Stormy

Chapter 29

On a cloudy Thursday afternoon, I leave vocal practice with my guitar case in my hand, quite exhausted from one and a half hours of technique work, of pushing my voice and working on my range. Mr. Alders really doesn't hold back on me with things like that anymore, especially since he learned that I was going to perform my song on stage with Martijn. The rumor of that actually made its way around campus faster than I would have wanted it to. Same with the other teachers, it feels like everyone is going extra hard on me now. But it's not just the teachers. Ever since the project took off, I have been getting strange looks of jealousy from random people on the corridors. Never put too much thought into them though. But things can change quicker than you might think they can. I turn around the corner of the main school building on the way to the dorms, lost in my thoughts, as I suddenly trip, lose my balance and find myself on the floor. A stinging pain shoots up my spine. Back to reality within the blink of an eye. My guitar slams to the floor next to me. Before I can check up on it, a sudden spiteful voice makes me look up: "Woah, pay attention to where you're going, god damnit. Waiiit... Who do we have here?" I'm staring right into the faces of three girls from year 3 of my own department. I have seen them before, but I can't really recall their names just now.

The tall blonde in the middle bows down to me and says: "It's you Julie... What a coincidence. Looks like the rumors I have heard about you are actually true..." None of the girls is actually trying to help me up. "What rumors?", I ask, knowing already that she's referring to me having a song with Martijn. But when she continues to speak, I'm actually shocked. "Well you have that little song with Martin Garrix, right? We've heard that you've been taking all the praise from the teachers for the work he did all on his own and that he just works with you because he has to. I mean, look at you. The way you dress, the way your hair looks and you can't even walk properly without tripping. So everything seems to be true. Doesn't it?", she asks to her friends. The red haired girl on the left joins her and says: "I've also heard she begged him to fuck her in the studio so she could in return perform with him at ADE..." "What? Who's been talking such a bullshit about me?", I ask and regret it just a second later. "Well... You never know.", says the third girl and bows down to me as well, "Just leave Martijn alone and you'll never be bothered again." To make her statement clear, she gives my guitar case a hard kick, so it falls off the side that it was laying on. Then the three of them leave without saying another word, leaving me behind still sitting on the floor and tears shoot to my eyes. None of the words actually hurt as much as this final kick against my guitar. Everything is still blurry from the tears, as I open the case to check on my guitar. My everything. As I discover a crack on the neck of it right underneath the headstock, my world breaks into pieces. They obviously intended for me to trip. What...? I just...? Why?

Out of all the people, I suddenly realize Martijn is approaching me together with a few of his friends. He's not supposed to be here, he's not supposed to see me cry. I see him talking to his friends briefly, then they turn around and go the other way. Martijn walks over to me and I quickly try to wipe away my tears. He must have seen me cry though, I wasn't fast enough. "Julie, hey, are you alright?", he asks and first thing he does is offer me a hand to get up. I don't take his hand and just nod my head: "I'm fine.", I say with my voice shaking. "Are you sure?", he asks gently and I see his eyes lingering on my guitar. As I don't answer, Martijn sits down next to me and says: "You're obviously not okay. What happened, Julie? And what about your guitar? Please, tell me. Be honest." "There were these girls, I fell down and I... My guitar's broken, Martijn.", I answer and start to sob again. "Julie...hey, don't cry...", he says and gives me a hug, somehow helpless. He then makes me get up from the floor and lifts up my guitar and we both sit down on a nearby bench. As I have calmed down a bit, he asks for the whole story again: "Can you please tell me exactly what just happened?" "I was just on my way back to my room after vocal practice and then I ran into these girls. I didn't realize it at first, but I think they waited for me and made me trip. I fell on the floor and then they confronted me with a few of the rumors that are going round on campus apparently.", I explain. "What rumors?", Martijn wants to know. "I've been getting bits of jealousy here and there, that's nothing new since we started working together. But the girls said some mean stuff that I haven't heard before...", I continue. "I'm so sorry, Julie. What did they say?", he pushes further. "That I did nothing on our song. That you just work with me because you have to... And that I slept with you to get to perform at your ADE show...", I say and swallow hard while I was speaking out these words. I immediately see the shock on Martijn's face. But he asked for the full story. He puts an arm around me and says: "I'm so sorry that they said that to you, Julie. I really hope you know that none of that is true." I nod my head and point to my guitar: "And then one of them kicked my guitar and said I wouldn't be bothered anymore if I left you alone." "Why would they even say that?", Martijn asks in disbelief. "Well, people want to work with you more than you might realize, Martijn...", I say bitterly. "I'm so so sorry. I'll make up for that, I promise, Julie. And I'll get your guitar fixed.", he promises. "Martijn, that is super kind of you, but I can't accept that. It's not your fault at all.", I reply. Suddenly, I feel uncomfortable. Martijn keeps going out of his way for me more than anyone else. It never felt like that before, but after the words that the girls just said, I somehow feel like I really didn't do much on my own so far. It was all guided by Martijn. "I really appreciate your kindness, Martijn, but I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow.", I quickly say before I get up in a hurry, close my guitar case and turn around to go. It's all too much. I need time to think about it all.