Middle School (Book #1 of the school series)

Chapter 24:Cory!

Derek and Andy walked into the Auditorium,to find Robert tuning his guitar and James practicing. "What song are we doing now?" Robert looked up from his guitar."Ms.French said,We haven't look over any songs from Hot Space yet,so she wanted to look over Under Pressure."  That made Derek stop in his tracks,they couldn't go over that song,not without Cory. "No,We can't look over that song,we can't!" Derek said, pushing his glasses back onto his face. "Why?" James asked. "Cause Cory's not here to practice  with us." He replied,looking at James. "Cory hasn't been at school for two weeks after he cut himself,We have to practice." Andy replied,putting his bass strap over  his shoulder,began to practice the bass part of 'Under Pressure'.  Derek couldn't believe that they were going to practice 'Under Pressure' without Cory being there, he had a few solos in the song,which were David's solos in the song,Cory was supposed to sing along with him but he wasn't there to practice.
"Okay,Boys,let's get through this song before the bell rings." Ms.French said,as the four boys got ready to do the song. Which started out with Andy's bass solo. Derek got ready to do his solo,trying hard not to cry,knowing his best friend wasn't there to sing with him. "Mmm num ba de,Dum bum ba be,Doo buh dum ba beh beh." He looked up as he felt the tears fall."Pressure pushing down on me,Pressing down on you, no man ask for;Under pressure that burns a building down." He looked out,his vision was blurry from tears that wanted to fall."Splits a family in two,Puts people on streets." The four boys sang. "Um ba ba be
Um ba ba be,De day da,Ee day da, that's okay." Derek sang by himself, and then someone started to sing the parts when David comes in. "It's the terror of knowing what the world is about;Watching some good friends screaming." Derek looked over and to his surprise,no one was singing. ""Let me out!"Pray tomorrow gets me higher!" Thats when a familiar face came walking out onto the stage. "Pressure on people, people on streets." Derek had a shock yet happy look on his face. "Cory!" Derek said,running to his best friend,wrapping his arms around him, hugging him,crying into his best friend's shoulder. "Well,nice to see you too,Deek." Cory said,hugging Derek back. "I missed you so much,I really did." He replied,looking up at Cory. "I didn't think you were going to get out of the hospital in time for the play,I was so scared you wouldn't get out in time and.....I....I."
"It's okay,I'm here now,I'm not going anywhere." Cory mumbled,drying Derek's tears."You scared me so bad."
"I know I did and I'm so sorry for what I have done."  Derek broke from him, looking at him."Why did you do it in the first place?" Cory looked down then back at Derek. "Let's just say,The hard times got the best of me."
"I'm glad you're back." He replied, pushing his glasses back onto his face,looking at his best friend. "How bad are your scars?" Cory took his hoodie off and showed Derek his scar on his left arm,the inside of his left arm was cut to his bicep to his wrist,how Cory's arm look,made him sick to his stomach but he was relieved to know his best friend was alright."Whoa." Derek gasped,looking at Cory's arm."You're lucky."
"I know." Cory blabbed,"I thank God every day for letting me live over what I did to myself." He wiped a few tears away. "My mom has breast cancer." He looked at Derek. "That's why I did what I did,I couldn't deal with her being so sick."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Derek replied,"I really am." He knew how upset Cory must be over his mother being sick with Breast cancer,He felt so horrible. "It's not your fault,I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"Cory,I'm sorry that all of this is happening to you." He replied,pushing his glasses back onto his face,looking at Cory. "I'm sorry,I made you worry,I'm sorry,I wasn't being a good friend."
"You're fine,Cory, everything will be okay." Cory broke from Derek,before he could say,what he wanted to say,the fourth period bell rang. The five boys walked out of the auditorium to their fourth period classes. Derek was kinda curious what Cory wanted to tell him but he didn't think about it for the rest of the day.
~Later that night~(I skip time again,cause I have no life)
Derek was playing on his phone,listening to Spotify, what he usually uses to listen to Queen,The Beatles,David Bowie or The Rolling Stones.
The words of "Imagine" by John Lennon filled his earbuds,while he lied on his bed,looking up at the ceiling.