Believe Me; I'm Fine...Maybe [ON HOLD]

Chapter Three

A special thanks to peacegirl101 for the new cover [:

Here's chapter 3. Hope you like it! :D

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               First period history is still as boring as ever today. Ms. Kessler is never successful in holding anyone's attention in class. In order to try and pass time, I decide to text Taylor.  

Me: 

Ms. Kessler makes me want to shoot myself in the face! She's always going on and on and on about George Washington, and it's like, seriously, why doesn't she just marry the guy? She's old enough to have had an affair with him anyway. Poor Martha... 

                I place my phone in my lap and pretend to pay attention and take notes as I await Taylor's response. I nearly jump out of my seat when I hear my text ring tone and realize that I never turned my phone to silent this morning. Well, Ms. Kessler may be nearly blind, but she sure as hell isn't deaf.  

                "Shit," I murmur under my breath as she moves toward my desk to take my phone away, all eyes in the room focused on me. I go to unlock my phone to quickly check Taylor's response.  

Taylor:  

HAHA! Oh my God, you totally just made my day. I guess I'm lucky to have Mr. Shepard? ;) 

               I sigh and lock my phone, not worried the slightest bit that Ms. Kessler will see my rude comment about her. No one has ever guessed my password. The people at the phone store told me to make it something I wouldn't forget. I don't see myself forgetting the flight number of the plane crash anytime soon.  

               Ms. Kessler holds out her hand, and I reluctantly hand over my cell phone.  

               "Come to my classroom after school today, and you can have it back," 

               "Yes ma'am." 

               As Ms. Kessler moves back to the front of the room, I roll my eyes in her direction and start doodling in my notes. When the bell to end first period finally rings, I look down at my notebook and notice that I had absently drawn an airplane. In the sixth row, you can see a smiling, happy couple, the parents to a six year old me.  

               My throat gets tight as I rip out the page from my notebook and crumple it up, eyes burning. On my way out the door, I toss the paper in the trash and head off to choir.  

               Stepping into my favorite class, I pick up the new music that we voted on yesterday. That's one reason I love choir here. We actually get a say in our concert pieces, instead of the director just throwing selections at us and expecting us to want to sing it.  

               I settle into my chair in the third row of the seated risers, already beginning to sightread, beautiful melodies flowing through my head.  

               The tardy bell rings, and I sit quietly, waiting for Mrs. Landers to take attendance before starting warm ups.

               I hear the door open, but I'm already back in the music, too entranced by it to even care. I just blow it off, figuring it's Paul coming in late again. It isn't until Mrs. Landers asks for out attention that I realize Paul had been there the whole time.

               Up at the front of the class, there is a new guy standing beside Mrs. Landers. He is tall and muscular with shaggy dirty-blond hair and the most breath taking crystal blue eyes... that I swear I've seen before.

               "Class, this is Lucas. He just moved here from... Oh, where did you say, honey?"

               "Wyoming," the boy, Lucas, answers.

               My mind is racing, frantically trying to figure out where I know him from. His name is Lucas. He's from Wyoming. And those eyes... He couldn't have possibly... No. No one survived. Well, except for me.

                "It seems the only seat left is next to Mikaelah. Mikaelah, sweetheart, raise your hand so Lucas can see where to go."

                I half-heartedly raise my hand, my arm all bent and wimpy. Lucas comes over and settles into the empty seat on my right.

               "Hi." He smiles, and his entire face lights up.

               "Hi." I smile shyly back.

               "So, does the director always mix the guys and girls in like this? At my old school, we were always seated by vocal sections."

              "Oh, Mrs. Landers isn't exactly your normal choir director," I say, laughing lightly. "She likes to move us around to listen to our voices in different formations. Sometimes during warm ups and while  we're practicing our concert music, she'll have us sing in little duets and trios to see how our voices are blending."

               "That's a really good idea. Maybe I'll teach like that one day."

               "You want to teach music?" I ask in complete awe, fascination taking over.

               "I'm considering it," he answers with another dazzling smile.

               Before I can open my mouth to speak again, we hear Mrs. Landers at the piano, starting warm ups. To me, this is when the class officially starts, and my musical side completely takes over. I know it sounds cheesy, but when I'm singing or playing my piano, I feel like I'm in my own little world. It's like the music sweeps me away to where nothing can hurt me.

               We finish warm ups and move onto our new piece. Mrs. Landers asks Lucas and me to sightread the first two pages together. We look over at each other, quickly exchanging smiles, and start to sing.

               It's like our voices were made to go together. I love the sound of the harmonies we make, his tenor and my soprano.

               When we finish the two pages, I look over to see the huge smile on Mrs. Landers's face, a good sign.

               "I'm definitely keeping your voices together!" Lucas and I sit back down, smiling at each other.

               At the end of class, Lucas catches up to me.

               "Hey, Mikaelah, you have an amazing voice."

               "Thanks. So do you," I say back, shyly. Wow, good-bye confidence...

               "So, um, what's your next class?" he asks me.

               "Gym," I say, grimacing. "You?"

               "History." Does he look disappointed?

               "Ms. Kessler?" He nods. "Have fun," I say, not even bothering to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

               "Oh, awesome," he chuckles. "Well, I guess I'll see you around then?"

               "Sure," I say and turn around so he can't see the blush creeping up to my cheeks. I walk off to the gym, smiling to myself the whole way.