Page 27 of The Sound of Us

“I’m happy to help in any way I can,” Siobhan said, shooting me a smug, sideways glance that told me her offer wasn’t just coming from the goodness of her heart. Siobhan had managed to convince Noah to appoint her assistant manager even though the station had never had an assistant manager before. Sometimes I wondered if she wanted to take over. She loved the station and had always put in way more than her required volunteer hours, but Noah had been around for twenty-five years, and he’d told me once he intended to be around for twenty-five more.

“Ten hours of what?” My hands curled around the arms of the chair. “I’m not going to sell hot dogs in the quad or march in the homecoming parade waving a WJPK flag. This is my last year, Noah. I need to focus on my grades, or I won’t get into law school.”

“It’s my last year, too,” Siobhan pointed out. “But I’m willing to help out.”

Noah lifted an eyebrow. He didn’t appreciate ass-kissing, even from one of his favorite volunteers. “We need help with volunteers, managing the interns, organizing the library… whatever you want, but I’ll tell you right now, you’re either all in, or I give your show to someone who can make that commitment.”

Every muscle in my body tightened. My show wasn’t just a way to share my love of music and keep my listeners entertained. It was a way of connecting with people and giving them a catharsis for their pain. It was my way of vocalizing the emotions I couldn’t otherwise share. It was my respite, my outlet, the one place I could be me. It was everything.

“You wouldn’t.”

“I absolutely would,” Noah said. “I’ve let you do your own thing long enough. We are a family here at the station and being part of a family means pulling together in times of need.”

“I’m not walking away from the show.”

I won’t abandon you.

Noah had saved me. He’d always been there for me, and never asked anything in return. The station was his life. How could I not return the favor?

“Then you know what you have to do.” Noah smiled. “Welcome back to WJPK.”

CHAPTER TWELVE“Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty and the HeartbreakersSKYE

“You’re just giving up?” Isla’s voice echoed through my now empty bedroom. “You’re not even going to wait to see if Noah calls?”

I zipped up my last suitcase, trying to ignore Isla glaring from the doorway.

“I’m being practical,” I said. “It’s been six days, Iz. I know I messed up on air. I read the story about the drunk driver, and it took me back to my accident and I just lost it. You should have heard my rant.”

“Why didn’t you just explain? I’m sure they would have understood.”

“I didn’t want special treatment. I didn’t accept it during tryouts—”

“Wait.” Her eyes widened. “You were offered special treatment in tryouts?”

“I was offered accommodations because of the accident—they were willing to waive some of the drills because I hadn’t had much time to train—but I turned them down. It wouldn’t have been fair to the team. I wanted to earn my place fairly. I never wanted to worry that someone might take it away.”

“You’re a better person than me,” she said. “When I see an opportunity, I just grab it and deal with the consequences later.”

“I can figure things out when I get back to Denver.” I shoved my team sweatshirt into my carry-on bag. “I’ll work at the local library for a year, save money by living at home, and take the time to focus on training. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get a place on one of the local university DIII teams next year.”

“It won’t be Havencrest,” she said. “What about your dream of becoming a journalist? You could have played for a DI team, and you chose to come here instead.”

My mind turned back to the conversation I’d had with my dad when it was time to choose a college. He’d wanted me to go to the University of Connecticut, which had produced the most players drafted in the WNBA and would give me the best chance of going pro. In an unprecedented act of defiance, I told him I wanted to go to Havencrest. Not only had they offered me a place in their prestigious journalism program, but they had also offered me a full ride. UConn had only offered me a one-year scholarship that I would have to reapply for each year and a place in their English program. Standing my ground had been the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I wasn’t a naturally gifted athlete. I’d had to work damn hard to get to be selected, and chances were high that among the best of the best, I was going to fail. I needed a backup plan, and Havencrest was my best option.

“Skye?” Isla shook my shoulder, pulling me out of the memory. “I think you just need a good night’s sleep and then you’ll realize it’s not over until it’s over. Why don’t I make you a nice warm cup of milk with a little diphenhydramine and doxylamine mixed in?”

“I wasn’t really ready to come back,” I told her. “I still can’t sleep. I have nightmares. I can’t walk properly. I need more time to process and heal.”

My words didn’t ring true, even to myself. I didn’t want to leave. Over the last week, I’d had a tiny taste of an exciting new life that didn’t revolve around the strict training and eating habits required of a top athlete and I wanted more. My days didn’t start at 5:00A.M.and my nights didn’t end at 9:00P.M.I didn’t have to count calories or pounds, measure protein, or take fistfuls ofsupplements. I’d experienced a new side of life, and the longer I stayed, the harder it would be to go.

“I’ll cover your rent.” Isla’s voice wavered. “Or I’ll convert the dining room and take in another roommate. Or I can sleep on the couch, and we can bring in two people.”

“Babe…” My voice broke. Leaving Isla was the hardest part of going home. “You can’t cover everything, and I won’t let you.” I pulled my suitcase out into the hallway. I’d found a last-minute discounted ticket for later that evening and I wanted to be ready to go. “Where’s my phone?”

“Oh. No.” She slapped her forehead with her hand, overexaggerating each word as if she were in a middle school play. “Your phone is lost. You can’t leave. I’ll take your suitcase back to your room.”

“Iz,” I sighed. “Where did you hide it?”

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