The show was about to start. Alex tapped their foot and absentmindedly ripped tiny pieces of paper from the sheet they held in their hands. They’d been attending this show for almost a month, writing almost their entire life, but that night was the first time they’d decided to get up on stage.

The MC was dong their pre-show spiel, trying to get the crowd all riled up. The people seated around them cheered and banged on the table, but Alex kept their head down as their stomach did somersaults.

As the cheering died down, their partner, Storm, waved her hand to get their attention, but Alex's eyes didn't leave the paper clutched in their hands. Yesterday their fingers had been nearly perfectly manicured, but today almost all of them were chipped and two had broken off completely. Storm watched as they chewed on their thumb. They were such a beautiful idiot.

After Storm said there name three times while the MC explained the rules in the background, she tapped her foot against Alex’s under the table.

"Ow! What was that for?" Alex asked, finally looking up and narrowing their eyes. Their curls had gittten just long enough a few fell across their face as the scowled.

"That didn't hurt, you baby,” she laughed. "I was trying to get your attention, but you were oblivious. You need to relax."

They sighed, eyes softening as they looked across the table at their partner. Storm held her hands out palms up and they took them. After a minute they said," I don't know if I can do this.”

Just as storm said, “You can." The MC called,_ Alex Baker! _Of course they drew the short end of the stick and their name was drawn first.

Alex looked like they were going to puke as they stood nearly knocking over their chair in the process. They swallowed hard, grabbed the piece of paper that was now sitting on the top of the the small wooden table and fumbled their way to the stage, weaving around the other tables that crowded the tiny space. Everyone in the room was silent. As they reached the edge of the stage the mc smiled and stepped down to allow them to step up to the mic. at that exact moment, Alex's foot caught on the bottom step to the stage and they fell hard, hands landing on the platform of the stage and their paper fluttering to the floor. In the audience, storm gasped, she stood, but resisted rushing to the edge of the stage.

As Alex stood, face beat red, an audience member grabbed their paper and handed it to them and asked, "are you okay?" Alex was pretty sure this stranger was a regular, they had definitely seen them here before.

It was impossible not to remember a six foot fall androgynous babe who always ware black combat bootsvvvb with the cutest_ _femme outfits_. _Today, they were wearing a_ _white dress with sunflowers on it. Alex smiled and nodded at them even though they were on the verge of tears.

As they grabbed the paper, the stranger whispered, "you got this!”