Accompanied by brisk and gentle music, three girls dressed freshly and beautifully like girls next door appeared on the stage.
They had shed their schoolgirl greenness, and both their singing skills and temperament had improved significantly.
Or rather, they were more professional.
After a love song, The Plastics sang two more new songs from their album.
Then, for the fourth song, The Plastics chose to perform the Christmas single they released while still in school—We Wish You A Merry Christmas.
Before the performance, the girls looked at Mike sitting below the stage and warmly invited him to perform on stage together.
Students of Medford High School knew that The Plastics were very close to Mike last year. Moreover, the Christmas single released by The Plastics last year was also written and composed by Mike.
Therefore, students who didn't mind the excitement were also happy to see the strong alliance performance of Mike and The Plastics.
But Mike was completely dazed at this moment. He hadn't received news in advance that the three girls of The Plastics would appear at the celebration.
Looking at the cheers of the surrounding audience and the eager expressions of the three girls on stage, Mike whispered an apology to Mia beside him, then got up and walked onto the stage.
"What are you guys doing?" Taking advantage of the music gap, Mike asked in a low voice.
"Surprise~ How is this surprise? Karen and I prepared it specifically for you..." Regina's eyes carried a hint of slyness.
The heat of The Plastics' new album hadn't passed yet. To impact higher sales, they should be promoting the new album in major cities across the country during this period.
Appearing here now was obviously to surprise Mike.
But this form of surprise was more shock than joy for Mike now.
Without waiting for more communication between the two on stage, the prelude of the Christmas song We Wish You A Merry Christmas had already sounded.
This song released by the three girls of The Plastics last Christmas had good sales locally in Texas, and it had been nearly a year since the release date.
So for many students and audience below, this song was not unfamiliar.
Therefore, this warm Christmas song finally became a chorus for everyone.
With the end of this song, The Plastics' performance today also completely ended.
The three girls who finished the performance didn't go backstage but followed Mike to sit in the audience seats.
The stage was left for various clubs and classes to perform their prepared programs in turn.
During the interval of each program, the temporary host Mr. Tim would also take time to interact with the audience below with some number games and riddles, mobilizing the audience's enthusiasm.
Judging from the continuous cheers on the scene, the school's celebration this time was held very successfully.
"Why are you guys here?" In the audience seats, Mike, surrounded by the three girls, asked the doubt in his heart.
"Of course to promote our new album. Next week we will tour various towns in Texas." Regina explained with a smile, but there was a bit of smugness in her smile.
Actually, according to the promotion schedule, Miracle Company first considered letting The Plastics prioritize promotion in more economically developed big cities.
That would make it easier to increase new album sales.
But the three girls had been paying attention to Mike's movements. Knowing that he won the Summer League championship and the school was preparing to hold a celebration, Regina and the other two girls applied to the company for this return to campus trip.
The company, considering the emotions of the three girls and learning about Mike's current situation in Texas—the hottest super star in Texas—also considered that the "roots" of the three girls were in Texas. If operated properly, they could totally ride on Mike's fame to open up the Texas market this time.
Therefore, after weighing again and again, Miracle Company finally agreed to the three girls' application.
But then again, more than three months of debut time gave the three girls of The Plastics a feeling of a lifetime ago. Seeing Mike now, they had many happy and unhappy things to pour out to him.
For example, the hardships suffered during company training, or interesting things during the promotion of the new album, etc.
Mia, who was squeezed aside and couldn't get a word in, also knew some gossip about The Plastics and Mike.
At this moment, watching three girls with looks no less than hers chirping intimately around her "boyfriend," it was impossible not to be jealous.
But soon Mia thought of a more serious problem. Although she and Mike were already intimate, neither of them seemed to have confessed.
This meant that in terms of social relations, the two were not strictly boyfriend and girlfriend.
This discovery made the girl's mood inexplicably heavy.
Turning her head to see the happy scene of Mike talking and laughing with three beautiful girls, Mia broke down.
Without greeting anyone, she quietly got up and walked out of the playground. Her desolate back formed a sharp contrast with the lively celebration behind her.
"Sorry, I'll be away for a while..." Mike keenly noticed the girl's departure, so after greeting Regina and the others, he chased after her.
Regina, watching Mike chase out from behind, flickered her eyes, then found Lena sitting with Paige nearby and asked, "Is that girl Mike's new girlfriend?"
"Yes." Lena didn't hide it, but instead said some good words for Mia: "Mia is a very good girl..."
It could be said that among the four girls present including Lena, who didn't know who? And they also had a clear understanding of Mike's philandering.
Previously the four of them could coexist peacefully, now adding one more sister didn't seem like a big deal.
"Interesting, let's go meet Mike's new girlfriend..." The strong-character Regina called her two companions beside her and then also walked out of the playground.
Although she never thought of monopolizing Mike, his act of leaving her to chase his new girlfriend obviously made Regina, the "Queen Bee," a bit unconvinced.
"Aren't you going to take a look?" Paige, who watched a good show up close, asked Lena beside her with a smile.
Paige, who hadn't grown up yet, was more like an outsider. With both high IQ and EQ, she was actually quite willing to see Mike suffer a bit emotionally, so as to correct his philandering habit.
At this moment, the little girl looked smiling, just missing a handful of melon seeds in her hand.
"I won't go to add to the chaos. Hope Mike can handle the relationship between Mia and Regina's group well." Lena answered without fighting or grabbing.
With a gentle personality, her sensibility was heartbreaking.
On the other side, Mike, who chased to the periphery of the playground, stopped Mia here.
"Why chase me out? Not chatting with your three sweethearts anymore?" The broken Mia was a bit hysterical: "Right, I forgot, I'm nobody to you, not qualified to interfere in your business..."
Girls at the age of romantic fantasy all want a perfect relationship.
However, Mia now realized that she had taken things for granted before; she hadn't really understood Mike. To her, his image was more like a shining "star."
The girl was more like someone who had received salvation in the dark and thus chased the star.
"So you are Mike's new girlfriend. Looks like nothing special." Before Mike could comfort the girl, Regina chased over with her two little sisters from behind.
Seeing Mia seemingly throwing a tantrum, the "Queen Bee" naturally didn't spoil her.
"And in what capacity are you talking to me?" Mia, who had a straightforward side to her personality, naturally didn't lack courage.
At this moment, she seemed to want to bring things to the surface to clarify.
This is the rhythm of a Shuraba (battlefield)!
Mike and the three girls of The Plastics standing by the playground were now considered famous people. Their every move would inevitably receive more attention.
For example, among the audience of the celebration now, many people were paying attention to the "good show" by the playground.
Don't know if it was an illusion, Mike felt there were a bit too many reporters at the celebration scene today.
Yes, in the audience seats, there were many cultural workers carrying photography equipment and wearing press cards.
"Everything can be discussed. How about we find a place to sit down and chat slowly?" Considering quarreling in public looked bad, Mike signaled to the four girls in front of him a temporary small "tent" not far away.
That tent should be a program dressing room prepared by some performance group before, and it happened to be empty now.