grabbed her notebook and started writing down the dates and requirements.
The auditions were next week, and this semester's production would be "Grease."
I was excited to see that, but then I saw that we needed to prepare a solo piece for the audition.
My excitement faltered, and Jason noticed.
He started humming "Summer Nights" again, nudging me with his elbow.
I gripped my phone tighter, took a deep breath, and clicked on the registration link.
"Don't worry, Tiffany," Jason said, his voice full of encouragement.
"You've got this, and we'll help you pick the perfect song," Riley added with a reassuring smile.
"And remember, it's not about being perfect; it's about having fun and showing them your spirit," Jason chimed in, giving me a confident nod.
I pulled out my phone and opened the Spotify app.
I started scrolling through my playlists, and Riley leaned over my shoulder to see what I was looking at.
"Maybe we can find something on this playlist," Riley said, pointing to my "Favorites" playlist.
"How about 'Hopelessly Devoted to You'? I love that song," Jason suggested, his voice full of enthusiasm.
I shook my head, a bit hesitant.
"I'm not sure I can pull off the range for that song."
Riley scanned through the list and pointed out "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee."
"That one might be more your range," she said, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
Jason nodded in agreement.
"That's a great choice."
I hummed along as I listened to the song on my phone, checking the melody and lyrics to make sure they fit within my vocal range.
The other girls from our table were also listening in and making suggestions.
We ended up picking three songs for me to try out, just in case one of them didn't work well.
Riley wrote them down in her notebook: "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee," and "There Are Worse Things I Could Do."
We were all having so much fun discussing the songs that we lost track of time. Before we knew it, lunch was over, and we had to rush off to class.
As I grabbed my backpack and stood up, Jason started humming "Summer Nights" again.
This time, it reminded me of our performance earlier and how much fun it had been.
I opened the notes app on my phone and started typing in potential song titles from Grease that might be good choices for the audition.
I was still thinking about what would work well for me when I walked into class.
Jason grabbed some napkins from the counter by the door and handed them to me before he went to his own seat.
He mouthed "start writing down some options" as he sat down, and I nodded in understanding.
I began jotting down song titles as they came to me, and then Jason would lean over and add a few more suggestions. When he did this, he started writing them in order of difficulty level based on the melody and range needed.
