I've started a My Hero Academia fic that I'm doing only in English, so luckily I don't have the extra work of translating and writing the same story twice. But on the other hand, now I have two fics that I am going to be working on simultaneously. So to make my life a little easier, I'm going to update them one week at a time. This week it's this one's time, next week it'll be MHA's turn. It's good because it keeps me entertained, but it is a lot of work to carry the two stories in parallel, hahahaha. So I hope it is at least an entertaining read for you.

There was a change of plans while I was writing this chapter. I was chatting with a friend, the magnificent The Siege Perilous, who was kind enough to give it a read, and he recommended that I split it in two. One, because this chapter was about to become the longest ever by a BIG margin (I was getting closer to the early days of Requiem). But also because it seemed to him, and after considering it I ended up thinking the same thing, that there was a point at which the chapter could be divided because the theme changed completely. So I'm going to leave my original plan, and instead of 10 chapters, this story will end up having 11.

Thank you very much to all who send me messages, tell me about the story, and obviously to the faithful readers who leave their reviews:

Jeff: Oh yeah, she's super versatile. Her main problem is that she doesn't trust herself to use those powers, which is a big handicap lol. We'll get to know more about what this mysterious person does after the encounter.

STR2D3PO: Couldn't have said it better.

Chapter 6:
Work this out.

I woke up to the intrusive sunlight hitting my face like a warm waterfall. I rolled over in bed, trying to escape from the light and lose myself in the sea of dreams again, but when my arm reached out and I touched nothing but the blankets, I felt that something was missing. I opened my eyes, and it was one of those mornings where I was soon fully awake. I sat down and stretched my arms. The feeling that I had lost an important part of me didn't go away, so I began to search around with my eyes, trying to find what I didn't remember that I needed.

My eyes finally found some of Sam's clothing on the edge of the bed, and I realized that what I missed was the warmth of her embrace as I slept. It had helped me immensely. I'd managed to sleep through the night without any nightmares or dreams affecting me in any way. It was very relaxing, and it made me feel jubilant. I couldn't remember the last time we had spent the night like that, physically to a chaste but almost intimate level. Probably when we were still girlfriends.

I sighed, trying to understand the nature of the emptiness I felt inside now that I had awakened. I didn't want to think about it too much, figuring it would be negative feelings related to the great stupidity I had done the day before. And if I started the day thinking about it…

I checked my phone. There were still some minutes left before my alarm went off, so I had time to spare. I noticed I hadn't plugged it in overnight, so I quickly started charging my phone. I quickly put on some shorts to get out of my room.

My nose immediately recognized the pleasant smell of a homemade breakfast. I walked over to the kitchen, where Chunk was finishing preparing four dishes.

"Good morning," he greeted me when he saw me.

"Morning," I replied, leaning against the wall, "aren't you late? I can finish cooking if you want."

"No problem. Mornings tend to be pretty slow at work lately, I can take a few minutes."

"Oh. Thanks."

"No problem."

I looked around, and Sam was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Sam?"

"She's in your sister's room. Tabby wanted to show her something about her powers, and Sam told her that they needed to talk."

I nodded, happy at least that she remembered what we had discussed. Tabby didn't seem too willing to listen to me lately, but she adored Sam. If the two of them had a productive chat, maybe I'd be able to take one weight off my shoulders. The fewer worries I had, the better. The last thing I needed was more things to be concerned about.

"Luna ... can we talk?"

And just like that, I suddenly had a new reason to be worried.

"Yeah, sure," I said, trying to pretend everything was fine. "What's up?"

"Well, I decided to give you space last night, but I couldn't help but notice how distraught you seemed," he commented, taking two of the plates and carrying them to the table, inviting me to sit with him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

With a sigh, I sat down and started eating breakfast before the food got cold. It was delicious, and my stomach appreciated it.

"Honestly? No."

Chunk looked down. "I see."

"It's nothing personal. It's just… I'd rather not think about it."

"Hmm. I understand. That means it has to do with your powers, right?"

The hand that was bringing the fork to my mouth stopped dead. I stared at Chunk, my split lips unable to produce a sound. He sighed and had the decency to not look at me directly so I wouldn't feel embarrassed.

"At first I assumed it had to do with what happened to Mazzy. I was scared. Two of your best friends were sent to the hospital in less than a week… But I know that look. I can see it in your eyes. They always shine like two little stars, but after what happened, every time you think or talk about your powers, they look dull. Sad. And you lock yourself up and don't let me come near to help you. You don't let anyone help you."

