Something There

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Songs for this chapter:
• get well soon - Ariana Grande
• Unsteady - X Ambassadors

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

Perhaps we should try and stop spending so much time alone together.

His words have been ringing in my head for the past month.

I suppose he got what he wanted seeing as we have barely spoken to each other this whole time.

It's December now, and we're in our final week of school before winter break. There's snow on the ground and it's impossible to go outside and not freeze unless you're wearing a heavy jacket. School has been pretty bland and boring the past week, and now that we only have three days left before a whole two weeks of vacation, everybody, including the teachers, just want to go home.

I had flown into New York for three nights a couple weekends ago, and I auditioned for my top choices as for universities, all of which were conveniently in the city.

It's a long shot being Canadian and auditioning for American schools, but I'm super grateful that my parents let me travel to audition in person. I have auditions in the New Year for schools here as well, but I have every theatre kid's dream of living in New York City and performing on Broadway.

My mother flew in to the city with me, insisting that I shouldn't go alone. My dad has to practically beg me to try my best to keep things friendly between us before we left, and I didn't even argue with him recalling the deal I made with Bryce.

We didn't get into a single argument all weekend by some miracle, and my auditions went really well to my belief.

This led to the one conversation alone Bryce and I have had since what he told me after school that day.

We were on our way to voice class, and Camila wasn't there that day so we had been walking alone. Just as we were about to walk into the main hallway, Bryce has grabbed my hand and pulled me off to the side.

"How was your weekend with your mom?" he asks me quietly, keeping a stable distance of about six inches from my face. His fingers are still intertwined with mine, and I look down at where our hands meet.

"It was good. We didn't fight at all," I answer him shyly.

This makes him smile, and his eyes light up a little when he taps me on the nose with his free hand.

"I'm glad to hear that," he grins, and I give him a timid nod.

We stand there awkwardly for a few more seconds before Bryce clears his throat, taking a step back away from me.

He drops my hand, then sticking his hands in his pockets. His tattoos are on show, and based on the angle his arms are at I caught a glimpse of his wrist.

"Is that a new tattoo?" I ask, and his eyes widen a little at me.

"Yeah, it is. I'm surprised you noticed," he tells me, raising his hand up to inspect the script written on his wrist.

Though it blends in perfectly with the other designs, I noticed that this line of Arabic writing was new.

"What does it say?" I question him, and he smiles a little as he continues to examine the tattoo.

He drops his hand to his side, looking up so that his eyes meet mine once again.

"Nothing important. I'm sure you'll find out someday," he answers vaguely, before turning around and gesturing for me to follow him.