The Gradebook

Chapter 9: High-Spirited

CHAPTER 9: HIGH-SPIRITED

Saying that my jaw dropped would be an understatement. At that exact moment, my ability to think must have escaped; thoughts swam in my head and my eyes widened considerably.

So I did the only thing that I was capable of: stepping away and pinching myself very, very hard. Because I knew he wasn't there, I knew it was just a figment of my imagination.

"You're gone, you're not here, this is paradise, which is why you wouldn't be here..." I whispered to myself, taking a sharp intake of breath every time I pinched my arm.

He looked even more shocked than me when I finally decided to open up my eyes and sigh in defeat. After a while of him gritting his teeth and taking interest in the ceiling, he tried to focus on looking at me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest and trying to rid myself of the disbelief I had at the moment.

"I'm here to see my favourite band perform, do you have a problem with that? Here, I'll even show you my ticket if you think I'm a liar," he said with an airy laugh, but he seemed uneasy and jittery.

"I trust you on that, I'm here for the same reasons... Why did you bother catching me? I thought you were above that." I barely noticed his arms still were keeping me stable, and felt a little more wobbly than before when he took them away. He raised an eyebrow, as if surprised by my shakiness.

"You could have seriously injured the person in front of you. Plus, I didn't know it was you."

"Ethan, there was no one in front of me."

"Uh. You were going to mess up the wires and the-the concert would be ruined."

"Right."

After looking at me apprehensively, he turned away and in one swift movement, vanished into the crowd. Where was he going?

"Jerk was just talking to me a moment ago," I muttered to myself as I elbowed my way in his general direction, careless of the band that was starting to play. I launched my way through people, and stopped when the floor was cold to the touch. My shoes were off.

With a heavy, gloomy sigh, I squeezed my way back to the front as easily as I could, which involved some pretty bruises-in-the-making, and my eyes landed on my pumps. I slipped them back on, realizing what song Rave was playing.

My face lightened and I completely forgot about Ethan. I looked up to the lead singer dreamily, who's name I kept forgetting, and mumbled along to the words.

"Sweet lips, the taste of a summer's air

Love drips, through the carefree and beloved pair

Heart trips, when she sees him with his tousled hair

Oh...

Just a while, and they've already fell in love

That smile, made him think she was from above

Nothing could go wrong

Oh...

Just a summer romance

By the beach, holding hands

It was bliss, every kiss, every touch

Kept in a mesmerised trance

Didn't know their love was a one-time dance

But each move and each step kept them sound