Chase

After my talk with Principal Sullivan I knew she would call my parents, which of course meant having to listen to them lecture me for hours. What I also knew was that I had to talk to Camila, too. I wasn't sure where we left off after last night and I was afraid to ask.

I told myself over and over that what I feeling was one sided, that the sparks that flew everywhere when we were together were just a cause of my mixed up emotions caused by song writing, but I wasn't exactly sure. Or at least I wanted it to be that. If not, it reminded me of something a friend from home used to tell me. "A friendship ends when the feelings begin". I may not have been exactly sure what I felt, but I was sure that I couldn't let whatever it was I had ruin the best friendship I'd ever had.

I came into the class I had next, English. As well as in Biology, Camila and I usually sat next to each other. I was, however, surprised when I instead saw her sitting at the back of the class with her sleeve in her face, as if trying to hide. I chucked to myself, the sight being too funny not to, but then shook away the disappointment in me of her changing seats.

I expected being able to talk to Camila for a few minutes before the bell rang, but Leonardo had the same idea. I turned back to see if she was alone and she wasn't. I couldn't really see what was happening, but from what I could see there was a sad looking Leonardo and an uncomfortable Camila. I wanted nothing more than to save her from him, but I knew that she needed to talk to him.

The whole class I thought about band practice that day. The concert was on Sunday and we still only had the lyrics for one song, not even the music. That meant either we wouldn't get to play or we'd need a few extra hours to practice, a few meaning every afternoon that week.

My thoughts were basically only possible song lyrics, all of which I wrote down in case I forgot. I looked at the things that I'd written in the back of my notebook. All the words I'd written were not lyrics, but thoughts. They were a mix of me describing the Canadian beauty known as Taylor and the Colombian beauty known as Camila.

I put my head in my hands, realizing that I truly was messed up. How was it possible that two different girls were occupying all of my thoughts? I closed my eyes for a second, or so I thought.

"Are you okay Mr. Harding?" I jerked my head upwards and found Mrs. Roland looking at me with a worried face.

"May I please me excused?" She nodded. I took my crutches and made my way to the nearest bathroom.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I had dark circles under my eyes, a consequence of sneaking out and sleeping only a few hours on the floor. Not the best thing to do with a broken ankle.

Since last year Camila and I had expected our senior year to be the most normal and without any action whatsoever, but we were so very wrong. We weren't even the first month into school and I already felt like dying.

I crutched my way back to class with a new attitude. Looking in the mirror like an egocentric idiot made me realize that I was putting too much thought into things that didn't deserve it. I decided that for the next few months I would only worry about The Heartbreakers and school. Girls could wait, that's what college is for.

Before I sat down, I caught Camila's eye. I'd come to the conclusion that she was avoiding me, but that didn't stop her from being a worried best friend. Sometimes having her was like having a second mom, which now that I think about it is kind of disgusting.

"All good?" asked Mrs. Roland, no longer as concerned as before. I gave her a quick nod and did the exercises written on the board.

After my bathroom adventure of life questions and existential crisis I finally managed to concentrate. It was relieving to say the last, because after class I no longer cared if Camila was ignoring me. I had a goal in mind and it was to survive the rest of the day and make it to practice.

Being able to concentrate and pay attention in class made the day a hundred times easier. I was able to go through the day without my name being called on with an angry voice, which was a huge accomplishment. By the end of the day the energy that Principal Sullivan had taken from me was back, and I felt like I could conquer the world.

"Ready for more song writing?" I said excitingly, surprising my fellow band mates. They looked at each other, confused because no one was this happy after school. I smiled and happily crutched my way up the stairs to the stage.

"I'm being serious guys, are you ready?" They all groaned, except for Melissa who tried to hide her smile. It was obvious the girl liked songwriting.

I racked my head for ideas, but nothing came to mind. I wanted so badly to write a song like the one I'd written the day before, but suddenly no ideas came to mind. My mind was completely blank.

We were dispersed around the auditorium, or at least where the few people practicing plays weren't there. I had my guitar in hand while trying to find the right chords for my still nameless song.

I was glaring at my piece of paper where the song was perfectly handwritten when I heard a distant calling from my name. That happens to me sometimes. I zone out to the point where I don't even hear people calling me, no matter how loud they're speaking to me.

I lifted my head and looked around. I saw Valery waving her hands in the air like a maniac. I gestured for her to come since I wasn't about to cross the whole room with a broken ankle because of her.

She jogged over to me and I tried hard not to laugh. My mom always taught me to treat women with respect, but in that moment Valery didn't even look like a regular person. She jogged like a frog leaping from one place to another.

She panted and I waited for her to speak. She trusted her hand forward, telling me to wait. She ran less than twenty meters, why was she so tired?

"I need you." She said and quickly became red with shame.

"A lot of people do, be more specific." She erupted in laughter, me following behind her. She bit her lip to stop laughing when Mr. Erickson narrowed his eyes at her, sending her a warning.

"No, but seriously. I need your help with this. Be brutally honest, is this good?" She handed me her phone where she had written a small verse. It read:

Every time I look at you, I think I go blind.

You radiate power, leaving me melting behind.

I want you more than anything,

My knight in shining armor, I want you to be mine.

I read it over and over, hoping that the four lines she wrote weren't about me.

