The talent show finally came around, and everyone was excited. The freshman because they'd never experienced something like this before, the sophomores because they knew what to expect, the juniors because they had friends in the show, and the seniors because it would be their last. Most people bought the show on DVD, although most purchases were from seniors. It was pretty hilarious, too, and anybody who did anything embarrassing was pretty much screwed for life because they could be blackmailed from that DVD. And everybody knew it too. Yet every year, some section never failed to do something funny and embarrassing, and when we received our DVD's we always re-watched it, gasping for breath from laughing so hard. One year, however, someone did copy and paste the trumpet section dancing and put it on YouTube. They were not happy. Although, they got a lot of views, and most people figured out it was just to joke around. Still, they were not happy people. (If you can call trumpets people, that is.)
This year, however, Matt had decided to be funny. Last year, with two male drum majors, they hadn't done anything since neither had really been talented. This year, though, with a male and female drum major, Mr. Sacket had urged us both to do something, preferably funny, with a silly, romantic song in the background. He said it would make us approachable, nice looking, all that stuff. Matt was unsure about the idea, but I thought it would be pretty funny. Not to mention since neither of us was in a relationship, it wouldn't matter that much.
I was put in charge of finding a song, with Mr. Sacket and Matt holding veto power. My first suggestion was 'Baby' by Justin Bieber. A denial from Matt and Mr. Sacket. Next I thought of 'Hey Mickey' by Toni Basil. Matt was okay with it, but Mr. Sacket wanted something a little more current. Finally, by two weeks before band camp, I had thought of a song that was perfect. 'Call Me Maybe' was voted brilliant by Mr. Sacket, and although Matt didn't like it, he got a glare from the director when he tried to protest. So, we had gotten together something and now, we would have the most hilarious act of the show.
His man card is going to be gone by the end of this, I couldn't help but think. He wouldn't be happy with me for coning him into this, but that didn't matter. The payout would be worth it. And everybody would laugh and everything, which couldn't be a bad thing, right?
We waited in the wings for our act to come on, my grin growing, Matt getting nervous. He wasn't nervous about performing, no, we both knew that much. He was nervous because he wasn't used to embarrassing himself, and he knew how bad a shape his man card was going to be in. I grinned slyly at him and graced onto the stage as our act was announced.
They hated me. I had never seen hate from either of them- displeasure, yes, misunderstanding, of course, but hatred, never. Matt hated me because his man card was now in tatters from dancing to 'Call Me Maybe', which someone would surely use to blackmail him at some point in his life. Jacob hated me because I had just danced with another boy to a romantic song. Matt shoved me lightly when we got backstage, jokingly of course, and said he was never doing that again. Jacob's eyes screamed betrayal and hurt, but he turned and went into a small back room to warm up before we went out and sang. I crept into the room behind him, afraid to follow him and afraid to leave him alone.
"Why did you do that, Nicole?" It scared me how calm and quiet his voice was. Slowly, I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, leaning my head against the flat plane of his back.
"I didn't mean to get you angrey, it was just a funny little dance thing. Don't be mad. Besides," the tone of my voice changed from apologetic to accusational. "How can you be mad at me for dancing with a boy while you're dating another girl?" He turned around, and without another word, left the room.
We sang fifteen minutes later, and although we sounded good to the audience, there was very little emotion behind the song. As we both got up from the piano bench, he whispered to me.
"Meet me in my room after the show." I nodded at him, puzzled. We weren't allowed in opposite gender rooms, but we really did need to talk in private. Before all the drama started with asked me out, we never fought, but now... Hopefully, talking some tonight would clear this entire thing up. We really needed to get it all sorted out, for both our sanity. Or what little sanity we had left.
We got out at 9:45, so technically we still had 15 minutes of free time. I snuck onto the boys' hall before a chaperone got there, although how I was supposed to walk off the hallway was going to be interesting. Maybe I could climb out a window- we were on the ground floor, since it was the senior boys' hallway.
