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The moment Riley stepped onto the stage, the heat from the spotlights hit her like a wall. The murmur of the crowd faded into a low hum, like the quiet before a storm.
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She should’ve felt excited.
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Instead, she felt like she was walking into a fight she hadn’t trained for.
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Jade stood beside her, calm as ever. One mic between them. Two girls. Three years of silence and one broken friendship.
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The piano began, soft and slow.
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*Of course they picked this song,* Riley thought bitterly, recognizing the first notes of **“Pieces of Me.”** A ballad about abandonment. About being left behind.
It was personal. Almost cruel.
*Someone backstage had a sense of humor—or a mean streak.*
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She caught Jade’s glance from the corner of her eye.
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“You good?” Jade whispered.
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Riley didn’t answer. She just stepped forward as the first verse arrived.
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Her voice cracked slightly at first, but she steadied it.
*“You left without warning, without even a sound...”*
Each word landed like a punch in her throat.
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And then Jade took her part—and *damn it,* she sounded good.
Husky, soulful, haunting. She didn’t overpower. She blended. Just like they used to.
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Riley hated how easy it was.
How familiar. How much her body *remembered* singing with Jade. Like her voice had been waiting for the harmony to return.
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When Jade sang the second verse, she didn’t just sing—she looked right at Riley.
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*“I still hear your voice in the silence you left... like a song I can’t unlearn.”*
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Riley’s breath caught.
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*What was that?*
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The bridge approached, and their voices met again—rising together, swirling in bittersweet harmony. For a few haunting seconds, the past didn’t matter. Only the music did.
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When the final note rang out, the audience erupted in applause.
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Riley blinked, dazed. The sound of clapping felt distant, like an echo underwater. Her legs moved on autopilot as they left the stage.
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Backstage, she turned to Jade, heart racing. “What was that?”
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Jade shrugged, breathless. Her usual smirk was gone. “Just a duet.”
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“No,” Riley said. “You looked at me. You sang that line like you meant it.”
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Jade didn’t answer right away. She was quiet. Almost... unsure.
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“I did mean it,” she said, finally. “Not everything about us was fake, you know.”
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Riley felt her chest tighten. That old mix of pain and confusion stirred like a storm inside her.
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Before she could say more, the producer appeared with a clipboard.
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“That was electric,” he said. “Both of you are moving to the next round... but there’s a twist.”
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Jade straightened. Riley narrowed her eyes.
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“You’re staying paired,” the producer said. “The judges loved your chemistry. Fans are already talking. From now on, you compete as a team.”
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“A... team?” Riley repeated.
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He smiled, already moving on. “Congrats. You’re a duo now.”
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Silence fell between them as the news sank in.
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Jade turned to her, voice lighter than her eyes. “So... ready for a second verse?”
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Riley looked away, jaw tight. The stage had opened something inside her tonight. Something she hadn’t prepared for.
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And now, she was stuck reliving it—one performance at a time.
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