I'm back, folks! With a new name and new stories to tell!

Don't be put off by the name change, I'm still the same Awesomo3000 I've been for the past 12 years (Christ, I feel old). But after doing some thinking, I decided that it was time for a clean slate and a different name, preferably one unassociated with a random South Park episode I saw when I was ten.

So from this point onward, call me ItNeedsMoreGays, or Inmig for short.

And I'm starting fresh with, as promised, a gayer remake of my previous Sing story Awaken that I'm honestly much more proud of. And yes, you read that "Part 1" in the summary correctly, there's more adorableness to come and not just for Sing 2.

So no more wasting time, let's get this fanfic train a-movin'!


It was the first day of freshman year at Calatonia High School.

Straightening her glasses, Steff Pearce squeezed past the other students and chose an untouched table nearest the window. The 13 year old skunk smoothed out the ruffles in her blue dress and sat down, dropping her backpack by her feet.

When she wasn't in a class with a teacher that bored her senseless, Steff genuinely liked to learn. There had been plenty of subjects in middle school that she'd enjoyed attending. Culinary Arts was a skill that came easy to her, thanks to her parents owning their own café. Art provided a nice creative outlet for her as well, along with English, Drama and, to a certain degree, Spanish.

But the one subject that filled Steff with more joy than anything was Music.

For as long as she could remember, Steff had adored the art of singing. Whether it was a ballad or a pop earworm on the radio, she loved to sing.

She'd mainly inherited her skills from her late grandma Julie. The two of them had been incredibly close when Steff was younger; whenever Julie came to visit her daughter and daughter-in-law, Steff would always run into her outstretched arms at rocket speed. Julie would then spend hours showing her granddaughter old photographs and video recordings of herself.

She had been a stage singer for quite a few establishments in her glory days. Her smooth and sultry elegance was a sight to behold whenever she stepped into the spotlight, complimented by a shimmering blue dress and her signature big sweeping motion with her tail. The voice that left her lips, especially when she performed Diamonds Are Forever, was pure magic.

And Steff was enamoured by every single memory Julie showed to her.

Tragically those happy times spent together came to an end, thanks to a nasty fall in her home five years ago. The whole family was devastated. And ever since she had died, Steff had hoped that someday, there would be an opportunity for her to live up to her grandma's legacy.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, the classroom door opened amongst the din of the students chatting. Expecting the teacher at first, everyone quickly turned back to their conversations when a young porcupine entered instead. Clad in a pair of faded jeans, a white shirt and a shining red jacket, she made her way over to Steff's table, taking notice of the empty chair beside her.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" She asked. Steff promptly shook her head.

"Nope, all yours."

Giving a small nod of gratitude, the porcupine removed the bag slung over her shoulder and took her seat.

"Thanks."

"I don't remember seeing you in middle school." said Steff curiously. "You new?"

"Yeah, me and my mom moved here near the end of summer." The porcupine replied. "New job and everything." Steff raised an eyebrow in fascination.

"Oh, and how are you liking Calatonia so far?" The porcupine gave a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.

"It's pretty good. I just hope this new school doesn't bore me out of my mind." Steff couldn't help chuckling slightly.

"You and me both." The skunk then propped her arm onto the table, holding out her hand.

"I'm Steff. Steff Pearce."

Returning her smile, the porcupine firmly grasped and shook her hand. "Ash Johansson. Nice to meet you."

"'Ash'?" The skunk repeated. "That's a cool name."

"Yeah, my mom called me Ashlyn but I've always preferred Ash for short."

"Well I think it definitely suits you." Now that she was closer to Ash, Steff took notice of the black graffiti-style design on her white shirt. "Love your shirt, by the way."

"Oh, thanks." The porcupine replied, parting her red jacket so the band logo was clear for Steff to see. "Love the Skunk Dolls. Have you heard their new single?"

"Tear Me Away? Yeah, it's a pretty awesome song." Steff nodded. "So I take it you're a music kinda girl?"

"Yeah, I'm really into rock, as you could probably tell." Ash responded with a chuckle. "What about you?"

"I'm a singer myself, ballads mostly. Got it from my grandma." said Steff." I'm hoping, one day, I can be as great as she was."

At that moment, before Ash could say anything, the students slowly went silent as a bespectacled llama entered the classroom, a blue lanyard dangling from his long neck.