"Dad, I…" I tried to answer, but couldn't think of anything to say.

"Your grandparents used to be very strict with me," he continued. "When we adopted you and I became a father, I told myself I'd be different. I'd be the father who cares but lets his children make their own decisions. I told myself that I wouldn't insist if you didn't want me to interfere, but that I would let you know that the door was always open if you wanted to talk to me."

He took his glass of juice and drank half of it in a single gulp, before laying it firmly on the table, this time looking into my eyes with concern and intensity.

"I've been giving you space for eight years, not insisting and letting you open up when you feel ready. But the more time passes, the more evident my failure becomes. I should have been more present throughout this time to prevent you from getting to this point. Luna... I know I'm not very objective because you're my daughter, but as your father, every time I see you I feel my chest swell with pride. You and your sister are the best things I have, and you're both perfect in my eyes. I accept you as you are, and I think your gifts are wonderful. I wish you could see yourself the same way."

This was not how I intended to spend my breakfast. I just wanted to distract myself and stop thinking about my powers and all the stupid decisions I'd made regarding them. I wanted, like so many times in my life, to pretend that they didn't exist, that they weren't real, that I could live a normal life without them.

And now my dad, of all people, wanted to have "the talk." The same talk that we had a thousand times, but that he seemed not to consider to be enough. I could understand his concern, but at that moment all I felt was anger. Why did he insist on wanting to make me feel better? Why couldn't he be a little more… strict? Why wasn't he as scared as I was? Why didn't he hate my powers the way I did?

Why did he have to make everything so difficult for me?

"If Tabby was the only one with powers… maybe I'd understand you," I finally said, not even trying to hide the venom in my voice. "But you and Sam act like my powers are a small inconvenience. As if they were harmless. As if they couldn't kill."

"A knife can kill," he mentioned, showing me the knife he was using to cut a piece of bread and spread butter on it. "Same as a car. Many things can be dangerous, but that doesn't mean that they're not useful."

"Oh, come on Chunk, you're being obtuse on purpose."

"I'm trying to help you."

"You're doing the same thing Sam is doing, wanting to convince me that I should forgive myself for what happened," I said, taking one last bite of my breakfast, having lost my appetite. "As if I could do it. And for what? So I can become a superhero and save the city?"

"Oh no, I definitely wouldn't like that," he commented, shaking his head. "I'd be worried sick every day. Royal Woods is dangerous for heroes."

"Then what do you want me to use my powers for?"

"I don't want you to use them," he explained, checking the time on his phone before standing up with his plate. "I just don't want you to see them, and by extension, not to see yourself as a problem or a danger to everyone else."

He said goodbye, saying he had to get going to work, and left me alone in the dining room, watching carefully what was left of my breakfast as it cooled down.

Sam and I walked to school. She tried to ask me what was bothering me, but I preferred to keep my problems to myself. Instead, I asked her what had happened between her and Tabby.

They had had a deep talk. My sister had shown her her "ultimate move" and shared her ideas for superhero names, very excited and believing that Sam would fully support her. Unfortunately for her, Sam listened to me and took it upon herself to explain all the dangers that using superpowers brought with it, and why being a hero in this city was a very, very bad idea. Tabby hadn't taken it very well, feeling slightly betrayed and disappointed, but she seemed to at least be pondering on Sam's advice.

"Anyway, I have to admit, her power is pretty cool," she said after a while, and I rolled my eyes.

I didn't want to admit that, indeed, the control Tabby was beginning to have over her powers was quite spectacular.

The first big jumpscare of the morning happened when we arrived at the school and saw that there were police patrol cars at the entrances, with officers seated and carefully observing the entrance of each student.

I stopped in my tracks and began to sweat.

"They're waiting for us," I said immediately, feeling my knees shake.

"T-They must just be standing guard," Sam said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Don't assume they're here for us."

"We're busted. They must have seen the cameras. Sam... Sam, we're done."

I noticed that she was biting her lip. "If they knew it was us, they would have come looking for us at our houses."

"Or they're waiting to catch us here."

"Even if they saw the videos where you use your powers… you wouldn't go to prison or anything like that."

"But my life would be over!"

