Falling for Ocean Blue [BxB] ✔️

Chapter Twenty four

The hallways are congested so close to 9 o'clock. I am a good head taller than most sophomores, so am at eye-level to greet the seniors and towering jocks. I smile politely, but fake smiles are costly. I reach into my backpack for my earphones.

"Max, over here!" Grace yells over the crowd, forcing me to look up. I retire Mozart and head over to three familiar people.

Peter gives me a warm smile. Minho is too busy slamming books into his locker to notice my arrival.

"We're talking about the music initiative." Peter groans.

Grace pushes a braid behind her ear, rolling her eyes as she leans into the lockers like exhaustion is soaking her muscles.

"Mill has a problem saying no. Plus, Principal Greene is desperate to impress the young musical prodigy." She cocks her eyebrows at me.

I swallow a sigh.

"What's the music initiative?"

Minho slams his locker a touch too hard. Frustration collects into blue bags underneath his dull black eyes.

"Forgive Minho, he hates all jocks. They're the natural enemy for nerds like us."

"The music initiative is a week-long project where music students get paired with the delinquents, the failing jocks and if you're lucky a scholarship kid."

"The roster will be up at the assembly." Peter steers me up the spiral staircase.

"I don't know if I have time to teach piano. I have to practice for the UCLA concerto."

Grace prods me with her impossibly sharp elbows.

"We bought tickets to that." she says, "Mill insisted we attend some colleges to see their music programmes."

"You won't have to teach them too much. They mostly do it to tick the cultural box. Just show them a few notes and send them on their way." Minho pushes open the double doors to the glass atrium. The low hum inside spills out of the belly of the large glass dome. We manoeuvre beyond the islands of cliques, stumbling over designer bags, trying to talk in intervals.

Grace and Peter lag behind us. Minho walks like I'm not following, sighing and talking aloud.

"The entire thing comes out of our personal time," he groans, "It's basically charity-"

We take empty seats in the third row, much to the annoyance of the entire football team who have infected and infested the entire right side of the assembly. Grace is pulling Peter to follow, grinning maniacally at Brandon Blake as he curses loudly. Peter pretends to groan in frustration but behind his scowl is a bright pink.

"Do you need us to come early on Saturday, Max?" Peter leans over Grace. His remark is blunt without his trademark sarcasm.

Grace smiles so wide her lower jaw splits. They all look to me expectantly.

"Oh yes. See what success looks like behind the curtains. It'll be like an exposé of child stars."

"He hates being called a 'child star'. Right, Max?" A flash of aquamarine sends a weight into my stomach.

Aretha is sitting next to her boyfriend, one small hand captured in his beast paw. Her trademark grin is slightly faded, and her eyes covered behind vintage Ray bans.

I hate that she makes me turn, because now Fray Anderson is inexcusably in sight. He has one leg propped against the other, sitting to the right of Aretha. My eyes flitter as he stares intently. In his uniform, the boy seems to wear it like a Greek statue lost in the ocean. Untouched by time and soft where the waves kiss it.

"What's happening Saturday?" Aretha asks, pulling me from his gravity.

Grace doesn't seem to take it as an intrusion, she is warm in front of the alleged enemies.

"The UCLA orchestra plays before the end of semester. They invite some of the best musicians in the world. Max is playing."

"Prodigy, huh?" The blue girl is greener in the sunlight. I think I must be too silent, examining her a touch to blatantly. She shrinks away.

"I'm too old to be a prodigy."

Fray smiles in my periphery.

"Tell your brother we'll be at the game tonight." Brandon snarls menacingly.

I turn back around because the dip in conversation calls for an end. Minho sends me a strange look but I just shrug. Before 9 AM, I managed to make Fray smile. I take the victory.

"Did you have to be so mean?" I hear from behind me.

"Let's not argue, baby." The Beast is oddly gentle, "You coming to practice? We're swimming after."

I steal a glance at the soles of my tennis shoes. The colour has deepened since this morning.

"Why are you smiling?" Grace nudges me.

A microphone squeals in static feedback, forcing heads to turn to the stage. The assembly begins. Principal Greene is dapper in his moss green suit and striped tie. He smiles an artificial white smile as someone hands him a mic. On the stage is three chairs. Mill is seated, her hair crimped and falling into her face. Greene makes his way to the centre of the stage. Hungry faces follow the leader of the school with a respect I did not expect of teenagers who moments prior were unruly.

"Good morning Seniors!" He shouts this, "Thank you for being on time-"

A boy with bleach blonde hair sneaks in through the closed door. He parades down the centre of the atrium, seeking an empty chair with his eyes sinking in a crowd of eyes.

"So... Monday morning here at Woodstone is a vibrant and bright one. Let's begin with sport news. Some of you may have noticed, our soccer team are not here. They're busy practicing for their away match against Redbridge in preparation for regional championship next month. As you all now, sports scholarships are important to a lot of our students and I know you'll join me as we wish them good luck."

The mood behind me is vacuous.

"The football season isn't until spring, so priority over fields go to the soccer team. The Captain has asked me to inform you that the practice game with Redbridge is a friendly occasion. No banners or cheerleading is necessary. I know how quickly team spirit can turn into crazed vandalism." Greene gives a pointed look to no one in particular.

"Anyway, I'll hand over to Mill for her announcement..."

A scattered applause, concentrated near the music students, invite the woman dressed in brown wool to take centre stage.

"Well, this month we're beginning a new cultural project to bridge musical students with budding musicians." She smiles when Grace shoots her a thumbs up, encouraged she speaks a little louder.

"The Music Initiative is buddy system where music students get paired with any student on a Barron-Muenz scholarship. Together, they will learn to play a musical piece. Then, after one month, we'll showcase our talent in a concert on the main stage. This show will be judged based on how well music students have taught their protégée, and the winners will be immortalised with a plaque and trophy."

A buzz is washing over the audience.

"Shit, that would look good on a college application." Peter mumbles.

Minho nods.

Grace is sitting up impossibly straight.

"The pairs have been decided based on levels. Level 2-3 players will teach students with intermediate experience. Expert players will have the challenge of teaching those with no experience. The roster is outside the music room. Please check on your own time." Mill awkwardly punctuates her sentence with a strange bow that doesn't seem to end as she walks backwards into her seat.

No sooner are we dismissed, a third of the crowd catapults to the West wing, trampling anything in their path. Minho leads the charge.

"Take a photo!" I cry out, unsure if he's heard me.

*