"Alright, everyone, welcome to your first class of high school." He said in a blasé tone of voice. "My name is Mr Randers and I'll be your math teacher for the year. Please turn to the first page of your textbooks and we can begin." Ash and Steff both sighed in resignation as they, along with the other students, fished said textbooks out of their bags.

"You know, Steff, I have a feeling you and me are gonna get along just fine." The porcupine whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

Steff smiled. "Me too, Ash."


Steff absentmindedly prodded her fork into the potato salad on her lunch tray as she waited.

Being friends with Ash had made the first two months of freshman year much more tolerable. Although the only two classes they shared were math and science, the two of them made the most of the time they got to spend together. Presently, the skunk was sat at a lone cafeteria table, waiting patiently for her friend to arrive before she started eating.

Right on cue, Ash's relieved sigh made itself heard over the cacophony of the other students. Her ears pricking up, Steff looked to see the porcupine slowly making her way toward her, lunch tray in hand.

"Hey, Ash." The skunk said with a friendly smile as her friend plopped herself down on the seat opposite.

"Ugh, hi, Steff. I would've gotten here sooner but my limbs are killing me." Ash raised an aching leg up onto the bench to massage it. "Ugh, gym class is the worst."

"Miss Wendell got you down again?" Steff asked sympathetically. Ash grimaced at the mention of her kangaroo gym teacher.

"Uh-huh. Fifty laps around the gym, followed by twenty pushups."

"Yikes." Steff winced. "That's brutal."

"I swear, she comes up with these lessons specifically to try and kill me." The porcupine groaned, putting her leg down and making a start on her food.

"You should try spending five minutes with Mr. Mack." Steff replied. "He recently assigned us all different instruments to master before spring break, regardless of whether we play or not. And lucky me, I got stuck with the keyboard."

"And how's that going for ya?" Ash asked, eating a forkful of her potato salad.

"Okay, I guess, but singing's more my forte." Steff said, shrugging indifferently. "Plus Mr. Mack's voice drones on and on so much, it's like listening to a robot for an hour."

Ash hung onto her every word as she ate. A tiny smile graced Steff's lips as she thought of a joke.

"It's so dull, he even... No, I can't even say it."

The porcupine raised an eyebrow. "Say what?"

"No, no, it's too horrible for you to hear." said Steff, shutting her eyes and turning away dramatically.

"Come on, what is it?" Ash asked, rolling her eyes with a smile. Cracking open an eye, Steff smirked. She then leaned in as close as she could, speaking in a stage whisper.

"...He makes the origin of rock 'n roll sound boring."

The skunk stifled a laugh as Ash's face dropped.

"...Y'know what, forget Miss Wendell. You've definitely got it worse." She said after a moment. Once the laughter shared between the two girls finally settled, Steff fished something out of her dress pocket and held it out to Ash.

"Pudding cup?" the skunk offered. "Snuck an extra one for you while the lunch lady wasn't looking."

"Nice." Ash replied, accepting the dessert. "Thanks, Steff." As she peeled off the lid, Steff raised her own cup.

"To surviving crappy teachers." She declared. With a grin, the two teens tapped the edges of their pudding cups together before digging in.


Her bag slung over her shoulder, Ash made her way through the halls toward the bathrooms, letting out a sigh. Truthfully she didn't really need to go at all; she was just looking to get five minutes of peace away from her cranky history teacher.

Pushing open the bathroom door, the sophomore porcupine was immediately greeted by the distressed sound of Steff's voice.

"Will you just leave me alone, Bridget? I'm not in the mood!"

Stepping inside, Ash took notice of the gazelle standing outside one of the stalls, clad from head to foot in hot pink. Hoof on her hip, Bridget didn't even notice the porcupine.

"Tell me something, Pearce... does it smell?" Bridget asked in a faux sweet tone. "I mean, mine definitely don't but do yours? You know, with you being a skunk and all."

"Go away!" Steff shouted from behind the closed door.

Her brows furrowing, Ash reached behind her back and plucked out one of her quills. Without an ounce of hesitation, she walked up to the teasing gazelle and jabbed the quill directly into her butt.

"OW!" Bridget leapt to the side, nearly tripping as she clutched her sore rear. Regaining her balance, she shot an indignant scowl at the porcupine who brandished the quill like a club.

"You heard her, you creep." Ash said, returning the glare. "Buzz off."

"What the hell, Johansson?!" The gazelle shrieked, still rubbing her wound. "You stabbed me!"

