15 Days

Day 16

Day 16

It didn't really hit me until late last night, as I was getting ready to pass out candy. I had been sitting down when the blow came full force, like a punch to my gut. That was when I'd gone to my mom and asked her to pass out the candy for the first time in five years. Then I went upstairs and cried.

I didn't cry because of what the school thought about me. I cried because she meant so much to me and now I was losing her. Two weeks hadn't been enough time. I ended up staring at the ceiling, tears dried around my eyes and a huge, empty ache in my chest. Then I fell asleep.

~~~

I woke up this morning feeling awful. For a second I considered telling my mom I felt sick- it was true enough. But some part of me forced my body from the mattress and got me ready in record time. I felt terrible.

Climbing up the bus stairs, I avoided everyone's gaze, and tried not to notice how quick people were to move their book bag so their seat was full. With a sigh I slumped down into an empty chair and pulled out my phone, flicking dismally through my music. I was looking for something depressing to listen to when my eyes caught onto the song I'd listened to the day before. It was the song I'd listened to on the first day of my challenge. An idea slowly started to bloom in the back of my mind as I clicked on the song and the first few notes played.

~~~

"Hey! Josh!" The black trumpet player turned in confusion at the sound of his name and when he saw me calling, he quickly turned back. "Josh, wait. Please. I need you to do something. I have money." He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me, eyebrow raised. "Can you play this song?" I'd found the sheet music online. Josh looked down at it then back up at me with wide eyes.

"Are you...?" I nodded to his incomplete question. Josh whistled quietly. "Okay. I'll see who I can pull together." He snatched the money from my hand before walking off. I took a deep breath, looking down at the sheet I'd saved for myself. I couldn't believe I was doing this. I couldn't believe the idea had come to me. I couldn't believe I wasn't more scared about it. Shaking my head, I turned, heading back the way I had come. There were two more people I needed to find.

~~~

Lunch. By that point my stomach was roiling with nerves. Our lunchroom was designed kind of like the one from High School Musical, with a balcony of sorts around it. Poking my head around the corner of the door I looked up to the rail where Josh, two more trumpet-players, a keyboardist and a drummer were stationed. Seeing me, Josh gave a thumbs up and winked. I nodded my thanks then turned my head to see if the other two people I had "hired" were in place. They gave me the thumbs up and clicked on their mega-sized flashlights.

Okay. This was it.

I took a deep breath, filling my lungs and calming my nerves. One last peek into the lunchroom to make sure she was there- good. I closed my eyes for a brief second.

Go get 'em tiger.

Two thumbs up. That was the signal. I switched on my microphone. One of the guys with the flashlights clicked off the lunchroom lights. The room was plunged into darkness. Almost immediately a few screams erupted, but no one did anything, because I'd already told the lunch ladies my plan. They thought it was adorable and agreed to let it go through.

I waited for the screams to die down and when they finally did I heard the pianist play the first note. I stepped into the lunchroom and immediately a flashlight bounced to me, following my steps as I walked in. Hundreds of eyes stared at me in shock.

"You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off of you. You'd be like heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much," My voice was surprisingly steady even though nerves and adrenaline pumped through me. "At long last love has arrived, and I thank God I'm alive. You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you." The drummer picked up, joined by a lone trumpet. I swerved around a few tables, my eyes locked onto one near the back.

"Pardon the way that I stare, there's nothing else to compare... The sight of you leaves me weak, there are no words left to speak, but if you feel like I feel please let me know that its real... You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off you." The other trumpets joined in for a loud blare and there were a few gasps as I picked up pace, jogging to a table close to hers. With one mighty leap, I landed on the table top just in time to blast out:

"I love you baby and if it's quite alright, I need you baby to warm the lonely night, I love you baby, trust in me when I say," I pointed straight at her, "Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray, oh pretty baby now that I've found you stay and let me love you, baby let me love you..." I jumped down from the table, snapping in time with the melody. Heat and adrenaline pumped through my veins- I'd never felt more alive. Sadie's eyes were huge, her hands clamped around her lips. I felt all of my friends' eyes on me, but I didn't care. This was my moment. One glance to the side showed me Gia, nodding approvingly.

"You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you. You'd be like heaven to touch I want to hold you so much. At long last love has arrived and I thank god I'm alive you're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you." The trumpets came loudly again and this time I leaped onto Sadie's table. A spotlight beamed onto her right then.

"I love you baby and if it's quite alright I need you baby to warm the lonely night, I love you baby trust in me when I say, oh pretty baby, don't being me down I pray, oh pretty baby now that I found you stay, and let me love you baby, let me love you..." I stepped down from the table, to stand in front of her. "You're just too good to be true..." The music blared in one final note before falling silent. The lights clicked back on and silence rang through the room. My chest was heaving, sweat pouring down my temples, but I didn't care. My eyes were locked onto Sadie, whose eyes were filled with tears. Her face was bright red but I could tell she was smiling behind her hands. Slowly, very slowly, she nodded.

Then all at once she leaped up to her feet, pulling me tightly against her in a hug. Applause erupted around us, some people, like Gia, even getting to their feet. I was- exploding. On the inside. I'd never felt so happy and proud and- I couldn't even think anymore. Sadie pulled back a little and cupped my face in her hands. I saw her shining eyes for a second before she kissed me hard, leaving no room for breathing.

She didn't say she was in love with me. And she probably wasn't. But for that time, for that year and even the months after, what we had was enough. I finally understood what Gene had said. The challenge had never been about gaining her love- it had been about gaining confidence in myself and learning that there's so much more to people than what we think. In the end she may never have been in love with me but with that confidence she'd inspired in me I'd made it through and, honestly, I won in what was important.

And to think it all started when Mr. Foote decided to paint his walls the color of puke.

THE END