I sat down on the risers like the rest of the class, which Mr. Owens called our "desks" and laid my guitar next to me. Piano and Guitar were my favorite subjects, obviously, and I was just lucky enough to have Guitar right after Piano.
Once everyone settled down, Mr. Owens and Mrs. Goldstein, the piano teacher, stood in front of the choral risers that created a "U" shape, waiting for some people to stop talking. Mr. Owens and Mrs. Goldstein rarely worked together, so we all knew something was up.
I glanced down at Justin, who was sitting at the bottom of the risers talking to Nick.
Mr. Owens cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. "Mrs. Goldstein and I are assigning you guys a project. You're required to have at least one partner." Everyone cheered and gestured to their friends. "But," the noise began to lower, "we're picking your partners."
The room soon filled with groans. I immediately looked around the room examining who I could decently partner up with. The only person was Nick. Everyone else either hated me or I hated them.
"You're going to have to write a duet," Mr. Owens continued. "And you're all going to perform the song you write. You'll have two days, including todays class, to complete the song along with sheet music and to practice, but you won't have any class time after to finish the project meaning you will have to figure a way out to meet with your partner. Its due in two days, so be prepared."
Mrs. Goldstein took over. "The duet must be played acoustically. We're both counting this as a test grade. Be sure to make a copy of the lyrics and the sheet music." She picked up a hat with little folded pieces of paper inside. "The name you pick out of the hat is your partner."
She walked over to the back of the risers, where I sat, and started letting the back row drawl names.
So far, Kaitlin and a brunette, Mandy, along with Tya were taken. Four more people went and it was my turn. I hoped on not pulling anyone's name except Nick's. I stuck my hand in the hat and picked one of the folded sheets of paper at the very bottom. I unfolded it and stared at the name in fear. My luck was just getting better. (Note the sarcasm.) I was really starting to hate this class now. Mrs. Goldstein yelled my name along with the name of my partner, before moving on to someone else. Someone should just kill me now.
Once everyone had picked a partner, Mrs. Goldstein relocated herself back next to Mr. Owens.
"Get started." She said. "You're free to move anywhere around the classroom."
Everyone scattered throughout the room along with their partners. I grabbed my guitar and made my way over to the person I was supposed to be working with. I stopped in front of them as they stood up in their dark red shoes.
"So," I said awkwardly, dragging the "o". "Where do you want to sit?"
Justin looked at me and slightly smiled.
"Anywhere is fine." He said.
We ended up sitting against a wall on the floor close to Nick and his partner.
For the rest of the class period, Justin and I never talked once about the song we were supposed to be writing because he was too busy goofing off with Nick, so I took that opportunity to finish songs that I've been writing like "Give Your Heart A Break" or "I Hate You, Don't Leave Me" even "Nightingale". I knew he was only doing this to ignore me and I was trying my best to ignore him too. So far, it seemed as if we were going to fail this project.
The bell rang and we both gathered our things. As Justin walked over to Nick, I tried to keep from calling out for him, but it slipped out. He turned around and came back to me as I slung the strap to my guitar around my shoulder.
"This is stupid." I said. "We keep ignoring each other and that's not going to get us anywhere, so meet me at my house around eight-thirty and bring your guitar."
"All right." He said, before walking off.
"In theatre, I have to preform a play with Selena." Miley groaned as she scratched her head in the computer screen.
"Oh my God, you won't believe who I have to write a song with in guitar and piano." I said.
"Slut-stin?" She questioned, referring to Justin.
I laughed. "Yes."
The doorbell rang and my mom yelled my name from downstairs. She was off work today due to lack of staff, but I was happy. She needed a break.
"I have to go." I said to Miley who later turned off Skype.
I ran down the stairs and met my mom and Justin by the front door. He had a guitar in his hand along with his music journals notebook.
"Um, Mom, we'll be upstairs writing. Okay?" I explained. Justin and I ran up the stairs, but we're stopped by my mom halfway up the stairs.
"Demi, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" She asked, smiling.
"Mom, this is Justin." I said. "Justin, this is my mom, Dianna."
They both told each other that they were glad to meet each other and they shook hands, before Justin and I continued up the stairs and into my bedroom with my mom yelling behind me saying, "Keep your door open!"
We sat on the edge of my bed next to each other, yet far apart from each other.
"So, I wrote down a couple of lyrics that popped into my head." Justin said handing me his notebook. It read:
"Part of Verse 1: I didn't wanna say "It was my fault". Even though I knew it was. Part of Chorus: We got it all. Destined to fall. Our love was tragical. Part of Verse 2: Baby, I just can't hear what your saying. The line is breaking up. Or is that just us? [Chorus again] Bridge: I try to call again. I get your mailbox like a letter left unread, but this one's better left unsaid. [Chorus again]"
"Sorry it's like a couple of sentences and then it's onto the next verse." He said.
I handed it back to him. "No, its fine. Its actually really good. It's more of an after-breakup song and I like it." I said. "Do you have like a melody that you have in mind?"
"Yeah. Can I use your piano?" He asked.
I told him he could and he walked over to my cluttered piano as I skimmed over his lyrics and thought of what could fit here and there even though I didn't have the melody yet.
"Can you play this? It's really good." Justin said.
I looked up from the paper and saw Justin holding one of the songs I wrote along with it's sheet music. I took it from him, after walking near him. He had picked up "Nightingale" and I wasn't ready for anyone to hear that especially since it's really personal and it's about Trenton.
"Oh, no. It's not ready." I said, turning it over and putting it back on the piano.
"Please." Justin begged, pouting his lip.
"All right." I caved in and sat down on the piano bench with Justin by my side.
I started the song off thinking about Trenton and by midway, tears started to stream down my face. I missed Trenton so much. Maybe if he was here today, I wouldn't be going through some of the things I go through today, but I'll never know. My emotions took over and my hands felt numb. I couldn't do it anymore. I stopped playing and singing and just cried. I've held in too much for too long. Justin hugged me tight and I cried in his cheat. I lost everything and I was just so done, but then that feeling came back. That feeling of being safe when he held me. I loved that. I wanted to stay like this forever.
I wiped my tears with my hands and got myself together.
"I'm sorry." I said. "Can you just play me the melody?"
"Yeah. Yeah, sure." He placed his hands on the keys and started to play a beautiful melody that fit the lyrics perfectly.
He soon finished and I grabbed his notebook off of the bed. I grabbed a pencil and wrote in lyrics around his own while he played parts that I needed to be replayed and before I knew it, we had a song by 10:30. We played it over and over. We laughed here and there. He made me laugh. He made me smile a lot more than anyone else could. Maybe, just maybe, he could be the one.