Take a moment

Chapter 4 ☂

Take A Moment

Chapter 4 ☂

The next day started out horribly. I had school and still didn't feel very well. Although I was incredibly relieved that it was a Friday and soon I would be able to sleep until noon. I will admit that I did love weekdays because I would wake up before the sun came out and climb on top of the roof to watch the painting that began when the sun woke up. Not only would yellow from the sun appear but so would blue and pink and red to form beautiful swirls of purple and gold. The clouds would settle in their place and eventually the sun would reach its peak and I'd make my way inside and think about how beautiful it must look from different places around the world.

Loren didn't pick me up this morning because she had an off period first so I drove one of the cars. I hated driving them since I felt spoiled and like I hadn't ever worked for it. It's not like my parents were around anyways to yell at me for potentially wrecking their precious car. Ana never showed up yesterday or this morning and I wasn't sure if my parents had given her the week of or if she was gone for good. I shook that thought from my mind and hoped that I saw her and her kids on Sunday morning.

It had become a tradition for her family to come over for Sunday brunch and play in the pool or run around the house. Our house was so large with so many hidden nooks and crannies that hide-n-seek was a guarantee when they were over. Ana has basically raised me. She worked Monday-Friday and cooked, cleaned, and ran the household. She taught me how to ride a bike with her kids and I always thought of her as my true guardian. I felt bad that she spent so much time here because she had six kids at home and only one job to pay for a nanny to watch them when she was out doing errands for my parents. When I got to school it was 9:00 which was 10 minutes after the bell rang. Mr.Ross was not a nice teacher and I knew I would get detention for the tardiness. I entered the classroom and turned red as all the students stared at me when I made my way to my desk.

"Ms. Stanguard, how nice of you to join us," his tone practically dripped sarcasm.

"The pleasure is all mine," I snarl back at him. I was not in the mood for his petty remarks today.

"Must be that time of the month again," he glared as he turned to his desk to get the pink detention slip.

"Actually it's not I'm just sick of you being such an asshole," I snark back and watch as everybody's eyes grow wide and Mr.Ross turns his head around so hard it looks like it may fly off.

"What did you just say to me?" he asked. He knows damn well what I say but I decide to repeat myself and add a little more.

"I said, I'm sick of you being such an asshole. So what? I'm ten minutes late, you haven't even started teaching yet. Not to mention I am your best student and am probably going to graduate top of my class." His mouth drops open from my sudden outburst and I try to remain calm when he starts to walk towards me.

"Get you and your foul attitude out of my classroom." He growls and knocks my books off my desk.

I pick up my fallen books and start to make my way outside. "Asshole," I mutter under my breath and strut out when everybody starts laughing. Despite my sour mood I spot that familiar leather jacket and smile so large I must look like the Cheshire Cat.

"Smoking causes cancer. You could die, you know," I say as I see him jump and stamp out the cigarette he was smoking.

so will the heart attack you almost gave me.

He types out on his phone and hands it to me to read. I laugh at his response and then turn on my heel to leave.

"Well, I'm going to go practice my guitar because Mr.Ross is being an asshole," I say as I wind around the corner. I walk silently to the lecture hall and fling open the curtain on the stage. Backstage I kept my custom Cordoba Fusion12. I strum it lightly and sigh in content at the comfort it brings me. I decide to play "If it means a lot to you" and sing quietly. I end the song a little early and repeat "we knew it'd happen eventually," until I faded out.

I hadn't even realized that by the end of the song I had tears running down my face until I saw them drop onto my guitar. I vigorously wiped them off my face and almost passed out when I saw a dark shadow emerge.

"You have some real talent," the person said. She stepped further into the light and I saw her jet black hair tied tightly up in a bun. She wore little makeup and wore a pencil skirt that practically screamed professional.

"Uhm..." I stutter," Not really," I see her smile a little and relax when I realize she isn't as uptight as I originally assumed. After all, you know what they say about assuming: it makes an "ass" of of "u" and "me".

"And humble. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Alysa Halen," she says as she crosses the stage over to me to shake my hand. I hold my breath and withstand the physical touch of her hand.

"Pleasure," I say as I shake her hand and then take a step back. "I'm Feylinn Stanguard," I continue, placing my guitar on the ground lightly and wincing at the hollow sound it makes on the floor. The sound seems to echo and for a second I wish I was alone to enjoy the sound that seems to metaphorically describe my life. Without music of any kind sounding through my body, I'm hollow and clunk down as my guitar just did.

"I'm actually here for an interview for another senior that goes here," she says as she smirks and turns to leave. I wasn't sure what the point of that conversation was but it left me feeling slightly proud of my voice. She was impressed and that meant I wasn't horrible. Almost immediately I pull out my phone and type her name into the Google search engine. The first results to appear were interviews about her and then later a wiki page about her professional career.

After several useless websites, I found her professors portfolio. Not only was she a superintendent at a top university, she was a superintendent at Manhattan School of music.

She complimented my voice. MY voice. With shaky hands and teary eyes, I grab the neck of my guitar and set it backstage in the locker. Without much thinking I practically trip over my own converse and rush towards the halls to look for Roman. I hadn't even thought about telling Loren, it was all about finding Roman and sharing my excitement with him. I return to the place I found him smoking just minutes before and found him long gone. Without giving it much thought I started roaming the halls in search for him. Within 10 minutes I found him with his headphones in, against a wall scribbling stuff down on a paper.

"Boo," I say as I near him and realize he's not paying attention to anything. He jumps, startled again and takes out his headphones. I smile widely at his wife eyes and wait patiently for him to turn the page and write out a response.

twice in one day? you really are trying to kill me

a giggle raised up out of me and I covered my mouth at the odd sound.

"Nah, I'd miss you too much," I say as I judge his shoulder and quickly jump back when I remember what I found him for.

"Oh my gosh! Roman, this lady from Manhattan school of music complimented my voice! MY voice! Not only is she a lady but she's the freaking superintendent!" I scream and grab his shoulders shaking him slightly.

For a moment I forget what I was screaming about just seconds prior and relish in the proximity of us and how close I am to him and I imagine myself swimming in his crazy colored eyes.

His arms wrap around me and I sling my arms around his neck and laugh widely as he spins me around and sets me down. Although I wasn't expecting the sudden burst of physical touch, I didn't mind it and wasn't even fazed when he set me down.

I snapped out of my slight trance and glanced at his hand scribble bold words across a page.

I'm so fucking happy for you and oddly proud.

His words make my stomach flutter and as I'm about to reply my arm gets yanked back and I'm pulled away from Roman and into the front office.

Roman was proud of me and nobody else's opinion mattered at this moment except his.