From the Top - Chapter 13

“Thanks for listening to us tonight, folks. Y’all have a good night now,” I said into the microphone as we wrapped up our Sunday night gig at the Blue Ridge.

The scattered applause and whoops from the crowd made me smile as I unplugged my guitar. Even after playing here for several years, with most of the crowd being people who saw us once a week, it still felt good to know that people enjoyed our music.

I waved at and high-fived a few familiar kids from school and regulars as Seth, Lyla, and I made our way through the crowded restaurant towards the kitchen and the back door. Since we were getting back to our school year schedule, we stopped playing at eleven and turned the stage over to Dwight, who had been leading Willie’s band since Willie retired. We left the drum kit on the stage for them to use. A lot of the crowd left when we finished, but not everyone, and we didn’t want to tear down and ruin the rest of the show. It was what we’d done the previous year, and it worked pretty well.

Once we were out back, I said, “Well, that was great. A good way to end the summer shows, I guess.”

“It’s just another show,” Lyla said. “We’re playing here again next week. Don’t act like we’re done.”

“I know,” I nodded. “But it’s kind of the end of any chance that we’re going to tour or anything this summer. I’m sorry I couldn’t make that happen for us. I know I let you guys down.”

“I know you’re doing your best, Charlie,” Lyla said. “None of this is your fault. We all know how hard you’ve worked to get us more gigs.”

Seth nodded in agreement. “Yeah, man, you’ve done everything you could. The label screwed us, and going in we all knew this was going to be hard.”

I sighed and leaned against the side of the building. “I appreciate you guys saying that, but I made you promises I haven’t been able to keep. I told you we’d get off the ground this summer, start touring again, and get everything back to the way it was. Now the summer’s over, and we’re still exactly where we started. I also know you’re both having trouble, struggling to make enough living here and everything, not really able to support yourselves.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Seth said. “Things have been harder than any of us thought they would be. But it wasn’t exactly better before we joined up with you. Marco and I were only able to get gigs like once or twice a month, if we were lucky. And we were living in even worse conditions than I are now, couch surfing and stuff. It’s not glamorous, but at least now we have some steady income. It might not be enough to pay everything, but I, at least, am doing better than I was. Not as good as when we were with MAC, but we knew it was going to take a long time to get back to that.”

“I was struggling just as hard trying to make it on my own too. The odd gigs here and there were barely enough to pay the rent, let alone anything else,” Lyla chimed in. “I know Tabitha talked to you about all this. She told me she tried to get you to shut down the band, and I’m glad you didn’t listen to her, especially since it’s kind of my fault. I may have vented my frustrations to her once or twice, which doesn’t mean I think you’ve messed up or let us down. She just doesn’t really understand what it’s like, trying to make it as a working musician. It’s a hard life for most of us. I don’t think anyone outside of the business really understands what we go through, and I think there are a lot of people who’d be envious of the situation we have right now.”

“I appreciate that,” I said. “But I wanted you to know I’m aware that I haven’t lived up to what I promised. I just wanted to make sure you both know that, if something better comes along for you … I’d understand.”

“Oh please, you know Seth and I are lifers,” Lyla said, waving a hand. “We’d follow you anywhere, playing dive bars, even busking on street corners if we have to. We’ve got your back.”

“What she said,” Seth said. “You’re kinda stuck with us, man.”

“Well, I really appreciate you guys saying all that. Seriously, it means the world to me that you’re sticking by me through this mess. Anyway, we’re still looking for a way to build up a fan base to the west, where MAC can’t mess with us. Nothing concrete yet, but we’re not giving up.”

“Yeah, just keep us posted. Whatever we need to do, we’ll make it work,” Lyla said.

“Okay then,” I said. “I just wanted to check in with you guys and make sure you knew you could get out if you thought you needed to. I don’t want to hold you guys hostage.”

“You’re not,” Seth said. “We want to be here. We’re with you.”

***

Monday was the first day of my senior year, and I was nervous pulling into the school parking lot. For good reason. Considering how the previous year had ended, with everything in my life basically going up in flames, followed by the firing of the principal and vice-principal, there was a huge question mark on how this year would go for me.