"We don't know that! Listen, just ... Let's pretend we don't know anything, okay? Let's go in as if everything's fine. And if they stop us… we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Easy for her to say. However, at this point, I only had two options. The first, to do as Sam said. The second, turn around, run, and start a new life on the street. And I didn't feel particularly qualified to lead that life.

So holding the urge to cry and hardly breathing, I walked over to the school. My heart seemed about to explode, and I felt on the brink of collapse. As we passed the police cars, all I could think of was that at any moment they would open the door, call for me on the speakers, and arrest me right there. I saw the scene in my mind over and over again, expecting the worst with every step I took.

When we finally entered the building, I almost fainted. My face was red from holding my breath, and my legs felt like jelly. Sam tried to calm and reassure me, telling me that clearly, this meant we weren't in trouble. And maybe she was right, but my neurotic state did not allow me to buy that idea, no. Hours passed, and that was a day when I didn't learn anything at all.

The teachers gave their lectures and I copied whatever they wrote on the board, but my mind was elsewhere. I was stealthily glancing out the window at the police on the street. I was wondering what they were doing there. If they were checking the security tapes. I didn't feel calm, I couldn't be. I could see the shadow of the sword of Damocles hanging over my head, swinging dangerously, about to fall. My mood didn't improve all morning.

It even got worse when it was finally lunchtime, and as Sam and I sat at an empty table and she tried to cheer me up by telling me about a new band she had started listening to, we both saw Sully approaching with his tray. He was walking in our direction, and his face didn't hide the nerves he felt. Sam and I were silent, watching him until he stopped three feet from our table.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked quietly. She seemed to have wanted to sound angry, but we weren't entirely sure how to feel about our former friend.

"I… I wanted to ask you if you know anything about Mazzy," he admitted, looking away. "She… doesn't answer my calls."

Sam and I exchanged a look.

"She's doing okay," I finally told him. "She isn't hurt. She stayed overnight in the hospital for tests, but she appears to be fine."

"That's good. I'm glad. Could…? Could you tell her that I hope she recovers soon?" He asked shyly. "And that... well... if you want, ask her to pick up my calls. I want to talk to her."

We both felt very uncomfortable, although Sam managed to get over it first. "She doesn't want to talk to you, Sully. She needs some time alone."

"I know…"

"What you did to her hurt her a lot."

He looked down, embarrassed. "I know."

"Maybe someday she'll talk to you again and you can tell her whatever it is you think you should say to her. But for now, I think it's best if you leave her alone."

He nodded, his fingers gripping his lunch tray as if he wanted to break it in half. Finally, he looked back at us.

"What about us?" He asked, and his question was like a punch to the stomach. "Are we still friends?"

It was difficult to know precisely how I felt about Sullivan. We had had too many good times together. He had always been a pillar that the three of us leaned on when we needed him most. Always so funny, so cheerful, so kind. But it was impossible to see him and not think about all the pain he had caused Mazzy.

"I don't know," I admitted. "It's complicated. I know you and Mazzy are suffering a lot, but the difference is that she only has us. And she didn't ask for any of this to happen. She didn't do anything wrong. So, for now, I'm on her side."

I could see the pain my words caused him in his eyes, but I couldn't take it back or pretend that this wasn't what I felt. He nodded sternly, and without adding anything else, he walked away to the other end of the cafeteria, sitting at an empty table.

No one came to have lunch with him.

Sam placed a hand on my forearm, and at least for the duration of our lunch, I was finally able to think of something other than the incident from the day before.

Perhaps I would have spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about the repercussions that Sully's infidelity would have on the dynamics of our group of friends from now on, and if there was a possibility that one day we would forgive him completely. But before we started our fourth period, the loudspeakers in the hallways announced that all students were to head to the gym, where the principal was going to give us an announcement.

Sam and I looked at each other, and we both made our way silently to the gym. The stands were soon filled with the entire student body. In the middle of the basketball court, Principal Rivers was standing with a microphone in hand. Behind her was a row of chairs occupied by all the teachers, the secretary, and the principal's assistant. They looked very serious, and my spirits would simply not stop falling.

After a few minutes of waiting for the last stragglers to finish arriving, the director began a short speech.

"Dear students," she began. "As you all know, there have been two incidents at our institution in the last week. Players from the high school soccer team and a group of girls were victims of what the police consider an attack."

The whispering began immediately, and the headmistress had to try several times to calm the students down to continue.

