To Be One

Chapter 9: The Song

It is a memory lived in an old film reel, a flashback. Some of the lyrics that Glory wrote in her notebook read:

'It’s one of those days

I wanted to go back to you

You still have my heart

I’ll hold you dear

Let me be by your side

On our way back home

If you lead me there

I’ll carry everything that reminds me of you'

It was simple, full of emotions from a teenage girl who missed a very important man of her life, a wistful and enchanting dream. Not with a slightest thing in her mind of what will going to happen. It’s one of those serendipitous days when the sunshine is warm and the breeze could make everyone feel that nothing could go wrong, a rare one. Gloryjane Deveraux woke up in her pajamas as she heard the banging sound of the alarm clock. With a body that is half awake, she stared at it with bored look and put a stop on it, then as she was leafing through her notebook, she read the lyrics that she wrote a long time ago. A smile hinted on her lips and then she looked at the glass window.

“Today is the school's family day, I should prepare now.”

Glory is a graduating student in Alvarez High and like other any students in her league, she wanted to leave a mark on the school where she grew up, a treasure that she could share to the next generations, something that she could be proud of. After minutes of preparing she stood up in front of the mirror, summer is matched on her uniform. The white polo is perfect with its black skirt along with a necktie that is pretty much cuter along with it. One of the reasons why she loved her school is because of its cute uniform though. With a soft honey-colored hair which she wore short and wavy while staring her reflection in the mirror, she suddenly remembered one of her teachers said, 'If you’re beautiful and have a brain and a vȧġɨnȧ, you can own anything.'

However, even she is brimming with confidence, the one thing that she found a big disadvantage is her short height. Like in some situations, it can really be a curse.

Deciding that she is done with everything she went down and said goodbye to her mother. The ray of sunlight feels good along with the blue sky. She started to walk. Like her, there are other people who is on their way on their own destination. She smiled as the whole city seems so good today. She’s walking pass on the loading and unloading area of buses until someone screamed her name. Glory looked back only to see her dearest friend who's running towards her and waving.

The caramel-haired girl stopped in front of her catching her breath.

Pearl stood up straight and looked back at Glory, grinning. "W-What'?"

"Nothing! It’s just that you look different today," Pearl stared at her expectantly, guessing and investigating every inch of her. Glory was almost lost in words, thinking that she just tried to put some cool perfume this morning that she regrets now because of its strong smell. ‘Is it that really something?’ She thought. ‘Sometimes I just don't understand myself.’

“E-Enough Pearl,” she said and together they walked to their school.

"You’re shining like a diamond today!" Glory thought that Pearl is done with the adjectives but not, she rolled her eyes.

"What? I’m just stating the facts," Pearl insist and the other one just laugh at her.

“What? Now you’re laughing, you know what? You’re weird.”

“You’re just funny Pearl.”

They both reached the school and there they already saw Noctis, Yujin and Jade waiting at the main gate. Pearl waved at them and so did Yujin.

The redhead beamed. "A pleasant morning to the most unpleasant woman I ever seen, Glory!" The girl immediately hit him on the head that made the redhead screech. “Ow! It hurts!”

“Hey what about me? How come that only Glory got the greetings?” Pearl pouted staring at the redhead. Yujin, who is rubbing his head looked at Pearl and scanned her from head to toe.

“Oh come on! I know I’m unbelievably gorgeous. There’s no need to be shy Yujin, just say it!”

Yujin stared at her blankly “Actually, there’s no way I could say anything, you’re not even worth it.” And with that Yujin just got another hit, making everyone to laugh at him again.

“Hey! Ow! Ow! Hey! Stop that!” Yujin is running away as Pearl smacked him endlessly, everyone was used to it, the playful banters never stop.

“Poor guy,” Jade whispered to herself while Noctis quietly shook his head.

"It's early in the morning yet all of you guys are already noisy,” Edward just came with the sight of Yujin being a pitiful creature. "Well this is not new. Let’s go we don’t want to miss Janine’s exhibition," the brown head said and they all decided to walk.

