The Low Notes (9 page)

Twice that day they'd touched, twice that day they exchanged smiles and stolen glances only they were privy to. She laid back on her bed, sighing at the memory of his boyish grin as he walked down the crowded hall. His sole intention had been to return her earring but to her it was romantic. He recognized her missing gem and made a point to escort it back to her in person.

Nina wondered about what James said. He hadn’t clued in to the fact she was awe-stricken by Kevin so how could his assessment of Kevin’s feelings be accurate? Maybe he was just better at reading men.

All of her rationale flew out the window each time Kevin's eyes connected with hers, making her weak. She knew the repercussions of a relationship like the one she longed for with him. It meant trouble for both of them but reality was becoming fuzzy in Nina’s mind, her thoughts clouded by her emotions.

She sat up and slid over to her desk and took a moment to glance over her shoulder and then she was staring at her text message inbox. His name stood out in bold, the way anyone's did when she had an unread message. Her breath caught in her throat as she read his words on the backlit screen.

Sorry I kept you waiting last night. Is this too weird?

No. Just the right amount of weird
. She tapped 'send' and laughed to herself.

Nina tried to picture him sitting somewhere with his phone in hand.

Can I assume by the way your friend looked at me today that he isn't your boyfriend?
His next message popped up.

Nina let out a hearty chuckle. Her hands trembled slightly as she thought out her response before sending it quickly.

If I said he was, would you be jealous?

Her heart thudded as the seconds ticked by in slow motion.
Too bold,
she thought. Whatever was happening between them was confusing and more delicate than she could handle. Nina barely knew anything about dating, let alone whatever
this
was. The black phone lit up and vibrated in her palm.

Maybe.

Nina's heart swelled and her panic subsided. Clearly she hadn't been too bold. She explained who James was and teased Kevin by telling him how good looking James thought he was. It got easier to talk and they were responding to each other quicker each time. It was as easy as the way they talked at Ambrose that August night. She learned that Mrs. Benson was his cousin's wife and got the whole story of how he’d gotten the last minute job at the high school. She told him about her frustrations with her father and how it had been weeks since they'd actually spoken.

It was two hours later when Nina finally let out a yawn and became conscious of how long they’d been texting.

It's late. I should go to bed
, his message read.

A second message came immediately after.
You better have your poem done for tomorrow, young lady.

Nina smiled to herself. Oh, it was done. That part was easy. But handing it in might prove to be the challenge. She tapped send with a sigh, not wanting the conversation to end.

Goodnight Kevin.

She hopped up and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face, the house silent aside from her footsteps and the running water. Her body felt relaxed, completely at ease. It was a total difference from the first week of school when anger, fear and regret filled her to the point of agony. Heading back into her bedroom, she flipped off the lights and climbed under the covers with an absent smile on her lips. She reached over to plug her cell phone into its charger when she saw the message across the screen.

Sweet dreams, Nina.

They would be.

Chapter Nineteen

“
I'm pretty excited to see what you all have come up with,” Kevin said to his morning class, flapping the stack of papers the students had just handed in.

“
Friday is the quiz on poetry terms and tools. Don't forget,” he added, hearing them groan at the notion.

He finished just as the bell blared and the students stood up almost in unison with the exception of one. Kevin let a smile linger on his face and his gaze drift to Nina. It was becoming a habit for the two of them to play out the same scene each day. Nina would wait, pretending to pack up her things or ask him a question. Kevin would pay her no mind until they were alone and then they'd have their moment. Some days Kevin felt like all he wanted was to breathe next to her, that it made him more alive.

The last student was gone and Nina’s eyes flitted up from her desk and fixed on Kevin at the blackboard. She bit her lip and smiled through it, a look he was beginning to recognize as her signature. He turned to face the board and waited, trying to be patient, as he heard her step behind him and out of the sightline of the hallway.

“
I'm glad we got to talk last night,” he whispered with his back to her.

A shy laugh escaped Nina’s lips and he imagined her tucking one side of her hair behind her ear.

“
I’m not even sure what I said at this point,” she said.

Kevin turned to her. Before speaking, he took in the sight of her. Imagining her was far less amazing as the real vision of her beauty. A smile formed on his face as he realized she had in fact tucked her hair back.

Closing the gap between them, he heard the subtle change in her breathing as he got closer. Kevin’s mind was no longer in charge. His heart however, had full access and control of his body. Slowly, his eyes grazed over the curves of her face and the perfect lines of her neck and on down the length of her.

“
Why is it so easy for me to talk to you?” he asked in a whisper. He stepped even closer to her, an unsafe distance for the way he was feeling.

Shamelessly and obviously without rational thought, he reached out a hand and twisted his fingers around a tendril of her black hair that hung near her porcelain face. He sighed, looking into her gray eyes, wide and filled with a mix of worry and longing. Nina tilted her head, leaning into his hand, allowing his fingers to brush her cheek.

“
Kevin,” her voice came out, barely a whisper.

“
Mmm?” He had no strength to speak, only to continue examining her face, etching it into his mind.

Nina reached her hand up and gripped his fingers, still intertwined in a lock of her hair.

Just as Kevin moved to pull her in for a daring embrace, he heard the shuffle of students entering the room. His hand jerked back from her with the near speed of light and they each took steps away from each other. Startled by the interruption, they stared at each other in horror, having been so close to being caught, and for what? For something as innocent as Kevin’s hand in her hair to be their undoing would be insulting to their hearts.

