Edited May 17, 2016
Emily POV
Niall had to leave Saturday. Its now Monday and I'm getting ready to head to the university here in Indianapolis for this symposium I was given a two week scholarship to for concert band. I packed up my flute and piccolo and drumsticks into my backpack along with some pens and pencils and a couple of water bottles.
I grabbed my phone and headphones and met mom out in the car. I tied up my worn out converse and put my hair up into a ponytail.
"This thing is supposed to run late. I think I'll just live in campus for the next two weeks starting tomorrow. I'll talk to whoever is in charge to figure something out."
Mom nods and we stay silent for the rest of the ride.
The campus was filled with high schoolers from all over the country. We walked up to the registration and organised me to stay starting tomorrow as well. They handed me a binder along with my name tag and a little credit card thing to pay for food.
I head over to Sursa Hall where the first meeting will begin. I find my a couple kids from school and say hello. Lots of girls started following me around so I just gave up on trying to lose them. They got their photo and went on their way.
"Hey, I'm Drake." A boy with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes walks up.
I smile. "Emily."
Drake smiles. "You from around here?"
I nod. "Yeah. Here in Indy. What about you?"
"New York. What instrument?"
"Flute, piccolo, sax, piano, and drums."
"Damn. I play drums as well. What track are you?"
"Concert. You?"
"Same."
My phone started ringing. I excused myself and went around the building. It was Sandra. "Hello?"
"Emily. I've scheduled a flight to Australia for the boys concert this Friday and Saturday."
I sigh. "Sandra. I can't. I'm busy the next two weeks. I'm at a summer symposium till next week Sunday."
"Was I asking you if you wanted. Remember the contract. You have to do what we say or we'll terminate the contract."
"And I'm saying I'm busy so you need to cancel the damn flight and arrange it to another concert."
Sandra huffs. "Ms. Steiner. You signed the papers. And if you take a look at your twitter account, you can't wait for the concert this Friday or Saturday."
"Well I'm pretty Niall will understand that I've got my own obligations. I'm a busy person as well and I'm not your toy you can just pick up from one spot and place in another. I'm not going to the damn concert and that's it."
Sandra doesn't reply. She just hangs up. I shoot Niall a text. 'Sandra called. I'm sorry. Can't make it to the concert. I've gotten a scholarship to a symposium thing that I absolutely cannot miss. I love you!'
As everyone started heading in, Niall responded. 'That's OK. I understand. I heard you got snippy with Sandra.'
'Haha. Yeah. I gotta go, the symposium is starting. I love youuuuuu!'
'I love you! Bye!'
I turn off my phone and grab my backpack and file into Sursa Hall.
We waited for about half an hour. I talked to my neighbours who I forgot the name of already. Then a staff member walked out onto the stage.
"Hello!" He said. Everyone responds with a big hello. "My name is Fran and welcome to 2014 Leadership Summer Symposium!" Everyone cheers.
Fran goes through a long intro and we are dismissed into our groups according to our numbers.
Group 21. I find a SWAG member with the number 21 on a piece of paper. I walk up and introduce myself.
Soon, everyone found their groups and we walked across the street and into the shade of a big tree.
Keith, one of the instructors starts. "Hello! To start the day off, let's get into a circle and get out your binders. Turn to page 10. Here, you'll write down everyone's name and room number and where you are from. You'll be asked your cell number but you can give that privately if you want to. Oh and your instrument and track. I'll start. My name is Keith. I'm from Pennsylvania." He tells us his room number and cellphone.
"Hello. My name is Elizabeth. I'm from Virginia."
We went around in a circle and it ended with me. "Hi. My name is Emily. I'm from Indianapolis. I play flute, piccolo, drums, saxophone, and piano." I state my room number but not my phone number. "I'd rather give my number privately."
Keith leans over and I reciet it in his ear. He writes it and Elizabeth copies it.
We played a game called 'Do You Know Your Neighbour.'
Its like the best game ever if you're meeting new people.
After half an hour, we were called back to Sursa hall for our first lecture about leadership. It was with Fran and let me tell you. He's really funny.
After the lecture, we had fifteen minutes to ourselves before lunch. I found a bunch of guys drumming on the sidewalk. They were trying to do a roll. I smirk.
"What are you trying to do?"
The four of them lookup and laugh. "Like you know how to do a roll."
I frown and sit myself down. I pull out my own. "Oh I'm so scared." One of them comments.
"You want a roll. I'll give you a damn roll." And then I did one. A perfect one. I blew the tops of my drumsticks off and put them away, standing up. "Good Day." I tell them and stalk off, leaving the four boys quiet.
I find an empty spot on the wall and surf the interweb.
@1d_update: so Emily tweeted out she was going to the Aussie concert this Fri/sat and then cancelled. Wow. Way to support the bf #nemilyisfake
The trending hashtag. #nemilyisfake.
I checked my profile. I found the tweet Sandra tweeted for me.
And nothing else.
Someone over here must have heard me arguing with Sandra. I can't trust anyone. But that's what a leader needs. Trust.
I scroll through twitter.
@hellaniall: Emily is such a bitch. She's not even doing anything. She's such a lazy fat arse. Too lazy to fly to see your "boyfriends" concert. #nemilyisfake
@hashtagnarry: #nemilyisfake fucking bitch probably broke my baby's heart when she said she wasn't going
I checked Niall's twitter.
@niallofficial: Had something special planned but now I guess she doesn't really care to know what it was.
I quickly call Niall. "Hello?"
"Did you tweet that? You sounded so bitter in the tweet?"
I was close to tears. "Fuck, Emily. I haven't tweeted anything in a few days. It must have been Sandra."
I sniff. "Yeah. It must've been. I gotta go. Lunch is starting."
We hang up and as I walked to Lunch, I tweeted:
@chefem_: I would love to be there but I'm busy for the next two weeks. I have my own life. Stop the hashtag and the hate tweets because its unnecessary and pointless.
I turned my phone off as I walked into the cafeteria and grabbed a tray. I grab a salad and a granola bar and a couple packages of Wrigley's gum. I also got some chocolate to make me feel better.
Why am I getting food when I'm just going to throw it up later? And how am I of there's hundreds of kids always going to the bathroom?
I scan the lunchroom in search of an open seat. I'm trying to stay away from the fangirls, knowing they will want to talk about Niall.
I find Drake talking to his friends so I walk over there. "Can I sit here?"
Drake turns around and smiles. "Yea, go ahead."
I introduce myself to James, Logan, and Phil, Drakes friends. We talked about marching band and concert band. "I actually wasn't able to march last year."
Logan sets his water bottle down. "Why?"
I laugh. "I don't know how but while doing drill, I broke my leg from falling into a hole. The doctor said I couldn't participate last year."
Phil shakes his head. "That's the worst marching band injury I've ever heard of."
I nod. "It sucks."
James nods. "Aren't you that girl who's dating that one boy band member?"
I nod. "I'd rather not talk about him."
The four of them nod and we continued our lunch.
°•°•°
- e.h.