Chapter 86

“All of life is a test.”
—Pittacus Lore, Five’s Betrayal

24 JANUARY 2020

I guess we’re famous. Yesterday morning, Nanette picked me up to run at The Plex. We took it easy so she could talk about how much she enjoyed the performance Wednesday night. It was kind of embarrassing until we pulled into my drive after our workout. She leaned across the bucket seats and kissed me. I’ve had intense kisses from Nanette on a couple of occasions and this was ... different. This was like the kiss from one of my lovers when we just want the other to remember us until the next time we’re together. And I mean REMEMBER! “You’re really special,” she said. Then I got out of the car and went in to shower before Livy picked me up to go to school. She and Rachel take turns with Joan occasionally showing up. Mom doesn’t exactly let me drive her car each day.

Everyone was chattering about the recital at lunch. More embarrassment. A lot of questions were asked about when they could all spend time with Cindy. It’s like they think she’ll be part of our pod now. We just played a recital.

Of course, when we walked into Ms. Devine’s Music Theory class, and she started applauding us, that was really embarrassing. She had Cindy and me come to the front of the class and then showed our last number on the screen from a video she recorded on her cellphone. She suggested that we play my next Sunday concert together and just repeat the program we did together. I said I didn’t have a proper place or way to record the two of us and she offered to unlock the school studio for us. Cindy looked panicked. I just said, “Thank you.”

Nanette was just as friendly this morning when we did our run. It’s almost like she’s become one of us—even though I’m usually the only one she sees. Makes no difference. The kiss we shared this morning left me weak. I really like her. Really. And I know she kisses Livy whenever we all three run together. I just didn’t imagine she’d ever get past my young body to see the real me inside.

But who is the real me? I’m enjoying being sixteen. I’m enjoying my sixteen and seventeen-year-old lovers. I never thought I would when I first got back. Those lovers, though, don’t put a damper on my attraction for Nanette ... or Sophie or Ms. Levy. Ms. Levy ... Donna ... is twenty-seven. Sophie is thirty. Nanette is forty. When I look at them, I see incredibly attractive young women. I guess V1 is good for something.

I’m exhausted and ready for the weekend.

“Did you read the review in yesterday’s newspaper?” Beca asked excitedly when we met for lunch.

“I was so stressed about getting my English paper and Literary Journal caught up, I didn’t even see yesterday’s paper,” I said. “Were they good to Cindy?”

“Oh, yeah. They thought she was wonderful, a prodigy who could play with any symphony. But they mentioned you, too.” I looked at Beca in disbelief.

“Accompanists don’t get mentioned in reviews,” I stated flatly. That isn’t how the music business works.

“Look at this,” she said, holding out the newspaper. She’d circled the last paragraph of the review. “Marvel broke the recital mold when she turned to her partner, Jacob Hopkins, for the ‘Ladeado Tango.’ The encore of ‘Mozart in Hell’ was outstanding. This reviewer is looking forward to the next performance of the duo, Marvel and Hopkins.”

“Her mom will shit a brick,” I breathed. “The last thing she wants is the two of us associated with each other. I mean, she’s the epitome of the stage mom. Her little girl is going places.”

“So are you, Jacob,” Rachel said. “I loved your performance. When can I be with you for a Sunday morning concert?”

“Right away, as far as I’m concerned. But face it, after two years of silence enforced by National Service, I’ll be lucky if I can play anything. I had to practically start over after my accident.”

“It’s another thing that sucks about the Service,” Joan said. “Have you noticed there aren’t any up and coming teen bands putting out music? No one sees any sense in it. Why bother to put together a band and get popular when you’ll just have to take a two-year break at your peak?”

I had to agree. I felt like I could really accomplish something if I charged forward right now. Even as part of a duo with Cindy. But it would be more than three years of silence between the two of us, since I was a year ahead of her. When my Service was over, she’d still have a year or more to go.

“Jacob?” the small voice said as I approached the Music Theory classroom. I turned to find Cindy almost shrinking into a locker behind me.

