JUST ONE MORE DAY... (H.S)

27

The next day, Harry and I were up early, making sure everything was ready for our song. Our guitars were packed, and the lyrics to "Two Ghosts" were running through my mind on a constant loop. The thought of performing in front of the class was nerve-wracking, but we were determined to give it our best shot.

We had planned to grab breakfast outside with Jennie and Ben before heading to class, so after getting ready, we made our way to the little café just off campus. It was a small, cozy place that served the best pastries in town, and we often came here to unwind before a long day.

When we arrived, Jennie and Ben were already seated, looking relaxed and cheerful. Jennie waved us over, and we slid into the booth beside them.

"Morning, you two," Jennie greeted us with a smile. "Ready for the big day?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," I replied, though the butterflies in my stomach suggested otherwise.

Ben glanced at Harry, who was unusually quiet. "You okay, man? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

Harry managed a weak smile. "Just…nervous, I guess."

Jennie reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "You’re going to be amazing. Both of you. And if anyone dares to boo you, Ben here has promised to toss them into the water fountain."

Ben grinned and flexed his arms dramatically. "That’s right. No one messes with my friends."

We all laughed, the tension easing just a bit. Breakfast helped to calm our nerves, and soon we were making our way to the university, guitars in tow.

When we arrived at the classroom, the professor was already there, a gleam in his eye that made me uneasy. He seemed more enthusiastic than usual, and I had a feeling something unexpected was about to happen.

Once everyone was settled, the professor clapped his hands to get our attention. "Good morning, everyone! I hope you’re all prepared because today’s plan will be a little different."

My heart sank. Different? That didn’t sound good.

"Instead of presenting your songs here in the classroom," he continued, "you’ll be performing them on stage in the auditorium. I want to see how you handle the pressure of a live audience. And," he added with a grin, "if the audience likes what they hear, you could earn yourself a straight A. Your song might even be selected for the upcoming fresher’s fest next week!"

A murmur of excitement rippled through the class, but I felt like the ground had just dropped out from under me. Singing in front of our class was one thing, but an entire audience? That was a whole new level of pressure.

Harry and I exchanged a look of pure panic. This wasn’t what we had prepared for. We needed to talk to the professor, to convince him that we weren’t ready for this. But before we could make our move, he dismissed us to head to the auditorium, where we’d be singing.

We trailed behind the rest of the class, our earlier confidence evaporating. "What are we going to do?" I whispered to Harry as we walked.

"I don’t know," he replied, his voice strained. "We need to talk to him, but I don’t think he’ll listen."

Sure enough, when we caught up with the professor, he brushed off our concerns with a smile and a wave of his hand. "You’ll be fine! Just trust in your music and in each other. Now go practice—I expect great things from you two."

Defeated, we made our way to the auditorium. Inside, groups of students were already setting up on stage, practicing their songs with an air of determination. Harry and I stood in the back, feeling completely out of place.

"We’re so not ready for this," I muttered, watching as another group ran through their chorus with confidence.

Harry didn’t say anything, but I could see the worry etched on his face. He was usually so calm and collected, but now he looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown.

We decided to take a break and headed to the campus café where we met up with Jennie and Ben again. They were bubbling with excitement, eager to hear how our day was going.

"How’s it going, guys?" Jennie asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Terrible," I admitted, slumping into a chair. "The professor wants us to perform on stage in front of a live audience. If they like us, we get a straight A, and we might even be picked to perform at the fresher’s fest. But we’re not ready for this. Not at all."

Ben leaned back in his chair, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Sounds like you two need a little pep talk. Listen, you’re going to go out there, and you’re going to crush it. And if anyone even thinks about booing, well, you know what’ll happen."

His confidence was infectious, and I couldn’t help but smile. "Thanks, Ben. We’ll do our best."

Harry nodded, though I could see he was still on edge. After a bit more encouragement from Jennie and Ben, we headed back to the auditorium, determined to give it our all, despite our nerves.

As the day went on, the professor listened intently to each group’s performance. He bobbed his head to the music, occasionally smiling or jotting down notes. With every performance, my anxiety grew. Harry wasn’t doing much better—his hands were trembling, and he was sweating buckets. It was clear this was really getting to him.

Finally, it was our turn. I could see Harry’s panic rising, and without thinking, I reached out and hugged him tightly. "We can do this," I whispered. "We did it yesterday, and we can do it again. We’re in this together."

Harry seemed to relax a little in my embrace. He was warm and comforting, and for a moment, everything else faded away. We stayed like that for a few seconds, drawing strength from each other. Then, with a deep breath, we pulled apart and headed onto the stage.

"Hi, we’re Harry and Elizabeth," I said, my voice trembling slightly as I introduced us. "We might not be the best at this, but we’ve tried our best. This is our song, ‘Two Ghosts.’"

As we started playing the guitar, the nerves faded, replaced by the music we had poured our hearts into. We sang about the memories that haunted us, the ghosts of what once was. And just like before, I couldn’t take my eyes off Harry. His voice, his presence—it all felt so right, so perfect.

The audience was silent, hanging on every word. And when we finished, the applause was overwhelming. We did it. Despite our fear, despite the pressure, we had made it through together.

AN: Hey, Thank you for reading. If you find any mistakes please do let me know. Comment your thoughts. TPWK 😇