The sound of perfect shot from a bow made the audiences clapped their hands. The one who made that shot is a girl whose skin is almost like of a pearl, Janine. She saw from her distance her friends cheering for her and smiled at them.

Janine is a member of the archery team of the school, it was her father who taught that skill to her. When she stepped on high school, she decided to enroll for the archery scholarship and since then she managed to be one of the top and skilled archers, winning several gold medals for various competitions and eventually became a great senior for the newbies.

The exhibition was over and Janine rushed to her friends as soon as she changed back to her uniform. “Thank you for waiting!”

“I was nervous, but thanks,” Janine said then smiled.

“I know this is not my first time watching you but you’re really awesome, right Noctis?” Pearl leaned over to the ravenette.

“Uh.. Yeah..” Noctis leaned back as the other one is very close to his face.

Just as the group were talking, two of the members from the archery team came out from the room. “Hey Janine don’t you forget that we will have our practice tomorrow, the competition for the School Archery League are weeks from now.” The girl with a ponytail said.

“Of course, I’ll see you tomorrow!” Janine turned back. “So what are we going to do for today?”

“We can check the okonomiyaki over there! I heard it tastes good!” Yujin said brightly.

“Food always comes to your mind huh?” Jade reacted and everyone laugh.

The Alvarez High is celebrating its family day and everyone is on the highest feels, it is an occasion not only for the students and their family but also for the citizen to share the fun and smiles. Every place is decorated with colorful papers in a festive theme. Food stalls can be seen everywhere with people holding different kinds of food like bagels and cream cheese. No one will be bored because of the different food stands and showcases that are prepared at every corner of the school.

With that mood of the place, Glory was quietly staring at the happy families, it’s not that she’s jealous or feeling envy, her childhood was idyllic. An extraordinarily and cheerful kid. Her mother was a housewife and her father was a judo instructor, most of the youngsters who became his father's student would respect him for his unbendable belief. “Judo is not for hurting others, but for protecting yourself and those who you love”. Glory as a kid adored her father so much, their summers back then were fun and memorable, she would ask his father to train her too and that would be the best days of her life. Her father treated her like a princess, and with her mother and older sister, nothing could stop her from being happy.

Her mother was crying on the floor, screaming the unbearable pain she was holding. “Dear, your father got into an accident.”

At first, Glory couldn’t understand it, she could not accept everything her mother said that day.

“He’ll never come back.”

Those words echoed the whole room and it spelled out pain.

‘My father is dead?’ Glory thought. And that was the start of her violent days. Their dojo had closed and everything that reminds of her father seemed to be locked and faded in that place. Glory thought she could never do judo again. She couldn’t adjust herself. Neither her sister nor her mother, but life isn’t going to stop there and so as she. She discovered a thing to cling to her rotten self. It was a year after her father’s death when she saw a video of an artist singing a song about a love one who passed away. She was severely moved by that and so she tried to write songs. Her mother tried to find some work and even if it’s not the best offer they could had, her mother became a housekeeper near a big subdivision.

There were times when her mother caught Glory’s passion to music, singing in the middle of the night.

It was in July when Glory received her very first guitar as a gift from her mother and older sister. She thought once that ‘dying of a broken heart’ will forever be her life but she realized she still have the people who is still there for her and time heal wounds.

“Hey!” Yujin’s voice did made Glory to stop remembering the past.

“W-What?”

“Hey it’s on me. There’s no need to worry.”

“You should just enjoy this moment, it’s very rare for Yujin to treat us,” Noctis joined the conversation and teased the redhead.

“Oh yeah? Well at least I’m not a cheap ȧss like you!” Yujin replied.

“Cheap ȧss huh? Say do you remember who paid your electric and water bills last month?” Noctis asked sarcastically.

“You…” Yujin replied with a dull tone.

“Or that time when you don’t have anything to eat?”

“You…”

“And when you don’t have any money to buy your magazines filled with ladies in bikini-“

“Shut up!” That made everyone laugh except Jade who is seriously looking at Yujin. “What?! It’s nothing!” Yujn insisted himself.