"I'm sorry I blew up at you, it was uncalled for. I'm being really overprotective and everything, even though we're not dating. I'm so sorry." His quick apology was surprising but pleasing. At least we wouldn't be arguing about who was wrong and who was right. Even though he had just blurted that out, though, he still shifted from foot to foot, as if there was something else to say or do.
I found out what that was in the next few seconds. Without warning, he leaned forward and captured my lips in his in a passionate kiss. Unexpected, but incredible, and I almost instantly melt into his arms before realizing where we are and what's happening.
"No, no, Jacob I can't do this, we can't do this. You and Courtney are together, and happy, and I... I can't be a side-dish. I'm sorry, I can't, I won't, no..." Everything that comes out of my mouth is running together, blubbered.
He wraps his arms around me, trying to calm me down. I'm shaking a little bit, and I don't let him get to close. He presses his forehead to mine and he whispers the words I always wanted to hear him say. "Nicole, you're one in a million. Yeah, I like Courtney, but she's not you. You're parents said no, well, I've got an offer." He stops for a second, as if thinking about what he's about to say. I squeeze the hand that he's just twisted with mine, and he keeps going. "When you graduate, we'll be together. I promise, cross my heart." Everything I'd assumed was now reality, and a humongous grin burst onto my face. Even though it was wrong, I leaned forward and kissed him again, and it just felt so right, no matter how wrong it truly was. We broke apart quickly when we heard chaperons on their way down the hallway.
Jacob ran to the window and pushed it open, and I climbed out, both of us laughing quietly to mask the seriousness of the situation. If I was found in his room, there was no telling what would happen. We might just get a lecture since we weren't caught in the act, or we could be thrown off of leadership because I was a girl and he was a boy and those were very different things. Plus, consequences at band camp were always greater.
He snapped the window shut as soon as I was out, and I snuck around to the main entrance. They couldn't be upset at me for going outside during free time, so when I came in, no one gave me a passing glance. A chaperone said it was almost 10, so I nodded and ran up a flight of steps to my room. I'd never used the elevators here, since we only had five floors. What was the point?
Megan wasn't in our room yet, so I popped in the shower for five minutes, and when I came out she was there. All grins and smiles, of course, since she was in love, and leaning over her beautiful lilies. I smiled tiredly at her, even though I wanted to grab her hand, squeal, jump up and down, and tell her everything that had happened between Jacob and me.
I couldn't, though, and I didn't. Lying down and turning off the light, we both went to sleep. In truth, though, I stayed up thinking for a bit. If I had told her, even though she was my very best friend, other people could still find out. Suppose she told Emily, another of our friends, whom she thought we could trust? Emily was great, but the flutes had sleepovers a lot where they spilled everything. And if Courtney ever found out that her boyfriend had kissed me, that would not end well. Mr. Sacket wouldn't be happy, because I was supposed to hold up good moral values, and kissing someone who was dating someone else didn't really do that. Courtney and I wouldn't be friends anymore, although we were distant friends now. But even as distant friends I didn't want her to get hurt. And the band, if the band found out I'd either lose the respect of everyone, gain the admiration of girls who had done likewise as I just had, or be hated by everyone who had ever been cheated on. Some people might also think I was a slut, or a whore or something, but that pretty much fell into the category of everyone losing respect for me.
So it's a secret. There are two types of secrets in the Karlin Leprechaun Marching Band. Either Mr. Sacket knows everything about the subject, or we're all trying to keep it from him. In this case, with Jacob and me, it would be that we're all trying to keep it from him. He wouldn't be happy, he doesn't like drama in his band, and he's not very good at dealing with it when it comes up. He usually leaves that messy business to leadership.
However, this 'messy business' will be left between Jacob and me. We'll work out the kinks, just as we have for years. It's what friends do, and when it's all said and done, we'll be happy. We'll be ever so happy.
As long as I don't think about Courtney getting her heartbroken, and about my parents being furious the day of my 18th birthday when I say I'm dating Jacob. As long as I don't think of the implications, which I'll face someday, but not tonight. Tonight, tonight is for dreaming about the wonderful reality that cannot come soon enough, about the words I heard from his mouth I thought he'd never say. And for dreaming of those breathtakingly forbidden kisses.