“
Thanks again Mr. Reed, I’d better go or I’ll be late for auditions,” Nina forced the words out, eyeing him. Three perfect lines grew deep in his forehead as he kept his eyes on her.

“
Auditions, right. Well, b-break a leg,” he said as more and more students were sulking into the classroom and finding their seats.

“
Can't wait to read your poem,” he said cheerily as she turned to leave.

Nina craned her head back at him and smiled brightly, her eyes rolling in a teasing way as she slipped out the door. Their secret was still theirs and it filled Kevin with the kind of thrill a person could easily get too wrapped up in. But Kevin loved it when his heart beat fast from a simple smile Nina gave him.

He watched as she walked into the hall and blended with the other students. His palms were clammy and his mind was racing. He would spend yet another day distracted because of her.

****

Nina scurried down the hall and into the auditorium, struggling as she ran. She yanked the sheet music from her bag and just made it when the bell rang. She spotted James in the third row and he gave her a questioning look as she slipped in and headed to take a seat next to him. Mrs. Benson walked on stage and the class hushed for her to speak.

“
I’ll call you in order of the signup sheet for your audition. I expect everyone to be respectful of all the performances. That means be quiet and encourage your fellow students. Hannah Bruckheimer, you’re first. Nina, I need you on piano,” she said.

“
What made you so late? You’re all red. Are you freaking out?” James asked as Nina passed him. He was picking at the edge of the sheet music sitting in his lap. Nina could tell he was nervous about his audition. He and two other boys from their class were going to do a group piece and James had the lead.

“
I left my sheet music in my locker. Just lagging today, my mind is...,” she made a flitting gesture with her hands, expressing her scattered mind.

“
Your
sheet music? You're singing?” he mouthed at her excitedly.

Nina smirked and took a seat at the piano. She played fourteen songs. Some for groups like James and some for solos like Hannah. Not everyone was great but everyone gave it effort and enthusiasm. Her normally nimble fingers were starting to feel stiff from so much playing. Then Mrs. Benson stood from her seat in the front row of the auditorium and addressed the class again.

“
Great job everyone! We only have room for 6 performances in act one and it's going to be a tough decision for me after all of these fine auditions. You have the rest of class to do what you want while I start narrowing it down. Just behave, okay?” she said.

Nina stood up from the piano bench, shaking slightly.

“
Mrs. Benson? If it's not too late...I'd like to audition, too,” her words sounded strange in her own head. She couldn't believe she was actually doing it.

Mrs. Benson beamed at her from below stage level, “Nina, of course! I've been waiting four years for you to sing for me. I know you've got a voice in there,” she teased.

Nina smiled shyly, “Would you play for me? I've written an original piece but I just want to sing it. I want to stand at the microphone.”

In a flash her teacher hopped up the stairs and crossed to Nina quickly.

Nina listened to the sound of her own shoes clicking against the wooden stage as she stepped to the microphone. It was her first time standing on the new stage, staring out into the wide sea of seats with thick red velvet hanging on either side of her. She handed the papers to Mrs. Benson who was smiling from ear to ear as she took Nina's seat at the piano.

The music she'd written in her head in a dream began to play and Nina waited for her cue. Before the words rang out she heard Kevin’s voice in her head and a smile as well as a sudden burst of confidence shone out of her as she started her audition.

Chapter Twenty

The school was clearing out at the end of the day and Kevin saw Nina down the long corridor of the senior hallway sifting through a mass of papers in her locker, her best friend James nowhere in sight. Kevin figured he was already on his way home. She was shoving papers, folders and books into her bag when he reached her and put a light hand on her shoulder.

“
How’d it go?” Kevin asked, his eyes shifting around the halls, drawing the attention he was hoping to elude.

Nina stood slowly from her bended stance and came up almost against his chest. Her eyes mimicked Kevin’s cautious scan of the hall. The few lingering students and teachers were all in their own worlds. Would no one notice the sparks flying between them as they had a seemingly innocent conversation as teacher and pupil?

He tried not to care, pushing the salacious connotations out of his thoughts. A smile shaped Nina's lips and a sparkle was in her eyes as Kevin peered down at her face.

“
I got it. I'm going to close to the first act of the senior concert. Pretty surreal,” Nina said before slamming her locker shut and slinging her bag over one shoulder. For an instant Kevin felt foolish just standing, staring at her with a grin.

“
That's great! But high school concerts are small time when you’re the shining star of The Black Jewel, right?” he teased.

“
Oh yeah, I'm only doing it for my legions of fans,” Nina played right back, a girlish grin spread on her face.

Silence fell between them and they came to an unspoken conclusion as they began walking the length of the hall. They stayed at arm's length, careful to put off the appearance of a harmless friendship.

“
You’re just headed home then?” Kevin asked as they made their way to the exit near the gym. Nina hoisted her bag back up higher onto her shoulder, the weight of it causing it to slip with each step she took. Kevin swiftly took the bag from her shoulder and slung it over his own with ease.

“
Thanks,” she said modestly, “Yeah, I’m going home. The twenty pounds of homework in that bag should keep me pretty busy, don’t you think?” a laugh slipped out of her and Kevin let out a chuckle, too.

“
I need to run into my classroom for a minute, do you mind waiting?” he asked. They were right outside B100, his hand already on the door. Nina shook her head and followed him in. Kevin scrambled to gather his work off of his desk, eager to get going himself. Nina leisurely propped herself up onto a desk while she waited for Kevin to finish.