Maybe, Probably [WRITING & REVISING]

Chapter 9 A Stunning Performance

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Kei's POV

Today is Wednesday. Yesterday I presented my song, and I was horrible. I was so nervous I stared at the ground and made no facial expressions, which Mrs. Kobayoshi stresses us to use facial expressions. Today is Amano's turn and I'm afraid she might do worse than me.

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Amano's POV

"Amano Akiyama." Mrs. Kobayosi said, calling me to present.

I went and stood in front of the class.

"Which song are you?" Mrs. Kobayoshi asked.

"Wa-One Ca-Call Uh-Away," I responded.

I faced the class, waiting for Mrs. Kobayoshi to start the song. I looked at Kei and he smiled and nodded.

The song starts and I start signing and singing to the song.

"I'm only one call away,"

"I'll be there to save the day."

"Superman got nothing on me,"

"I'm only one call away..."

It was going pretty good until I got to the end of the third stanza, where I forgot everything after it. I quickly looked to Kei, before I was glancing between him and Mrs. Kobayoshi. Kei nodded to me and suppressed a smile. (I later learned he suppressed his smile because he was trying not to make me laugh because I always laughed when he smiled.) I gained enough confidence to look like I wasn't panicking, even though my legs started trembling really badly, and it became a struggle to stand.

Charlie Puth started signing, therefore so did I. "Come along with me and don't be scared..."

My hands instantly remembered the signs again as did my voice. My eyes never left Kei after the third stanza.

He kept nodding to me and his expressions were better and more encouraging than any words could ever be. He looked at me with an expression like he was trying to suppress a prideful smile, and when I needed encouragement, he encouraged me. His eyes and something in his face changed. That suppressed prideful smile remained on his face, but it was as if we were using telepathy. He kept saying encouraging things such as "You're doing amazing, keep going!" and "You can do it." Towards the end; the last stanza; I broke into a smile, which then turned into a huge grin when the song ended because he clapped for me really loudly and he looked so proud of me.

Kei said "You had the facial expressions down." and "I tried really hard not to make you laugh."

I told him "The only reason I could do the facial expressions is that I was looking at you."

I think that made him happy.

I was so happy I actually wanted to cry.

After class, Kei, myself, and Mrs. Kobayoshi, were left in the classroom.

I finished packing up and said "Bye Kei."

Kei said "Byyee," as he was packing up.

When I was about to leave, Mrs. Kobayoshi said "You did really good. Like that was amazing."

I was beaming with happiness.

I said "Thank you." and walked out the door.

Kei caught up to me and he elbowed me. Kei said something and I didn't hear what he said, because I was so caught up in the act of him elbowing me. It's not that he did it hard, in fact just the opposite. He did it lightly and playfully and he looked happy. But he had never physically touched me before.

I said "Yeah I'm really happy," as he was walking a little further ahead; because he saw his friend.

When he got to the pavement, because we were walking in the grass as a shortcut, he turned around and said genuinely "You did really good."

I was beyond happy.

With a tone that mirrored what the pure joy I was feeling, I said loudly so he could hear, because I stopped walking when he elbowed me, "Thank you!"