Page 27 of Off The Rush
The moment I step into my music class, the familiar scent of sheet music and polished wood envelops me. It’s usually a comforting aroma, but today it’s not enough to keep my nerves at bay when I see Rachel approach.
“Emma, darling! Here you are again, always late.” Rachel’s voice cuts through my thoughts like a sharp knife.
I’m not late but clearly not early enough for her.
She saunters over with a smirk plastered on her face, her sleek black hair swaying with each step. Her almond-shaped eyes narrow as she studies me, searching for any sign of weakness.
“Hi, Rachel,” I mumble, trying to walk past her toward an empty seat in the back. Unfortunately, she has other plans.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Rachel asks mockingly, following closely behind me. “I was hoping we could have a little chat.”
AKA she wants to talk about how much she doesn’t like my singing.
“Really, Rachel? I don’t have time for this.” I quicken my pace, but she keeps up effortlessly.
“Aw, poor Emma. Can’t handle a bit of friendly competition?” she taunts.
“Hey, everything okay over here?” a male voice interrupts. I turn to see a tall boy with short, messy brown hair and striking blue eyes standing between me and Rachel. His relaxed posture and easy smile seem to catch her off guard.
“Totally fine. I’m Rachel, who are you?” she asks.
“Name’s Kenny,” he replies calmly. “And I was just grabbing my friend here to talk before class.”
Rachel glares at me for a moment before huffing and stalking away. I let out a relieved sigh.
“Thank you,” I say gratefully, looking up at Kenny. His smile is a little forced but he did just save me so I shouldn’t judge. I’ve never seen him before.
“Anytime,” he says with a grin. “Now, let’s find a place to sit, shall we?”
We make our way to the back of the classroom, and Kenny takes the seat next to me. He leans into me and I don’t comment on the lack of personal space.
“Have you been in this class long?” he asks, rummaging through his backpack for a notebook.
“Since the beginning of the semester,” I reply, trying not to make it sound snarky but it’s a weird question. “You?”
“Same. I’ve just been sitting on the other side of the room.” He chuckles. “So, how did you end up upsetting Rachel? She was like a dog with a bone when you came in.”
I laugh softly, thinking back to our first encounter. “I guess we both have strong opinions about music, and they don’t always align.”
“Ah, I see.” Kenny nods thoughtfully. “Well, I’m glad I could step in today. She seemed pretty relentless.”
“Believe me, she is.” I glance over at him, appreciating his support. “But thanks again. It means a lot.”
The sound of chairs scraping against the floor fills the room as everyone settles into their seats. Professor Martin strides to the front of the class, his salt-and-pepper hair a stark contrast to the blackboard behind him. He adjusts his glasses and clears his throat before beginning.
“Alright, class, today we’re going to be starting a new assignment,” he announces, clasping his hands together. “This will be a partner project, focusing on vocal harmonies and blending.”
My heart races at the thought of working with someone else. I hate partner work. I can feel my palms getting sweaty, but I try to brush it off and listen intently.
As he speaks, Kenny leans over and whispers to me, “Hey, Emma, do you want to be partners?”
I glance at him, feeling a bit cornered. It’s not that I don’t like Kenny; he seems nice enough, and he did just rescue me from Rachel. But working so closely with someone I just met? The uncertainty gnaws at me. Still, I don’t want to seem rude or ungrateful.
“Uh, sure, Kenny. That sounds good.”
“Great,” he replies with an easy grin, seemingly unfazed by my hesitation.
“Your partner for this project will be the person sitting next to you,” Professor Martin continues. “You’ll have two weeks to prepare a duet that showcases your ability to harmonize and support each other vocally.”
