White Lies and Music Notes

Chapter Twenty-four

"Leah, you are making a terrible mistake." Mr Campbell said, "You are one of our best singers, we can't just let you go. Think about it. You are standing on a stage, people are listening to your voice, wishing they were you, wishing they had your talent. Do you not want to be that girl?" I had missed the auditions, and Mr Campbell was not trying to hide his disappointment. Part of me was wanting to do it, but a bigger part was willing me to spare myself the embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Mr Campbell, but I have made my decision. Singing is not my forte and I am not willing to sing in front of a huge audience." How many times had I said it? "I just don't feel my voice is ready for this. I just need a little time." He nodded, urging me to continue. "I will not give up singing, nor will I do anything professional with it. For me, singing is something to enjoy for myself, and just the idea of having others listening to me, is not something I am happy to do. I hope you understand my decision."

"Yes, Leah. I understand. You are not the first to have had a talent that you don't want to show. But I have the perfect duet for you and one of my other male music students. A beautiful love song." Ugh. I think I could throw up! A love song? Now I was only happier I had refused. "Can't you see yourself doing that? Singing side-by-side, with a touch of acting to it? And then with a dramatic kiss at the end." Jeez! What was wrong with this man? Sounds like 'High School Musical' to me!

"No, Mr Campbell. I'm terribly sorry, but I am sure you will find someone better than me." And I exited the class, a feeling of power washing over me. The thing was, if I changed my mind, I knew Mr Campbell would drop everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - to do that for me, which, in itself, was quite a complimentary thing. It made me feel incredibly good about myself.

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We galloped towards the jump, and I could feel my heart beating faster. This was it, only two more jumps after this, and we would be done. We sailed over the jump and turned for the next one. The wall. Almost everybody had knocked something on this one. It was high. Incredibly high. But I couldn't let my nerves take over.

I thought of everything Mrs Sanders had taught us in the last week. All it took, for me to clear this jump, was the right timing, and the right power. Only a few moments before the jump did I realise Harris was leading with the wrong leg. I quickly shifted my feet, making him do a flying-change. Two more strides, and we had to jump. I gave him a deliberate nudge, urging him to jump with as much power as he could muster up. I closed my eyes, wishing for the best, and when I felt the impact of hitting the ground, I snapped them open, instantly focusing on the next jump.

A spread. Easy. It wasn't high, and it wasn't too wide, either. Giving Harris a kick, getting him to sprint towards it, was my first mistake. Not slowing him down, was my second. And my third was not concentrating on the jump. I heard the clatter of the poles, knowing there was no hope for them, knowing, they had fallen. I had knocked the easiest jump. I had knocked the STUPID JUMP! I felt like screaming, but I used my burst of adrenaline to push Harris to the finish line, at least knowing I had cleared the wall. I think. I stopped Harris next to Melanie.

"That wasn't your best round, Leah." Melanie said. I was mad. I had been waiting so long for this moment, this moment where I could thrash every single one of the riders in my class. Ha! How could I have been so daft? Of course I wouldn't be the best. Some people here were really amazing. I really couldn't have even imagined beating them.

"I know, I know. Don't rub it in." I said, "I know that I completely messed up the spread."

"And the wall. Well, the wall wasn't too bad."

"What?" Jeez, that was going to cost me.

"It was actually going really well, but then Harris must have spooked while he was in midair, because his back legs literally went from with space to spare, to knocking down two bricks."