While You Were Here

Chapter 12

I hate chemistry. I drove myself here this morning and avoided all human contact until the last possible class of the day. I kept Nick's necklace on and I put Ryan's on over it. I only ran into him once and I gave him a quick peck on the lips. 

Halfway through chem, I decide I can't take it. I ask to go to the bathroom with the full intention of finding Ryan. I wander down the music hallway, following a familiar drumbeat and guitar strumming. I hear ocean noises coming from the auditorium and decide to check there first. I open the door a crack and I see that the stage is lit up. Ryan is standing with his back to me. The entire marching band and most of our show choir is standing around the stage in a semicircle, raptly listening to him. I recognize the bass player from my gym class and the drummer is on my bus. 

"REST!" he yells. I quickly walk in and take an empty seat in the middle. The stage goes pitch black and a single spotlight shines on Ryan. 

"In the town, where I was born," he sings, "lived a man who sailed to sea." He sings acapella until the chorus and the stage comes to life with the marching band and the choir joins in. The energy is contagious. I wind my way down to the stage and Ryan stops singing. The drummer falters and everything falls apart. 

"RESET!" Ryan yells again. 

He points to the front of the stage and starts again. On the chorus, he lifts me onto the stage. The performers smile at me and I shrink against Ryan. 

One of the singers walks forward and takes my hand. 

"We all live in a yellow submarine, a YELLOW SUBMARINE, A YELLOW SUBMARINE!" she scream sings. I laugh and Ryan takes my hand.  He spins me around and my skirt flares a little. He pulls my hair out of its braid and spins me around. The marching band picks up tempo and I can see from everybody's sarcasm and theatricality that this isn't some minor production. Ryan dances me around the stage in a fast waltz. For once, I don't care what I look like. I spin with him and the singers start dancing and an especially boisterous trumpet does the speaking part in the song. By the ending chorus, everyone is singing and playing and dancing. The tech guys are putting on alternating blue, yellow, and white lights. On the last note, Ryan dips me and I tip my head back. I come up laughing.