“Here’s what I’m thinking,” I said to Sam, plopping it down on the table between us. “We should do something totally cheesy and classic, because we don’t know each other’s tastes well enough yet to choose something else.”

Their eyes widened comically, as they had when they saw me approach their table. I loved it just as much this time.

“Oh,” they said, sitting up. “You mean, like, singing together?”

“Obviously,” I said. “Obviously we are singing together.”

Their mouth formed a little O.

“You…” they scratched their forehead. “Maybe you don’t remember my singing abilities, from previous karaoke nights?”

“Oh, I do,” I smiled. “I know you can’t sing. But I also know this is Moonie’s, and it doesn’t matter. And you only sing when someone else makes you, so this is me, making you.”

They grimaced.

“So...something totally cheesy and classic?”

“Yes!” I beamed. “Except not like, horrifying cheesy and classic. No ‘I Will Survive’ or ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ or whatever.”

“Oh god,” Sam said. “That guy who always does ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me.’”

“I know; he’s the worst. But maybe like...Aretha? Or Celine. Oh, or Stevie?”

Sam shrugged.

“I’ve done Stevie before. Are we talking ‘Superstition’ or like, ‘Sir Duke’ territory?”

“Wait.” I stopped on a page, stuck my finger on the sticky lamination. “We can do Stevie later, maybe, but obviously, we should start with this.”

Sam leaned closer—some hair fell over their forehead—and then they started to laugh. I was obsessed with their laugh. I remembered hearing it vibrating across the room from their table in the past—my second favorite thing about them, behind their karaoke shuffle dance—but having it rumble right in my ear filled my veins with pleasure. It was a laugh that was half hiccup, half snort. It was deeply unattractive and strangely made me want to kiss them.

“Lily. That is probably the most cliché karaoke song of all time.”

“But for good reason!” I protested. “It’s still enjoyable, every single time! And it’s so fun to sing.” I poked them in the leg. “Come on.”

They were still shaking their head, arms crossed over their chest. “Fine,” they said, but their eyes were laughing. “Whatever.”

I practically ran the slip of paper to Kiki.

Lily was only back in her seat for thirty seconds before Kiki called her name again. For a panicked second, I thought she was sending us up right away for the song Lily had just given her, the song request slip that, improbably, had my name next to hers. But it wasn’t; it was another request Lily had put in earlier. It was “Today” by the Smashing Pumpkins.