Freed (Fireproof #1) *discontinued for now*

1

"Ree, can I talk to you, just for a minute?" Professor Jones asked me, when we were allowed to leave. Professor Jones was my singing and English teacher, the singing lessons though was not exactly like normal English lessons. Since I was the only one in the school who got private lessons in singing, which was quite a privilege.

"Of course professor" I answered, and followed him into his office. I had been in his office plenty of times before, and it looked the exact same as always when I visited it, with his desk standing by the wall, the windows behind, the bookcase by the wall facing the desk, and the many posters of different artists from all times.

"I want you to perform at an upcoming charity event" said Professor Jones like it was no big deal, but for me it was. I might be studying music, but I was still extremely shy, and feared performing in front of others, which was also the reason that I was given private lessons. "I know you don't like performing, but if you want to get somewhere you got to get out of your shell" Professor Jones continued sensing my uneasiness "you're practically the only one in this school with full scholarship, and the principal is dying to see what you can do now, I mean, after having lessons here and with the audition for the school. You, my friend, are the most talented girl in this whole school, but no one knows you, no one knows about you're talent" I would thank him for saying that... if it wasn't right now.

"I'm not doing it" I blankly stated, something that didn't seem to surprise Professor Jones, but it probably didn't, he knew me too well.

"Look I didn't want to tell you this, but the principal has been threatening with kicking you out if you didn't soon perform, and two out of the seven songs you perform won't be alone, they will be with another artist from here" I could easily tell my favourite teacher wasn't very happy about it either, but then again it wasn't him that had to perform, it was me.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" I hoped the answer would be that I did have a choice, but I knew that the chance of that was one to a billion, which is to say pretty much non-existing, but a girl can hope right?

"No, I'm sorry, not unless you can start paying or want to be kicked out" I had expected that, never the less it did kill that little hope I had had. It wasn't a very hard decision to make, to be honest there was no real decision. I couldn't lose my scholarship if I wanted to attend college, so I would have to do this. Besides, Professor Jones would be there to help me, and he was one of the few I trusted just a little, there was also my best friend Raelyn, but don't tell her I called her that, she'll have my head, she hates her name just like I hate mine, therefore I'm Ree and she's Rae. The last person I trusted, I trusted completely, it was Jaymi, or Jay as I usually call him, he's my three year older brother.

My curious side got the best of me, and I asked "who is it I'm going to do the duets with?"

"You'll meet them in sixth period today, in studio six" Professor Jones answered,it confused me, was it a band or something? I mean that would be even worse, just as the thought crossed my mind Professor Jones confirmed it.

I knew I wouldn't get anything out of arguing so instead I walked out of the office, needless to say, pissed. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't just Professor Jones I was pissed at, also the principal... and at that moment basically everything and everyone.

At lunch, I met with Rae. We had become friends when we first started college, since none of us are really that outgoing. However, even though we attended that same college, we studied to completely different things. Where I studied music, Rae studied design; she wanted to become a designer like her mother, also because she would have to take over her mother's company when she got older.

"He's making you do what?" Rae asked, as if she had not heard anything of what I had just told her, though I knew she had heard me very well, she was just shocked. "I can't believe it" Rae then stated.