The Improvement Plan

Eight

"Hope!" The call of her name made her jump. The hall was filling up quickly as kids rushed from their classrooms into a few minutes of freedom. In the distance, she could see a frantic looking Alex as he attempted to make his way to her. She pulled out of the crowd and stood next to a row of lockers lining the wall.

Hope waited for Alex, her stomach fluttering. He caught up with her quickly.

"Hey," Alex said softly.

"Hey."

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, are you?" She was attempting to read his expression. "You weren't in first block."

"I have a bad habit of being late for most thing," he stated. "But there is more to it than that. I can't really explain it right now."

"You can't explain?"

"Not enough time," Alex cleared his throat. "Come by Instrument King after school. It's a music store I work at."

"Alright, see you there."

Alex walked away quickly, leaving Hope to walk to her next class alone. She reached Mr. Splinker's just as the bell rang. He gave her a look before she sat down. If there was one thing he hated more than a student who didn't try, it was a student who liked to be late. She had no idea how he enjoyed Alex so much.

Hope sat next to a boy with familiar blue eyes and light brown hair. Jake, the boy who had bumped into her and made her lose her phone. He was the reason she had gotten to hear Alex sing. Hope wanted to thank him but she couldn't without seeming weird, there really wasn't a way to explain it. He gave her a half smile as she sat down.

Hope had to admit he was cute but that's as far as she could go. He had a boyish charm about him that made her think of puppies.

"Just couldn't stay away?" Jake asked her playfully. She rolled her eyes.

"What can I say," Hope sighed. "I have a thing for..." She glanced at him, noticing his shirt first. "Flannel shirts."

"Flannel shirts?" He laughed quietly.

"Well, not just flannel shirts," she joked. "Flannel pajamas too."

"Oh, now I understand. I have a thing for those too. Although I prefer no pajamas." Jake winked playfully and Hope gave an eye roll.

"Shut up and sing."

"Very contradicting." Jake laughed but complied. At the end of class, Mr. Splinker called her up to him. She stood next to the wooden piano as the teacher ran his fingers down the keys as he waited for the students to file out until they were alone.

"Hope, how would you feel if I gave you the solo in the winter performance?"

Hop's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

"Completely," his lips pulled into a straight line as if he wanted to add something else but wasn't sure if he should. He sighed. "Your voice. It's something special, not like anything I have heard in a very long time in my class. You have a voice that could take you far."

"So does Alex."

"I know." He cleared his throat. "I wanted to talk to you about that too."

"What do you mean?"

"I wanted to ask you to try and convince him to join the talent show, if you would be willing, and sing with each other?"

"You want us to sing together?"

"Yes. Just think about it." He raised his hands up as if there was nothing to lose by asking, only something to gain. "He says no, you can still have the solo. He says yes, well that would just be something, wouldn't it?"