"It's good. It sounds more like a poem than a song, but it's a good start."

She smiled and started making her way the direction she came, but stopped abruptly to answer my unspoken question. "It's not about you, if that's what you're thinking. It just came to my head and wrote it."I gave her a quick nod feeling oddly relieved, and continued trying to put my lyrics to music when I got an idea.

Ever since I was young I was good with computers and technology. School and science were never my strongest points, but artificial intelligence was. When I was about ten I discovered that phone and computer programs to edit audios exist, and from then I started doing my own little songs.

I took my computer that was lying in my backpack and got to work. I put my headphones on and started typing commands into the computer. I started with a few simple sounds and beats. I recorded them and took my guitar.

With my headphones now disconnected from the computer I played the tune I'd just created and played along with my guitar while recording it with my phone. A few bad starts later I had finally figured out what chords fit where and when better.

I played the song over and over to memorize it, and before I knew it I'd attracted a small crowd consisting of the people practicing the play and Patrick, Valery and Melissa. When I was done, they clapped. I jokingly gave a bow, or the closest to a bow while sitting down.

The rest of The Heartbreakers stared at me in awe. "Why didn't you tell us you could make music with your computer? That would've come in handy hours ago!" exclaimed Patrick, trying to seem offended but was truly amazed by something as simple as clicking buttons on a computer.

"I never thought it was something necessary to say, but if it makes you feel any better, well, I can make music with a computer." It was a good thing I was feeling better because for a few hours I wondered if my humor was maybe wearing out.

"Ha ha, you crack me up." Replied Patrick sarcastically. He wasn't so bad when you got to know him, even if he had left me a bad bruise in ninth grade.

"Now all we have to do is get Patrick to learn the song, us to play the music and do all of that three more times. Yeah, that won't be stressful at all." Patrick put his arm around Melissa's shoulders and she tensed. The funny thing is, he didn't notice. I don't blame him though. It's true what they say, that us guys are clueless when it comes to these things.

"Relax, it's only Tuesday. We have the whole week to work on this. Besides, I already wrote half a song, sort of, but it would be really helpful if Chase could revise it.

Patrick looked at me with pleading eyes. I honestly don't know what he did it, it's not like I was going to reject his request. I wanted this performance to be perfect as much as them, and that meant having good songs to play and sing.

He lifted his arm from Melissa's shoulders and she breathed out. I wonder if she was keeping that air inside of her the whole time, if so, her lungs must be really big.

Walking back, looking at his phone, he tripped on air and we cracked up. It's one thing to slip and continue walking as if nothing happened, but if someone flies through the air you have laugh. Or help them, I always get confused by that, whether I should help or laugh.

Throughout that afternoon's session Valery had also noticed her sister's behavior towards Patrick. She nudged her and a small smirk appeared on her lips. She lightly pushed Melissa in Patrick's direction and she was forced to help him, only Valery didn't have the same idea.

Valery quietly crepted behind them and happened to 'accidenly' push them once again to the ground, this time together. The two stayed on the floor laughing, making no attempt to stand up. Valery jogged back to me and we high fived. Maybe being in a band with them wasn't so bad.

During the time that Melissa and Patrick spent on the floor looking like complete idiots, Valery and I started writing what I had played on the computer. It took a while, but by the time the other half of the band was back we were finished. Exhausted and with no will to live, yes, but finished.

"So now that you're done with your disgusting affection for each other, will you please show us what you wrote?" said Valery. She was trying to appear annoyed, but the sound of her voice gave away her happiness and excitement away.

Patrick sighed as he lifted himself and his new girlfriend from the ground. He took his phone from where it was lying on the floor and handed it to us to read. I read through it, analyzing every single word written.

When I finished reading I glanced at Melissa, whose face looked like it was burning. I smirked as an idea came to mind, it was a very good day for me and my creative mind.

"What do you think of making it like a double point of view song?" I handed Patrick his phone back and he frowned.

"What do you mean?" he said as he sat down in the chair in front of me.

"I mean, like, you know those books that are written from the point of view of two different characters?" He nodded, still confused. I took it that he wasn't a person who understood fast. Well, I think that's pretty obvious since he didn't realize poor Melissa liked him until they ended up tangled on the floor.

"Well, you can do the same thing with songs. What if someone else wrote the other half of the song, kind of answering what you are singing?"

He smirked slowly as he finally got my idea. Valery put her fist close to her mouth and coughed in a fake like way. The name 'Melissa' was briefly heard and I laughed. "You know Valery, I think it's pretty obvious that I was talking about your sister."

She kicked my left foot in response, momentarily forgetting that it was in a big ass cast. I winced in pain and her eyes widened in shock. "Oh God, I'm so sorry Chase. I didn't mean to do that."

Once the pain had subsided and the tears were clear from my eyes I put my hand on her shoulder and said, "It's okay. I know it wasn't on purpose."

"Good. I thought you would get mad. Anyways, what do you guys think about a break? Because I can't stand being here anymore. In half an hour we meet back here to practice, okay? Those guys will be finished practicing their play by that time. Bye losers!"

With that Valery left to her dorm, Patrick and Melissa went to 'talk' and I left to the lobby. I entered the lobby and my eyes landed on someone I wasn't prepared to see.