Story, An Untitled

Copyright Julia Bydulia

Part II of an unfinished story

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It was mid afternoon and their teacher had given them the last ten minutes of class as free time. Ryan, a short girl with light brown hair who wore sensible clothes and glasses was standing next to Michelle's desk as they waited for the bell to ring.

"What do you think you're going to do for your audition if you try out?" Michelle asked Ryan.

Ryan started playing with her fingers and making a thoughtful humming sound. "I'm not sure," she answered in her quiet, almost mousy voice.

"What do we need? A song and a monologue, right?" Michelle always tried to ask questions when she talked to Ryan, just to keep the conversation going. When silence fell, it fell hard between them. They barely had anything but enjoying musicals in common, and even then their tastes were completely different.

"I thought it was either a song or a monologue," Ryan told Michelle just as the bell rang and they both reached out to grab their books.

Michelle stood up and started to walk out the door, doing her best to walk out the door with Vincent, even though she knew he wouldn't notice. He always walked out with Terrence or Ande and she had to watch them talk the entire time and walk alone. She tried to picture herself in his shoes, walking down the hall with people always wanting to talk to her. How would she feel if her best friend was as insane as Terrence? How would she feel with Ande always wanting to talk to her about inane and inappropriate things?

She thought she could answer the ladder, after having spent two years trying to block out the same inane and inappropriate things, but, maybe she couldn't. She wasn't Vincent, with long and curly blonde hair, bright blue eyes, a very thin frame, and a height of at least six feet. She couldn't play the trumpet, the piano, and the guitar. She had no idea how he thought or how he felt.

After Vincent reached his locker, Ande stopped with him while Terrence and Michelle had to keep on walking to reach their own lockers. She tried to hurry at hers so that she could walk with Vincent on their way to their next class. When she grabbed her book, she speed walked back to Vincent's locker. He looked like he was finished getting his books, but, that Ande had him cornered and he couldn't leave. She tapped his elbow as she passed him. "You're going to be late," she told him, smiling as she walked away, trying to keep a pace that he might catch up with.

Their teacher was late, so when Vincent did catch up he and Michelle had a few moments to talk in the hall. "I heard you guys are starting up the musical soon," Vincent said, repositioning his books in his hands.

"I'm auditioning next week," Michelle told him, nodding and smiling. Music was one of the biggest things they shared. "I'm really excited."

"I heard a rumor that he might want kids from the school band for the orchestra," Vincent muttered, looking thoughtful.

Michelle's ears perked. "Really? You've got to do it! You've got to!"

They both smiled and nodded at each other because they had nothing to say. Luckily, before it got unbearably awkward and before Michelle could put too much thought into the silence, the teacher came and unlocked the door, ushering in all of the students hurriedly.