Love does not bring peace
Chapter 10
Tim's breath caught for a second before his pulse began to quicken. Whenever she looked at him and smiled, he felt a rush of delightful energy. But more than that, he felt a deep sense of peace just being near her. It was a strange, steady feeling he didn't expect, but it made him want to keep walking with her forever.
"You know, I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves," she said, her smile lighting up her face again.
Tim returned the grin. "No, we haven't. I'm Tim Praise."
"Tracy Jordan," she replied. "You said you're here for the concert, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"If you don't know anyone here, then who invited you?" she asked, curiosity in her eyes.
"Well," Tim said, "I'm with the band that's playing at the graduation concert."
Her eyes widened with excitement. "Really?"
"Um-hmm," Tim said, a small pride in his voice. "I sing for the band."
"You do? Wow! Have you guys released a CD?"
"I don't think so," he replied with a sheepish grin.
Tracy giggled. "You sound like you don't know much about your band."
Tim felt a little embarrassed. "To be honest, I joined just three days ago…" He quickly explained how he became part of the band. "…so we're kind of new."
Tracy raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I get it. But I hope you're good—because if you're not, we're going to boo you big time."
Tim chuckled. "You know what?"
"What?" she asked, leaning slightly closer.
"You're going to stay for the whole show, right?"
"I wouldn't miss it," she said with a confident smile.
"Okay then," he said, grinning. "If we get booed, I owe you a bottle of wine. But if we don't, you owe me one. Deal?"
"Alright, you've got a bet," she said, nodding. "We'll see who gets the wine. That's when you'll have to prove yourself." She gestured toward a nearby building.
Tracy led him into the auditorium and stopped a few steps inside. "Well, see you later," she said.
"Yeah, and thanks for helping me find this place," Tim said sincerely.
"Don't mention it. We'll call it even," she replied before walking away.
"So that's what kept you," Jax said, teasing as Tim approached the stage. "We were starting to think you'd never make it."
"I—I'm sorry," Tim stammered. "I got a little lost, but she was kind enough to show me the way." He climbed the steps and joined the band on stage, noticing all the instruments were already in place.
"Oh, so she's the school police, is she?" Mary said sarcastically. "I didn't know they came in that form."
Tim felt uncomfortable around Mary's irritation. He thought she was just serious about being on time, but he had no clue she was jealous. Mary had liked him from the moment she heard him sing, and her crush had grown even stronger recently. Seeing another girl get his attention made her feel bitter, and because she has this tendency of being moody, she couldn't help but let it show.
"I hope she gave you her card so you'll know where to find her next time you get lost here," Mary added, her tone tinted with sarcasm.
Tim's heart sank. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he quietly walked to the microphone stand, feeling a mix of guilt and awkwardness.
"Hey, Tim," Jay called as he approached.
Tim turned, bracing himself.
"Look, it's not that we're angry with you," Jax said, slipping an arm around Tim's shoulders. "We were just worried. We thought we might have to start the show without a singer, and you know how awkward that would've been."
Tim's lips curved into a thoughtful smile. Only moments ago, he had made a bet with Tracy about how well the band would perform, and he had no intention of losing it. "I understand, Jax," he said sincerely.
"Good," Jax replied, his energy returning. "We still have some time before the show starts, so let's get comfortable on stage." He released Tim and walked back to his keyboard.
A moment later, Paul stepped closer to Tim. "Hey, can you introduce me to that school police officer?" he whispered. "She looks really fine."
Tim grinned. "Maybe—if you promise to behave yourself."
Paul nodded eagerly. "I'll brush my teeth, comb my hair, and even wear clean underwear."
Tim laughed. "Wait—you don't have clean underwear?"
"Shhh," Paul said quickly. "What people don't know won't hurt them." He laughed along with Tim.
They hadn't rehearsed for long before the auditorium began to fill up. Soon, it was packed. Without a clear break, the rehearsal slid smoothly into the actual performance. Music surged through the hall, loud and alive, carried by roaring instruments and Tim's smooth voice.
Because the transition felt so natural, Tim didn't feel as nervous as he expected when he finally faced the crowd.
They opened with an upbeat, groovy song that pulled people straight onto the dance floor.
As Tim sang, his eyes searched the crowd. Tracy had promised she would come, but he couldn't see her anywhere. The thought troubled him. It would hurt if she arrived after he had already sung the special song, she inspired him to write.
The first song ended with a sharp, dramatic pause. Then the crowd erupted in applause. Tim breathed in deeply, thrilled by the loud cheers. It sounded like the kind of response famous performers received, and he hadn't expected it at all. He turned to his bandmates, smiling with pride.
Mary caught his eye, blinked once, and smiled back. Before the excitement faded, she struck her guitar strings and set the pace for another fast song.
Now fully caught up in the moment, Tim burst into the next pop tune with raw energy when his cue came. His head moved with the beat, his feet stamping in rhythm.
Once again, the band's sound rolled through the room, pushing the crowd back onto the dance floor. Like waves guiding a ship on open water, the rhythm took control—pulling and turning the dancers as one.