Juliet (Unfinished Novel)

Chapter 40

Behind the stage I stood with my head peeping through the curtain ever few seconds. I watched as people were piling in. It didn't take long until all the benches were full and people began to stand. My heart was slowly picking up speed with each person who entered the Cafeteria. I couldn't take it anymore, my nerves were climbing the wall. I feel a tap on my shoulder and I turn to see Winston with a disc in his hands. He looks at me from behind his glasses with a nervousness that is starting to take over everyone.

"Do you know where Ms. Meade went? I need to give her my back up copy before the show starts."

I shook my head, I couldn't recall seeing my art teacher since she was hauling a cart of supplies across the stage about thirty minutes before Winston came to me. I agreed to help him search for her because I didn't have anything else to do but have my nerves build up. We weren't expecting her to be to hard to find since it is a small stage, but it turned out more difficult than we thought. Every step I took risked getting trampled over by students doing last minute touches on their projects.

Standing in the corner neat the sound system was the person of our search. Ms. Meade had a binder opened up on the control panel and she was skimming her finger over the many numbers that matched the ones labeled on the panel. Winston walked forward and tapped her shoulder. She turned around instantly and relief washed over her face when she registered that it was only sweet Winston. She seemed to be a little tense with all this commotion going on around her. I couldn't hear what they were saying to one another since so much noise was being made from the other people in the room, but I saw their enthusiastic expressions as the spoke.

When they finished speaking, Ms. Meade got back to her work and Winston returned to where I was standing a few feet away. He opens his mouth to speak until a girl with highlighted hair came crashing into him.

"Winston, can you help me pass out the booklets that show every ones show time?"

He takes a handful of the packets that she held in her hand. "Sure," he says with a smile, "I'll see you later, Jules."

I waved goodbye as they made their way to the entrance of the cafeteria so they could've handed them out to the people who walked through those doors.

After they left I stood alone. All around me the chaos continued and I felt alienated. I found myself walking out the back door of the Cafeteria. Instead of just waisting my time standing around, I decided to put it to good use. I walked inside my dorm building and saw Kyle with a basketball tucked underneath his arm. Behind him was a couple if his friends, all in gym shorts and grey or white shirts. Kyle offered if I wanted to join them for a round but I had to turn him down. I already had in mind what I wanted to do with my time before the show.

I arrived in my dorm room and immediately went to my spare room that held my guitar and laptop. My notebook with the lyrics to my song where in the purse that was flung over my shoulder all morning. I unzipped the cotton bag and pulled out the leather notebook. My fingers found the silk bookmark that held the page of my lyrics and opened it up. I placed the opened book on the floor before I grabbed my laptop off the counter. When I pressed the power button the laptop came to life before me. Once it was fully up and running I video called the only person in this world I could think to help settle my nerves. Sammy answered the call right away.

Her smiling face appeared on my screen and I felt like I was about to cry. I haven't seen her in what seems like forever. Of course I video chatted with her or called her on the phone, but it just wasn't the same.

Sammy's expression was slowly turning to the same sadness that matched mine. I didn't want to see her cry or I would have lost it. Instead I picked up my guitar and started to play.

"I am lost inside this world

A dream within a dream

I feel that I am sleeping

And no one can hear me scream

What can I do

To find out the truth

Is there something more out there

Oh I can't see if its clear

I need you to rescue me

And let me see

What this life hold outside these boundaries

I need to break free because

I'm a prisoner inside these walls

Slowly caving in as nighttime falls around

And there's shadows everywhere

Haunting me while I lay here

So please why can't you see

I need you to rescue me

Where should I run to

When I don't know where you are

Your the only one that I would trust

But the distance is to far

I need you to rescue me

And let me see

What this life hold outside these boundaries

I need to break free because

I'm a prisoner inside these walls

Slowly caving in as nighttime falls around

And there's shadows everywhere

Haunting me while I lay here

So please why can't you see

I need you to rescue me

The time inches by

I count the ticks and tocks

And I wait for the days to pass

Every second that goes by

And I feel like I am getting weak

Dizzy head and heavy eyes

Falling to my knees

I need you to rescue me

And let me see

What this life hold outside these boundaries

I need to break free because

I'm a prisoner inside these walls

Slowly caving in as nighttime falls around

And there's shadows everywhere

Haunting me while I lay here

So please why can't you see

I need you to rescue me

Please come rescue me"

I strum the last chord of the song and let it ring until the sound disappears completely. Sammy remains quiet on the other side of the computer. I didn't dare look up from the engraved words that were scratched on the back of my guitar; Forever and Always. I stared at the three words for a few seconds before Sammy let out a long dreamy sigh.

"That was beautiful."

I just adverted my eyes towards the screen to see a stunned and mesmorized expression plastered on my best friend's face. It took me a while until I realized that her eyes shined with fresh tears. I didn't know how to respond to that.

"I mean," she wiped a tear that escaped from her eyes and ran down her cheek, "I have heard you sing many times before, but nothing like this. You sang with a more emotion than I ever thought you were capable of doing. It was beautiful."

I still didn't have a response and my eyes were watering ever so slightly. I shook my head, "I have to go." My hand reached up and slammed the laptop shut before Sammy had a chance to respond.

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Forever and Always... I will be writing. Even if I take a long, unannounced break. The story isn't over yet, and won't be until the words "The End" are said!

Love Delaney

:)