Hourglass (NateWantsToBattle & Cristina Vee)

Chapter 19: The Old Scars

"We made it!" Hunter exclaimed in excitement as he set foot in the Music Hall. "I can't believe we actually made it!" He added, spinning Nate around in pure excitement. "You weren't kidding when you said you had a quick way here!!" He exclaimed to Nate squeezing the air out of his best friend. 

"Well, you know..." Nate wheezed, pushing his friend away, struggling against Hunter's weight with his frail body. "This isn't my first time... Being late to a Recital!" He said almost proudly as if he were known for his tardiness. 

"Typical Nathan!" Amanda sighed, placing her hand on the boy's shoulder.

Scanning the area, I see a bunch of people walking around and talking amongst each other. It feels weird being back here. Taking a deep breath, I look back to my friend. Amanda was fixing her school uniform while scanning the area. Hunter decided to fuss over Nate, moving strands of his friend's hair back into place, while Nate studied the people in the room.

Out of all of us, Nate was still wheezing. Still out of breath. Like he was struggling to breathe as he leaned against the railing of the stairs surveying the area. "I mean, you assume... I will always be on time for these things," 

"Yeah... Cause you're always on time for school!" Amanda sneered.

"Right!" He winked at her, turning on his heel, grabbing a booklet as he slid down the railing. 

Hunter shook his head with a small smile. "So much energy," he murmured following his friend. Walking down the stairs after him and Amanda, I noticed people staring at me as I walk. Although it's quiet, I can faintly hear them whisper things. 

"Look, she's back!" One whispered. 

"Do you think she's here to compete?" The other one asked in a hushed tone.

The other one shook her head. "Probably not, she hasn't competed in years!"

With another sigh, I head over to the others. "Being here makes me feel weird!" I say to Nate and the others. Hoping to get a response, I look up to find none of them paying attention. Amanda is on her phone, Hunter is digging through his book bag, and of course, Nate had his nose buried in the Entry Book.

"Hm?" Hunter looked up. 

"Nothing," I sigh, turning around. "I'm going to get ready. Nate, come on!" I say to him, walking away from them.

"No! Wait!" Nate suddenly yelped, running after me, colliding with me.

"Ow! What?" I snap turning around to see why he suddenly attempted to knock me over. "The heck?"

"Look!" He said to me holding up the Entry book while rubbing his head. "Look... at... this!" He continued to wheeze heavily. 

Kneeling down slightly, I study what he was trying to show me. "The Contestant List?" I ask. "What about it?"

"Check out your Entry Number!" He finally looked up, his body still heaving from being out of breath. "Two-Six-Five. As in Kochel number 265. Like Mozart's Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!" He added. "It means you're going to shine like a star today! If that isn't luck, I don't know what is!" 

I just looked at him as he held the book up desperately, in an attempt to make me feel better. Though, after the scene he pulled, more people were looking at us. But this time... They weren't talking about me... They were talking about him...

Whispers spread through the hall about him. Rumors of him going deaf, or falling blind, or even becoming mute! He's none of those things. How dare they say these things of him. Although the biggest difference between him and I is, I'd get pissy with each and every rumor while Nate -- just didn't care. People were throwing the meanest things at him, and he didn't care. Or he truly couldn't hear them.

"You'll do great!" He said to me, before folding the entry book, slipping it in his bag quickly as to hide something important. He looked at what was in his bag before covering his mouth so suddenly as if he were holding his breath. He stood there shaking, gazing to Hunter ever so desperately. Hunter quietly motioned him on, as if he were telling him to "Go on!" and Nate looked back to his bag before quickly snapping it closed, pulling his close to his body. "I'll catch up to you in a moment!" He said, still covering his mouth as he clutched his bag to him, running back up the stairs and around the corner.

"What was..." I start, but Hunter shook his head to cut me off.

"All that running today!" Hunter started. "It's tired him out. He spent hours running around Campus for you, then to get here, we ran here as well. I'm not surprised he's been tired out," Hunter explained to me, glancing to Amanda.

"Mm, will he be okay?" I ask now actually concerned. 

Hunter only smiled faintly, before pulling his bag onto this shoulder. "Sure, he will be fine!" Hunter said to me, before spinning me around. "Now, go get ready! Nathan and I will meet you guys in there!" He said to me. 

"Yeah, okay!" Amanda said to him. "Good luck!"

"You too!" He replied, heading up the stairs, before following the path that Nate took earlier.