Page 22 of Elemasters

Chloe turned and looked at Chris for a long moment, her eyes equal parts shocked and adoring.

“You actually remember that?”

“Course I do,” Chris shrugged, “the other day I was switching out my backpacks and I realized I still had one of your EpiPens. Always carried it around. Y’know… in case,”

“I never even knew you did that for me,” Chloe smiled gently at him, “that’s… really thoughtful Chris,”

“Don’t be too shocked! Fire is just as much for warmth as it is for burning stuff down, right?” James teased, winking at Chris as he turned to head into the kitchen, “I’ll grab the pizzas, and something else too. I think we’ll have fun with it,”

Dustin didn’t have much time to think too much about what James meant by that, before he returned; balancing three boxes of pizza in one hand, and carrying what looked like a karaoke machine in the other.

“Oh hell yeah!” Bailey cheered, “karaoke and pizza? James Zhang you’re speaking Bailey-nese,”

James set up the machine, plugged it into the big screen TV and grinned wickedly as he held the microphone out to Dustin.

“It’s only natural for Colorful Trauma’s lead singer to be up first,”

Dustin’s eyes widened, but before he could deny the invitation, the others started obnoxiously cheering him on.

“It’s been forever since I’ve heard you sing bro, come on!” Chris urged him, pushing him up out of his seat.

“I don’t even know what to sing!” Dustin protested as James put the mic in his hand.

“There’s only one choice then,” Chris got up and grabbed the second microphone, putting an arm around his twin, “Total Eclipse of the Heart. I’ve got you on backup, just do your thing!”

The decision was pretty obvious; it was him and Chris singing that song at the top of their lungs as children that made their parents realize that Dustin could sing, like really sing. Ever since then it had kind of been their thing; one of the few times Chris willingly took a backseat and let Dustin shine unimpeded.

James quickly selected the song, and as the opening notes started playing, Dustin felt like he was suffocating. Flashes of being on stage flooded his mind; the lights, the pounding bass reverberating in his chest, the cheers as he effortlessly hit power notes while Bailey shredded the guitar alongside him.

Those memories used to fill him with pride, but now he was feeling insane pressure to live up to that past version of himself; was that even something he could do anymore?

He raised the mic to his mouth with trembling fingers, took a deep breath… and then he just went for it. He just had to treat it like diving; he couldn’t overthink it, but he couldn’t be careless either.

“Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you’re never coming ‘round,”

His voice came out smooth, but a little unsure; he felt like an Olympic runner learning to walk again after an accident. Slipping back into a domain he once owned, but with none of the confidence he used to have.

However, as he and Chris continued, more memories came back; not of Colorful Trauma, but the years before that. Back when they used to jam out in their shared childhood bedroom in their pajamas with their hairbrush mics, neither having a care in the world. Like a switch being flipped, Dustin remembered the real reason why he loved singing so much; not just because of the freedom or expression it granted him… but that connection with Chris. That time before they’d settled into their familiar dynamic, when they were both allowed to be loud and proud.

Before he knew it, Dustin was belting out the chorus with the power of an American Idol winner, earning a dazzled smile from James, an impressed gasp from Chloe, and a prideful nod from Bailey. His soul soared with the notes, making him feel like he was walking on air. As the song came to a close, Dustin finally opened his eyes and immediately saw James staring at him like stars that had taken a human form and come down to earth.

“You fucking KILLED IT!” Chris said, pulling Dustin into a tight hug, “I knew you still had it bro!”

“He’s right. That was fucking amazing,” James concurred, his eyes sparkling with barely concealed emotion.

“Th-thank you,” Dustin said, beaming from ear to ear, his heart still pounding. As the adrenaline bled from him, he started feeling weirdly faint. It was the same feeling he had after his very first live performance, “I need some air real quick, be right back,”

“You okay?” James immediately moved to his side, but Chris gently pulled Dustin away toward the kitchen.

“He’s fine, he just gets like this after high pressure moments, no big,” Chris kept ushering Dustin outside; a very clear sign that there was something he wanted to discuss in private, and he was leveraging Dustin’s state as an excuse to step away. James looked conflicted, but he didn’t protest.

The twins stepped into the backyard, and Dustin noticed that the storm was finally starting to let up, though by now the sun was disappearing over the horizon.

“Sorry to pull you away like that, you are okay, right?” Chris asked, placing a hand on Dustin’s shoulder. Dustin nodded.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just needed a second,”

“Okay, good,” Chris sighed, relieved, “there was something I wanted to ask about,”