Unbearably Broken

Chapter Ten

 "Elana, I need to talk to you," said my band director, Mr. Brooks. I glanced up and began walking towards the door.

"Yeah?" I asked once I was in the doorway. I leaned against the door and looked into the cluttered office made for three people. The junior high band director and the assistant director were eating subway and working on computers.

Mr. Brooks grabbed a packet and handed it to me. On the top of the packet, the words University Of Colorado Golden Buffalo Marching Band were printed. I smiled as I thought about my dream school. "Here's that packet you wanted," he explained. "Are you sure you don't want to look into any other marching band?"

I nodded. "Trust me. I'm going to Colorado."

He smiled at me. "Well, there's no doubt that you'll get in."

I responded with a smile of my own. "Thanks." I then walked back to my chair and put the packet in my binder. I looked at the binder. I worked my butt off since fifth grade to get into that school.

I was planning to minor in music and continue playing after high school. When I was a freshman I tried out for a higher band but got into the lowest one. When the chair auditions came I got the first chair and proved to the director that I really did care about the band.

"You're already planning for college?" a voice asked from behind me. I turned around and saw Noah.

"Is that a problem?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. "I've wanted to go to this college since I was nine."

"Where is it?" he asked, nodding towards my binder a little bit.

"Colorado."

He looked taken aback. He opened his mouth but he didn't say anything. After trying for another second, he spoke so quietly that I could barely hear him. "But that's so far," he said more to himself and me.

I didn't know what to say to this. I knew that I'd been growing a little too attached to him but I didn't expect him to be getting attached to me. After all, Braydon seemed to care about me about as much as you care about a fly.

"Do you think you're gonna regret not going out of state?" I asked Noah. I honestly wanted to ask every senior in my school this question. I was the only one - other than Lily and Skyler - in my class who was leaving the midwest. I didn't understand why people wanted to stay so bad.

Noah shook his head causing his blond bangs to swish back and forth. "This is my home. I might have left for a while but I always seem to come back."

I nodded. Back when Noah and I met he'd moved from his dad's house in Georgia to Ohio. He felt a little uncomfortable around me for a while but soon we were talking regularly. We met in speech class and since I was comfortable talking, before my first speech I had to stand up their awkwardly so I tried to make conversation. He was the only one who would talk to me. I remember glancing over him and knowing right away that I liked him. But, of course, I was still attached to Braydon then so I stayed away from him.

Skyler knew what I was doing and refused to let me. She realized I had band class with him and during the second quarter, I started to talk to him more and more. Soon we were friends. And that's how we got here, wherever we were.

I brushed my brown hair out of my face and avoided eye contact. "Well, I think that you can make a home anywhere. Even if it's all the way in Colorado."

The bell rang from above and I grabbed my stuff before rushing out. A few seconds later Noah was next to me again. "I just don't get why you're so eager to leave?" he said, begging overlapped into his voice.

I huffed. Why couldn't he just drop it? I wasn't leaving for another two years and we weren't even dating. My family and my best friends could deal with the idea of me leaving, yet he wasn't even thinking about the idea. "And I don't get why you're so eager to stay?" I countered.

As I began to turn the corner he grabbed my arm. I gave him a sharp look and he dropped my arm just as quick as he grabbed it. "I'm done with this conversation. I'm not somebody who changes their mind easily."

***

Soon it was time for the next game. Our team had made it to the playoffs and winter had set into Ohio. As we walked out to the buses Skyler and I could see our breath.

After an hour of traveling on the bus, which included an intense lecture on how I don't want to ever wonder about what could have happen if I don't date Noah from Skyler, we were walking out of the bus. We met up with Skyler's tuba friend who was complaining that his tuba's valves had frozen in place.

"It's snowing!" I squealed as I felt a little white flurry land on my nose. "It's the first snow of the season!"

Skyler's mouth fell open as she stomped her foot. She let out a shout of anger. "No. No. No!" she complained. "Winter cannot be happening. I should just move back to Texas."

I laughed and punched her. "Sky just admit it, you're an Ohioan now." Instead of a verbal response, I was given a glare of disapproval.

Then, out of nowhere, an arm was slung around me. I screamed before spinning around and punching the person in the gut. A second too late recognition flooded my brain.

"God," Noah complained as he grabbed his stomach in pain. "If you didn't like me that much I could have taken' a hint."

I laughed. "Man up, Boy," I told him.

He rolled his eyes and looped his arm around my torso. I quickly pecked his lips. "Well, you're kinda giving mixed signals." I smiled and let my hair fall into my face as I blushed. "So," Noah added, "this might be our last game."

"Thank God," Skyler said as she opened some hand warmers I'd brought with me. "It's only twenty degrees out here."

"Yeah," I added as I pulled on gloves, "I'm done with this."

The night continued as our team once again seemed to be crushing the other team. Skyler and I pouted with every touchdown. Then five minutes before the game ended our team became cocky.

Next thing we knew the team was losing. Skyler and I were standing hand in hand begging for a win.

Then the buzzer went off.

"We lost," Skyler said breathlessly. "We actually lost. We're done. Marching band's over."

My mouth was hanging open. It hadn't occurred to us that once the football team lost then marching band was over. I looked at Charlotte, who was sitting with some friends a few rows above us. A shocked look filled her face too.

"Wow," was all I could manage to say.