Deadly Love

3. Celebration

At the top of the rosters I see: In effect next Tuesday. Sighing, I try to think of a way to fix this in just a week.

I spot Mr. Alessi staring at us from afar and I immediately run over to him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Alessi I think there is something wrong with these sheets. I mean, they say that I made Wind Ensemble and Eric didn't." I laugh.

"Yes, that is true," he replies with a blank face. "I'm sorry your little boyfriend didn't make my band but I am not here to please you."

My jaw drops at his audacity. "He's not my boyfriend, sir."

His eyes seem to show relief but he mumbles something incoherently along the lines of, "good to know."

"I just want to know why Eric didn't make the band." I beg him.

"I did not find his musical abilities to be up to my standards."

"And mine were? Are you really so senseless as to believe my audition was better than Eric's?" I say exasperatedly.

"Watch your tone," he growls at me with a clenched jaw.

"I need you to answer my question. Please. Why did I make this band but Eric didn't?"

I can tell he's annoyed by my questioning, but he sighs and says quietly, "You have...something else I'm looking for."

I stare at him hoping that he will explain further, but he doesn't. He just continues to stare back at me. Rolling my eyes at his ambiguous words, I walk away from him, but not before I hear him yell, "Don't roll your eyes at me, Cadence."

I roll my eyes again just to spite him, even though I know he can't see me.

My thoughts are brought back to Eric. I need to find him right away and try to comfort him. He must be a mess. I already know he's going to be so mad at me.

I hustle out of the band room to look for him in the hallway. First period starts in two minutes so he must be around here somewhere. Eric would never be the one to skip band even if a horrible thing like this happened.

I turn the corner and see him leaning against the wall, looking sad and distraught as ever. Seeing him like this makes me feel a different sort of emotion that I've never felt towards him.

I walk up to Eric and immediately pull him into a tight hug.

"It will be okay, I promise you." I say to him.

"I know Cadence, I know you are right but..." He tries to talk but it sounds like he's about to start crying. He's not mad at me, thank God. I could never handle losing him.

He takes a calming breath. "But I just can't believe we won't be in band anymore together. Plus I won't be able to do anything with music in college if I'm in a such low band. They won't even look at me!"

He bursts into sobs and cries hard into my shoulder. I've never seen him like this and it reminds me again how much band means to him. He is so dedicated. So much more dedicated than I ever was or could be.

"Eric. You are an amazing player. It isn't going to matter what band you are in. You are going to be the section leader either way and you will kill it. So, chin up." I lean into him and give him a quick squeeze.

"Now let's get to band so you can show that you really do deserve to be in the higher band. There's always next year and you never know, they could move you up!" I say, smiling and look up at him.

He finishes wiping a few tears and smiles back down on me.

"Cadence, I love you," he says seriously and I look down, feeling heat arrive at my cheeks.