Theoretically, today was going to be a fresh start. There was a new principal, and one of the teachers from the previous year, who I never had problems with, had been promoted to vice-principal. I hoped that meant things would be better, who knew. Small towns had long memories, and I had burned a bunch of bridges with lawsuits at the end of the year.

This was also my first year without Hanna or Kat. I had friends here. Part of the lunch group, Cameron, a few others, but it wasn’t the same. My best friends were off at college, and I was still here, by myself.

I grabbed my backpack out of the backseat and headed inside. I was almost starting to feel like things might be back to normal when I pushed through the front door, only to feel a pit drop in my stomach as I almost ran into Mrs. Morgan, who was  standing there. From the way her eyes locked on me, I intuitively knew she’d been waiting for me.

Giving me a look I recognized from my many previous trips to the principal’s office, she said, “Mr. Nelson, our new principal, Dr. Wallace, would like to see you in his office immediately.”

My shoulders slumped. Of course, he did. Because why wouldn’t I get summoned to the principal’s office on the very first day back? It was just like last year all over again.

“Right,” I muttered. “Lead the way, I guess.”

I knew where it was, but she was waiting for me, so she’d be heading back to her desk in the front office anyway. Mrs. Morgan gave a brisk nod and marched off down the hall, her heels clacking against the scuffed linoleum. I trailed glumly behind her, wondering what I could have possibly done to be in trouble already. I hadn’t even made it to homeroom yet.

We reached the main office, and Mrs. Morgan waved me toward the principal’s office. “Go on in. He’s expecting you.”

I knew the way, passing her desk and heading to the office I’d been in and out of so many times before. The door was ajar, so I rapped my knuckles against the frame.

“Come in,” a low voice called.

I stepped inside to see a middle-aged man in a crisp suit sitting behind the large wooden desk. He gave me an appraising look as I hovered uncertainly by the threshold.

“You must be Charlie,” he said. “I’m Dr. Wallace, your new principal. Please, come in and have a seat.”

He gestured to one of the chairs across from him. I sat down, dropping my backpack on the floor with a thud that seemed overly loud in the quiet office. Dr. Wallace just watched me, his hands folded on top of a neat stack of papers. His expression was steady, but not unkind.

“Don’t worry, you’re not in any kind of trouble,” he began, correctly interpreting the expression on my face. “I wanted to speak with you first thing this morning before you went to class. I only recently took over as principal here after the, shall we say, shake-up at the end of last year, and I wanted to make sure we started off on the right foot.”

I’d heard the “right foot” thing before, and it hadn’t ended well.

“I know there were some difficulties between you and certain staff members previously,” Dr. Wallace continued. “In particular, with the administration. While that situation has been taken care of, there were other issues that I thought you should know have also been addressed. Specifically, I know there was a situation with one of the coaches that resulted in legal action.”

I didn’t have to guess who he was talking about. Coach Bryant, after attacking me in front of witnesses, had been hired back by then Vice-principal Packer. I’d managed to avoid him, but he hadn’t been swept out when the vice-principal and principal had been, and he was one of the things I’d been worried about.

Dr. Wallace went on. “I wanted to assure you he is no longer employed here. Before you start worrying, his departure was related to internal district policies, not your … previous involvement with him, but I thought you should know.”

I nodded slowly. Well, that was one less thing to worry about this year, at least.

“However,” he continued, “Your previous difficulties aside, I also want to make it clear that you won’t be receiving any special treatment or exceptions. You’ll be held to the same standards and rules as every other student here. I intend to ensure that things are fair across the board.”

I shifted in my seat, unsure how to respond. On one hand, it was reassuring to hear I wouldn’t be singled out anymore. On the other hand, the “You’ll be treated like everyone else” was often a line that actually meant I would be singled out and treated differently.

“I don’t mean to imply you’ll be under tighter scrutiny than your peers, Charlie,” he clarified, again reading my facial expression. “Simply that you’ll be participating on a level playing field with the rest of the students. No preferential treatment, but also no targeting or unnecessary discipline. I’m aware of certain …outside influences that may have been factors before. I can assure you that will not be happening under my administration.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” I said.

