Center Stage - Chapter 2

I woke up pretty late on Sunday after a very late night out watching the band that Chef had booked at the Blue Ridge the night before. They had been a straight rock number and were really good. Plus it had been nice to be just a member of the audience for the first time in a long time.

It was late enough that I was honestly shocked to find myself all alone when I finally got up and walked around the house. Kat was still asleep, which maybe wasn’t surprising since she’d been with me at the show, but Mrs. Phillips was nowhere to be found. She didn’t usually show houses on Sunday, so it was a little bit of a surprise to not see her.

I poured myself a mug of coffee and settled onto the couch, trying to figure out what to do with the day. School had just started, so I didn’t really have anything in the way of homework and we didn’t have to be to the Blue Ridge to set up until like four, which left me in the unusual position to have nothing to do.

Well, there was one thing I had been putting off and procrastinating on that I figured I needed to get to eventually. Pulling out my phone, I called Hanna on video chat. We hadn’t spoken since Christmas when everyone had flown out to California to watch me in the finals of The Stage and things over the last few months had been tense, to say the very least.

“Charlie?” Hanna’s face filled the screen. “Everything okay?”

It was a fair question. I usually checked in with her before I called, just to make sure she wasn’t busy, and when I did call out of the blue, it was usually because there was a problem.

“I’m fine. Just wanted to catch up since we haven’t talked in a little while.”

“Ohh, yeah. I guess we haven’t. So what’s going on? How are things?”

“Good actually. Warren’s already got us some gigs booked and interest in more, so it looks like he was right, getting on the show did end the MAC blockade.”

“Really? Charlie, that’s great.”

“I know, but it’s not even the best part. Next month right before the tour starts, I’m going to be on The Late Show with Hayden Brooks.”

“Shut up! You’re not.”

“Swear to God. It’s mostly through the show to put up hype for the show and the tour. Warren says it’s because the Stage is partially done by NBN so it’s in-house. Honestly, I don’t care which. I’m going to be on freaking TV.”

“You already were on TV,” she pointed out.

“It’s not the same, and you know it. I was a competitor on a show, which was cool, but now I get to sit in the same seat movie stars do and get interviewed on like … a real show.”

“Charlie. I … man, I can’t tell you how happy I am for you. It’s really happening.”

“That’s what I said. But, we have time to get excited about it as it gets closer. You stayed to work on a project over the winter break. I want to hear about it.”

“Nah, it’s boring.”

“Bore me.”

“Thanks,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“That’s not what I meant. I mean, I just want to hear what you’ve been up to. We’ve both been so busy, I feel like I don’t know what’s going on anymore.”

“Fine, but I warned you,” she said.

She then launched into a story about her latest business project. I really wasn’t following it all that closely, since it was kind of in the weeds, but that didn’t matter. Her eyes lit up as she talked about it and, her thing with Professor Cross aside, I knew she loved her major and was truly excited to talk about what she was learning. So I did my job. I listened, nodding along and asking questions at the right moments. I wanted her to know we cared about what she cared about.

We talked for almost thirty more minutes before things started to wind down.

After a prolonged silence, she said, “Hey, Charlie? Don’t mention to my mom that we talked, okay?”

“I thought things were going better between you two.”

“We haven’t had a fight, exactly, but things have been … tense. I can tell she’s thinking about everything that’s happened. She might not say anything, but I know she’s judging me about it.”

For a moment, I didn’t say anything. I’d been ignoring the elephant pretty hard for our conversation so far, but that didn’t mean I condoned what she was doing either. I agreed with her mom that this was going to blow up, but I also didn’t want to burn bridges while we waited for it to happen. It was also a strange thing to ask, since she knew I’d agreed to stay neutral and I never mentioned what we talked about to her mother, and would tell her if I was going to.

“You two need to work this out, but I’m not going to get in the middle of it. I promise I won’t say anything.”

“Good. I’m sorry it puts you in a tough place, but I just don’t want to keep fighting with her on it. You know? I get to date who I want to date, and no matter how it’s going with him, I don’t want to be judged for it.”

