I sighed and looked to my right at my bed where Ella had fallen asleep last night. I slipped on a new shirt and put my hair up into a ponytail, lifting my leg to bump her shoulder.
She sat up almost immediately. "Hmm? Wha-?" She rubbed her eyes, looking around. "Oh, yeah. Morning, Max."
"Morning, El. Come on, we should go." I walked over to my bedroom door and opened it with Ella by my side.
Ella went straight to the kitchen to help Iggy prepare breakfast. Fang was sitting on the couch, a CD in his hands. He was playing with the case it was in, holding it in one hand and slapping it against his other repeatedly.
"Keep that up and it'll break." I told him, smirking. I had decided last night that I would put past my feelings for him from a long time ago. Put away all my old love and look at him and see not Fang that I used to love but Fang my friend.
He looked at me and chuckled. "Nervous habit."
"As always." I added, smiling as I sat down next to him. "So, what's on the CD?"
"Not much. I'm still filling it up." He was looking around the room, sniffing the bacon scented air. I couldn't blame him, though, I was sniffing it too.
But I stared at him, smiling widely. "You're still writing music?"
He flushed but nodded, still not looking at me. "Yeah. All my recent songs are going to be on here. Amongst others…"
"Like…" I prompted. To say I was happy was an understatement. I mean, the fact that Fang was writing again… it made me overjoyed. This was Fang: if he wasn't writing then something was wrong. Doesn't matter if he was the Fang I loved or Fang my friend, it would be wrong for him not to write.
He didn't answer so I took the CD and zipped over to the stereo system. "Max!" He all but whined.
"Too bad, Fang. You didn't answer me so I'm playing it." I smirked at him while I put the CD in.
"They're yours…" He mumbled.
I turned before pressing play. "Excuse me?" That's impossible. No one was ever around when I recorded my songs or even knew that I recorded them.
"The other songs on there are yours. Some of your old ones, some of the new." He scratched the back of his neck, uncomfortable.
"How'd you-?"
"Uncle Fang made me sneak out your old recordings last night when you were asleep." Ella called from the kitchen, coming over to us.
The apartment door burst open and Nudge stood in the doorway. "I smell bacon, breakfast ready yet?"
I laughed and pointed over to Iggy who was flipping pancakes. She walked over and Iggy smiled at her. I raised an eyebrow at them.
"Yeah, here, Nudge. Help me with the pancakes." He pulled her in front of him and handed her the spatula. His hands went to her waist.
"Iggy, remember, we're right here." I reminded him. He tilted his head to look over his shoulder to frown at me. I winked at him before he turned back to Nudge and the food.
Fang had gotten up while I had been talking to Iggy and he grabbed the CD. I pouted at him, hoping he'd let me hear. "Not yet." He tapped the case to my head while I scowled at him.
"Party pooper." I mumbled, going over to the kitchen table to set it up for everyone to eat.
--!--
"Okay, everyone!" I yelled from my office. We were at school and all my students for first period were in the classroom, Fang and Iggy near the piano. I came out. "You all did excellent at the concert!"
Everyone was sitting on the risers, looking exhausted. They still managed to clap at my enthusiasm.
Angel raised her hand and I looked at her pointedly, letting her know that it was alright to speak. "Max, since our next concert is in three months, can we just relax in class?"
I paused. "Depending on your definition of relax."
"Like… we just chill and we still sing and stuff but not preparing for the concert."
I pursed my lips. "Well, Nudge and I were thinking about combining band and choir into one thing where everyone has a band- you know, drums, guitar, keyboard, singer- and then that's what's performing at concerts. It'll help with preparing for a musical career and it's fun."
Iggy laughed. "You just don't want to teach so you have time to write."
"Iggy, you're wrong." I smirked. "That's only one reason."
"You write, Max?" Frankie asked from the risers, another student. She was a junior.
I nodded. "Yes, I write songs. And I'm performing at Mr. Betchelder's faculty party. That's why I'm writing. But I do want you all to perform as bands. Nudge and I need to see the songs to approve them. If they're not approved, you can't play them."
Everyone started getting excited.
The choir door opened and West walked in, Iggy and Fang scowling at his entrance. "Max! Maxie!" He smiled really wide.