"Yeah, and I'll do it again if you don't leave her alone." Ash replied, not fazed by Bridget's screeching in the slightest. Never taking her eyes off the porcupine, Bridget trudged over to the mirror to gather her makeup palette.

"Well somebody can't take a joke." She scoffed.

"Last time I checked, jokes are supposed to be funny." Ash shot back, still wielding the quill threateningly. "Now get lost."

Still glaring as she shut the lid, Bridget promptly made her way out the door.

"Alright, fine, you little psycho..." She muttered under her breath, quickly shutting it behind her. The moment the gazelle had gone, Ash's expression softened as she turned her attention to the closed stall.

"Thanks for that, Ash."

The porcupine smiled at the sound of her friend's calmer tone. "That's alright. You okay, Steff?"

"Not really." The skunk replied miserably. "I overslept this morning and was in such a rush to get ready, I forgot it was that time. I asked my art teacher if I could go to the bathroom and when I got here and opened my backpack, I realised I hadn't brought my pads. And that's when Bridget came in, overheard me panicking and starting getting on my case."

Without a second thought, Ash took off her backpack and began rummaging through the contents. A moment later, she pulled out an unopened box of pads.

"Here." She said, kneeling down and sliding it under the stall door. "I always carry an extra box just in case. Unscented and bleach-free."

A sigh of relief coming from behind the door, Ash watched Steff's hand reach down and take the box.

"Thank you, Ash. I really wasn't keen on improvising with toilet paper." Smiling, the porcupine slung her backpack onto her shoulder again and stood up.

"No problem. See you in science later?"

"You bet." Steff replied. Opening the box as she listened to Ash walking out of the bathroom, the skunk felt much better in that moment than she had all morning.


Amongst the commotion of chattering students, Steff shifted excitedly in her middle row seat. The JUNIOR YEAR TALENT SHOW banner hanging over the auditorium stage gleamed in the spotlight. Since school had finished an hour ago, Steff and the others had all sat through some standard performances ranging from adequate poetry to lacklustre stand-up. But it was Ash's upcoming act that she was eagerly anticipating the most.

At that moment, the student body was silent as a disinterested-looking moose in a dark suit came onstage, microphone in his hand.

"And now, performing a song for her act," Principal Dower announced, his tone making it clear that he'd rather be anywhere else, "Please give a big hand to our next talented contestant of the evening… Ash Johansson."

Steff whooped loudly as soon as her friend's name was spoken, the porcupine stepping into the spotlight in her signature red jacket. A polished red and white guitar was clutched in her paw as she adjusted the mike stand to her height. The moment the clapping from the audience had died down, a confident smirk graced Ash's lips.

"All aboooard!" she yelled into the microphone, making everybody jump. Letting out a cackle, the porcupine began the song with a pounding riff on her guitar.

Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay

The instrumental track picking up into a lively rhythm, Ash played each chord effortlessly as she started to sing.

Crazy, but that's how it goes
Millions of people living as foes
Maybe it's not too late
To learn how to love
And forget how to hate

Mental wounds not healing
Life's a bitter shame
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

Let's go!

Steff gawped in amazement at her friend's fearless performance. The skunk knew Ash had always been a fan of rock but this was the very first time she'd ever seen her skills on the guitar, as well as behind the microphone.

And she was completely entranced.

I've listened to preachers
I've listened to fools
I've watched all the dropouts
Who make their own rules
One person conditioned to rule and control
The media sells it and you live the role

Mental wounds still screaming
Driving me insane
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

I know that things are going wrong for me
You gotta listen to my words
Ye-e-eah

Ash's fingers flew over the strings masterfully as she began the guitar solo, headbanging wildly as she played.

Unfortunately for the audience, this meant she sent quills flying in all directions. Though even as Steff ducked down behind her seat like everyone else, she could feel the aura radiating from every note Ash played.

The quill rain finally stopped when the porcupine went back to the mike for the final verse, her voice still crisp and clear.

Heirs of a cold war
That's what we've become
Inheriting troubles, I'm mentally numb
Crazy, I just cannot bear
I'm living with something that just isn't fair

Mental wounds not healing
Who and what's to blame
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

Letting out one final shred on her guitar, Ash's chest rose and fell as the backing music died down. A few seconds later, scattered applause sounded throughout the auditorium, some of the students still picking quills out of themselves. The porcupine's initially dissatisfied mood vanished when Steff stood up in her seat, cheering and clapping the loudest. Taking a bow, Ash ran offstage with her guitar just as Principal Dower came back on, clearing his ear out.