*****

“Man! It feels like the school is a theme park,” Yujin spoke while sipping his orange juice.

"Oh shush Yujin, it's better this way. A change of phase is sometimes what we need," Jade replied. Yujin didn’t bother to answer back and took a sip again. A ball hit him on the back that made him to let go of his juice, the redhead was about to yell but then he realized it’s just kids. ‘Ugh this is troublesome’ he thought to himself. He picked up the ball.

“Hey this is yours right?” He said but then the kids just ran away from him.

“What’s with them?”

“Maybe there is something wrong with your face,” Edward said that made the redhead sighed.

“There’s nothing wrong with my face!”

“I know,” Edward laugh at the redhead and tap the guy on his shoulders. Glory was just smiling as they started the endless teasing until she heard a calming voice, she followed where it is coming from, it is from the auditorium. She suddenly felt the rush.

“Guys let’s hurry,” Glory said excitedly. Her footsteps turned into giant leaps, unmindful that she is running towards the auditorium. As she enter, her eyes turned into sparkling glitters, the voice she heard before grew louder and crystal clear, there she saw the music club performing. The people in the room was sitting and quietly listening to the beautiful soprano reverberating but her eyes was set on the strikingly handsome, olive and unruly hair, beautiful silver eyes with a warm smile, it's their classmate and the president of the club, Andrew Floyean.

Everyone had heard of Andrew Floyean. A transferred student from last year and within a short period of time, he managed to achieved things on his own, becoming the music club president is one, he raised the reputation of Alvarez High as he and the club competes on school contests around the city. He was also featured on the school’s newspaper and also a great competitor in academic exams. Students and teachers have high expectations from him as he proved himself in a way nobody knew.

The beautiful voice of Andrew touched every single one and so as Glory who is standing on the side, captivated and imagining herself in a dream singing in front of people. She really wanted to join the club, she wanted to be like them. She wanted to share the music who helped her recover during her darkest times because she firmly believed that someone, somebody, somewhere out there, would understand the pain she went through.

“Awesome!” The whole club ended their song. Applauses can be heard from the audiences, there is Glory with her adoration to the whole club and of course, for Andrew. ‘I really wanted to be in their club,’ she mumbled.

On her way back, there she saw the others who are looking for her. "Have you watched the music club?"

"Unfortunately we didn’t. We entered there," Edward said pointing out a classroom designed as a horror house.

“It was so scary that I can’t stand it, good thing Noctis was there!” Pearl cried out loud and started fantasizing again.

“It was not that scary you know,” Noctis replied and took a sigh. Pearl felt embarrassed after that. They spent the day happily. When Glory reached home she immediately went to her room and picked up her guitar, she started strumming it and sings some melodies, she continued to write the lyrics on her notebook and in one night, she knew it was time.

*****

The next day arrived and it seemed there was no signs of what happened yesterday, students had their usual classes.

Glory is on her way to the library to return some books she borrowed for her class, she walk passed the music club, she has this habit of stopping by and checking what could be the club is doing but surprisingly there is no one. She knew the auditions for the club happened a long time ago but she really wanted to try, the intense urge she was feeling up till now was already overflowing and she couldn’t control it anymore.

“How can I help you?” Glory almost dropped the books she was holding and turned back only to be more surprised as she saw a fellow classmate.

“A-Andrew?! W-What are you doing here?” He's wearing a maroon vest that suited him well, and though he is wearing glasses, a girl's heart could beat one hundred times faster because of him. He was not at all what Glory had expected. There was a completely unexplainable sensation when she’s near with Andrew, for a moment Glory was at a loss for words.

“Well aside that I’m the president of this club, I left some things inside the room,” the olive-head guy smiled warmly. Glory gulped, not only she is insanely nervous because of the guy’s presence but also of what she just decided. ‘This is the perfect timing!' She thought. She could ask Andrew if she could join the club and if he said yes then she can do the audition alone with him. Two birds hit with one stone! She decided.