"West, what have I told you?" I almost snarled.
He frowned. "Hello, Ms. Ride." He replied monotonously.
I barley held in a smirk. "What are you doing here?" I asked, stepping over to the piano.
He followed, completely ignoring everyone else. "I don't have class this period and was wondering if you wanted to grab some breakfast at the diner down the street." He looked so confident.
I blinked before rolling my eyes at him. "West, unlike you, I have a class that people actually sign up for. And my students are here, I have class." I gestured to all my students on the risers.
"Some other time then..." Oh so cocky…
"Maybe I didn't make myself clear at Fun Way," I threatened lightly.
Fang and Iggy stood behind me, arms crossed.
"I think it's time you left, Sam." Fang said.
"Fang, escort Mr. West back to his class and make sure he doesn't leave the room as soon as you walk away." I ordered lightly.
"Gladly." Fang stepped forward and grabbed at Sam's arm, pulling him out of the room.
Iggy leaned against the piano and everyone stared at me.
"Max, I've never seen you so serious." Gazzy stated. "Except for when you punched him over the weekend."
"What?!" Almost all the other students screamed in unison, facing Gazzy and Angel. They were all smiling, excited.
I rolled my eyes and stepped over to the band room door. Iggy grabbed my arm and I turned to him.
His eyebrows were up and I could tell he was thinking about what to say.
I smiled. "Go get her, Pyro."
He smiled at me widely before engulfing me in a hug.
"Max! Max, Max, Max!" Ella ran into the room, waving something in the air frantically, a giant smile gracing her pretty face.
"What, what, what?" I laughed at her excitement.
"Okay, so, like, you know that notebook William destroyed?" I swear to God, her cheeks were about to fall off, her smile was so big.
I nodded. "Yeah…"
"Well," She flipped her hair out of her eyes and held an old notebook in her hands. "I scanned it during class, all the pages, and was able to find all the words! All the black pages were covered in Sharpie so the computer could find the pen behind it and then the ones he erased, he didn't erase it completely. I was able to put all the songs back together and I recreated the entire notebook during Computer Art class."
I gently took the notebook form her hands and flipped through. Surely enough, there was my old handwriting on each page, only scanned on new paper. I looked up at her and hugged her tightly. "Ella, that was really sweet." I pulled away, wiping my eye. "But you should still be in class."
She shook her head. "No, Computer Mike said I could leave since I mentioned that it was yours." Mike not only taught Computer Design, Computer Tech, but also Computer Art, since he knew all the programs.
Fang walked in, rolling his eyes but froze when he saw Ella. He looked up at me, worry in his eyes and I shook my head. He had thought she ran to me because someone was after her again.
Ella grabbed the notebook and flipped through the pages, stopping at one before shoving me over to the piano as Iggy and Nudge walked in, hand in hand.
"Play it!" Ella commanded.
I rolled my eyes but looked at the paper, suddenly remembering the song. I blushed as I got in position.
Just a day,
Just an ordinary day.
Just trying to get by.
Just a boy,
Just an ordinary boy.
I opened my eyes and looked over to Fang for a moment before flashing my eyes back to the paper. I had written this song when he left all of us. When I had turned down the offer to a recording contract. Iggy and Nudge had set up instruments in the room the night before and Iggy was playing the drums while Nudge was playing her violin again.
But he was looking to the sky.
And as he asked if I would come along
I started to realize
That everyday he finds
Just what he's looking for,
Like a shooting star he shines.
I was moving with the music, the lyrics. I remember exactly how I felt when I wrote this. When Fang had left, he hadn't said anything to me. At all. And every night since he had left, for a week, I imagined what he could- SHOULD- have said to me when he found he was leaving. When he found out about my contract.
He said take my hand,
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand
And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words
Although they did not feel
For I felt what I had not felt before
And you'd swear those words could heal.
Anything he said to me, moved me. It made me love him more. I knew that. I always had. And, as I was singing, I realized I couldn't let go of my old feelings for him. But I knew I had to deal.
And as I looked up into those eyes
His vision borrows mine.
And I know he's no stranger,
For I feel I've held him for all of time.
