“We’re not each other’s accessories. I’m sorry if he won’t have a date for prom, but, cry me a river, he could get any girl to go with him.”
“Who will you go with?”
“I probably won’t go.” Nothing about prom sounded even remotely alluring to me now. Unless, of course, I was there with Mr. Christian. We could chaperone. I started laughing and Josh sat back, confusion on his face.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“I’m sure Matt wouldn’t think it’s funny.”
Mr. Christian and I at prom together? I doubted Matt would get a laugh out of that. “It wasn’t about him. Josh, none of this is about Matt. You guys are so self-absorbed it’s nauseating.” I stood, frustrated. We were on next and I wanted to cool off before I stood up under the hot lights.
I left him sipping his hot chocolate and walked the cold, nearly-empty hall just outside the auditorium alone.
“Concert Choir!” somebody called for us and soon, red dresses and black suits congregated near the doors as Girls Choir in their blue dresses poured out of the auditorium like a stream of water.
My nerves jittered, even though I had no one there to watch me sing. I wanted us to do great for Mr. Christian.
This was his night. A lot of the parents held his future as music director in the palms of their hands.
“Smile, guys,” I whispered to everyone around me.
Most looked at me with awe that I had addressed them.
“Mr. Christian’s depending on us.”
“Yeah,” another, less-popular girl stole the opportunity to give her two cents worth. “Or the ax will fall.”
I didn’t like that image one bit and raised my brow at her. “There is no ax. He’s a great conductor and nothing’s going to screw that up. Just sing your best and smile.”
“And look at him,” another girl piped.
That would be the easy part.
The concert ended with the Renaissance choir. I snuck into the back of the auditorium, like most of the other students, and was smashed against the back wall for the final song and standing ovation Mr. Christian received.
When Leesa Weitz brought out a dozen red roses and laid them in Mr. Christian’s arms, I flushed with jealousy. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of giving him something.
He smiled and gave her a hug.
I clapped along with the audience. How stupid. I should have been the one he hugged and appreciated for the thoughtful gesture. But then I hadn’t been thoughtful, I’d been just as self-absorbed as I’d accused Josh and Matt of being.
I nearly fell into another slimy bout of self-centeredness by gathering my purse and leaving without giving Mr. Christian my congratulations but, I stopped. He’d be alone at some point tonight. At some point, every last student and parent would be gone.
I straightened the music room. The place had become a shamble of discarded Styrofoam cups and napkins and paper airplanes during the concert.
“Want me to help?” I heard Leesa’s voice and turned.
She stood in the door, the ruby dress fitting her body like a legwarmer on an oak tree.
“That’s okay, I’ve got it.” I wondered if she felt like I did about Mr. Christian and that was why she was hanging around. “That was cool, the roses.”
“It’s custom.”
“Yeah. A nice one.”
She went to a chair, retrieved a ratty grey coat and put it over her arm. “Sure you don’t want me to help?”
“That’s okay. I’m almost done.”
After a pause, she left. I was alone in the music room and sat at the piano, my fingers dusting the keys without making a sound. Another half hour dragged by.
Finally, I heard the melodic timbre of Mr. Christian’s voice and the soft pitch of a woman’s. I’d completely forgotten his mother. He’d probably driven with her.
Embarrassed, I quickly gathered my bag to make a dash out but the two of them came through
“Who will you go with?”
“I probably won’t go.” Nothing about prom sounded even remotely alluring to me now. Unless, of course, I was there with Mr. Christian. We could chaperone. I started laughing and Josh sat back, confusion on his face.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“I’m sure Matt wouldn’t think it’s funny.”
Mr. Christian and I at prom together? I doubted Matt would get a laugh out of that. “It wasn’t about him. Josh, none of this is about Matt. You guys are so self-absorbed it’s nauseating.” I stood, frustrated. We were on next and I wanted to cool off before I stood up under the hot lights.
I left him sipping his hot chocolate and walked the cold, nearly-empty hall just outside the auditorium alone.
“Concert Choir!” somebody called for us and soon, red dresses and black suits congregated near the doors as Girls Choir in their blue dresses poured out of the auditorium like a stream of water.
My nerves jittered, even though I had no one there to watch me sing. I wanted us to do great for Mr. Christian.
This was his night. A lot of the parents held his future as music director in the palms of their hands.
“Smile, guys,” I whispered to everyone around me.
Most looked at me with awe that I had addressed them.
“Mr. Christian’s depending on us.”
“Yeah,” another, less-popular girl stole the opportunity to give her two cents worth. “Or the ax will fall.”
I didn’t like that image one bit and raised my brow at her. “There is no ax. He’s a great conductor and nothing’s going to screw that up. Just sing your best and smile.”
“And look at him,” another girl piped.
That would be the easy part.
The concert ended with the Renaissance choir. I snuck into the back of the auditorium, like most of the other students, and was smashed against the back wall for the final song and standing ovation Mr. Christian received.
When Leesa Weitz brought out a dozen red roses and laid them in Mr. Christian’s arms, I flushed with jealousy. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of giving him something.
He smiled and gave her a hug.
I clapped along with the audience. How stupid. I should have been the one he hugged and appreciated for the thoughtful gesture. But then I hadn’t been thoughtful, I’d been just as self-absorbed as I’d accused Josh and Matt of being.
I nearly fell into another slimy bout of self-centeredness by gathering my purse and leaving without giving Mr. Christian my congratulations but, I stopped. He’d be alone at some point tonight. At some point, every last student and parent would be gone.
I straightened the music room. The place had become a shamble of discarded Styrofoam cups and napkins and paper airplanes during the concert.
“Want me to help?” I heard Leesa’s voice and turned.
She stood in the door, the ruby dress fitting her body like a legwarmer on an oak tree.
“That’s okay, I’ve got it.” I wondered if she felt like I did about Mr. Christian and that was why she was hanging around. “That was cool, the roses.”
“It’s custom.”
“Yeah. A nice one.”
She went to a chair, retrieved a ratty grey coat and put it over her arm. “Sure you don’t want me to help?”
“That’s okay. I’m almost done.”
After a pause, she left. I was alone in the music room and sat at the piano, my fingers dusting the keys without making a sound. Another half hour dragged by.
Finally, I heard the melodic timbre of Mr. Christian’s voice and the soft pitch of a woman’s. I’d completely forgotten his mother. He’d probably driven with her.
Embarrassed, I quickly gathered my bag to make a dash out but the two of them came through
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