“I know you’ve faced more than your share of obstacles here, Charlie. But I think you have a great deal of potential. I’ve spoken with some of your teachers already, and they described you as mature, responsible, and fully capable of succeeding in whatever you apply yourself to. I expect you to live up to those capabilities. I think if you put in the effort, you will have a really good senior year.”

“I’ll do my best,” I said, and I meant it. I only wanted to be allowed to do my best, win or fail on my own merits.

Dr. Wallace nodded approvingly. “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page. Now, you better head to your first class. I’m rooting for you to succeed, Charlie. Don’t let me down.”

“Uhh, thanks,” I said, grabbing my bag and leaving.

While it was nice to hear, I’d been given a lot of platitudes over the last two years. I was in the ‘trust but verify’ mode. Still, it might be nice to finally have a chance to have a normal year of high school.

I headed down the empty hallway towards my first class, actually looking forward to school for the first time since, maybe since I came to this school, back before that first run-in with Aaron.

I was running a little late, and the halls had already started emptying. They hadn’t given me a hall pass, but most teachers were lenient about tardiness on the first day of school since kids hadn’t figured out their schedules yet. I knew the way to my class, but I wasn’t hurrying. I was thinking about the meeting with Dr. Wallace and hoping that maybe this time it would be different.

Lost in thought, I rounded the corner and found myself face-to-face with Harry Torres. It had been months since the last time I’d seen Harry, back when I was still on the baseball team and we’d had a run-in outside the weight room. Since then, he’d given me a wide berth, which I was more than happy to let him do.

We both froze, staring at each other. Harry’s eyes were cold, his mouth set in a hard line. I’m sure my own didn’t look much different. I hated him just as much as he hated me. Of all the people I wanted to run into on my first day back, Harry was pretty much at the bottom of the list.

I prepared myself for whatever new bullshit Harry was going to throw my way, maybe insults or pushing past me since he’d learned his lesson about what happens when he actually attacks me. Instead, he did the last thing I expected him to do.

He turned around and walked back the way he came without a word. He didn’t exactly run away, but he definitely retreated. I stared after him, completely bewildered. That wasn’t like him at all.

Even when I’d knocked him down, embarrassed him, or gotten him in trouble; he’d always had something to say the next time we ran into each other, even if it was a menacing glare or muttering under his breath. But completely backing down before anything happened? Never.

And he did it in front of witnesses. The halls might have been emptying out, but they weren’t empty. Other kids saw him walk away, and Harry was all about his public image. He’d done wild things guaranteed to end badly in the past, all in the name of saving face. Now, all of a sudden, he was willing to just take the shame.

I actually stood in the spot where we’d run into each other for a full minute, trying to figure out what the hell just happened, not moving until the tardy bell rang, telling me I was late for class.

I got moving again, my mind still spinning through all of the possibilities of what might have happened. Considering the conversation I’d just had with Dr. Wallace, maybe the new administration had something to do with Harry’s weird behavior.

I didn’t think they’d try to make amends for the last two years of BS I’d had to deal with, but Wallace did seem determined to get the school under control. Considering the number of fights that had happened in these hallways, most, I’ll admit involving me, he might have tried to address some of the trouble spots.

He pulled me aside and had a talk with me about his expectations for the coming year, so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that he could have also pulled Harry aside. After Aaron graduated, Harry had promoted himself to the school asshole, so he would have been the first one Dr. Wallace would have talked to … if he was talking to the troublemakers.

There were definitely ways he could have threatened Harry to get him in line. Putting his athletic eligibility at risk would do it, for sure. Or maybe he’d known he was protected from any real consequences by Aaron’s father, and now that Aaron’s father was gone, he knew assault charges were back on the table if he went too far. Since I’d been the one to get rid of Aaron’s father, that might make him hesitant to test things with me again.

Then again, maybe I was reading way too much into a single awkward hallway encounter. Maybe Harry had just been thrown off by seeing me. Caught by surprise or something. After all, it had been months since we’d crossed paths, and I knew from experience he liked an audience when he pulled his macho crap.

I reached my first-period class and put him out of my mind for good. If Harry was willing to stay out of my way, I was willing to let him.