Page 51 of Something Like Summer
Ben browsed the new text,eyes growing wider by the second.
“I hope you’re not mad,”Allison said. “I told him everything, and it just fell into place.What do you think?”
Ben features set withdetermination. “If they’re willing to play it, I’ll singit.”
They spent the eveningpracticing the new lines, Ben’s emotions growing with every word hesang. They carried him through to the next day, when his nervesstarted playing up at the idea of performing in front of the entireschool. The gymnasium, usually separated by a folding wall betweenthe girls and boys sides, had been opened. The bleachers were movedto the far wall, opposite the stage on the other end. Students werestuffed into every available inch, the bleachers groaning undertheir weight and the floor lost beneath a mass ofbodies.
Ben felt like he was goingto pass out. Luckily they weren’t the first act on stage.Cheerleaders performed coordinated dance moves to the latest andmost dreadful pop songs. Band kids played different instruments,some more successfully than others, and a handful of choir studentsattempted to sing against the constant chattering ofstudents.
Then there were the dramaclass kids performing small scenes and skits. The most notable ofthese was two guys dressed as Mario and Luigi who squattedrepeatedly while making farting noises to the video game themesong, taking breaks only to hit each other with large inflatablemallets. This was particularly popular with everyone.
Finally it was their turn.As Ebony and Ivory set up their instruments on stage, Ben’s braveryreturned. No matter what the school thought of him and what he wasabout to sing, he was among friends. Allison, of course, but Ronnietoo, who had been so sympathetic with his song writing. Leon hadalways been a comforting presence to Ben, and even the drummer wassomeone he knew. Craig smiled at Ben and showed off by twirling adrumstick.
Ben turned back to theaudience, to a room full of strangers, but he felt strong. Ronniestruck the first chord and the song began. The instruments wereloud enough to drown out the audience’s voices. Every single personin the room was forced to listen. Just before their first line, Bensaw him. Five rows back and surrounded by his false friends was TimWyman. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as Ben andAllison sang.
“I spotted you, crestingwave upon a distant sea,
a moon of perfect splendorset high above the trees.”
Tim’s eyes grew wide, as ifBen were about to single him out, but Ben and Allison began todance around each other to enact the next line and Tim was lost tohis sight.
“Hopeless I pursued,hungry shadow chasing light,
You ran, I stumbled, untilsomehow we took flight.”
Ben and Allison turned toface each other, and he could see that she had spotted Tim as well.Her eyes asked Ben if he was okay and he nodded before they sangthe next verse.
“So proud to be near you,I found warmth beneath your wing,
But you only covered me sothey couldn’t see a thing.”
Allison and Ben retreatedto the back of the stage as Ronnie and Leon stepped forward,tearing up the stage with the instrumental bridge. They had most ofthe audience’s attention, the music too loud for theirconversations to continue. Ben scanned the crowd until he found Timagain.
“Sing the rest of it tohim,” Allison shouted in his ear.
Why not? As they returnedto the front of the stage, Ben opened the floodgates.
“All those traits Idreamed were you, I found inside of me,
The bravery and beauty,that you’re too blind to see.”
Tim shifted under Ben’sgaze, and for a moment it looked as though he was going to turnaway, but he couldn’t. Maybe he didn’t want to appear obvious ormaybe he simply had to hear what Ben had to say. Either way, hecouldn’t leave.
“The wave I once knew hascrashed, wet thunder come undone,
The hollow light of yourmoon, glitter stolen from the sun.”
Ben felt Allison’s hand onhis shoulder, and he understood. The last verse was his. She wasletting him sing it alone. In that moment, Ben was convinced thathe and Tim were alone, that they were the last two souls in theworld. And Ben still loved him, but more than that, he was hurt andangry.
“There’s a coward and afool, and both of them are you,
My heart is cracked andbroken, but yours is frozen through.”
As the song ended, judgmentwas cast simultaneously in thousands of minds. Some applauded whileothers were just glad to be able to socialize again, but there wasenough clapping that Allison rushed back to Ben’s side, took hishand and raised it. Tim was momentarily forgotten as they bowedtogether and made their exit.
Ben didn’t look back. Hewas through chasing someone who lived a lie. Off to the side of thestage, a group of teachers took notes, acting as judges. Ms. Hugheswas one of them, and when her eyes met Ben’s, there wasunderstanding there. Love isn’t meant to be hidden away. Life istoo short for shame.
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