Lovestruck (EDITING)

67: Minor Details

Dreading the morning ahead, I refuse to leave the shower until only luke warm water washes over me. It's tuesday morning and that means one thing. Band practice. Cursing myself for my choice of extra-curricular, I pull on a sweatshirt and jeans and tie my hair up before heading downstairs.

"Car, Car, settle down. Nothing has been confirmed yet, remember?" I hear my mom's frantic voice echo as I reach the bottom of the stairs. "I know that. Just please try not to do anything rash until I get there."

As I peek my head into the kitchen, she notices me and fakes composure.

"Morning Skyelin, I'm heading into work early this morning so are you okay to get to school?" She's lying to me. Why is she lying to me?

"Yeah." I eye the phone she's clutching tightly to her ear. "Is everything okay?"

"Yep! Everything's fine. Just a little drama at the office I need to go and sort out." She smiles as she slips past me to grab her coat.

I watch her rush around the kitchen for a few more moments, tossing things into her bag, before she places a kiss on my forehead and basically sprints out the front door. The name 'Car' echoes in my mind. Mom used to always shorten Carmen Young's name to Car, back when they were super close. I know the drama isn't at the office.

The drama is at the Youngs' house.

***

Band practice seems to move at a pace slower than melting ice caps, but after what feels like the thousandth run through of "The Beatles Greatest Hits Mashup," we are finally dismissed.

"Don't forget to get your permission slips in to me by the end of the week or else you'll be missing out on an experience of a lifetime!" Mr B announces dramatically as we collectively make a run for the door.

Permission slips? I must've missed something in my multiple absences, because I never received any kind of permission slip. I struggle to weave through the crowd of students rushing to leave and take a step towards Mr B's desk.

"Mr B?" He glances up at me in acknowledgement, so I continue. "I think I was absent when you handed out permission slips. Could I get one now?"

His mouth twitches slightly in amusement before he nods his head enthusiastically and begins to search through the piles of paper on his desk. A few moments later he pulls out a slightly crinkled square piece of paper and holds it in the air, adjusting his circular reading glasses with a grin.

"I'm thrilled that you've chosen to join us this year, Miss MIller. You're the first clarinet to show interest!" He pushes the piece of paper towards me and I feel my body temperature rise as I realise the mistake I've made. "Just try to get this back to me by the end of the week, okay?"

I stand in silence for a moment, unsure of how to respond, before hesitantly taking the form and staring down at it. "Senior Concert Band Tour 2016: Parental Permission Note."