“W-Would you mind if I try auditioning for the music club?!” She wanted to dig a hole beneath her and hide because of the embarrassment, Andrew stood there for a while and nodded to himself. “Actually I was about to ask you.”

“A-Ask me? Why? H-How?”

“A reliable source came to me and said that you’re actually singing.” He paused. “Glory, do you really sing?” She couldn’t answer, she was thinking who would be the reliable source Andrew mentioned. "I'm looking for new members of the music club also, so if you please?" Andrew didn’t know if he’s source is right because he never heard Glory singing, but something inside his mind telling him to give her a try.

‘No one could say no to that’, Glory thought and then the two of them agreed that she will audition after their class. Before that, She found herself practicing and stretching her voice out, even in the middle of the class, she will try to hum and imagine herself singing in front of Andrew; at least that will be a reality soon. There were times she’ll pretend she’s not melting with the overwhelming heat that rushes inside her body every time the boy will gave her a smile. ‘He should just take my hand and my whole life’ she thought.

After the class Andrew signaled her and she gave a nod, with an understanding it’s time to meet him in the music club room but before that she marched into Jade and the others.

“I’m going to audition.”

Pearl and the others looked at her curiously. “Isn’t that great?! Told you, you should’ve tried. Wouldn’t be great to see you up stage singing, or you joining into local contests that our school hosts? Winning and earning shining trophies and medals or see you together with Andrew? I think I’m going to ship you two.” Pearl said without any pause.

“Relax, I’m not even a member yet,” Glory answer back but quite admitted to what her friend said.

“Aren’t you nervous?” Janine asked.

“Why should I be?” She said confidently. “I waited this for a long time and this will be my last chance to join them.”

“Well there’s nothing wrong with that, just give everything you got,” Edward Noctis and Yujin joined.

“Yeah and after that let’s have a party!” Yujin cheered.

“As long as it will your treat Yuu, there’s no problem,” Noctis teased.

“Thanks guys. I’ll see you tomorrow, I’ll make sure I informed everyone,” with that Glory rushed to the music club room and there she saw Andrew sitting right beside a grand piano.

"Hey.” She felt a little bit awkward but giving it a thought, that was her first time entering the room and she felt that was the place where she belongs. She dropped her bag on a vacant chair and stood there waiting for the olive-head guy to speak. His eyes narrowed.

"Shall we start? What are you going to sing?” As soon the silver orbs of the guy met hers, she felt a different persona from him in the front, she felt she was talking with another person. He wasn’t like the Andrew her classmate. It is Andrew, the music club president.

"Uh sure. I’m going to go with a song that I wrote," she really felt passionately about that idea. Glory thought there’s nothing to worry about singing a song she wrote for the person she love, her father.

“An original huh? Well I have no problem with that, but after that, I’ll give you some notes, so we can check what position should be right for you. Is that okay with you?” Andrew removed his glasses and sit up straight, giving Glory the feeling, he is damn serious and ready to listen to her. He gave a nod.

'Okay that's my cue', she thought. Glory cleared her throat, preparing herself.

'I guess this is how it was going to be in late summer

Where the story ends and there’s nothing I could do

It was like a movie scene, you’re a part of it

They wanted me to go back and watch it

I was so sure it was the time of everything, everything we couldn’t have

The time of resonating land filled my ċhėst

Crestfallen, I wasn’t so sure of it

But I remember

It’s one of those days

I wanted to go back to you

You still have my heart

I’ll hold you dear

Let me be by your side

On our way back home

If you lead me there

I’ll carry everything that reminds me of you'

She wonder if that moment was destined to happen. On that day, Glory joined the music club, it was a bliss of events. Together with the song she wrote, she joined contests, sang it in front of many people, and shared a lot memories with Andrew. Above all, the wounds of the past was completely healed, she was fulfilled by that. But she never thought she will going to cling back to that song, and now for a new wound.

The last part of the song that Glory wrote read:

'It’s one of those days

I wanted to go back with you

He still have my heart

Please hold me dear

Let me be by your side

On our way back home

If you lead me there

Please carry everything that reminds you of me'