Chapter 3

The Project

The next day at school I knew nothing could go in my way to make it worse. Jake was coming back and that's the only thing that I was looking forward for the week was when he comes back.

I was walking toward my music class feeling surprisingly happy. I minded my own business and turned the corner to the class when I heard someone talking about Greendale.

"Can you believe Freddy Greendale came back here?" I heard the people say which caused me to stop walking for a minute. I leaned against the wall looking at the people across of the hall talking about him.

"I know, who would've known he would come back after he was in that huge fight with that teacher last year." The other person said. They were two girls looking at Freddy as he opened his locker.

"He did get suspended for the rest of the year and it's shocking that it happened right after that thing with that hot student teacher was caught having an affair with those two freshmen's."

I bit my lip and started to walk off to my class once again. I looked down at my feet continuing to walk forward when I started to think about it.

Not only were those girls talking about Greendale, but they were talking about me too. Everyone must have heard what happened between me and Matt by now. Even though I did move on, it still scared me that everyone knew about it. This is the second day back in school and already they're bringing back the past. Anyway, I want to know more about Greendale. I don't know why I'm so interested, but when he was in that fight or whatever those girls said he was in, I was suspended from the whole Matt issue.

I walked into my music class and too my seat I made it just in time, just before the late bell rang.

Freddy wasn't there yet, so I couldn't ask him anything. Darn.

"Okay class, we're going through some warm-ups right now and then we'll put you in groups." Mrs. Rodrigues said.

She started to make weird noises and it kind of sounded like what my voice coach puts me through before a concert.

A few students were giggling while Mrs. Rodrigues went though the voice steps. I just ignored the rest of them and did what I was supposed to do. I actually know why the voice coach does this and I guess I find it quite fun at times.

The class door suddenly opened revealing Freddy Greendale. He held a blue green paper and handed it to Mrs. Rodrigues.

"Sorry I'm late Mrs. Rodrigues, I was at the counselors again." He said and took his seat next to me.

"It's alright Mr. Greendale." She put his pass on her table and then climbed on her table to sit on it. "Well, I might as well assign this project to you now. The voice warm ups definitely didn't go right, but eventually you'll get used to it." she sighed deeply.

"But, Mrs. Rodrigues, it's the second day of school, why do we have one so early?" Freddy asked as he raised his hand.

"Good question Freddy, well, I'm going to have you all be in groups of two. The project is that you and your partner are going to communicate and practice a single song to sing together. I'm going to grade you on your talent and on how well you could sync your voices together. It won't be on for a few months, so I'm telling you this now so that you could get practicing. The way you will be judged and how you're going to perform it is going to be told when I have the final date up."

'Now I definitely wished I didn't take this class as one of my electives. It looks so hard! Ugh, I might even have to break out of my fake voice act and pull on my real voice.' I shook my head and scratched my forehead.

"You have a question there Miss Stewart?" Mrs. Rodrigues asked, as she noticed me shaking my head continuously.

"No Mrs. Rodrigues." I replied and put my head down.

"Now, I will assign your groups. It will be a boy and girl act, so don't get mad if I put you up with someone you don't like. There will be a few groups that will be just female, for the lack of boy participants in this class. Anyway, we'll start from the front row." She said and pointed at a girl and boy.

I was staring at the black board as my eyelids kept on dropping and I was ready to fall asleep when I heard my name being called.

"Miley Stewart and Freddy Greendale."

"What?" I shot up from my seat which caused many of my classmates to stare at me.

"Is there a problem Miss Stewart?" She asked and I shook my head.

"No Mrs. Rodrigues, nothing at all." I smiled at her and she raised her eyebrows.

"Maybe you could learn from Mr. Greendale here about how to sing. He's really talented, and you could probably learn something from him about how to reach notes and such." Mrs. Rodrigues said and I blushed. She actually remembers me singing so badly when she subbed for my music teacher last year.

"Oh, Mrs. Rodrigues, you're mistaken Miley here can reach her notes perfectly, I heard her sing in the auditorium yesterday." Freddy said and I glared at him.

"No I can't." My face grew even more red. I can't believe he's saying this!

"Really now?" Mrs. Rodrigues said ignoring me. "When I last hear her sing, she hit many bad notes, are you sure it was her?" Mrs. Rodrigues asked and he nodded.

"I saw her and I am sure that it is her." He smiled.

He has so much confidence, if only I had that in me then I could tell and show many people my talent. But for now, I can't because no one is supposed to know that I can sing. I swear, if Freddy didn't seem like a scary person, I would've slapped him.

"Well, we'll see that when we have this little project done, now shall we?" Mrs. Rodrigues asked nodding in my way.

"Uhh, sure?" I said sounding unsure about this all. It was like he was challenging her saying and she was gladly accepting the challenge. Boy this class is going to be hectic.

"Why'd you say that?" I whispered to Freddy still wanting to know why he backed me up like that.

"You are a good singer, I don't know why she said you were bad, well she implied it, but when I heard you, and your voice was so sweet-"

"Don't you get it?" I cut him off. "I suck! That is why Mrs. Rodrigues said that. I can't sing Freddy, so stop saying that I can." I hissed. That was the first time I ever blew up at someone I didn't even know.

He frowned and faced forward. I definitely know I did something bad just by the way he acted for the rest of the class. I regret saying those things to him in the first place. I hope he isn't too mad at me.

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I was sitting at my desk at home waiting for one of Jake's oh-so cute text messages he usually sends me around this time, but I didn't get anything. I waited forever, but then eventually I didn't receive anything. I thought maybe he just forgot or is too busy, but I just didn't understand because he used to have time for me back then.

