Page 5 of Got to be You

“I don’t want you to say anything.” He pats me reassuringly on the shoulder. “I just want you to write a kick-ass song and go and show the world what you’re capable of. Succeed for me.”

Almost immediately, I can feel something happening to me. Inspiration’s flooding through me once more. A song that has been tucked away in the pit of my stomach for weeks comes flooding into my brain, thank God, and I can feel the person I’m supposed to be creeping out once more. Just a little bit, just enough for me to know Icando this. I can pull myself out of this hole if I want to.

Adam is right. This isn’t the full solution, but it helps. It gives me something else to focus on.

“I don’t have any classes at the moment.” Honestly, I don’t know whether that’s the truth or not. I’m too tired to think of my schedule right now, but I don’t want to sit in any classroom. I need to get out there and write. “I think I might go for a drive out of the city. Find somewhere quiet to write. Nature always helps. You know, if that doesn’t make me sound too much like a pretentious asshole.” I laugh. “It probably does.”

It’s the city as well that’s constricting me at the moment, but I guess that’s something I’ll have to get used to as time passes because I’m always going to be in cities if I’m famous… but at least then, I’ll be living my dream, so I won’t need to worry about being miserable.

“Good, I’m glad to help you,” Adam tells me with a smile. “Like I said, I’m always there for you. Even if you do sound like a pretentious asshole, I still put up with you. Just about… for now.”

I’m lucky, I know I am, and that helps to drag me out of the funk a little bit. I’ve a friend who believes in me, I’ve a plan now to make college work for me, and who knows? If I manage to get a song written today, then maybe I’ll even come back this afternoon and finish the essay that sent me into a tailspin. Then I’ll be in areallygood place, free from the pressures of this stress now.

“I’ll be there for you too, if you ever need me,” I reassure him. “I hope you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t be a soppy bastard.” He rolls his eyes and laughs. “Just go and do your thing.”

I grab my car keys and leave before I can even look at my schedule to see what I’m missing. This is my priority right now, this song and this music competition. My eyes are on the prize… not necessarily first prize in the competition, but the prize of playing to a crowd and becoming a better performer.

4

LILLY

“Who is everyone talking about?” Anna asks me as we sit in the canteen of the college together, chewing on our lunch in thoughtful silence as we both half read some of our library books. “I can’t work it out.”

“What do you mean?” I bring my brain back into the room to see what she’s talking about. “Who?”

“I don’t know. Some guy who kicked ass at a music competition in the city and is now playing loads of gigs around the bars. That’s pretty cool, don’t you think? Someone at the same college as us.”

“Oh, yeah?” My eyes nearly pop out of my head in surprise. “Thatispretty cool. I wonder who it is.”

“Let me lean back and have a listen. You just pretend that you’re still talking to me so I don’t look weird.”

I try to do what Anna wants from me, but I end up just laughing along because she looks weird anyway. I don’t know how she thinks that my talking to her would make this any better, butit definitely doesn’t. She looks like she’s trying to eavesdrop on some conversation, which is exactly what she’s doing.

“Nope, I can’t do it.” She shrugs one shoulder at me. “I can’t hear who they’re talking about.”

“Well, I’m sure that it’s hot gossip and we will find out soon enough. Especially if it’s someone from here. People will be talking about it endlessly, won’t they? The name will slip out soon.”

“Whoever it is, we should go and see this person, right?” Anna’s eyes light up in delight. “Support our fellow classmate who is making a success of himself. Plus, we could use a good night out.”

“True.” I nod along. “We have been pretty wrapped up in our studies, haven’t we? We haven’t really blown off any steam since that first night. I guess we could use a night to have some fun.”

At first, I avoided nights out because I didn’t want to run into Jax again. It took every ounce of strength that I had to walk away from him then, and I didn’t think I could do it again, but afterward, I just started to get too busy. My semester here has been a whirlwind, but a really good one. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. It was definitely a good move for me and one that I would definitely make again. The experience has been awesome. So, nights out haven’t been a priority, but now, this one can be. And if it isn’t a night within the college, then there’s a chance that I won’t have to see anyone from the college. Mostly him.

For a while, I was scared that Anna and Adam would start dating and that I would be forced to see Jax all the time and I wouldn’t be able to control myself, but that never really happened. I don’tknow what went on between them, but it fizzled out before it began, so we haven’t crossed paths.

“Anyway, I have to get to class.” Anna jumps up quickly. “But I’ll find out who it is and we will go.”

I’ve a lot to do anyway, so I leave with Anna, but with the idea of a night out in my mind, I know I can get through the next few days of tough work. All the studying will be worth it…

“I know who it is!” I’m shaken from my afternoon nap that I definitely didn’t intend to take but that must have crept up on me at some point, but Anna burst in the room in damn near hysteria. “I know who the guy is and there is a show tonight that wehaveto go and see. It’s going to be awesome.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” I rub my eyes hard. “What guy? What’s happening here?”

“Get up, sleepyhead, this is really exciting news.” She giggles hard. “It’s Jax. You know, the music guy. The one who won the competition and is starting to play everywhere. We’re going to see him.”

“J–Jax?” I stammer back. “He is? That’s really great for him. But I don’t know if I can go.”

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