Autumn's Smile

Chapter 3

Too many people. Autumn said to herself as she entered the theatre, carrying her guitar. The crowds of people separate, creating a path, as Autumn walked towards the front to sign up. Whispers fill the air as she passed the people. Apart from that the room was silent compared to the roars she heard as she entered.

She felt uneasy, like she was going to be sick again. Silence was her worst nightmare. Her stomach churned, she was going to blow. Just as she was about to turn and run, she heard a voice.

"She doesn't even go to this school!" someone yelled behind her. She looked to the ground. Look like my planned worked. Just a little too well. Nobody knows who I am. She felt her eyes tear up as she tried to hold back her emotions.

"She is from here. Now leave her alone, give her chance to prove she's the best." His voice brought a smile to her face. She gave a slight laugh and turned around. She was right. Leo was there, protecting her.

She looked him straight in the eye, just like he did when they first met earlier that day, and smiled. Seeing that it was defiantly her, he smiled back. The crowds roared up again and now they couldn't see each other. Unable to see a familiar face, she began to panic. Her heart started beating faster as she stood on her tiptoes trying to catch a glimpse of him. She saw nothing.

"Boo." He joked, sending a miniature shock through her body.

"Really?" she asked looking at him, slightly smiling. She giggled and covered her mouth again.

"So you came?"

"Yeah, but not because you told me to or anything."

"Even if I said nothing, you would have come."

"You don't know that."

"Oh I do, who wouldn't want to come and get rudely rejected?"

"Oh shut up." She said jokingly pushing his shoulder. They stood laughing, as if they were different people. Autumn wasn't afraid, Leo wasn't worried about being caught with a 'nobody', they were just themselves. As the laughter stopped, they looked at each other, smiling, like they were best friends.

"NEXT!" they heard a loud voice yell. Breaking their gaze to glance in the direction that it came from, her smile disappeared as she remembered where she was. When he turned back to see her, she was already gone.

The room became emptier as person by person left. When just them two remained, the room fell almost silent. Only the slight buzz of music was to be heard. Why in the world did you even agree to this? Was it him? Was it her? Was it me? I don't know! Am I supposed to know? Oh god, what've I done? Come, pull it together, you can do this. You can do it. You can do it. Come on, you HAVE to do this.

She was alone. In sudden realisation, she removed her headphones and hummed the songs instead. She placed her guitar case on the ground and opened it. Grasping onto it, she gently listed the guitar out of its case. Placing the strap around her shoulder she walked towards the door.

"NEXT!"

The blinding spotlight shone onto centre stage. This was it. As she took her seat on stage she looked up, seeing Leo walking up the stairs, leaving. While he was still in the room she strummed her guitar. He froze. She began the song.

"For a while, we pretended. That we never had to end it. But we knew we'd have to say goodbye." The sound of her voice swung him around. Her eyes met his and they stayed just that way throughout the entire song. Not once checking the chords, not once forgetting the words, not once escaping his eyes, not one smile was exchanged, but, once the song was over, they was.