Short Stories and One Shots

Musical Incantation

"Oh, I've been shaking
I love it when you go crazy
You take all my inhibitions
Baby, there's nothing holding me back," I softly sang to myself walking through an empty hallway. I was still at school for a band rehearsal that was going to begin in about 15 minutes. I rounded the corner and came face to face with my crush. Well, more like my face to his chest. Neither of us were looking where we were going, resulting in my face hitting his chest before we both fell to the ground.

"Oh my gosh," I said. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I should have been looking where I was going." Was I flustered? You could say that...

"No, I'm okay. Are you okay? You seemed to take the fall harder than I did." He asked me as he helped to pull me to my feet. Well, technically my butt got the fall, but it hurt.

"You know me, I'm always falling. It doesn't really matter. I'm so clumsy. Are you sure you are okay? I'm really sorry again." As I rambled on and on, he chuckled. I'm usually falling because of you though. I wish you could see that.

"Athena."
"Yeah?"
"You're rambling."
"Oops." I said as I probably turned really red in the cheeks. Rambling and clumsy, a perfect combo, right?!

"Relax. Where were you headed?" He asked.
"I was headed to my locker. You?"
"I was headed down to the lobby to wait for my parents to come pick me up. They won't be here for a while, I'll walk with you."
"No, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine, I promise!" I said as I moved around him to reach my destination.
"I don't know, you seem to get distracted pretty easily when you sing." He said. Crap. He heard that.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry you had to hear that. I'm really bad I know." I grabbed the books that I needed for the night's homework.
"What are you talking about? It's not bad at all! It's really good!" Well, now that my face is surely red now, I just simply told him "Awe, thank you!" and we started to head toward the lobby. A silence hung between us, but it was a comfortable silence no doubt. I tried to not smile like crazy by pressing my lips together. For as much as I wish he knew that I liked him, I wasn't ready for him to know just yet.

Breaking the silence, he asked: "What were you singing?"
"There's Nothing Holding Me Back" by Shawn Mendes. Yes, it is one of my favorite songs. Shawn talks about this girl who has so much confidence, that I like to imagine its who I am. But in reality, I'm just kinda not." I said, shrugging my shoulders at the end.
"I think you do have the confidence, you just need to convince yourself that you do." He said.

I just looked at him and smiled. I didn't know what else to say! No one had ever told me to think like that about myself before. I've always been told to fake it, but I feel like that would make the confidence more of a habit, than something you gained and/or strengthened.

We eventually made it to the lobby. It didn't look like his parents were here yet.
"Do you have a ride home?" He asked.
"Yes I do, but I have a band rehearsal in a few minutes. So, I'll be here for quite a while." I said, shifting my books that I carried in my arms.
"Oh, okay. Don't forget what I told you about your confidence, and being around other people like those in the band will help out a lot." He said.

I know I said that I didn't really want him to know that I liked him, but scratch that, I'm going to tell him.

"Hey, before I have to go, I have to tell you something." I said.
"Okay, shoot. What's up?" He asked.
I took a deep breath, as everything came out in that same breath. "Ireallylikeyou." I scrunched my nose, slightly turned my head, and closed my eyes in hopes that I wouldn't hear him laughing at me. It must have worked because I never heard him laugh. I did hear him clear as day, say my name.
"Athena, look at me. I really like you too." he said. I let out a breath of relief, really glad that all went in the right direction. Then I looked at my watch.
"Crap. I gotta go. Band starts in two minutes. Talk later?" I asked as I turned to go.
"Yeah, now go to band!"

And with that, I bolted to the band room. Barely making it before the band director walked into the band room.

(A/n: written in April 2018)