Growing Up McGee

The Tragedy - Chapter 15

The next week was still rough, but each day was better than the last. There were still people approaching her in the hallway to offer sympathies, but she handled them well. She had gotten into a routine that worked well for her; she'd go to school, talk to Cormac about her day, do her homework, call a list of people (her Dad, Abby, Emily, Rachel, etc), play the piano/guitar, eat dinner, watch a movie/read a book, and go to sleep. By Friday, the days were getting a little repetitive, but it was refreshing to have a healthy and productive schedule. She could tell that she was making some progress. That weekend, she went to the mall with Emily, Rachel, and a couple other girls and had a great time. Abby told her that she was very impressed with how quickly she was adapting, and her father agreed, even though he didn't sound as enthusiastic about it. She knew that he was happy for her, but she was aware of his fear of her getting too adjusted to this new lifestyle.

Soon enough, it was late September, which brought its own challenges. At first, Monday seemed to be going smoothly, until Mrs. Holland called Morgan to her office after class.

"I know this is really last minute, but I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." Mrs. Holland began.

Morgan sat down, a little worried. "What is it?"

"You know how we're having that showcase tomorrow night?"

Morgan nodded, remembering Mrs. Holland's lecture about it last week. She wanted to show off all the talent Oakville Middle had to offer, so she planned a fall showcase. It was open to anyone that had something to offer, from music to rubix cubes. It was basically a talent show, but Mrs. Holland thought that sounded too cliché and wanted to spice things up.

"Well, I had one girl doing a flute solo, but she had to drop out at the last minute. Apparently, she needed time to 'think about life' but I think she panicked and needed an excuse not to do it."

"What are you going to do? Can you get anyone this close?" Morgan asked.

"That's what I was going to talk to you about." Mrs. Holland said, taking off her glasses. "Look, you're one of the most talented students I have this year, and it would be a shame if I was the only one who knew it."

"So, you want me to fill in." Morgan finished for her.

"Yes," Mrs. Holland confirmed, "and I have total confidence in you. I know you can sing, and I know you play piano and guitar, so I'm guessing that you might already have something up your sleeve."

Morgan sat there, debating on a couple different options. She had a few songs she could play on her guitar and piano, as well as a few she could sing. "I'm sure I can put something together."

"So you'll do it?"

"I'll do my best." Morgan informed her, trying to sound confident.

"You'll do amazing." Mrs. Holland assured her. "There isn't a doubt in my mind."

"Thanks, Mrs. Holland." Morgan responded, standing up. "I have to get to English, but what time is it tomorrow?"

"Starts at 6:00 and ends at 7:45."

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow!" Morgan told her as she walked out the door. As she walked around the corner, she saw Emily and Rachel waiting for her.

"What was that about?" Rachel asked.

"Mrs. Holland needed me to fill in for the showcase tomorrow." Morgan informed her.

"Oooo what are you singing?" Emily asked.

Morgan shrugged. "I'm not sure yet, I'll have to go home and figure it out."

"I'm sure you'll do great." Emily told her, smiling. "I'd better get going, or Mr. Willis is going to yell at me. See ya later!"

"Yeah, I'd better run too." Rachel cut in. "Math is all the way in the basement."

"Alright, I'll call y'all tonight!" Morgan shouted as the girls separated in the hallway. As she turned around to walk to class, she bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry, I didn't..."

It was Max. "Oh, hey Max. Listen, I'm-"

"I have to go." He told her before practically running in the opposite direction. Morgan sighed, understanding why he wouldn't want to talk to her, and walked into English.

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As soon as Morgan got home, she did her homework, which luckily wasn't a lot, and began to think of songs she could perform. She didn't want to learn a new one, so she thought about what she already knew. At first, she was considering just playing something on piano. It was easier and she wouldn't have to sing. However, she knew this was her chance to get out of her comfort zone, so she decided she wanted to sing something, with the help of her guitar.

After a few minutes of going through her playlist, she found the perfect song. It wasn't hard to play since it was pretty much the same chords throughout the whole song and it was in her range. The only drawback was the lyrics. It's not that they were vulgar or suggestive, but they hit close to home. Possibly too close. But, she decided to take the risk, and spent the next couple of hours rehearsing until she felt confident enough to perform it. Just as she put down the guitar, her phone rang. It was her Dad, who she forgot to call once she was finished with homework. Shit.

She answered the phone. "Hey, Dad, sorry I meant to call you a couple hours ago but I got caught up with homework."

"It's okay." McGee told her. "I just got back from a crime scene, so I wouldn't have been able to talk anyway."

"What happened this time?"

"Nothing I can tell you over the phone." McGee informed her.

Morgan sighed. "Right."

"If it makes you feel any better, I definitely won't  tell you anything tomorrow afternoon." He told her, hoping that she was catching what he was throwing.

She was, and she laughed a little bit. That's when it hit her. Tomorrow was her next visit with her Dad. "Oh, shoot."

"What?" McGee asked.

She had totally forgotten about the visit. She started to tell him why she couldn't make it, but stopped herself. If she told him that she was performing tomorrow night, he would most likely come. That usually wouldn't be a problem, but this song was already really heavy for her to be singing, and she didn't want her Dad there just in case something went wrong. Not only that, but she felt an intense need to impress him since she was the only child he had left. If she absolutely sucked, then it would be embarrassing. She had to lie. "I totally forgot, I have a choir rehearsal tomorrow after school."

"What time does it end?" McGee questioned. "If it ends at about 6:00 that would give us a couple hours."

"Um, it ends at 7:45." She told him, realizing how crazy that sounded.

"7:45??"

"Yeah, we have a lot of stuff to go over and Mrs. Holland is hosting a pizza party so we can get to know each other." She lied, hoping that sounded believable. "But I should be free Wednesday, if that works for you."

"Yeah, that's fine." He told her. She could hear him typing on his computer, so she knew he wasn't really concerned. "I have to look at some bank records, so I'll talk to you later. Have fun tomorrow."

"Yeah, I will." Morgan told him, relieved that he wasn't suspicious. "Love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

Morgan let out a sigh of relief. That could have been bad.

That night at dinner, Morgan informed the Fieldings that she was going to the showcase and needed the guitar, but was only playing backup for one of her friends, so they didn't have to show up. They both agreed that it would be fine, but told her to be careful with it. She assured them that she'd take care of the instrument, and went up to her room, rehearsing the song over and over again in her head before she dozed off to sleep.

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Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm trying to decide whether I want to space out the next chapter or post it all at once, but I'll make a decision soon! If you guys liked this chapter, leave a comment or vote! :)