Falling Slowly

Chapter Eleven: Start of Something New

Have a listen at the song on the side while you read the chapter! Hope you enjoy and if you want read the author's note at the end ♥

Chapter Eleven-Start of Something New

Liam wasn’t at school on Monday, and I couldn’t hide the complete and utter dejection I felt without his presence.

I was usually at school earlier than anyone else because Dad had to clock in early, and I liked the hour before school to practice the piano in the music room when no one was around. Sometimes I would go to the library and linger in the rows of books until students began to surface from the weekend. At exactly 7:35 was when I went into the caf. and meet Gem and Hayden to have breakfast.

Today was nothing like my normal day to day routine.

I stayed by my locker all through the morning, even when the hall was empty and the only sound was the vibrating heater above my head. I watched and waited for him to show, and when the first bell rang there was a sinking feeling gnawing at the pit of my stomach. I told myself that the only reason I wanted to see him was to give him back his jacket that I had secretly stashed inside my locker from prying eyes. But who was I kidding? I was only trying to fool myself and even that wasn’t working.

I missed him.

I missed his annoying charming smirk and his brilliant slate-blue eyes that had a mind of their own like the every changing seasons. I missed his infuriating cocky, arrogant self, and the way he’d cross his arms over his chest when he had a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He had become a constant – an annoying constant – but someone who had become part of my life and it was strange and almost foreign not having him around.

As the day passed by I found myself holding my breath whenever the door would open to a class we shared. That split second of hope would only end in sheer disappointment that I found myself drowning in. Gemma noted my strange behavior, and I lied to her about why I was on edge – coming up with the pathetic excuse that Julliard was causing me to have anxiety attacks. Gemma didn't believe me, nor did Hayden. At lunch they both eyed me suspiciously as I tried to enjoy my delicious turkey and cheese sandwich.

When the final bell rang I couldn’t be more relieved that the day was finally over. I didn’t need to keep that small piece of hope that he’d show up twenty minutes before school ended. No one would ever do that if they were of right mind.

Theater practice began twenty minutes after school ended with no real change except for Karla’s terrible singing, but it was more like screeching nails on a chalkboard. Mr. Devino had no idea that she couldn’t carry a note to save her life, and was mentally killing himself for not testing her voice before he casted her as Belle. Everyone in the play had decided unanimously that Karla needed to lip sync. It was too late to change the cast, so we would just have to grin and bear it with this small set back. The only questions that remained was: Who would be singing Belle’s song?

That question was answered the next day as soon as practice was over.

As everyone was packing up to go home, Devino went up to Janie and asked her to sing. At first she was shy and modest , refusing to sing even when Devino praised what Mrs. MacMillian (the choir teacher) said of Janie’s talent. When she conceded and opened her mouth to let beautiful harmonious melodies ring from her voice, it was decided in that moment that she would sing Belle’s song.

With one problem settled there still needed to be another explained.

It was no mystery that Liam Rowely skipped school on a normal basis. It was a miracle that he was even graduating by all the absences that were marked on his record. There was a time last year that I remembered he missed an entire week, and when he came back it was like he was never gone in the first place. But considering the fact that he left pissed off at me on Sunday night – I concluded that it was my fault he was absent. What are the odds of him not showing up to school two days in a row after we had gotten into an argument. It was all water under the bridge for all I cared. I just wanted to see him and felt guilty that the reason he was avoiding school was because the thing he was avoiding was me.