Our Song

Focusing Music

"Well, we are here." Art opened the library doors. "Let's go grab some books!"

Art grabbed Sandy's hand and helped him navigate through the expansive library. Paul followed awkwardly behind. He listened in to Art and Sandy talking with each other, like him and Artie used to do. 

Paul decided to butt in the conversation. "So where are we planning to go?"

"Come." Art quickly grabbed Paul's hand and yanked him over to a little nook in the corner of the library. "You stay here with Sandy, and I'll go get some books."

"Okay." Paul sat down at the table quietly tapping his fingers.

He and Sandy attempted to make small talk while Art was off to Narina by now. After a string of awkwardness, Paul just decided to shut his mouth and turn to the other direction.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a black shadow. It looked a little smaller than him, but it was an exact outline. He stood up and examined a little closer. The shadow appeared to be smiling, a short white line punctured the shadow's mouth.

"Excuse me!" Paul whispered to the shadow.

The shadow crept closer as if it was a human being. The shadow settled down in the unoccupied chair. It still has that awful grin on its face. 

The shadow spoke, which Paul thought it couldn't do. "So the friendship isn't working out, he has moved on."

"What?" Paul shot a glare at the shadow.

"Arthur, he is preoccupied with someone else." The shadow looked in the general direction of Sandy.

"Artie is just trying to help me out." Paul spit at the shadow.

"He's forgotten." He heckled.

"No, he hasn't," Paul stated.

"How about that failed music career huh?" The shadow taunted.

"I'm trying." Paul sniffled.

"Well, nobody cares about you," It tugged on Paul's cheek.

"Don't touch me." Paul flicked the shadow off.

"Face it, your never going to be famous." The shadow said it's last hurtful words and was off.

Paul felt a sting on his cheek. "Paul!" He heard someone shout.

"Artie?" Paul cracked his eye open.

Paul fully opened his eyes, and his head stopped spinning. He looked up at Art and Sandy who were standing over him. Paul was on the ground.

"Wha-"

"What happened?" Art obnoxiously interrupted Paul.

"The shadow, it came to taunt me." Paul cried. He noticed that tears had already stained his face. New ones, cold ones came out of his eyes.

He's crazy!

Art looked at him as if he was crazy. "The shadow?"

"It looked like my outline, but smaller," Paul explained.

"Ummm." Art didn't believe him one bit. He cautiously asked. "Paul, are you high?"

Paul felt a little offended by that. "What? No."

"I was just asking because you keep making this shit up about a shadow, that looked exactly like you." Art nagged.

"Of course you don't believe me." Paul wailed.

"I don't believe you because it is so unreal, Paul, how the hell does a shadow taunt you?" Art questioned.

"It was saying that you don't care about me and that I'll never be famous." Paul whimpered.

"Maybe you won't be famous, but I think it's your mind on overload." Art stated.

Paul then looked over Art's shoulder and caught the shadow putting its finger up to its lips. He felt a hard slap again.

"Stop slapping me!" Paul screeched.

"I'm trying to get you back down to Earth, you seem like you're going mad." Art spoke.

Paul stood up, getting level on his feet. "You always are in the clouds."

"I know, but I don't see shadows." Art crossed his arms.

"Maybe all this is, is a nightmare and I should wake up any moment!" Paul pinched himself.

"No, this is reality," Art said bluntly.

Paul grabbed the textbook out of Art's hands, quite swiftly. He flipped through the pages and looked through his study guide. He quickly murmured. "This will do fine."

"I grabbed all the ones that I thought would help." He handed Paul three other books.

"Thanks." Paul smiled and sat down at the table.

He looked down at the textbooks, but he couldn't concentrate. Then he remembered he left his in his dorm and he freaked out even harder.

"Artie, I've got to go," Paul said picking up all of his paper that was scattered on the table.

"Why so soon?" Art asked.

"I've got to get my textbook, that's what I was missing." Paul grabbed his stuff and was running out the door.

"You'll be back, right?" Art yelled. Paul was too far away for him to hear it. Art slumped his shoulders and went back to helping Sandy out.

***

Paul sifted through the pile of papers that he had kept on his desk. Unnecessary paper after worthless paper. No textbook. He was really panicking now.

How did I not notice? Our test is tomorrow.

He then thought the worst. He left it in class, didn't he?

He shoved his stuff off of his bed and even looked under the bed. He also barged into his roommate's room.

"Jacob, did you pick up my textbook?" He asked in a panic.

"No, did you lose it?" Jacob asked.

"Yes!" Paul yelled.

He returned to the living room and sat on the couch. He quietly started sobbing to himself.

What am I going to do?

He turned his head when he heard a low voice. "Looking for something?"

It was the shadow. The shadow had Paul's textbook in his hands.

"You had it all along, I took it." The shadow smiled.

"Why?" Paul snatched the book out of the shadows hands.

"You let down poor Artie, he was hoping to study with you." The shadow grinned.

"You made me leave, I looked for that for a good two hours, the library is closing," Paul whined.

"You don't need him right?" The shadow whispered in his ear.

"Actually, I did." Paul barked.

"He had no idea what he was doing." The shadow heckled.

"Are you trying to make me against him?" Paul asked.

"No, I'm just exposing him as the terrible friend he is." The shadow heckled.

"If anyone is a terrible friend I am." Paul cried.