✤ SOLO

Chapter twenty-five

   The week passed with me contemplating on whether I should tell Will Tucker and risk my dad losing his job or I should just shut my voice box and move on with my sad and miserable life.

So I came up with a decision to tell him and hopefully he won't shut me out this time. I scan the full cafeteria for him, but I can't find him anywhere. I see James behind the queue so I run up to him.

"Hey," I say after I tap his shoulder.

"Hi," he looks back at me, "why are you jumpy?" He asks grabbing a tray and I follow suit.

"I've decided to tell him." I grin widely.

"Thank god!" He breathes, "I'm this close to telling him..." He holds his index finger and thumb closely, "...after what you said on Friday." He says talking about the excuse I gave William.

"I was scared." I admit.

"Of what?" He gives me an incredulous look.

"I have tried singing to him before you know, he shut me out." I defend.

"Maybe he was in a bad mood."

"He's always in a bad mood." I huff.

He chuckles, "that is true, but I'm glad you want to try." He smiles and I smile back, "he's in the music class." He says.

"Thanks." I smile and drop my tray on top of his and move out of the line.

I thank him again and dash out of the cafeteria to the music class. I walk in and see Will playing his guitar and right next to him seated is Stephanie, carefully listening to his song.

What is she doing here?!. I groan internally.

I guess I'll come back later.

I walk backwards trying hard not to any sound, but my foot hits the drum behind me and they notice me.

"Hey," will smiles when he sees its me and waves, while Stephanie glares.

Guess I ruined a special moment.

"Hi," I wave sheepishly.

"I was going to call you," he says,

"You were?" I scratch the back of my neck nervously.

"Yeah, come over here," he gestures for me to move forward and I do. "You should see Stephanie's lyrics," he says as I reach them and takes out my lyrics book which Stephanie already claimed as hers.

"Oh," my face falls and Stephanie smirks.

"I was trying to form a tune to it and I thought you could help me." He says.

"I..I can't sing," I try to say blinking back the tears that is threatening to fall.

"No, not singing," he laughs, "I was thinking the piano, you know.." He points to the piano and I nod taking my seat behind it.

"Can you form a tune to this for me?." He asks opening the pages of the book and Stephanie studies me, Will stops at a page and gives it to me.

New Beginning. I read the title, this is the song I wanted to sing for the audition, but I couldn't because of a stupid rule.

My tears are ready to fall off, but I keep my composure.

"Will, it's fine. She clearly doesn't have any tune for it." Stephanie says taking the book from him, probably so I won't take it and run away. "She needs to read the song before she can form a tune to it."

"You're right." Will snaps his fingers, "let's meet here tomorrow and we would work on the song." He suggest and I stand ready to leave, "I like this song, it reminds me of when I first got signed...you know we could turn it into a duet, we could sing it together." He suggests and Stephanie smiles triumphantly. I take this as my cue to leave, so I walk out of the class as Will shouts, "Tomorrow!".

I dash out, cry my eyes out and bump into someone, I look up and see James Anderson staring at me with concern.

"Maria are you okay?" He asks steadying me.

"Leave me alone." I say bluntly and shrug his hands off my body. I turn to walk away but he stops me.

"You're crying, tell me what's wrong."

"I said leave me alone!" I snap and  yank his hand off me, "don't you get that?!"

"Why you being mean?, I'm just concerned about you."

"Why are you concerned?!" I spit, "haven't you done enough damage already?!" He steps back from me, "you always butt into other peoples business, you don't care if they are happy just the way they are..." I cry out and the people passing are giving me weird looks. "I am James Anderson, I like interfering in things that don't concern me, I don't care about the damn consequences!!!" I say in a baby voice.

"You know the only reason why I butt into you business, is because I care." He says calmly.

"Why do you care?!" I spit, "I haven't done anything to make you care for me, before Will came back, we were always at each other's throat. You're not even my friend, so why do you care?!" He frowned as he heard the last two sentence and he looks hurt. But I don't care, I was doing just fine before he had to sneak around and capture a video of me singing.

"You know what?" He asks rhetorically and takes out his phone and taps on it. "Here," he shows me the video and taps delete, "there! I've deleted it, you can go on with your sad and miserable life!" He shouts.

"It won't be sad and miserable if you're not in it!" I shoot back.

"Fine!" He shouts and makes move to enter class

"Wait.." I say quietly and he turns around, "I thought you said you have other copies?" I ask. He frown at me.

"I lied." He States and enters the music room, slamming the door behind him.

I let the tears Falk heavily.

     Screw you Will Tucker!
    Screw you James Anderson!!
    And screw you Stephanie!!!

"Maria are you okay?" Jenny appears beside me, "you're crying?" She gasps, "who did this to you?! I swear I'll find them and...."

"Jenny!" I shout stopping her false threat.

"What?" Her voice softens.

'I want ice cream." I mutter softly.

"Sure." She says and leads me out of the school building, just as the end of lunch bell rings, I don't feel like going to class anymore and Jenny looks like she doesn't care.

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Hannah