"I know it's a very complicated situation, but the police are acting and carrying out a thorough investigation to discover the identity of the perpetrator. They have devoted a significant amount of resources to make sure that no incident of this kind is repeated at our institution. I know many of your parents are concerned, but I am here to bring you peace of mind. Our institution believes that your education is essential, and we are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that you can have access to your education without feeling scared or fearful that anything bad will happen to you. We also believe that it is important to be transparent and honest with you, so it seemed imperative to let you know that the police reviewed the security footage... only to find out that all evidence of what happened has been removed."

There were new murmurs, and this time Sam and I exchanged surprised looks.

The principal raised her hands once more, asking for silence, and we soon fell silent, letting her continue.

"Obviously, this situation is very distressing for all of us. It means there was preparation and intentionality on the part of the perpetrator. So, to make sure that no other attack takes place, we have agreed to let the police put officers at the entrances of the school grounds. They are there just to make sure that no one who is not part of the school approaches, and to respond in case something happens. They are not allowed to ask any of you to show them the contents of your backpack or accompany them anywhere. You are not required to give them their IDs or anything like that. We are trying to create a safe space for you, not a prison. If anyone is feeling dismayed, scared, or uncomfortable, please reach out and speak to any of the teachers, who are trained to provide you with a safe space."

The talk continued for a few more minutes, talking about how this was an opportunity to strengthen our ties as a community and overcome difficulties, but Sam and I stopped paying attention to it.

"Did you delete the videos?" I asked her in a whisper so that no one would hear us.

"No! Of course not!"

"So that means…"

"That person must have done it."

"But why?"

"Well... to avoid being discovered, I imagine. They must have been scared when we saw them. Maybe they were afraid we'd call the police to check the security tapes."

Maybe. Maybe that was it. If that was the case, they'd done us a great favor, especially me. I let out a long sigh and was suddenly aware of how the stress of the day had numbed my neck and shoulder muscles. Sam placed a hand on my shoulder blade and pressed it gently, giving me a soft massage.

It wasn't easy, but over the next hour, I managed to relax.

Fortunately, that afternoon we had a rehearsal with the music club. Playing the piano would definitely help me relax, focus on one of my passions and stop thinking about all the difficult situations I was going through. And while at first I had been scared and worried by the presence of the police outside the school, the more I reflected on the situation, the calmer I felt.

The person behind all this had immediately fled from Sam and me. It seemed to be someone our age, they weren't adults. And although they seemed to have two superpowers, the truth is that they weren't particularly aggressive or dangerous. Well yeah, I suppose an invisible person could stab you in the back and then run away without anyone seeing them, but I was expecting something more terrifying. If they had run away from two unarmed teenagers, and that had gotten them scared enough to delete the security videos, it was logical to believe that they wouldn't dare to act again now that the police were so close to the school.

That made me feel much calmer, though the truth is that not just because this metahuman would probably feel less inclined to act. What reassured me the most was the fact that if they did, I wouldn't be forced to use my powers again. The police would take care of it. There was no longer an excuse for me to risk myself meaninglessly.

Sam decided that she would stay in the rehearsal room, which Mr. Budden didn't like at first, but after promising that she wouldn't do anything to distract us, she was allowed to sit in a chair at the back of the room.

There was a slightly awkward moment when Carol walked in and our eyes met. She paused, hesitating for an instant before continuing to carry her cello case. I refocused my gaze on the piano keys, playing them to make sure they were in tune. I did a couple of quick arpeggios to warm my fingers up and think about something else. I closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds and the music, and therefore didn't notice that someone walked next to me until a voice spoke up right next to me.

"Hey…"

I was startled, pressing the notes a little harder than I intended. I turned around immediately and relaxed when I noticed who had greeted me.

"Oh, hi Luan," I greeted her with a smile, leaving the piano aside and turning to face her. "Ready for your first rehearsal together?"

She gave me a shy smile, shrugging and looking away.

"I'm nervous," she admitted. "I never acted in front of so many people."

"Oh, is this your first year at the drama club?" She nodded softly. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do great."

Her pale face flushed completely, and she tried to hide behind her hands. She said something to me, but her wrists covered her mouth and I didn't understand a single thing. I let out a little giggle and stood up. She was a very shy girl and you could tell from miles away that she was insecure about herself. For some reason, her personality brought up a kind of maternal instinct in me.

