She glanced at the hallway but lingered as everybody else bolted out for the day. “What’s up?”
During today’s performance band rehearsal, her fellow musicians surprised Cath with a party to celebrate her early graduation and audition. Despite the friendly gesture, Cath’s jaw clenched, and the tension she’d been carrying in her shoulders seemed to worsen. She’d been more distant than I’d ever seen her, and I worried her nerves were getting the best of her. She needed a last-minute pep talk and reassurance that she had this audition in the bag.
“Tomorrow’s the big day. How are you feeling?” I asked.
“I wish everybody would stop calling it that. It’s not like I’m getting married.”
I blinked back, hurt at her sharp tone. I told myself the jitters made her lash out, and it wasn’t because she wanted nothing to do with me now that she’d bonded with Leo. “You’re right. It’s just another day. No pressure.”
“Right.” She scoffed.
I scratched at my brow, wondering how I kept getting it wrong with her. Maybe playing with The Burnouts in addition to everything else on her plate was too much. Perhaps she was spread too thin. “I just wanted to check in. Make sure you’re okay. It’s probably a lot of pressure to be preparing for college and playing with an actual rock band. If you need to talk?—”
“I’m fine.”
Right. Why would she want to talk to her teacher?
“Leo mention they finished their record? That you’re even going to be credited on a couple of tracks. That’s pretty cool, right?” I reached for anything to get her to connect with me, but she grew further away. I could almost see the shell coming up around her.
She nodded, studying her shoes. The more she retreated, the more desperate I grew. My time as her teacher was coming to an end, and I would never see her again. Except for the few kids who stayed in town after graduation, I rarely heard from former students. I wanted it to be different with Cath.
“Aren’t they going back on the road soon?” I asked, and my voice felt too high.
Cath gripped her backpack and glanced to the side. “Yeah. Problem solved, right? I have to go. I’ll see you at dinner or whatever.”
She left before I could understand what problem she referred to. I had only meant that if she was feeling stressed out, she could talk to me. My impulse was to chase after her and demand we talk things out, but I thought about Leo and what he would suggest.
She needed space and probably a friend to talk to. That wasn’t me.
That evening, Leo and I were going to Cath’s house for dinner. Her parents wanted to thank us for all the help with her audition. Maybe she’d calm down by then. I just wanted to leave campus for the day and try to get out of this funk. I packed up all my belongings and was just about to leave, anxious to sit, even if it was just to drive back to my apartment.
“Miss Mitchell, a word in my office, please.” Principal Pindich stood at the doorway, arms crossed, waiting for me to notice him. At least he’d gotten my name right.
“Right now?” I asked. “I was just on my way out.”
His nostrils flared. “This won’t take long.”
The trepidation I’d felt all morning made my feet leaden as I trailed behind him to his office.
“Have a seat,” he said, already waiting behind his desk.
There was a picture of him from a GVHS game of old, clutching a football and giving that same arrogant grin at the camera. The remembered conversation between Vander and Leo at Christmas had me biting back a smile. Just thinking of Leo allowed me to take a deep breath. There was no reason to assume the worst.
“Tomorrow is all set?” Pin Dick asked as I sat.
“Yep. Miss Hill is subbing my classes. Cath and her parents will meet me up in Knoxville.”
He made a sound of disapproval.
“Is that burnout coming?”
If I called out the insult, he would claim it was a reference to Leo’s former band and not a dig. “Yes. Leo will be going to support his student.”
Not that it was any of his damn business.
I bristled at him questioning me like I hadn’t been planning this for months, like I was just some flighty idiot who was going to wing it on my student’s most important day. Instead of frothing myself up more, I calmly explained how Leo was driving up separately. I didn’t tell him that Leo was taking a van from the charity Triple F to bring his drum kit as a surprise for Cath after her audition. I had several students who had been part of the local charity program started by Ford Rutledge to help teens and were happy to help. Leo had been so excited when he told me about his secret plans, and I couldn’t wait to see Cath’s face when Beatrice and the kids were officially gifted to her.
“She’s been spending a lot of time with that band,” he said with an undercurrent that had my just-smoothed hackles instantly prickling back up.
