Elena Sergio.

It was the D-day. The musical day. My make or mar day. And I was going insane. Nothing anyone had previously told me could calm me down now that the main thing had arrived.

Almost all through, I stayed awake, thinking about the kiss Matthew and I had shared after we made up and how Clara and I were now friends. Trying to burn it permanently into my memory. I'd told Megan about it as soon as I got back to my house. Told her how things had played out.

But all that was yesterday. When I was still sane. Composed. At least. As soon as I woke up and remembered I had a presentation to make, I began freaking out.

It was eight pm and the concert had begun. I was shocked at the crowd. On a wild guess, he was sure almost three hundred people were present in the concert hall. I could see my parents sitting in the front row with Karen. They were discussing with each other.

Peeking out from the curtain separating the crew from the crowd, he began to feel nervous once more. It wasn't overthinking this time. This time around, it was a combination of paranoia and stage fright.

I was standing behind the curtain, looking out at a large number of people below the stage when I felt a hand tap my shoulder. Surprised, I jumped, my already rapid heart now pounding hard.

On seeing it was Matthews, I held a hand to my chest and exhaled.

"Jeez, you scared me," I whispered.

"Sorry about that," Matthews said. "I just wanted to say hi."

"Oh," I flushed. "Hey. Um, did you just get here?"

"Get here?" He laughed. "I've been here since five with the other guys, just didn't see you anywhere. I even called you. Check your phone."

"Oh I'm not with my phone at the moment, my parents have it, that's probably how I missed your call," I told him.

"Oh, that's cool," he said. "No problem."

"You sure?" I looked at him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "The concert is starting in five, and I believe you're just as psyched as I am."

Psyched? Yes, I was. Nervous? Just as much as I was psyched.

"You betcha," I said, trying to sound cool and coordinated like I wasn't a mess of nerves inside.

"I believe you're gonna do great out there," Matthew smiled at me. "Remember, there's nothing to worry about."

I returned his smile with a grateful one. "Thanks."

"Anytime," I said.

To take my mind off things for a while, he asked, "So, um, Saturday evening still holds?"

"Uh, about that," I said, "no. I don't think. I'm sorry, but I have somewhere to be tomorrow night."

What? I could almost hear Matthew's thoughts, his heart already doing a slomo sink to the base of his belly.

"Oh," he muttered. "Oh, okay. I mean, if you have something to do then I guess we can, um, reschedule it, right?"

"Ah," I sighed, "no, I'm sorry. I have my Karen's work to focus on."

Matthew's face fell.

"Oh, Karen," he said, "yeah, it's cool. I understand."

Of course, I knew he didn't understand. He wanted to ask her if she was just trying to avoid him, but on second thoughts he kept his question to himself.

"Aw, look at your face," I smiled, "like a sad baby. I'm just messing around with you!"

"What?" He stared at me. "Messing with me? I don't . . . understand."

"I mean, Saturday night still holds! I'm down for it." I beamed.

"So, you were kidding?" Matthew asked, just to be certain.

"Yeah, I was," I chuckled. "And you fell so hard."

Matthew held a hand to his chest. "Jeez, Elena, you almost gave me a heartbreak attack, what the heck?"

At his words, I threw back my head and burst into laughter.

"And now you're laughing, knowing you almost killed me," he chuckled. "Great."

"At least you smiled," I giggled. "I could see the tension on your face regarding the upcoming football match. I helped ease it out."

The match was tomorrow.

Matthew laughed. "A bad, really bad, way to do that but thanks anyway. It helped."

We talked some more before Matthew left to attend to other stuff. Shortly after he left, the gates were shut and the music began with the first few warm-up performances. My heart was a rollercoaster, a spinning wheel, you name it, as I watched the members of the club go up to the stage to play.

The arrangements from the Cinderella movie that had been selected have been organized to be played like an orchestra. That meant everyone that was selected would be playing together with their designated main instrument, me with the piano and others with what they had.

When I was told this earlier, I felt better because then the spotlight wouldn't be on me. That's what I thought until I was informed that since my playing came in first, I'd be the lead starter of the musical.

The uproar and cheers the warm-up performers received, would I receive them too? Would the non-members like my playing like the members of the cub do? All these and more I pondered until it was the turn of the last warm-up performer. Then I began to lose it.

I was going to mess up due to stage fright. Strike a wrong key, play the wrong vocals, and make the entire band go haywire. A big, fat, royal screw-up. If I did that, he could as well forget about my image. I'd become a societal loser. I might even get kicked out of the club.

I needed to find Matthews. Fast. Tell him that even if he didn't play right on stage, I still hoped we could be together.

Throughout the final person before I was playing, I searched for Matt until at the last moment, he found her talking with a guy. Excusing him from the guy, I pulled him to a corner.