Well, not exactly. It was more of a fraternal feeling, I guess. Perhaps since she was a little younger than me, but I had the inexplicable feeling of wanting to treat her as if she was my little sister. Tabby wasn't insecure or shy, quite the opposite, but seeing Luan I felt the same desire to want to help her feel better that I felt whenever I saw my little sister in pain. I stood up and took Luan by the wrists. She fell silent immediately and her muscles tensed like she was afraid I would hurt her or something. Instead, I smiled at her again, and very slowly I lowered her wrists so she wouldn't hide her face.

"Hey, don't feel so nervous," I said, trying to sound positive. "It's just a rehearsal. Everything's going to be fine. I know you¡ll do an excellent job. People are going to love you!"

"But… my part… It's not a big role or anything important, to be honest…"

"That's not true! Even if you only have a couple of lines, the important thing is that you have fun and do your best work. It's like in the orchestra, you know? Some people play instruments that only appear for a couple of bars, but are still important. And without them, the music wouldn't be the same. So don't sell yourself short; if your part wasn't important, they wouldn't have written it into the script."

My words seemed to cheer her up. She didn't dare look me in the eye, but the corners of her mouth lifted into an unmistakable smile, and I felt her rubbing her fingers against the palms of her hands, perhaps nervous from the physical contact. I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable so I let go of her.

"And don't worry about the audience. If you enjoy playing your role, people will also enjoy seeing you acting it. And you have nothing to worry about here, you're among friends."

I realized right away that I'd made a mistake. The smile faded away from Luan's face and she took a step back, rubbing one of her elbows and moving one foot behind her other leg.

It was always easier to destroy than it was to build, and I seemed that a simple word had undone all the progress I'd managed to do with her. It was evident that I shouldn't have suggested the idea that she had friends here. I didn't like judging people without knowing them, but Luan's personality and her negative reaction said everything I needed to know. She didn't have many friends. Maybe not a single one.

Actually, the more I thought about our interactions, the more evident it became that she wasn't used to receiving compliments or having someone standing up for her. I remembered how resigned she sounded with letting the popular kids bully her. Or how oddly surprised she looked at the fact that I would stop to help her when we ran into each other in the hall. I could understand that maybe she was shy and not very social, but how could not a single one of her classmates at least stand up or worry about her? She seemed like such a nice girl… It pained me to imagine that she didn't have anyone to give her some encouraging words every once in a while.

I always considered friendships to be something that naturally develops and that there's no way to force them or make them happen by fiat. And it's not like I had any intention of suddenly becoming besties with Luan. The truth was that I barely knew her. She seemed to be a regular kid, nice and kind, but it wasn't like we had a lot in common or anything.

Even so, to see her in that state was enough to make me a bit more receptive and comprehensive than I usually would have been.

I put my hands on my waist, trying to look casual, and tilted my head with a smile.

"Well, I don't know how much you get along with your theater friends, but at least you have me supporting you. If you get anxious or something, just look at me and focus on me, alright?"

She looked shocked like I had just told her I was willing to give her one of my kidneys. I tried to keep my face from showing the sadness that it caused me to see her reacting like that. Was she not used to something as simple as being told that someone supported her? I was starting to think that her problem may not come solely from school. Those kinds of insecurities must have been rooted in her family. Or maybe I was just overthinking stuff. I truly hoped that was the case.

"You? Supporting me? Me?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, of course," I said, and after thinking about it for a second, I added, "That's what friends are for, right?"

Her face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. She lowered her arms and she began to shake almost imperceptibly. Her cheeks were tainted once again in beet red, and she grabbed the end of her ponytail, wrapping a finger around her hair, twirling and stroking it.

"You barely know me," she said in a whisper. "How can you say we're friends?"

She made a good point, but I assumed that it wasn't logic speaking but her insecurities that led her to question me. And if that was the case, I shouldn't concede her point, but rather make my best effort to make sure she understood that it was okay to allow herself to be appreciated or loved.

"Yeah, I don't know you very much, but kind people are easy to spot. And in this dull, complicated world, I like finding someone that seems to be a genuinely good person." I raised a fist, offering it for a bump. "So let's just try our best to make this musical as fantastic as we can. Deal?"

