You and Me (Plus Everyone In Between Us)

Ezra Thompson Sees No One

In my frumpy white shirt and semi-dress pants I got in the clearance section I'm on top of the world.

The stage lights are bright and hot. The audience is monotone blobby figures in one way. And the addicting thrum of music flows through the air. I'm entranced, even though we've played this song multiple times.

Ms. Ross was as dynamic as ever, and despite flailing around the podium in a way that almost made me cringe, the jazz band and I stayed on the tune to "Watermelon Man".

My fingers danced against the keyboard, up and down the ivory and obsidian keys, making an excellent tune. Despite playing the same melody over again, I got lost in the sonic throes of music.

I sat away from the band, pressing down onto the big grand piano, which took five men and egos, two hours to transport from the music room to the gym. The whole gym was turned into a concert hall, with balloons strung everywhere and other decorations.

Before I even knew it, the song was over.

The concert was over.

Kayden Mulligan, the student representative of our band and second alto sax, takes the stage and concludes our performance with a speech I don't pay attention to.

My eyes are fixated on the vague shapes of the crowd, full of people. Hopefully, it will contain them.

Mom, Dad, Maria, and Emmett should have been here. They were probably sitting closer to the edge of the gym, probably in the accessibility section for Maria.

Everything dispersed, and people soon left the stage to put their instruments away before swirling in jolly glee. My eyes follow the audience. I didn't see my family yet. I couldn't really see anything because this gym was hot and packed.

It was packed because was the last concert of this year.

My last concert in high school.

I suddenly found myself in the hot and stuffy crowd as everyone hugged each other. I didn't have many friends in the band. I could go say goodbye to Kayden Mulligan because she always said 'hi' to me, but that was the extent of our talks.

There was Liam Ellison, the baritone player I had always found a little cute. Maybe I could ask him for his number and start something.

A girl ran up to him suddenly and wrapped him into a hug before smashing her lips onto his like she was trying to swallow him whole.

Never mind. I turned away with a grimace.

Everyone else was just a person to me.

People hugged and cried into each other's arms, telling each other how much they were going to miss each other. It was sickly sweet. I wondered if these people realized they could simply see each other outside of school if they wanted to.

I bet half of these people weren't even going to keep in touch as soon as school was out.

No one cared about anybody like that. Not when friendship could be so fleeting.

How would I know? There's something prickling in my stomach now.

I liked all these people when we played music. I felt a part of something. Now everyone is just a person again.

I considered saying bye to people and feigning tears to blend in with the crowd instead of standing awkwardly, waiting for something to happen. But I only knew Ms. Ross and so many students were hugging her.

I scoped the area for a new mission. Emmett wouldn't be here. If he wasn't studying for all his AP classes, or playing basketball, chances are he was blacked out in someone's basement and would need me to pick him up.

But my parents had never been to any of my concerts. If they weren't working, they were showing up for Emmett's basketball or the million extracurriculars he strategically picked to build a college resume. And because Mom and Dad didn't come, Maria wouldn't come either.

But they said they would be here. It was my last concert of high school, and probably forever if Mom and Dad got their way with the "no music and find a real job" thing.

I searched for them. I searched for Mom's short curls and Dad's fading well... fade. The crowd was still thick, but as the gym cleared out, I hoped to have a better chance.

I ached for my phone instinctively, before realizing it wasn't there because Ms. Ross confiscated them before every concert. I couldn't call them.

I must've walked around the gym five times, eyes on the prowl, but it all settled into me.

They didn't come.

Tears began to fill my eyes, but I quickly took them away. Why would I expect anything less? They needed to work, and they needed to be proud of Emmet all the time.

They probably forgot.

That's all.

It didn't even matter. It was close to eleven, and Ms. Ross told everyone to go home and that we would unpack tomorrow. I went home, and I got my cell phone back.

Why would I expect them to come this time?