“Hey, partner,” I said. “Things have been so crazy the past day or so that I don’t think I told you how much I enjoyed working with you on your recital. You are my musical idol.” I could see her blushing but she seemed determined to get something out.

“Um ... Mom said it would be okay,” she said, just above a whisper. Okay, I’m an idiot. The first thing my mind jumped to was Mrs. Marvel emphatically saying that Cindy couldn’t date me. Was that what was suddenly okay?

“Okay?” I said hesitantly. I hadn’t hidden the fact that I had seven girlfriends. I was sure Cindy knew that.

“Okay to do your Sunday morning concert with you if Ms. Devine will let us do it here,” she said.

“Oh! Really? Do you want to do that?”

“She’d be here, too, of course. It’s not like we’d be alone or anything. Not like your other ... um...”

“Of course,” I hurried on. “I’m assuming Ms. Devine would want to be here, too. I mean she kind of has to be to unlock and let us in. I’m just surprised your mom will allow it at all.”

“Oh, Jeez. This is embarrassing. My mom is a fan.”

“Huh?”

“She subscribed to your YouTube channel. I think she just wants to brag to her friends that I played with you.” Mrs. Marvel? I was having a hard time processing this. I hadn’t really paid attention to her but now that I thought about it, she was pretty good looking. Like an older and mature Cindy. She did have a nice smile and... She’s married! Her son is a year older than me and plays on the basketball team. And her other son is about Pey’s age. And her daughter is my...

No. Wait. Shit. Her daughter isn’t my anything. I’m her accompanist. We play music together. And right now, she was looking at me as if she were going to cry.

“Okay,” I said in a hurry as we walked through the music room door. “If you really want to do it, let’s see if Ms. Devine was serious.”

Ms. Devine was serious.

“We’re going to set up the classroom for Cindy and Jacob to play their recital on Sunday morning at ... eight o’clock?” I nodded. “I’ll meet anyone who wants to attend at the west entrance at seven-forty-five. This is not required but you’ll miss out on something if you can’t get up that early Sunday. If either of you have other friends who would like to attend, give them the same message. I’ll let the two of you in to set up at seven-thirty. This is very exciting.”

After a quick consultation with Cindy, I sent a text to Mom. ‘Please don’t return tux. I need it for Sunday concert.’ I could see it hanging in the back of Mom’s Impala since Wednesday night. She just hadn’t had time to go to the mall since then.

Well, I guess I wasn’t going to have Rachel for an intimate concert and a little time in bed Sunday.

“You seem down, lover,” Rachel said. We’d decided to just go out for a burger Friday night and talk. That was one of the things I loved so much about Rachel. Yes, we had the most fantastic sex I’d ever had in my life ... either of them. But we could also spend hours just holding hands and talking about life. I didn’t intend to slight any of our other girlfriends, but it was no secret that Rachel and I had something really special. I never let anything interfere with our Friday night date if I could help it.

“I know,” I said. “I was kind of planning on some special time with you Sunday morning. This other ... It’s easy to get excited about how much people liked our performance, but it seems so futile, you know? I didn’t realize how much National Service could screw up the opportunities that we have. I mean, they’re doing their best to screw up relationships and keep the birth rate down and keep kids from marrying too young and all that. I see a little sense in that just based on the statistics over the past forty years. But there are things that you only get a chance to do when you’re young, like start a garage band or invent a computer or develop Facebook. It seems like just anticipating Service drains the creativity out of people.”

“That’s why we’re putting together an alternative to things like marriage,” Rachel said. “Sophie was a wonderful addition to our pod. Imagine the fact that when the rest of us are graduated and have to start Service, there will still be a safe haven for Brittany who won’t even be eligible to start for three months after graduation. And a year later, it’s where Livy and I will go when we’re out of Service and you still have a year to go.”

“Don’t forget about Em and Joan,” I said. “They’ll be out before any of the rest of us. At least I’ll still be home for a year when Em gets out. But then she’ll have to go through another two years of separation before I get out.”