Her eyes darted from my face to my fist, to my face, to my fist, and then back again to my face. I didn't drop my smile, trying to communicate to her as clearly as possible that this wasn't a trick or a prank. That I genuinely believed in her. And the truth is that I did, I honestly did. I had no reasons to suspect that she wasn't good in her role, and in general, I give people the benefit of the doubt as long as they don't give me reasons to think otherwise.

For a moment, I saw a strange emotion cross her face. Fear? Guilt? A little bit of both? It lasted for a second and it was hard to identify, which threw me off completely. But I ended up assuming it had been my imagination, since right away she shook her head and allowed her face to smile again, seemingly deciding that she could trust me. Not without certain shyness, she raised her fist and bumped it against mine.

"Alright. Let's do our best."

"That's the spirit!"

"Thank you, I'll… Uh, I'll go practice my lines," she said, pointing at her bag on the other end of the room.

"Yeah, sure. I'll keep warming up my fingers."

"Oh, yeah, I, uh, sorry for interrupting you."

"Don't worry about it! It's no big deal."

"Alright… Bye."

"Good luck!"

She seemed to want to say something more, but she ended up nodding slightly with her head before turning around and walking away with fast, short steps. I stared at her for a few seconds.

I felt good with myself. I know it may sound weird like I'm doing charity with people, but it made me happy to think that, maybe, I'd make Luan happy by simply talking to her with respect and caring. Making her feel that she wasn't alone, that she had people supporting her.

That may not be much for some, but one never knows just how much impact their words can have on a person. And in Luan's case, that seemed to mean a lot to her. It's not like I was about to start asking her to join me for lunch or to come to my house to have a sleepover and tell stories while we painted each other's toenails, but there was literally no cost or price to pay for speaking kindly to her. The idea that with nothing but a small chat I would have cheered her up to rehearse with renewed energies made me feel like I'd done something important.

People think that one can only be a hero if they have superpowers to risk their lives —and everyone else's— by fighting crime, but the truth is that we all have the potential to become heroes. Just not in the traditional way, or the way people think is the most exciting. More like average heroes, everyday heroes, heroes that don't get medals and don't save many people from a building set on fire. Anonymous heroes, usually unrecognized, that save one person at a time, saving them from their own Hells. We didn't need superpowers. Just the ability to listen and speak from the heart. Sam had been my hero multiple times. Chunk was my hero every day. And, maybe, just maybe, I had been a hero to Luan just now.

I liked that idea. The events of the previous day had reignited that stupid dream, that fantasy of becoming a hero thanks to my powers. I guess it's normal for everyone to imagine themselves as heroes, right? To see ourselves as someone's savior. It was completely normal to have those thoughts strike me every once in a while. And that's why I needed those moments like the one I had just shared with Luan, to remind myself that there were other ways of fulfilling that dream.

If I wanted to become a hero so badly, then I could focus on being a good person. Push my powers aside. It was for the best. Much more useful and less dangerous for everyone.

I sat on the piano bench once again with a smile on my face. I was about to play some new arpeggios when my eyes looked to my right. Sitting on her seat, Carol had her eyes fixed on me. I was paralyzed like I had been caught in something. How long had she been staring at me? We were relatively close… had she listened to my conversation with Luan?

We said nothing to each other. She simply kept the visual contact for a few seconds that felt like years, and then she smiled softly at me. A small, very subtle smile. Not knowing what else to do, I tried to smile back at her.

"Good morning, class!" Said Mr. Budden, walking into the room with the drama club teacher. I knew Mrs. Bernardo since she also taught literature, and I had had her the previous year. She was a very eccentric woman, always dressed in colorful clothes, scarves, and golden, circular earrings with jewels in them.

"I hope you're ready for our first rehearsal with both clubs together at last!" She said, moving her arms around with a bit more energy than necessary.

"The musical is just two weeks away, so from now on, all of our rehearsals will be together! Both of our clubs have reached the point where our parts work on their own."

"And now is the time to connect and make sure that the actors and the musicians are all in harmony. One can't exist without the other, and the challenge is to make sure all of you have the same energy."

"We trust in you to bring life to this wonderful story."

"Written and directed by me," Mrs. Bernarno rushed to say, making Mr. Budden roll his eyes. "Now everyone, get ready! It's showtime!"

I grabbed the music sheets and placed them in front of me, getting ready for the first rehearsal with the drama kids. I was supposed to be focused, thinking of nothing but the music I was about to play.

But all my mind could think of was the smile that Carol had given me.