Page 25 of Finding a Melody
No one was in school today. Or were they just skipping their classes? My heart dropped. What if they were skipping the classes they had with me? But Lillian said no one had seen them.
Pressure built up behind my eyes, and I stared at my phone, begging for a message to come through from any of them. Just one. I needed to know they were okay. Anxiety clawed at my chest as my stomach boiled with worry and my skin itched with dread.
I couldn’t focus on what Mrs. Odera talked about, something about a project she was going to go over soon, but to start thinking about partners.
The school speakers went off, letting everyone know there was going to be an announcement. Students straightened with curiosity, glad for a break from the dull routine of classes. It was rare for the school to announce something through the entire school, especially in the middle of the day.
“Good morning, fellow students! Comrades in arms!” a familiar voice yelled through the speakers, making everyone wince.
“Dumbass, not so loud,” another familiar voice said.
My eyes widened. Toby and Bryan? That had to be them, no doubt about it.
What were they doing over the speakers?
“Sorry, sorry,” Toby said and cleared his throat.
“Dude, hurry up.” I heard Paxon, and my heart thudded hard against my throat. “We can’t hold them off forever.”
“Shut it then and I’ll do this,” Toby grumbled and some of the students laughed. Mrs. Odera must have recognized Toby’s voice because her expression filled with curiosity, one of her eyebrows rising. Rather than seeming mad at them for hijacking the school announcement system, she only seemed amused.
“Sorry for the interruption, but my friends and I made a grave mistake yesterday to someone dear to us.”
Red heated my skin. They were talking about me. Glances came my way as people easily enough connected the pieces. I had been hanging around them constantly, and then suddenly today, they weren’t in school, but I was. I lowered myself in my seat, wondering if I could turn myself invisible. Was it too late to pretend I needed to go to the bathroom?
“And now we have to do a school-wide apology to prove our sincerity. We wanted to apologize in front of the world, but let’s be realistic, that’s impossible. So we decided in front of the whole school would be just as embarrassing for us.”
And for me.
“Stop rambling.” I heard Justin’s voice.
“Okay. So as an apology, we are going to sing a song. The other oafs with me will too, and I apologize for the sounds of screeching cats.”
Again, the students around me broke out laughing. Even I let out a small laugh.
“Hurry up before they break the door down,” Paxon snapped.
“Okay! Okay! Now, for a Toby Original. Mrs. Odera, I hope you’re listening! I put my heart into this baby. Feel free to count this as extra credit.”
There was a moment of silence before I heard the strumming of a guitar.
Toby’s smooth voice began singing:
“ ‘I’m sorry’
It’s so simple
But I wish there was another way
I wish I could undo the things I made
And yet it’s lodged in my throat
And I just can’t let it go”
Another voice began singing, taking over from where Toby left off. My eyes widened as I recognized the voice as Seth’s. Even he was here too?
“ ‘I’m sorry, I’m at fault’