Take a Bow

“I don’t want to ruin our friendship and what we have, but I ca

I pause for a second. I try to swallow back some of the words. Emme’s eyes are wide. I have no idea what is going through her mind. But I need to tell her. I know that if I had to keep this charade up any longer, I would go mad.

I decide to go for broke. “Do you think you can trust me that I’ve changed, that I can be the person you need in your life and be with me? Emme?”

She blinks a few times and I feel dizzy when I see her bite her lip.

“Ethan … I didn’t know….”

“You had to know that I am crazy about you. Everybody knows.”

She shakes her head. “I didn’t think in such a … I guess …”

She goes over to a bench to sit down. I follow her and kneel so she has no choice but to look me in the eye.

“Ethan, I can’t imagine my life without you, but I think … I think … we should just be friends.”

I feel an ache in my chest at the sound of that word. Friend is the worst word you can hear when professing your love to someone. I guess if the only way I can have Emme is as a friend, I’ll have to settle for it. But I’m lying to myself if I think I can do that. And I’m so used to lying to myself, I know when I’m completely full of it. There’s no way I can do that.

A tear starts rolling down her face. “You know that if we were ever together, that if something went wrong, it would ruin the band, it would ruin what we have.”

“Or it can make it even better, even more amazing.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“Why?” I need to hear her say it. Whatever it is that is stopping her from being with me. Even if it’s that she finds me physically repulsive. I need to know, no matter how hard it hurts.

She lifts her head and looks me right in the eyes. “Because it would destroy me if you ever cheated on me. I could never handle that kind of betrayal from you.”

It feels as if the wind has been knocked out of me. Emme thinks that I would cheat on her. Because I cheated on Kelsey. A few times. In front of Emme.

“I would never do that to you. I have never betrayed you.”

Her shoulders begin to shake as I try to think of what else I could do. I’ve regretted a lot in my past, but never anything having to do with her, even now when my heart is being ripped in two.

She stands up. “I’m sorry, Ethan. I can’t.” She won’t even look at me before she runs away toward the street.

I stand there frozen until a pain surges in my forehead. I want to scream, I want to bash my head in, I want to shake Emme. No one will ever care for her as much as I do. Never. I need her to see that.

I shake my head, trying to clear the chaos of thoughts erupting in my mind.

There’s only one thing I know to do. One thing I can do to get a temporary reprieve from the misery I’m in.

I start to run home.

It takes me less than fifteen minutes to get home, and before I even get there, I already have the first two verses written.

I guess I was kidding myself when I thought that she’d come around. I only got a couple texts from Emme asking if I was okay and saying that she’s so sorry.

She’s basically apologizing for not loving me.

Yeah, I’m really sorry, too.

I start packing up my bag to head home. Emme and I haven’t really spoken since Saturday. Jack and Ben are more than aware that there’s something going on. When Jack made a joke about the tension during lunch on Monday, Emme started to cry and left the table. I think I’ve spoken about five words all week. And those would be “Just leave it alone, Jack.”

But we have a gig tonight and it’s hard to hide from each other in the tiny room backstage.

I dread even the thought of being in any room — big or small — having to look at Emme and pretend that my life hasn’t been shattered into a million little pieces. I force the school’s main door open with so much anger that the windows shake.

“Ethan?” I look over to see Carter reading a book on the steps. “Are you okay?”

He gets up.

“What are you doing here?” I don’t even pretend to be polite. Not that Carter did anything, but I’m so mad right now, I’d take it out on a blind nun.

“I’m meeting Emme….” He stops himself. His head cocks to the side as if he gets what’s going on. “You know this is hard on her, too.”

I hate how he can read people like we are all some open book here for his amusement.

“She’s not the one who is being rejected.” I fold my arms and glare at him.

“It’s not that simple.”

I start to walk away. What does Carter Harrison know about anything? And I guess he’s officially replacing me now? He’s Emme’s new confidant. I wonder if they’re anything else.

My body jerks as Carter grabs my arm. It takes every ounce of self-control to not punch him. “What do you want?”

He returns the hard stare. “Ethan, have you put yourself in Emme’s shoes? I don’t think she’s gotten over how betrayed she was by Sophie. Her best friend for nearly ten years turns out to be a fake who calls her out in front of the entire school. You, Ben, and Jack have been there for her since the begi

“I’d never hurt Emme. I’ve told her that, but she doesn’t believe me. She doesn’t want to hear it.”

“Then do something to make her hear you.”

He drops his grip and walks away.

It pains me to say it, but Carter is right.

I know what I need to do. It’s not like I’ve never done it before. But this time it’s different. Because I can’t lose the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

It’s like old times up onstage with the group. And it’s not that nostalgic feeling you have when reminiscing about the past.

No, I’ve become a mute between songs. I do my best to engage the crowd, but I can’t focus on them. I’ve only got one goal before me and it has nothing to do with the mass of people standing in front of me.

I’ve caught Ben and Emme exchanging knowing looks during the set. They know something is wrong. But neither one of them has any idea how wrong it all is.

We end with “Beat It,” since that’s become our signature song. The four of us take a bow and the others start to walk away. But I don’t move.

I see Emme pause for a second as she steps offstage. But I start to tune my guitar and try not to wuss out.

Because I’m about ready to do the biggest audition of my life.

“Thanks, everybody.” The crowd quiets down. “I’m actually going to do one more number, if that’s okay with you.” They scream. I block out the movement coming from the side of the stage.

I strum the first few chords of the song. “This is a song I wrote this past weekend, and the guys haven’t had a chance to hear it yet.” More applause. “As some of you who are familiar with the band know, a lot of my writing comes from the stupid things I’ve done. And I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve dug my own grave a few times.” There are a few approving screams from the audience. “But sometimes something wonderful comes into your life that forces you to man up. So this song is for that radiant person.”

I refuse to even look at Emme. I already know she’s staring at the floor.

My hands are shaking as I smooth out the piece of paper with the words on it and set it on the floor. It’s a page from the notebook Emme gave me at Christmas.

I start to pick a melody from the guitar and then sing:

There are so many words bottled up inside

They scream out to be released

You’ve cast a spell over me

Been blinded for long, but can now see