"Elena, what's wrong?" Matthews frowned, noticing the mild sweat on my face.

Right then, the announcer called the name of the orchestra band and the suite, and the suite we were to present, the Witches Suite.

"Elena, it's your turn, you have to go," Matthew said to me. "Now!"

"I-I just wanted you to know that even if I . . . don't play well—"

Suddenly, stealing my breath from me, Matthews held my face and kissed me. A soft, warm one. Impulsive yet smooth. And with every second that passed without lips pressed against each other, breaths mingling into one, I felt my nerves calm down and my heart rate goes lower and lower until it was at its normal pace.

After he stepped back from me, I stared at him, a stunned expression on my face.

"Elena, you don't have time for this, okay?" He said, still holding my face. "Others are going and you have to go too."

I blinked, "Y-yeah, I'm going."

"Hurry." He told me. "You can do it. I believe in you."

With his words, "I believe you" the only ones on my mind, I joined others on the stage. Almost immediately an uproar erupted from the crowd, boosting my confidence by a notch. Then the lights dimmed and the spotlight washed over me and then the rest of the band.

I sat down to the piano, all atom of paranoia or doubt erased from my mind, and began playing as I have done back at the rehearsals to the whole of the music team. Every note was struck to perfection. Each one carried to the crowd, my vocals dominant.

My eyes half-closed, I played with gusto, confidence, and concentration, the words, in Matthews' voice, "I believe in you" resounding over and over in my mind. Until I hit the last note and the band members hit their last note. Then I opened my eyes, and the lights went back on.

Immediately, the crowd went into a frenzy of screams, cheering, whooping, and clapping.

"Thank you," a more outgoing member of the band spoke into the microphone, grinning widely. "Thank you very much."

I couldn't believe it. I'd played at the musical and I'd played so well. It was amazing. And it was all because of Matthew. Without him I couldn't have done it, that was for sure.

°°°°

Four hours had passed since Matthews kissed me. After that musicals, I took permission and we went on an impromptu date, to Wonderland, one of the most amazing amusement parks around Belford.

We spent the time cherishing each other's company, as a couple.

And I remembered when someone said I wasn't up to Matthew's league, and I would never be. They said our relationship was pointless because we didn't fit.

But the love was there.

Matthew and I paid deaf ears to all that was said. It wasn't that hard to do so though, judging by the fact that we had school work to keep us busy, and their friends to make silly jokes, like Megan. And besides, there was also a handful of approving people, like Matthews' friend, the one I'd had met the other day.

But now, our time of bliss was up and it had come to an abrupt end. I had to go home as it was getting dark and so did Matthew.

After Matthews dropped me off, I sat in my room, alone, thinking about what would happen after we graduated. After we both left for school. I wasn't sure our relationship would continue. I was only five percent sure of that. That was how bad it was.

I felt down. I didn't want us to be apart so soon. I wished, more than anything, that I could get us more time. Or even if we had to go, that'll he'll promise to keep things as they were in school. Not that he didn't promise that, but it was already evident that our relationship would end after our graduation. Long-distance never really worked.

Shutting the notebook where I'd doodled Matthews' name on the last page, I stood up from my desk and trudged over to my bed, plopping down on it. Then I fell backward onto the bed so my eyes stared at the ceiling, my arms spread out at my sides.

I liked Matthews, and it was true. He liked him too, but due to circumstances, we'd have to be apart. I hoped that even after we broke up, even after we left, we'd still keep in touch. Be best friends.

At least I got to keep my memories with him. I got to remember the first time we kissed, at his house. And every other kiss we'd shared, both brief and passionate. His smile, his voice, his personality. The memory of all that I got to keep with myself.

Right then, my phone, sitting on top of my dresser, rang. Begrudgingly, I reached forward and picked it off my dresser.

Seeing it was Matthews, my heart lurched.

"Hey, babe," he said as soon as I answered the call and put the phone to his ear.

The smile that came to my face whenever I heard his voice, heard him call me 'babe', appeared at once.

"What's up?" I asked, leaning back against the headrest of my bed.

"Nothing much," he told me. "Just thinking about you."

"Oh," I mouthed. "You want me to come along? Come by your house?"

"Uh, I really would've loved that, but I'm already with a couple of my friends."

"Oh, okay," I said, "that's fine."

"So, what are you doing tonight?" He asked.

"Um, basically, staying in?" I thought out loud. "I mean, I doubt I have any other thing to do."

"Well, you will soon!" He exclaimed. "I am taking you out?"

"For real?" My eyebrows shot up.

"Yeah, babe. I'mma spend on you soon," he said, "for all the other times. And for everything in general."

"Aw, that's so sweet," I chuckled. "Saturday then?

"Yes ma'am," Matthews replied.

"Can't wait," I replied truthfully.