And he said take my hand,
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand
In the palm of your hand.
I knew him. He knew me. Inside and out. Forever and always, no matter how much we changed over the years. I resisted the urge to look back over at him.
Please come with me,
See what I see.
Touch the stars for time will not flee.
Time will not flee.
Can you see?
Just a dream, just an ordinary dream.
As I wake in bed
And the boy, that ordinary boy
Or was it all in my head?
Did he asked if I would come along
It all seemed so real.
But as I looked to the door,
I saw that boy standing there with a deal.
Every night I dreamt of going with him, every time I woke up, the dream really did seem real. But it wasn't. He had left. I understand that.
And he said take my hand,
Live while you can,
Don't you see all your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand
In the palm of your hand,
In the palm of your hand.
Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just trying to get by.
Just a boy,
Just an ordinary boy.
But he was looking to the sky.
He was looking at his dreams, not mine, when he left. I should have accepted that a long time ago.
[Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton]
I sighed and took my fingers off the keys. I looked at everyone and they all seemed… stunned would be a good word but it wouldn't have cut it. Astonished! That fits better! Yeah, so, they all seemed so astonished by the way I performed.
"By combining band and choir, you all could perform like that. Who's up for it?" I said, acting like it was to sponsor the idea.
Everyone raised their hands and Angel and Gazzy ran down the risers to me. Angel grabbed the notebook and flipped through.
"Hey, I know this song!" She pointed to Hallelujah. "But why is it in your personal notebook, Max?"
I looked at Ella.
She bit her lip. "Okay, I may have added some of your favorite songs…" She admitted sheepishly.
"Can we hear, Max?" Omega was leaning against the secret staircase.
"When did-?"
"While you were playing." He smirked.
I rolled my eyes. Of course. That's Omega for you: Ninja Boy!
Well I've heard there was a secret chord
David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do ya ?
Well it goes like this:
The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Well your fatih was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne, she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Oh baby I have been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
You know I used to live alone before I knew you
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Well maybe there is a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
And it's not a cry you that hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
[Hallelujah by Kate Voegele]
I sighed and leaned back, looking back at all my students. "You know, you can choose from my songs, they're all copyrighted."
Everyone ran up and started looking through the notebook, taking turns.
"Yo, Max!" Greg yelled over the happy chattering. He was one of my sophomore students. I looked at him. "Can we join the bands with other periods?"
"No, because you don't have the class together, unless your schedule can be changed around, which is most unlikely. You can be with people from this choir period and this period band."
Everyone started chatting excitedly and I stood, going over to my office.
Fang was sitting on the couch and was staring at me as I sat in my chair.
"May I help you?" I asked, being polite but also showing annoyance through my tone.
"What's the real reason you denied the contract?" He blurted out.
It shocked me so much, I dropped the index cards I was holding. The scattered on the floor. I got off my chair and started getting them together but froze when Fang started to gather them as well.
"I already told you, Fang. I wanted a degree."
"Yes, but actually becoming a hit cancels out a degree." He stated. "Tell me the real reason- I know that that answer is bullshit."
I rolled my eyes and took cards from his hands, placing them on my desk. "There's nothing else to tell."
He grabbed my upper arm. "Max," His tone was warning.
"Fang," I copied, slowly pulling my arm away. "Besides, why should I tell you? You don't care."
I stood as did Fang. He grabbed my arm once again. "You're wrong, Max, I do care. I care a lot."
I laughed a dry laugh. "Oh, yeah, sure, you care. Just like you said you cared before you left for New York." I ripped my arm out of his hold and pointed to the door. "Go, your Nudge's assistant now. Go to the band room."
He stood there, his hand still up from when he held my arm with such a gentleness, I had shivered at the touch.
"That's an order as your boss." I stated sternly.
His hand fell to his side and he back out of my office before properly walking to the band room.
I sighed and leaned against my desk, only to have my fingers touch something plastic and foreign. I grabbed the object, knowing it was a square. I looked at it: it was a CD case with a CD on each part, one a CD the other a DVD. Both had my name written on the top in neat, script writing.
I looked at it and then my stereo system, biting my lip. It couldn't be…?