I sat in css with my earbuds quietly listening to music. There’s something therapeutic about ignoring your biology teacher’s lecture as she continues to go on about “algebra” and “” uh– I don’t know, actually. What are we even learning? Well, who cares. I’m only here to yap with my friends, I doubt I’ll use any of this in high school.

  “Ugh, these song choices” I need new songs. Over 50 thousand streams on a single song alone— what an insane number.

  “Fiona!”

  An unstoppable force crashed into a very movable object– that being the teacher’s fist as she shattered my desk into a bajillion pieces. My teacher loomed over me, giving me that signature 1000-yard stare.

  “Earbuds.”

  “S- sorry…”

  “No. Give me your earbuds.”

  So I passively handed her my earbuds. She closed her hands and sprinkled the remainder on my p. She just grinded them to literal dust. Holy sh—

  “Stay after css.”

  “Y- Yes, ma’am…!” I unnaturally stood at attention.

  ***

  After the teacher info dumped me about how I was ruining my future and bh bh bh, it was after school. My bestest buddy in the whole wide world and I basically owned this empty cssroom with a bunch of windows, and we just sat there in silence listening to music and staring into the wilderness. This time, of course, I cked certain head gear.

  “No headphones?”

  “Grinded to dust…”

  “What? Did the English teacher do that?”

  Oh, that was English css? I coulda swore we were learning about Martin Luther. Y’know, the Italian soccer guy.

  “It’s whatever. Plus, I can’t find anything new to listen to. I’m kinda fatigued.”

  She looked over at me with her pretty pink eyes and scooted closer to me. She offered me one of her headphones, which made my heart unintentionally skip a beat. These were wired headphones, so like, isn’t this mad romantic? Kinda weird! But! Completely normal! Yes, yes, completely normal.

  I took her up on the deal and noticed just how pretty her nails were. Held against her hair, you could easily mistake them for gaxies in the night sky.

  “What’cha listenin’ to, Camellia~?” I jokingly asked as I leaned shoulder to shoulder with her.

  “Well, I’ve heard about this artist from Japan… I’ve been listening to her religiously for, like, a week straight.”

  “Hmm? That good? Well, I trust your taste in music.”

  She nodded and tapped py on the phone. My ears were assaulted by… a rather calm and soothing voice. It was like she was singing me a lulby. But it was also so… yearning? Like she was reaching for the stars, yet all of them slipped through her hands, no matter what she did to grasp them. I had no idea what this singer was saying, no idea what this song was about, but at the same time, I understood everything. She was breaking down nguage barriers through sheer emotion.

  “F- Fiona?! You’re crying? Was it that bad?! Did I murder your poor ears?! Fiona!!”

  Camellia took me by the shoulders and started shaking me rapidly. The world was jumping all over the pce, then started spinning.

  “Wha—?! Ca- Camellia! Chill! I’m okay!”

  “Then why are you crying?! You’re not hurt, right? I’m sorry, I won’t py any more music!!”

  She started balling her eyes out. The room started to flood. Holy crap.

  “Y- You got the wrong idea! I totally love it!”

  Camellia looked up to me with tears overflowing and stuttered a “R- Really?” in broken English.

  “Yeah! That artist really resonated with me! I have no idea what she was saying, but like…”

  “It was like she was speaking right to your soul, right?!”

  She immediately repced all the tears on her face with glitter, sparkles, and excitement. Talk about a complete 180, girl… But she had a point. It was less my ears listening and more my soul grooving.

  “Yeah, yeah! I’m kinda hooked! I need more!”

  “Right, right?!?!”

  We proceeded to listen to more songs for the next hour before it was finally time for us to go home. I waved goodbye to her as I got in my mama’s car.

  “Oi. Sit up front, I’m not your chauffeur.”

  “Aw c’mon, make a girl feel special, mama!”

  “Fiona. Front. Now.”

  “Yes, ma’am…”

  Once I got home, I y in my bed, staring at the ceiling with new headphones in. The world was warm and cold with silence and music. How amazing this flurry of emotion was.

  ***

  I also just realized— I graduated middle school just now and it felt like a footnote. Praise me!!!! Praise me praise me praise me praise me!!!!