Tiana should have gone home.
That was the plan.
But plans, apparently—
Were becoming suggestions.
She was halfway down the street when she noticed the crowd.
Not large.
But noticeable.
People gathered in a loose circle.
Talking.
Laughing.
Some holding up their phones.
Tiana slowed down.
"…No," she muttered.
Crowds usually meant: noise
attention
situations she didn't sign up for
She should have kept walking.
She didn't.
"…Just a quick look," she told herself.
That was the first mistake.
She stepped closer.
A small open space sat in the middle of the crowd.
And in it—
A man holding a microphone.
"Alright!" he called out.
"Next volunteer!"
Tiana paused.
"…Volunteer for what?"
A girl beside her answered casually.
"Open mic. Anything. Singing, dancing… talking."
Tiana blinked.
"…Talking is included?"
"Yeah."
Tiana nodded slowly.
"…That's dangerous."
She took a step back.
Then another.
"I'm leaving," she whispered to herself.
"Hey—you!"
She froze.
Slowly turned.
The man with the microphone was pointing directly at her.
Her heart dropped.
"…Me?"
"Yes, you!" he smiled.
"Come on."
Tiana immediately shook her head.
"No, no—that's not me."
"You just said 'talking is included,'" the girl beside her added.
Tiana turned to her.
"…That was curiosity, not commitment."
The crowd laughed lightly.
"Just one minute!" the man called.
"Nothing serious."
"Everything about this feels serious," Tiana replied.
"Exactly why you should try it."
That made no sense.
And somehow—
Everyone agreed with it.
Tiana looked around.
Too many eyes.
Too many expectations forming out of nowhere.
"…This is how people get into situations they didn't plan," she muttered.
"Thirty seconds!" the man insisted.
"I don't even have ten seconds!"
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
The girl beside her nudged her slightly.
"Just go. If it's bad, you'll leave and never see us again."
Tiana stared at her.
"…You're very comfortable ruining a stranger's life."
"Temporary embarrassment builds character," the girl replied.
Tiana looked back at the open space.
Then at the microphone.
Then back at the crowd.
"…If this goes wrong," she said slowly,
"I'm blaming all of you."
"Fair!" someone shouted.
That was not reassuring.
But—
Before she could rethink it—
She stepped forward.
And suddenly—
She was in the middle.
Holding a microphone.
"…Okay," she said.
Her voice echoed slightly.
She froze.
"…I regret this already."
The crowd laughed.
At least they weren't judging her.
That helped.
A little.
Tiana looked around.
Too many faces.
"…Hi," she said.
"I wasn't planning to be here."
More laughter.
"I was just passing by," she continued,
"and somehow… I got selected."
She paused.
"…Without my consent."
The crowd laughed louder.
Tiana exhaled softly.
"…I don't sing. I don't dance. Clearly."
A voice from the crowd shouted—
"Thank you for being honest!"
She nodded.
"You're welcome."
A small pause.
Then she added—
"…I think the lesson here is—don't stand too close to confident people."
The crowd reacted immediately.
Laughter.
Claps.
Tiana blinked slightly.
"…Oh. That worked."
She handed the microphone back quickly.
"I'm done," she said.
"That was actually good!" the man told her.
"…Please don't invite me again," she replied.
More laughter.
She stepped out of the circle immediately.
Her heart was still racing.
"…That was unnecessary," she muttered.
The girl beside her grinned.
"You did well."
Tiana smiled.
"Thank you."
She paused.
She adjusted her bag and started walking away.
It felt good.
Just a strange, quiet realization sitting in her chest.
She had done something random.
Unexpected.
And the world didn't end.
"…Noted," she said under her breath.
And kept walking.