when he wasn’t stressing himself and everyone else out about concerts and performances. By cool, I don’t mean relaxed—that would probably never be a word to describe Mr. Boyd—but he was a good teacher.
I set my clarinet case down on my seat, took a deep breath, and turned to Mr. Boyd. “Hey, Mr. Boyd.”
“ Hello, Anna,” he said as he set up his music stand. His bowl haircut was in need of trimming. He kept flicking the hair out of his eyes, but it just fell into his line of vision again. He kind of let go of himself when performances were coming up.
“ I just talked to Melissa. She has the chicken pox.”
Mr. Boyd’s eyes widened and fixed on me. “What?” he said, raising his voice. “Where the hell did she get chicken pox?”
“ Her little brother has it.”
“ She’s never had chicken pox? How old is she, eighteen?”
I just shrugged, even though I knew she was only fifteen. “She doesn’t think she’ll be able to make the concert.” Somewhere behind us, I was aware of Aaron coming into the room.
“ Are you sure? Is she sure? Chicken pox don’t last that long, do they?”
“ The concert’s in two days.”
“ I know that,” Mr. Boyd snapped. He scratched his head, heaving a sigh. “We’ll have to think of something else. It’s right after—wait!” His neck snapped up. I followed his eyes; he was looking at Aaron, who was taking his sax out of his case. Oh, no.
“ Aaron!” he exclaimed.
Aaron looked up. I tried to hide my dread, but there was really no point around him. Just a habit, I guess, trying not to let people see what I really felt. Aaron was the one person I couldn’t hide from, but it didn’t stop me from trying most of the time.
For a moment, I wondered what it’d be like if I just gave in—just let go of the past, forgave him, became friends with him again, spent every day with him like I used to. I couldn’t deny it was tempting to just fall back into that comfortable routine I’d relied on for so many years, but it had hurt like hell when he deserted me. I didn’t know if I could risk that again.
“ Aaron,” Mr. Boyd repeated. “You know The Entertainer, right?”
Aaron paused, half-glancing at me. “Um. . .I think so. That’s what Anna and Melissa are doing on Thursday, right?”
“ Melissa has chicken pox!” Mr. Boyd said like he’d never heard anything more ludicrous.
“ Really?” Aaron asked with surprise.
He was talking to me, but Mr. Boyd answered, “Yes! Can you play it with Anna?”
I didn’t know what to think. I’d been practicing hard for this duet, even though it was probably something Aaron had learned in a couple hours. My mom had even requested work off early since usually she worked late on Thursdays. I wanted to do it, of course, but with Aaron? After what happened at the library?
Aaron looked at me with uncertainty. “Um, if it’s okay with Anna.”
Sure, put it on me to say no.
“ You’re okay with it, right?” Mr. Boyd asked. I hardly had a chance to nod my head when he said, “Great! Can you be ready by Thursday? Should we have a special practice after today?”
“ I know it,” Aaron assured him. “I might need some sheet music, though.”
“ I’ll get you some,” Mr. Boyd said. “I know I have some copies in my office. I’ll get them right now.”
I walked to my seat and gave Aaron a small smile. “Thanks.”
“ Yeah, sure,” Aaron said. He was pleased, though I wasn’t sure why. Because he could do the duet with me? Because I wasn’t ignoring him like last week? He cleared his throat, glancing at Harry, another sax player. “You all right after yesterday?” he asked me, dropping his voice.
I shrugged. “I guess. You want to practice after school?”
“ Sure. Maybe we could get some more homework done, too.”
I wanted to say, As long as you don’t touch me , but I thought that might send the wrong message to the people around us.
* * *
After school, I walked with
I set my clarinet case down on my seat, took a deep breath, and turned to Mr. Boyd. “Hey, Mr. Boyd.”
“ Hello, Anna,” he said as he set up his music stand. His bowl haircut was in need of trimming. He kept flicking the hair out of his eyes, but it just fell into his line of vision again. He kind of let go of himself when performances were coming up.
“ I just talked to Melissa. She has the chicken pox.”
Mr. Boyd’s eyes widened and fixed on me. “What?” he said, raising his voice. “Where the hell did she get chicken pox?”
“ Her little brother has it.”
“ She’s never had chicken pox? How old is she, eighteen?”
I just shrugged, even though I knew she was only fifteen. “She doesn’t think she’ll be able to make the concert.” Somewhere behind us, I was aware of Aaron coming into the room.
“ Are you sure? Is she sure? Chicken pox don’t last that long, do they?”
“ The concert’s in two days.”
“ I know that,” Mr. Boyd snapped. He scratched his head, heaving a sigh. “We’ll have to think of something else. It’s right after—wait!” His neck snapped up. I followed his eyes; he was looking at Aaron, who was taking his sax out of his case. Oh, no.
“ Aaron!” he exclaimed.
Aaron looked up. I tried to hide my dread, but there was really no point around him. Just a habit, I guess, trying not to let people see what I really felt. Aaron was the one person I couldn’t hide from, but it didn’t stop me from trying most of the time.
For a moment, I wondered what it’d be like if I just gave in—just let go of the past, forgave him, became friends with him again, spent every day with him like I used to. I couldn’t deny it was tempting to just fall back into that comfortable routine I’d relied on for so many years, but it had hurt like hell when he deserted me. I didn’t know if I could risk that again.
“ Aaron,” Mr. Boyd repeated. “You know The Entertainer, right?”
Aaron paused, half-glancing at me. “Um. . .I think so. That’s what Anna and Melissa are doing on Thursday, right?”
“ Melissa has chicken pox!” Mr. Boyd said like he’d never heard anything more ludicrous.
“ Really?” Aaron asked with surprise.
He was talking to me, but Mr. Boyd answered, “Yes! Can you play it with Anna?”
I didn’t know what to think. I’d been practicing hard for this duet, even though it was probably something Aaron had learned in a couple hours. My mom had even requested work off early since usually she worked late on Thursdays. I wanted to do it, of course, but with Aaron? After what happened at the library?
Aaron looked at me with uncertainty. “Um, if it’s okay with Anna.”
Sure, put it on me to say no.
“ You’re okay with it, right?” Mr. Boyd asked. I hardly had a chance to nod my head when he said, “Great! Can you be ready by Thursday? Should we have a special practice after today?”
“ I know it,” Aaron assured him. “I might need some sheet music, though.”
“ I’ll get you some,” Mr. Boyd said. “I know I have some copies in my office. I’ll get them right now.”
I walked to my seat and gave Aaron a small smile. “Thanks.”
“ Yeah, sure,” Aaron said. He was pleased, though I wasn’t sure why. Because he could do the duet with me? Because I wasn’t ignoring him like last week? He cleared his throat, glancing at Harry, another sax player. “You all right after yesterday?” he asked me, dropping his voice.
I shrugged. “I guess. You want to practice after school?”
“ Sure. Maybe we could get some more homework done, too.”
I wanted to say, As long as you don’t touch me , but I thought that might send the wrong message to the people around us.
* * *
After school, I walked with
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