"Well, uh, thank you for that performance, Ash." He said uncertainly. "Very, uh… loud."

The remainder of the acts brought Steff nowhere near as much joy as Ash's had. The amount of skill and adrenaline she'd brought to the song was remarkable. When the talent show reached its end, her friend didn't even finish in the top three, much to the skunk's unbelievable disappointment.

Steff waited patiently outside the doors as everybody else left the auditorium to get picked up by their parents. At last, Ash came outside looking very dejected.

"Hey, Steff." she said listlessly. The skunk placed a hand on her shoulder in sympathy.

"Sorry you didn't win, Ash." She said. "I can't believe Darren got first place for that lame magic act."

"I know, right?" Ash replied in frustration. "It wasn't even convincing, I could see he hid that handkerchief up his sleeve!"

"Yeah." Steff gave a sigh. Thinking back to her friend's act, her face instantly lit up.

"But for what it's worth, your act was incredible!" She gushed. "Seriously, Ash, you were on fire out there! I never knew you could sing like that!"

The porcupine scratched behind her ear, blushing beneath her fur at her friend's praise. "Heh, thanks. Been rocking out since I could walk."

"I can tell! And when you got to the guitar solo… whoo!" Steff ran her hand over her forearm. "Literal chills!"

Ash gave a small chuckle before her smile dropped guiltily. "Sorry about the quills though. I just got so excited, I'd spent hours practicing that part and it felt so good to let it out."

"It's alright, I wasn't hurt." Steff replied. "Besides, I can definitely say those hours paid off."

At that moment, the sound of an approaching vehicle interrupted the teens' conversation. They both turned to see a bright yellow sedan pulling up to the auditorium doors.

"Oh, that's my moms." said Steff, adjusting her backpack straps. "I'll see you Monday, rock star!"

Ash's smile returned as her friend made her way toward the car. "Yeah, see you then!" she called.

A million thoughts raced through Steff's mind as she walked to where her parents had parked. How Ash had brought so much energy to her act. How expertly she'd managed to play every single chord.

How unafraid she was underneath the spotlight. How passionate. How...

Beautiful?


Steff had always known she was pan. Ever since figuring it out in middle school, she'd been happily open about it. She even had the pan flag proudly hung over her bed.

But she couldn't believe it had taken her until halfway through junior year to figure out that she had a crush on Ash. Was she maybe demiromantic as well? Regardless, she could figure that part out later; there were more important matters at hand.

Namely plucking up the courage to ask Ash out.

The final bell had just finished ringing as the skunk weaved past countless students swarming the hallways. Many of them undoubtedly had their own boyfriends, girlfriends and datemates. And this was Steff's chance to possibly become one of them. As she made her way to the exit, she murmured to herself.

"Alright, Steff, buck up. You've got this." She adjusted her glasses with an attempted 'cool' smile. "Ash, hey, good to see you. You're looking great. Heh, as usual." Immediately she grimaced and shook her head.

"No, no, don't start by flirting. That's just weird. Alright, um..." She paused before trying again. "Hey, Ash. We've, uh, known each other for... quite a while now. And you've been such a cool person to hang with. So... I was wondering if maybe, you... wanted to go out some time? Like, on a date? With... me?"

The skunk pinched the bridge of her nose with a groan. "Ugh, too long-winded. Keep it short and sweet."

After a sharp inhale, Steff slowly breathed out and then settled for the smallest, most meaningful sentence possible.

"Ash Johansson, do you wanna go on a date with me?"

The moment those words left her mouth, Steff grinned.

"Perfect. Okay, let's do this."

As soon as she made it out of the building, Steff began making a beeline toward their usual hangout spot by the big tree on the corner, the rehearsed line playing in her head over and over again. Truthfully she didn't know if Ash was even into girls, but there was no better time to find out than now.

As she got closer to the tree, her eyes squinted curiously at the sight of two porcupines beneath its leaves. One of them was clearly Ash, whilst the other was a male who looked about a year older then her. Clad in jeans and a black T-shirt over a dark blue striped shirt, he was nonchalantly chatting away with Ash. Stopping beside the tree, Steff cleared her throat.

"Hey, Ash." She said, prompting both of them to turn in her direction. "Who's, uh, who's your new friend?"

"Oh, Steff, hi!" Ash said, her face lighting up in excitement before she turned to the other porcupine again. "Lance, this is my friend I told you about."

