Letting You Know Read Online Free PDF

for her to do well in her last two years and gain
scholarships to somewhere noteworthy, she'd be joining me that time
around.
    I
couldn't have been happier.
    Quickly,
I became involved in every musical class Bethany was. I asked my
parents for instruments, for lessons, and continued to keep up my
determined quest for Bethany Sommer.
    No
matter what I did, though, I was unable to get closer .
In every class we shared, I'd sit next to her, or behind her, feeling
the distance of a few inches like it was an endless canyon.
    She
knew my name, I could make her smile.
    I
could make her laugh.
    But
I want more, I
thought one day, watching the sun lazily give her hair a soft halo
while she sat in front of the window in English.
    I
want much more.
    The
school year passed incredibly fast. Part of me hated that, knowing
there was a chance I'd see less of Bethany without classes to keep us
together. Her parents had a firm hold on her outside of school. She
hadn't even been allowed to come to my seventeenth birthday party.
    My
chance to cement a closeness with Bethany arrived during our final
semester of our junior year.

    ****

    I
found the flier stuck to my locker, along with every other locker in
the hallway. Frowning, I tugged it free, scanning the cheaply printed
front to better understand what it was.
    This
is... this is perfect.
    Gripping
the paper so hard it crinkled, my legs carried me down the hall
towards where I knew Bethany would be.
    She
was only just settling into her desk in Geometry, her books neatly
arranged. When I slapped the flier down in front of her, she jumped,
startled hard enough that she squeaked. Those blue eyes found me;
confused, sparking with a hint of anger.
    “ What
are you—”
    I
cut her off, leaning in close. “Look at this.”
    Scowling,
Bethany reluctantly stared at the paper, smoothing it to read the
surface. “What, a talent contest? Why did you give me this?”
    “ Well,
you should know what you're entering before you accept the award.”
    She
laughed, the metallic sound of disbelief. The smirk that crawled
across my face made her stop. “You're not kidding, are you?”
    Taking
the flier, I folded it carefully in my fingers, talking as I worked.
“Not at all. We'll be entering this together.”
    “ We?
Both of us?”
    “ That's
the definition of together,” I said, feeling strangely smug.
Inside, there was a part of me bustling with joy, imagining our
inevitable performance before we had even decided on our routine.
    Bethany
shook her head, but her shock was turning to amusement. “What
will we do, if I may ask? You seem to have this all planned out.”
    “Our song. Our win. Our victory speech,” I said, offering
her the flier. I'd folded it into a heart. “I've got it all
planned, yeah.”
    In
that moment, I truly thought I did.
    She
stared at the paper heart, speaking to it more than to me. “Alright.
So you want us to sing together.” Turning it in her palm, she
set it down gently, those curious eyes looking up at me. “So,
what will we be singing?”
    “I was thinking we could shake it up, maybe find a song no one
would expect us to sing,” I shrugged. The bell rang for class,
but I didn't react. “How does that sound?”
    Bethany
flinched, uncomfortably staring around me as she hissed through her
teeth. “That's fine—whatever you want, Deacon. The
teacher is staring at you.”
    “ So
you'll do it, then? For sure?”
    “ Yes!”
She was exasperated, turning red. “It's fine, just go! You
aren't even in this class.”
    Grinning,
I glanced over my shoulder at the frowning professor, still talking
to the blonde girl beside me. “And I can pick the song, right?”
    “Yes, yes! Get out. Please?”
    “ Then
I'll see you tomorrow, in the music room after school.” Before
she could argue, I turned on a heel, striding smoothly out the door,
ignoring the irritated scowl the teacher shot me.
    Though
I was trying to look as calm as possible, my cheeks were beginning to
hurt from