XPLR | Colby Brock

~94~

The next morning, December 5th, I woke up early enough so I would be able to get ready for rehearsal and school. With the concert in a few days, and Mr. Ling getting more and more anxious about the organ player, I'll probably spend most of the day working on The Phantom of the Opera.

Colby was still asleep in my bed, after he got home last night I only got an hour or so of sleep. I sighed, he'd probably wake up drunk, or so hungover he won't want to drive. And I haven't gotten my car back from the shop when Elena wrecked it yet. I opened my phone once I was ready, and I called for an Uber.

I shook Colby's shoulder a bit, and said gently, "Colby, wake up. I'm leaving for school," I said, kissing his cheek. He groaned a bit and laid on his back so he can face me. "I'll take you," he said softly and sniffed a bit as he sat up. He looked horrible. "I called an Uber," I told him. "Rose!" he whined, "I'm taking you."

I shook my head and stood up, and my phone buzzed, letting me know my Uber is here. "Go back to sleep, he's already here," I said, taking bag and slipping it onto my back. He sighed and laid back, covering his eyes with his hands from the light coming in from his window. "Fine," he said, and he glanced up at me. He reached for my hand, squeezed it, and said, "Bye. I love you."

"I love you too," I said, then leaned down to kiss his cheek gently. He flipped back over as I left the room, and went down stairs. No one else was down stairs, I'm sure Corey went with Sam and Colby, they'll be asleep until long into the afternoon.

I walked down the block to the Uber, I didn't give him their address, to be safe, and I sat right behind him. I didn't say anything as I sat back in my seat and looked out the window. He drove me to the school without another word, which I was thankful for. Sometimes silence is more comfortable that conversation.

He dropped me off at the school, and I thanked him. I looked up towards the school, and my eyes immediately landed on Logan, sitting on a bench and doing something on his phone. Scrolling through some app, with a cigarette in his mouth. It put a bad taste in my mouth, but.. it was kind of hot.

Even if I'm dating Colby, I'm allowed to acknowledge that other guys are attractive, right? Even just to myself? Logan must've saw me walking up out of the corner of his eye. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and grinned. "Good morning, Rose," he said, nodding to the wall next to him for me to stay outside and talk to him. I obliged.

He opened his pack of cigarettes, and offered one to me. "I don't smoke," I said softly and waved his hand off. He rolled his eyes sarcastically and chuckled. "Neither do I, Rose, they're candy," he said. I took it and examined it in my hand, it was candy. A bit skinnier than a cigarette, but it's a stick of sugar, painted to look like a cigarette.

I put it gently to my lips and tasted it, it was an explosion of sweet on my tongue. "Where do you even buy these?" I asked. "There's a drug store next to my apartment, owned by an older couple. They sell a lot of old candy," he said and shrugged, smiling at me. "Expensive as hell, but good, huh?"

I nodded to that and smiled too.

"I made an alteration to the music," he explained, showing me the music. It's nice having someone who likes to talk about music like this with me.

"So, since you're still not getting that entrance, we can let you in early and the rest of us will come a beat behind. It'll sound great, I think, if the others can get it," he explained, showing me the new score. "I didn't know you wrote our score," I said, taking a small nibble off of the sugar cigarette. "I'm a major in music composition. Do you really know nothing about me, Rose?" Logan asked as he nodded for me to finally follow him inside.

"I don't," I said, "but you don't know anything about me."

"You're right. I know you're a great pianist," he said. "If we're going by those standards, then I know you're from New York," I retorted, walking towards my piano. The orchestra was all together, waiting for class to begin, but I noticed that the concert master, Rachel, was missing. As was some of the others from the pit orchestra for Phantom. 

Logan took his guitar from the stand in the back of the room next to the piano, because we always rehearse back there. He rolled his eyes as he looked at me. "What are you going to do about Juilliard?" he asked.

"Why do you care?" I countered, walking towards the elevator so we could go to the practice room with the others. "Because you haven't texted me yet," he said and shrugged, grinning mockingly. I opened my mouth to speak, but Logan waved me off. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Colby, you have a boyfriend. No offense, but even if he moves with you, I doubt he knows how to live in New York City. It's much different from visiting," he said.

I closed my mouth, and leaned back against the elevator door. "I told him. He said I had to make the decision for myself, pretty much... but he wouldn't know what to do if I actually took it."

"So he expects you to stay," he said. "No!" I answered quickly. "Well, you know my standing on it. But I can't make you make a decision. But I can aid you to make your decision quickly. Two days and your decision is due," he sang.

I huffed like a child. "I know..."

Two days, and your decision is due.