Looking back at the skunk, what Ash said next sliced through her heart like a knife.

"Steff, I want you to meet Lance, my boyfriend."

The words the skunk had been practicing in her mind died with a decaying gasp for breath. She almost didn't acknowledge Lance's blasé "'sup'".

"Oh, uh... th-that's great." Steff said at last, hiding her crushed feelings behind the happiest tone she could muster. "Nice to... meet you, Lance. So... when did this happen?"

"A couple of weeks ago." Ash replied, taking the porcupine's hand with a smile. "I bumped into him after school outside the local club, we started talking and things just clicked. He's a rocker just like me."

"Yeah, I write my own songs. No biggie." Lance added with a shrug.

As much as it was a crushing blow to the soul, Steff figured the least she could do was show support for her friend.

"Well that's... that's cool." She responded, putting on her best smile. "I'm happy for you, Ash."

Looking for a quick way to get out of this conversation, she settled for taking a glance at her phone.

"Well I, uh, better get going. Don't wanna keep my parents waiting. So, uh... yep. See ya later."

Giving both of them a friendly wave as she walked away, her happy façade faded the second she turned away. She removed her glasses to wipe her rapidly blinking eyes, all while a different set of words filled her head.

I was too late.


"Drop out?!"

Hearing the word 'boyfriend' out of Ash's mouth a month ago had been shocking enough for Steff. And then she'd dropped that bombshell on her?

"Yeah, I've decided college just isn't for me." the porcupine said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Wait, h-have you thought about this?" Steff asked, adjusting herself on the stone bench outside the school. "I mean, sure, I'm not gonna go to college myself but I thought you might at least."

Ash shook her head. "I'm never gonna become a rock star if I'm cooped up in college, Steff. Having a bunch of stuffed shirts telling me stuff about music I already know."

She took Steff's hands in her own, prompting the skunk to look into her eyes.

"Trust me." She continued softly. "I've thought through all my options and this is the path for me. This might be the only chance for me and Lance to make a name for ourselves."

Casting her glance downward again, Steff thought to herself; even if she and Ash would never be an item, she had at least hoped they'd both see high school through to the end. Being around her was the only thing that had helped Steff endure the first couple of years. Plus she wasn't entirely convinced that she liked Ash's new boyfriend.

On the other hand, in the past, she had read a few online articles about people who had dropped out midway through high school and still managed to become successful. Given how gifted the porcupine was in the rock department, it was entirely possible she would become one of those people too. At the end of the day, the choice was Ash's to make.

"Well... are you absolutely sure about this?" Steff finally asked. Her question was met with a composed nod.

"Positive."

"Then..." The corners of Steff's mouth gradually rose into a smile. "If that's what you really want, I'll support you."

Beaming, Ash leaned into the skunk for a warm hug. "Thanks, Steff. You're the best friend a girl could ask for."

Truthfully, hearing Ash call her 'friend' still stung. But Steff swallowed the pain and returned the hug.

"Yeah." She then thought of a joke to lift the mood for herself. "Sooo does this mean I get free ticket privileges when you're a big shot?"

Unable to stop a laugh escaping, Ash pulled out of the embrace with a smile.

"Like you have to ask."


The last year of high school was unbelievably dull.

True to her word, Ash was nowhere to be seen when senior year started. And with every passing month, despite maintaining a solid B and C streak, Steff missed her immensely. Discussing their musical tastes, comparing teachers, making each other laugh, all of that was gone. High school life felt so... empty.

When the time eventually came for her graduation ceremony, even with a heaping of pride from her moms, Steff couldn't shake the longing for Ash to have been beside her in a gown and cap.

Worse still, Steff's unrequited love still lingered in her memory. Repeatedly the skunk told herself that Ash was with someone else, that she should stop dwelling on a relationship that was never going to happen and just move on already.

But no matter how much she tried to ignore them or pretend they weren't there, the feelings refused to go away.

And Steff wasn't sure if they ever would.


If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a review explaining why. Free content thrives on interaction and feedback.

Some fun facts about this chapter:

I was going to have Ash perform Hanging On The Telephone by Blondie for the talent show, but I decided Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne was the more fitting song to showcase her affinity for rock.

I also thought about having Steff try to ask Ash out on Valentine's Day of all days, but decided that would just be too cruel.

The movie Sing belongs to Illumination Entertainment. I only own my OC, Steff Pearce.