She's Like The Wind[5]

We sat through the rest of sociology, listening to Mr. Rickerman go on about something completely irrelevant to our topic; he did that a lot. I felt Jeremy’s eyes watching me. Exhaling, I curled my slender fingers around my pencil and began to doodle.

“Psst,” I heard him whisper. I looked over and Jeremy handed me a note. I smiled a bit and took it with reluctance. I looked at him; his green eyes were sparkling and he was smiling. I smiled back and slowly unfolded the paper. It read: Are you busy tonight? I snickered and looked over at him, still staring at me. I shook my head and his eyes lit up.

“Go out with me tonight?” he mouthed.

“I’d love to,” I mouthed back.

“Ms. Jenson,” Mr. Rickerman said, turning everyone’s attention to me and Jeremy gawking at each other. “Do you have something to share with the class?”

I smiled, “Perhaps.”

His face turned bright red. “I don’t need the smart alic remarks. Now, since you’re so keen on sharing, what is it you’d like to share?”

“Well, Jeremy and I are going on a date tonight,” I smiled. All of the girls’ eyes went wide and I immediately was receiving looks of shock and anger as I had nabbed the newest hottie. We exchanged smiles and Mr. Rickerman went back to teaching. The bell rang and I rushed out, trying to avoid and brawls with other girls. Then it hit me. What about Steve? my heart told me. Don’t worry about him. He’s got Meghan, my head told me.

“Danielle! Wait up!” I turned and saw Jeremy jogging behind me. “You’re my guide remember?”

I blushed, “Yeah. I’m sorry. What class do you have next?”

“Show choir,” he said, showing me his schedule.

I smiled, “Me too. A singing jock eh?”

He laughed, “I’m no jock. Yes, I play sports, but I don’t treat everyone like shit.”

I nodded, “That’s always good to know.”

“So where do you want to go tonight?” he asked, letting his arm slither around my waist.

My face blushed a deep shade of red and I looked up at him, smiling. “Wherever you’d like to go.”

“Well I don’t know the town very well, so how about we go cruisin’ and then stop up at the top of that huge hill everyone talks about,” he said.

Make-out hill, I thought to myself. “Sounds like a blast,” I said enthusiastically as we walked into choir. Mr. Tomaich, the choir teacher, smiled at me.

“New member of our great choir?” he asked, extending to hand to Jeremy.

Jeremy took his arm from around my waist and shook his hand, “Yes. I’m Jeremy Jones. And you are?”

“Well, Ms. Danie can tell you that one,” he smiled, seeing me blush at the nickname.

“Danie eh? I like that,” Jeremy smiled.

“What part are you?” Mr. Tomaich asked.

“Tenor,” I heard Jeremy say as I walked over to my section. I sat down next to Melanie and Jenny and smiled.

“Who’s the new guy?” Melanie asked.

“Yeah who is he? Definitely hot,” Jenny whispered.

I giggled, “That’s Jeremy Jones. He’s new and he’s my date tonight.”

“Oh em gee!” Jenny squealed. I rolled my eyes. She used IM and text language in her daily speech. “What are you guys going to do?”

“Well he mentioned Make-out Hill,” I whispered back as Mr. Tomaich started to play the piano for warm-ups. I sang softly, not trying to make my voice evident, but everyone knew I was the one that was the loudest. I looked over at Jeremy and he was already making fast friends with all the other tenors. I smiled.

Glad you’re fitting in, I thought to myself.

“Now! As everyone knows, we’ve lost two of our best tenors, Steve Scarola and C.J. Baran due to their tour with their band. So I’d like to welcome a new tenor that I can tell has potential. Everyone welcome Jeremy Jones!” Mr. Tomaich introduced. Everyone clapped and smiled at him and he waved awkwardly. I could tell he was a little embarrassed by all the attention. He smiled over in my direction and I smiled back. “Also, we need a soloist for the next concert and I have a few people picked that I want to try it. What we’re doing is a medley of songs from the musical Little Shop of Horrors. It’s Audrey’s solo “Somewhere That’s Green” and it’s a mezzo soprano solo so you girls know who you are by now right?”

I gulped. I was going to have to sing in front of Jeremy. Jenny went first and then Melanie. Then, Lauren and Shannon, then it was my turn. I sighed and stepped up to the piano. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me but I could only feel Jeremy’s.

Mr. Tomaich gave me the intro on the piano and I began singing, letting my worries go, “I know Seymour’s the greatest, but I’m dating a semi-sadist. So I got a black eye and my arm’s in a cast. Still, that Seymour’s a cutie. Well, if not he’s got, inner beauty. And I dream of a place where we can be together at last.” Mr. Tomaich stopped me, beaming.

“It’s yours!” I blushed a bright red and everyone clapped.

I sat back down and Melanie whispered, “What a surprise.” I smiled weakly. Mr. Tomaich looked up at me and smiled.

“Come back down here for a minute,” he asked me. I did as I was told.

“Jeremy, come down here,” he asked. Jeremy joined me behind the piano. I gulped. I knew where this was going.

“I want you two to try the duet between Seymour and Audrey,” he told us, giving us the intro.

I heard Jeremy begin, “Lift up your head, wash off your mascara. Here take my Kleenex, wipe that lipstick away. Show me your face, clean as the mornin’. I know things were bad, but now they’re okay. Suddenly Seymour, is standing beside you. You don’t need no make-up, don’t have to pretend. Suddenly Seymour, is here to provide you with sweet understanding. Seymour’s your friend.”

I picked up right where he left off, “Nobody ever treated me kindly. Daddy left early, Momma was poor. I meet a man, and I follow him blindly. He’d snap his fingers, me I’d say sure. Suddenly Seymour is standing beside me. He don’t give me orders, he don’t condescend! Suddenly Seymour here to provide me, sweet understanding; Seymour’s my friend.” Then I noticed Jeremy and I were holding hands and singing to each other. I stopped. The room was quiet, and our eyes were only on each other. I think we almost kissed, but then the room erupted with applause. I blushed and backed away, sitting back down next to Melanie.

Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad, I thought.