Since I can hardly breathe or see or even think, I point my finger at my locker and all the lockers around us.
With their eyebrows furrowed, they turn around to see what has me twisted in a ball of panic.
“Your song?” Addie whispers.
With my breathing still heavy, I nod. “Guys, he has it. Kylenhasit!”
Carly pats my back. “Take a deep breath, Raven. Just breathe.”
I try, but it’s not really working. “What am I going to do?” I say like I’m in a daze. Like this can’t be my life right now. “Did he take it from me? How in heaven’s name does he have it?”
They give me looks like they have no idea. How could he have taken it when I didn’t even come into contact with him that day?
“Do you think he knows you wrote it?” Addie asks with wide eyes. “You said it’s not obvious.”
“I don’t know. I hope not.”
The worst thing would be for him to know the song is about him, especially because he never shared my feelings.
“I wanted the earth to swallow me up before, but I want it even more right now. I can’t show my face. I need to get out of here.”
I turn to make a mad dash to the door, but the bell makes me freeze in place. Right, school. I can’t just ditch.
“Raven, calm down,” Carly says. “If he doesn’t suspect you wrote it, then it’s just a random song he found.”
“But what if he eventually figures it out? I mean, I play guitar, I walk around with my lyrics notebook and folder. Maybe he’s seen me write. Oh my gosh, I can’t believe he read it.” I bury my face in my hands.
Addie, Carly, and Sophie wrap their arms around me.
“It’ll be okay,” Addie says. “Let’s just hope he won’t suspect you wrote it.”
“And who knows?” Carly adds with an encouraging smile. “Maybe he’ll forget about it.”
Hopefully she’s right. Hopefully I am freaking out over nothing.
***
A few days have passed and I’m feeling a little better. The posters have mostly been removed from the lockers because most kids don’t want that stuff on them, and Kylen hasn’t really said anything to anyone about the song. I think Carly is right and he doesn’t care about it anymore.
During lunch, I’m chatting and laughing with my friends and the guys when all of a sudden four boys jog into the dining hall.
It’s Kylen, Beck, Jasper, and Leo. Beck’s banging his drumsticks on a small drum that hangs over his chest, Leo and Jasper are strumming their guitars, and Kylen’s playing guitar while singing a song.
My song.
The one he was supposed to forget.
My heart skips a beat as I listen to his voice. It’s very pretty. And the way he sings the words I wrote, with such care and meaning, it’s like he’s putting his all into the song.
My face feels like a furnace as it dawns on me that every single kid at school is listening to him right now. My failed first romance might as well be broadcasted to the entire world.
Everyone smiles and claps along as he sings, Jasper, Leo, and Beck backing him up. He goes around the tables, belting, smiling, and emphasizing every single word like they each carry their own special message.
This is mortifying. So, so mortifying.
My friends stare at me with wide eyes like they have no idea what’s going on or what to make of it.
Why doesn’t Kylen give up? Why is he so obsessed with this song? There are so many other great songs out there he could have performed.
