Jax snorted with laughter. “So, true. And speak for yourself, I need the study hall to study. I don’t use it as social hour like you do and I’m actually applying my agriculture science to real life as we speak,” he said smugly. “I’m helping Remy with his greenhouses, so he can have a true farm to table restaurant at his new joint. That way if I don’t make it to the NFL, I’ll just start working with Remy, maybe become part owner someday.”
Jemmy pouted. “Why hasn’t Remy asked me to help him yet? Drake helped him with a new menu and you’re helping with the greenhouses and I’m just finding out about it now.”
Jax shrugged, “You never asked. You know Remy, he’s not going to ask unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
“Speaking of Remy,” I interrupted. “He left the other day abruptly and I don’t believe it had everything to do with his water main issue.”
Jax shifted uncomfortably. “Remy didn’t have the greatest life growing up, much like you. He’s still fighting his demons. Sometimes he just disappears when he has a trigger. We just let him be, he’ll come back around…eventually.”
I knew he wasn’t going to elaborate any further.
The bell rang and Jemmy blew me a kiss and wished me luck. Jax planted a sweet kiss on the corner of my mouth. “Good luck, honey.”
I made my way to the trolley, trying to calm my nerves once more.
I was surprised, to say the least, when I saw Will waiting for me on the steps leading up to the college music building.
“Hi,” I said with surprise.
He gave me a gentle smile. “You really didn’t think you’d attend the auditions by yourself, did you?”
I nodded sheepishly.
He linked my arm through his when I got to the top of the steps. “You’re part of the family now. One of us had to be here.”
“Make that two,” a deep, husky voice said from behind us.
I turned, surprised to see Jace making his way up the steps.
“Hey,” I said a bit shyly. “Don’t you have school today?”
He grinned and nodded. “I had some personal time. I figured I would take half of the day off and make sure I was here for your big day.”
“What happens if they don’t like it?” I asked pensively. “I can always do a piece by Mozart or Beethoven.”
“No,” Jace and Will said simultaneously. “This is the piece you need to do,” Jace added.
“I agree,” Will said firmly. “I had my reservations at first when you said you wanted to do an original, but after hearing the song last night, it’s…sublime.”
He handed me some papers that I hadn’t even seen in his hands. I looked at them and saw it was my music. It looked professional. It was actual sheet music, complete with my name and the title of my song.
I looked in surprise at him. “How?”
He grinned at me. “You left the original on the piano. I took it and put it in a music program and it did the rest.”
I felt tears well in my eyes. He had already done so much for me.
“Well, we should be getting in,” Jace said gruffly, patting my back. Knowing I needed a distraction and time to recover.
As we entered the music building, I could hear music everywhere. Even through the doors, I could hear the pianos, guitars, cellos, flutes, harps, violins, and so much more. I stopped and took it all in. This is where I belonged. This is where I wanted to be. I hoped and prayed that this is where I would begin my music classes, come tomorrow.
Will had already informed me that I would know their decision by lunch. Either I was accepted, or I was not, it was that cut and dry. They generally emailed you the results. They had already given me a school email address and I had downloaded it to my phone. Will told me that he and/or Jace were generally on the board for any prospective students, but they had excused themselves due to conflict of interest.
Their music program was truly a music program. It wasn’t a guise to help train gifted students as the high school or middle school was. This was an actual school for anybody that qualified to get in the program. Not to say there weren’t any gifted students in the program, but we were grossly outnumbered compared to the middle school and high school.
Students that attended here paid a ludicrous amount of money to get accepted to it. Although, some promising students couldn’t afford to be here, they received a scholarship. They boasted of some of the greatest teachers in the entire world.
I could hear the click of my shoes on the floor as we walked to the auditorium. Several times a year concerts were held here. It was another way to bring in revenue for the school. Knightstown Music Conservatoire had put themselves on the map and the last few years they had grown exponentially.