Between Us

☆ part forty nine ☆

The final bell rang, and the familiar buzz of students rushing to leave filled the air. I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed toward the parking lot, my boots scuffing against the pavement. The late afternoon sun cast a warm, golden glow over the cars, and I breathed in the crisp, fresh air. I was tired from the day, but I had plans with Sophie tonight, so a little fatigue wasn't going to slow me down. I fished my keys out of my pocket as I approached my car, and just as I unlocked it, my phone buzzed in my other hand. The screen lit up with a number I didn't recognize. For a second, I debated letting it go to voicemail, assuming it was another telemarketer or spam call. But something made me answer anyway. "Hello?" I said, a little hesitantly, tucking the phone against my ear.

"Hi, is this Lark Anderson?" The voice on the other end was clear and professional, but friendly.

"Uh, yeah, this is Lark," I replied, standing still now, my keys dangling in my hand.

"Hi, Lark. My name is Melissa Warner, and I'm a producer at Coastal Records. I came across the demo samples you sent a few months ago, and I just wanted to reach out personally."

The name "Coastal Records" hit me like a truck. My heart skipped a beat, and I could feel my grip on the phone tighten. "Oh," I managed, my voice shaky. "Wow, uh, hi. Thank you for calling."

Melissa chuckled lightly on the other end. "I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you. It's been a busy few months, but I finally got around to listening, and I have to say—you've got something special. Your voice, your lyrics... it's raw and real, and it stood out to me."

I was stunned, rooted to the spot as her words sank in. My mind raced, replaying the moment I'd sent off the demos all those months ago. I'd almost forgotten about them, writing it off as a long shot. And now, here I was, talking to an actual producer who liked my work. "Thank you," I said, my voice quiet but sincere. "That... that means so much to me. I didn't think I'd hear anything back."

"Well, I'm glad you picked up," Melissa said with a smile in her voice. "We'd like to arrange a live show for you. Something local, where we can really see what you've got on stage before moving forward."

A live show. The words rang in my ears, excitement and nerves colliding in my chest. "That sounds amazing," I said quickly, trying not to sound too eager but failing miserably. "I'd love to do that. Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there."

"Great," she said. "I'll coordinate with my team and get you all the details soon. But I just wanted to reach out personally and let you know how much we believe in your potential. You've got the kind of sound people are looking for, Lark."

I didn't know what to say. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure she could hear it through the phone. "Thank you so much," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "This opportunity means everything to me. I won't let you down."

"I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got," Melissa said warmly. "We'll talk soon. Have a great day, Lark."

"You too," I said before the call ended.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at my phone as if it were some kind of magic talisman. My mind was racing, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and disbelief. Months ago, I'd taken a chance, pouring myself into those recordings, and now someone had actually noticed. Someone believed in me. A slow, disbelieving smile spread across my face as I slipped my phone into my pocket. For the first time in a long time, it felt like the dream I'd been chasing wasn't so far away.

I turned toward the school building, still buzzing from the call, when I saw Sophie walking out of the double doors. Her blonde hair caught the sunlight, and she waved when she spotted me. She picked up her pace, practically jogging over to where I stood by the car. Before I could say a word, she flung her arms around my neck and kissed me, her lips soft and warm against mine. "Whoa," I said with a laugh, my hands naturally finding her waist. "What was that for?"

Sophie grinned up at me, her eyes sparkling. "You looked so happy standing here. What's got you all excited?"

I couldn't help but smile back, the rush from the call still fresh. "Okay, so, I just got off the phone with a music producer. Months ago, I sent out some samples, like, on a whim, and I just found out they loved them."

Sophie's jaw dropped, and she blinked at me in disbelief. "You what? Oh my god, Lark! This is major news! Why didn't you tell me you sent off samples?"

I shrugged, a little sheepish. "I didn't think I'd hear anything back. It felt like such a long shot, you know? I didn't want to get my hopes up."

Sophie gawked at me, her hands gripping my shoulders. "Well, clearly you should've gotten your hopes up because this is huge! A producer? What did they say?"

"They want me to do a local live show to see what I can do on stage," I said, my grin widening as I spoke. "I can't believe it, Soph. It's actually happening."

Sophie squealed, jumping up and down like an excited kid. "This is amazing! My girlfriend is going to be a professional singer!"

I laughed, shaking my head as she kept bouncing. "It's just a local show, Soph. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Whatever," she said, waving me off and beaming up at me. "It's still the biggest thing ever. You're going to kill it, Lark. Oh my god, we have to celebrate."

"Celebrate?" I echoed, teasing. "You do realize I still have to actually pull off the performance first, right?"

"Don't even start with that modesty crap," Sophie said, poking my chest. "You're amazing, and you're going to be even more amazing on that stage." Her confidence in me made my chest tighten in the best way. I leaned down, brushing her hair out of her face as I kissed her, slow and deep. She melted into me, her hands resting on my neck as if to hold me in place. When we pulled back, she had a dreamy smile on her face. "You're going to be a star, Lark Anderson."

I rolled my eyes playfully but couldn't stop myself from smiling. "You're so dramatic."

"And you love me for it," she said with a wink, before leaning up to kiss me again.