Take a Bow

The other students exiting the auditorium start gathering around. I want them to all go away — Emme doesn’t need this. She doesn’t deserve this.

I gently move Emme back so I get in between them.

“It’s not Emme’s fault, Sophie. Quit blaming your failures on her.”

“Shut it, Ethan! God, you’re so desperate and pathetic. She only sees you as a friend. The only person she’s interested in screwing around here is me!”

Her words sting. I try to block them out of my mind, but up until a week ago, Emme did think that Sophie was her best friend. She would’ve told her what she thinks of me. Not that I ever truly thought that Emme would ever see past my mistakes and want to be with me.

The tension in the air is so thick. My mind races to find what to say.

I feel Emme’s hand on the small of my back and she moves me aside.

“Sophie,” she says in a calm, controlled voice, “don’t you dare talk to Ethan like that. He’s been a true friend to me, unlike you.”

“Yeah, a true friend who wants to get in your pants.”

There’s some laughter. I can’t believe she said that in front of practically the entire senior class.

Plus, that’s not true. I want more than that from Emme.

Not that I haven’t thought about what it would be like … every moment of every waking (and dreaming) hour.

Emme stands up tall, but I see her body is twitching. She takes a deep breath. I’ve only seen her like this one other time, and it was when she gave me a tongue-lashing that still stings to this day. I thought I never wanted to see that side of her again.

But with Sophie being on the receiving end, it couldn’t happen soon enough.

“I can’t believe it has taken me this long to see what you’re really like. Since you feel the need to air dirty laundry in front of everybody …” She motions to the nearly one hundred people standing around. “Guess what. When I write songs for you, I have to limit the melody to ten notes because those are the only notes you can hit well. You don’t have good range, which is what your problem is. I’ve known that for years, but I’ve hidden it. That’s why you only shine when you sing my songs, because I’ve been trying to help you … by disguising your biggest flaw. Well, one of your flaws. You can’t blame me for your lack of range. You can’t blame me for you not getting into the showcase. You always want things to be all about you. Anytime I come to you with a problem, you don’t want to hear it, unless it has to do with you.”

Emme’s face is bright crimson. I can see tears starting to well up in her eyes.

“Well, congratulations, Sophie — you finally got what you wanted. Because this, not getting into the showcase, is all about you. You struggling in class, it’s all about you. The wake of relationships you’ve destroyed to get to this moment, it’s all on you. Enjoy your moment. You’ve earned everything that’s coming to you. Truly.”

Emme grabs my arm and starts to walk away. There’s some muttering and applause as she leaves.

I try to think of what to say to her, but I can’t. Yet again, I’m completely at a loss for words. And always at the worst times.

“Please don’t say anything — just keep walking.” Her voice is quivering and she’s sniffling.

It seems that this is one of the few moments in my life where being an idiotic mute is working in my favor.

She leads me up to the practice suites and enters one of the small rooms and closes the door behind us.

She doesn’t say anything. She just looks at me. We both sit there in silence and stare at each other. I’m resisting every urge in my body to grab her, hold her, kiss her.

Emme opens her mouth and lets out an agonizing sob. She collapses on the floor.

I rush to her side and hold her, willing myself to say something, anything to comfort her. All I can do is cradle her in my arms and run my fingers through her hair. Everything I want is right here, so close to me, but I can’t seem to find my voice.

Emme pulls me away and starts to wipe away her tears. “I’m sorry, Ethan.” She has trouble catching her breath. “I’m so sick of crying. It’s just, I can’t believe how much I’ve been used, been betrayed by someone I thought was my friend.”

She wraps her arms around her legs and starts rocking back and forth. “I feel so alone.”

Those words feel like daggers. How can she feel alone when I’m right here? I’m always here for her. I always have been.

A loud voice starts screaming in my head, Then tell her that! Tell her how you feel! Tell her now, you imbecile!

“It’s like every person I decide to trust lets me down.”

You would never hurt her! Open up your mouth and tell her that!

She looks up at me as if she realizes what she just said. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Ethan…. I know, I mean, you haven’t …”

My eyes widen as I realize that she’s lumping me in with Sophie. Sophie stabbed Emme in the back by manipulating their supposed friendship for her personal gain. And I … well, I’ve messed up countless times and it seems that Emme hasn’t forgotten, or forgiven, my past indiscretions.

You’ve changed! Remind her of that, don’t sit there and let her think the worst of you!

My mouth opens. “It’s okay, Emme. You’ve been through a lot. You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing.”

What the hell? Seriously, dude? You’re going to waste this moment! Coward!

She lets out a halfhearted laugh. “Yeah, well, you’re probably one of the few people who think that.”

Tell her you love her! Say the words! Don’t let her go! Don’t waste this moment!

“I doubt that.”

Idiot!

She gets up and looks at her reflection in the mirror. “Ugh. I’m a mess.”

“It’s not that bad.”

WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?

“I’m so tired. I just want to go home….”

She turns around and stops herself when she sees me. She studies me for a second. “Are you okay, Ethan? You look, um, I don’t know. Is everything okay?”

I realize that I’ve been holding my breath. It probably looks like I’m going to burst. So I say the only thing I can think of.

“No, I’m fine.”

God, I loathe you.

Join the club.

I think I’m having a nervous breakdown.

I get overwhelmed about not only getting to play my song at the Senior Showcase, but getting the last spot, with the band.

Then I’m not even allowed to celebrate it because I basically dress Sophie down in front of the entire school.

So I do what I’ve been really good at doing lately, which is cry uncontrollably.

And then I insult Ethan.

Clearly, there is something wrong with me.

But Ethan, being Ethan, either doesn’t notice it or is too nice to say anything about it.

All I know is that I can’t lose another friend. And Ethan, unlike Sophie, is a true friend. I know that he cheats on his girlfriends and does some pretty stupid things, but he’s always been there for me.

And I need him more than ever, now that we have to focus on the showcase and college auditions.

Jack bursts through the door with a shopping bag. “Costume time!”

We’re playing our last gig of the year and are going to do some Christmas songs, so Jack thought it would be appropriate for us to be as festive as possible. He hands Ethan a Santa jacket, Ben some elf ears, me tinsel, and keeps a Santa hat for himself.

He looks in the mirror. “Man, I make anything look hot!”

We all groan. I start wrapping myself up in the tinsel.

Jack comes over to study me. “You’d make one fine gift under the tree, Red. Don’t you think so, Ethan?”