Here I go obsessing again, but I don't know. I opened my cell phone and looked through the text messages just incase I missed it, but I didn't. I didn't receive any new text messages at all today, except one from Lilly saying that she wasn't going to ride home with me since her mom is going to pick her up.

A knock came from the door and I spun around in my seat seeing Luann there.

"What, no TDA for once?" She joked and came into the room to sit down on my bed.

TDA, also known as telephone display of affection, is something Luann made up when she caught me making kissing noises on the phone with Jake. It was hilarious, Jake was saying something like he misses kissing me and that the person he had to kiss in the movie had bad breath, so yeah, I was just making fun of him.

"No Luann, he hasn't called nor text me since yesterday. I'm kind of nervous, I mean, today he was supposed to shoot that scene where he's going to kiss that girl with bad breath. It's the last scene he has to shoot for the movie and then they'll let him go, but I'm just afraid that something happened between them." I said as I set my phone down on the table.

She walked over to me and patted my head. "I really doubt he would be doing anything bad with the girl. Look at you, you're adorable! He would never do that Miley, you should know that. After what happened last year, he only wanted to be with you. You two did have those misunderstandings, but I really doubt that he'll do that" She smiled at me and then sat on the handles of my chair.

"Yeah I know, I'm being paranoid again, but yesterday, while I was talking to him, he said he was coming home soon and that he had to tell me something important. I couldn't help but worry you know?" I shrugged and frowned. I see this going no where at all.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Just relax Miley, be happy that he's going to come back soon." She hugged me and got off from the armrest of the chair. "I have some history homework calling for me right now. I'll see you at din din." She walked out of my room and closed my door.

I sound so desperate to talk to Jake and it's just so sad. I've never felt like this before and it's just so amazing on how I can hold on this long, especially when people say that long distance relationships don't work, when, actually, it just makes it strong.

I was just about ready to give up on my cell phone when it started to ring.

"Jake?" I asked as I answered it.

"Uhh, no, Freddy, Freddy Greendale." the person on the other line said.

I was a bit shocked at first. How did he get my cell phone number?

"Oh, how did you get my number?" I asked as my heart raced. Is he a stalker or something? And I thought that he was mad at me for snapping at him this afternoon.

"I asked Mrs. Rodrigues." He said.

I remembered that yesterday we had to fill out these little note cards and we had to put our phone number and address and whatnot on it for emergencies. But I thought it was all confidential. How did he get Mrs. Rodrigues to give it to him?

"Really? Oh…" I leaned back into my chair and waited for him to continue on talking. I was bored of him, he irritates me, and I'm deathly afraid of him finding out my secret after he caught me yesterday.

"Yeah, I asked her if I could have it so that we could get started on the project right away. I over heard her talking to another music teacher about it and she said that the best singer gets to be in the talent show all schools compete in at the end of the term. isn't that exciting?" His voice wasn't dull like how it sounds like in school, but it was happier than usual. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad working with him after all.

"Sure, I guess… but I really doubt I have the right voice. Even Mrs. Rodrigues hates my voice." I sighed deeply and closed my eyes. "And the project thing isn't even due for another few months. Why work on it now when we have forever to practice for it?" I asked and it was his turn to sigh.

"I guess I want us to be perfect. I want our voices to tune in good with each other. Your voice is pure talent. It's just so perfect and I love it. The way you sang that song in the auditorium, it was just so beautiful, and you probably think I'm not straight now, by the way I described your singing, it just moved me. I guess it's also the fact that you sound exactly my favorite singer." He chuckled.

I was flattered that he loves my singing so much, but it was only because I sounded like his favorite singer, probably like Hannah Montana. Only her/my true fans would notice that I sound exactly like her if they really did listen to me when I randomly sing to myself while walking the halls.

"Thanks, that's the sweetest thing anyone ever said to me." I smiled. "Don't worry, you sound perfectly straight to me." I laughed and he laughed with me.

"Okay good. Now, I would just like to set a schedule for the songs I want to perform with you. I just hope you're not like the stage fright kind of people. If you are, say it now and I'll probably help you get rid of it." He offered.

Although he couldn't see me, I shook my head. "Don't worry, I'm not the type that gets stage fright, trust me." I silently laughed at myself.

"Okay good, how about tomorrow after school, we hang out for a bit and look for a few songs together that we could sing?" He suggested.

"Hold on, let me check my schedule." I got off my chair and walked toward my closet. I opened it up and entered the Hannah closet. I went to the wall which had the markings to the events coming up for this month. I have this whole week off which means tomorrow after school, I'll be hanging out with Mr. Greendale.

"I'm clear for tomorrow so we could look for some songs, I guess." I shrugged. I still don't get why he wants to practice this even if we had a long time to practice.

"Okay good. I'll see you tomorrow in music then Miss Stewart?" He said and I chuckled.

"Sure Mr. Greendale. I'll see you tomorrow." I hung up on him and sat on my couch I had in the Hannah closet. That talk with him somewhat relieved me. I guess he's not that bad, but it's still not stopping me from finding out more about this boy. He's so mysterious and the more I get into it, the more I want to find out about him.

A/N okay, so sorry it took me forever in a year to update. I was somewhat stuck. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter!

TDA (telephone display of affection) came from my friend when my other friend was making kissing noises on her phone to her boyfriend who lives on a different island. LOL it's kinda weird.

Thanks to those who are reading and reviewing this :D