Soaring Keys

Chapter Eight: Soaring Assignments

Ross Kindsor

I made a mistake.

Yesterday, I made a mistake.

I knew that because Carson and Katherine were walking around school together. What happened between them? I felt a ping in my chest as Millie latched onto my arm. Millie was just one of the popular girls in my grade that went to parties every Friday and got drunk. She was fun though and she was good at taking my mind off of things. Yesterday during class, Mr. Stewart was just discussing random topics and one of them were parents.

I started thinking about my parents, the car accident, the news, the hospital, and everything else. If I didn't do anything, I was going to go crazy thinking about it. I tried keeping my mind off of the whole thing but ended up forgetting to do other things, such as dropping of Katherine at her house. It was a douche move, forgetting and instead hanging out with Millie and her whole posse.

You know what? Why do I even care about Katherine? For one, she's short and boring, and two, she's quiet. I could have anyone I wanted. I fixed my red and black hair while walking with Millie to the cafeteria.

"You seem distracted." Millie pouted.

"No, I'm not." I gave her a tight smile and pried myself out of her grasp.

"What was that?" She stopped pouting and glared. I quickly shook my head and sighed.

"You go get food for me, alright?" I eyed Katherine and Carson walking out to the courtyard together with some food. There, another ping in my chest.

Why do I care so much? As I followed them outside, I heard their conversation.

"Hey! I'm not short, I'm average!" Katherine laughed loudly while Carson scoffed.

"I'm a head taller than you, Katy." He put his arm around her shoulder and they both laughed.

After a minute of two of spying on them, I felt a slap on my back.

"Do you like her? Because if you do, please don't lead Millie on." It was the girl with a pixie cut, what's her name. Zoe?

"I don't like her." I rolled my eyes. Why would she ask that? I'm sort of with Millie. Actually, I don't know what we are. We had a couple flings this past summer and I guess that was the limit. "She's just my neighbor."

"Wait backup, you're saying she's your neighbor and you don't like her?!" She facepalmed and sighed. "Y'all better end up together by the end of this year or I'll be your personal cupid." Zoe sighed and then went up to Katherine.

I wonder what she was telling them because Katherine blushed and Carson stared at her wide eyed. All three of them ended up laughing and Carson took two steps back and kneeled. People started crowding around them as he quickly opened his backpack and took out a piece of paper. Wait, what? Zoe was freaking out while Katherine was just standing there blank faced. Everyone was gasping while Carson folded up the piece of paper into a flower and raised it into the air towards Katherine. As he started speaking, I was interrupted by Millie.

"What're you looking at?" She handed me my lunch and started eating hers.

"Nothing." I lied but she looked in the same direction I was and groaned.

"Let's go eat in the cafeteria." She grabbed my arm and dragged me back inside.

****

After lunch, the seniors had performing arts which was basically split into several classes which we chose. There was choir/ music, theater, or dance. I had choir because well, it includes singing.

Not many students picked it because they don't like singing or they don't know how to play an instrument. So, the majority of the seniors had theater or dance. I, on the other hand, actually know how to sing. The class didn't take place in an actual classroom but it took place in the auditorium. There were a bunch of instruments on the wooden stage and several microphones.

"Attention students! As you may know me from last year, or the years before that, I'm Mrs. Williams. I am your choir, or music, teacher. Now, grab a seat and pay attention. Today we're going to do an exercise, so you might need a partner. Since there's an even amount of students, that shouldn't be a problem. When you've found a partner, come to me and I'll give you your assignment." Well, time to find a partner. Yaaaaay.

I scanned the room for potential partners and didn't seem to find anyone. Well, there seemed to be someone someone in the back of the auditorium. They were leaning against the wall and drawing or something. While everyone partnered up, I just stayed sitting down. "Okaaaay. Is everyone done?" She looked around for a second. "What about you, Ross? Why don't you have a partner?" Some girls snickered.

I shrugged. Most of the class consisted of girls so that'd be a pain.

"Well, I guess you'll pair up with hmm.." She read her clipboard and read off names. The people who already had partners just said they did. After checking of what seems like everyone's names, she smiled joyfully. "I guess you'll pair up with Katy then, since she's the only person left."

I looked at Mrs. Williams horrifically and asked her if I could switch partners. Katy didn't seem bothered because she probably wasn't paying any attention. But obviously, she said no and assigned Katherine and I our assignment.

We had to write and compose a song.