Page 82 of Solo

D: Ugh. That last one was a “blech” for me. No, I swear I didn’t send it.

K: Well who then? That’s a little creepy.

D: OH.

K: Oh, what? Do you know?

D: Yeah I think so.

K: Christ, D, spit it out already!

D: Your dad.

K: What? Are you out of your mind?

D: Who else knows about your crazy candy combo?

D: K? You still there?

K: Yeah, I’m here.

D: You okay?

K: I don’t know. I think hell might’ve just frozen over.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Kate

“I can’t do this,” I say, pacing Russell’s office.

“Hey, what happened to all that self-confidence I saw in your lesson?”

“It’s dead, Russ. Flattened, stomped out. Didn’t you read that article in the local paper?”

He scratches his snowy-white, scruffy stubble and considers me.

“I did.”

Of course he did. Everyone did. The bastards insinuated I’m in total support of my father’s politics because I met him for a “clandestine rendezvous” at the restaurant. They went on to call me a coward and accused me of not attending the town hall because I was afraid of facing my classmates and professors. One guy’s blog actually dared me to stop hiding and make a public statement. To make matters worse, there are pictures of me coming out of the restaurant, head down guiltily. I look like a felon taking the perp walk.

“Hey, Kate! Stop daydreaming and focus,” Russell orders loudly, snapping his fingers in front of my face. “You can’t let this bullshit get to you or you’ll never be a conductor.”

“Yeah, well maybe that’s not looking like such a bad idea right now,” I mutter.

“Uh-uh, not on my watch. Put on your big girl panties and shake it off,” he growls, grabbing my shoulders and giving me a hard shake. “You haven’t done anything wrong. Not a damn thing. So cut the crap and let’s get going before you’re late to your first rehearsal.”

My eyes latch onto his.

“Russ, what do I do if they won’t play for me?”

“They’ll play for you, Kate.”

“But how do you know?”

“Because I know you.”

I’m about to tell him how lame that answer is, but he holds up a finger for me to let him finish.