There it was. She wanted to talk about her relationship, but she wanted me to ask about it. I knew Hanna well enough to know she wouldn’t have just brought it up out of the blue.

I suppressed a sigh and asked, “So how are things going with Professor Cross?”

“Honestly? Not great. He’s been … I don’t know … distant lately.”

“Distant how?”

“Like he’s pulling away from me. We don’t spend as much time together, and when we do, it’s like his mind is somewhere else. I’ll be talking to him and realize he hasn’t heard a word I said.”

I fought back the urge to say I told you so or point out this was probably a good thing. Hanna was an adult, capable of making her own choices, and Professor Cross being a sleazeball wasn’t exactly news. I’d made my thoughts clear already. Repeating them now wouldn’t help anything.

“Any idea why?”

“I think it’s because I haven’t made him enough of a part of my life. You know, outside of school. He wants to go out and do things together, meet my friends, but with this deal I made with Mom … I can’t do that.”

I severely doubted that was the issue, but again, I kept my mouth shut. In my experience, guys like Cross were only interested in one thing, and it wasn’t being introduced to their girlfriend’s friends and family. In fact, that was almost certainly the last thing he’d want.

“It’s not fair, Charlie. I should be able to have my boyfriend over without everyone making it a big deal or changing the subject every time he comes up. I want my mom and Kat and everyone else to accept that our relationship is real and celebrate it. And because they can’t, I might be losing him.”

I tried. I really did. But the third time really was the charm. I don’t know how Hanna managed to delude herself like this, but she was out of her mind if she thought her mom or anyone else accepting her relationship was the reason she was losing his interest. Odds were, he’d found another co-ed to date and was ready to change up again.

“Hanna, I get it. I really do, but you have to accept this is complicated. You’re dating your professor, and that is always going to be something that’s hard to accept. Have you considered that maybe the reason he’s growing distant is he’s … you know … seeing someone else?”

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. For a moment, I thought the call had dropped.

“What do you mean?” she said.

I could hear the anger in her voice.

“I’m just saying, from what I’ve heard, he’s made a habit of this kind of thing. Dating students.”

“And who exactly did you hear that from, Charlie?”

“That’s not important. What I’m trying to say …”

“I know what you’re trying to say. You’re trying to say he doesn’t actually care about me and he’s just using me, and I’m too stupid to understand it. Right? And Kat’s over there, chatting away, telling you whatever gossip she hears that makes me look bad, isn’t she?”

“It’s not like that.”

“The hell it isn’t. Well, you know what? You two can keep your concern to yourselves. I don’t need it, and I sure as hell don’t need friends who go around talking behind my back about how much of an idiot I am.”

“Hanna, wait. I didn’t mean …”

But it was too late. The line went dead as she hung up on me.

I was staring at the phone in my hand, mentally kicking myself for letting that call get out of hand, when Kat came thundering down the steps. She kind of peeked around the banister and, when she saw me sitting by myself on the couch, came the rest of the way down, still in the long t-shirt she slept in.

“Who were you talking to?”

“Hanna,” I said, holding up my phone. “I called her to catch up, since we haven’t really talked since Christmas.”

I think she could hear something in my voice because she asked, “Oh, how’d that go?”

“Not great, actually. I told her about the Nashville gig and being invited on Hayden Brooks, which was fine. But then she asked me not to mention our conversation to her mom because they’re fighting about the professor.”

“Of course they are.”

“Have you talked to her recently? In the last few days?”

“No, not really. I mean, the last time we actually talked was in California. Things got a little ... tense. Hanna was trying really hard to get me to hang out with her and her ‘boyfriend’ when we got back to school,” she said, using air quotes around the word and wrinkling her nose. “I managed to dodge the invitation, but it was awkward. I’ve kind of been avoiding dealing with the whole situation since then. Why?”

“There’s something going on with her and her professor. She seemed, I don’t know, tense. She was definitely looking for sympathy and made some comments about things being difficult between them because her friends and family wouldn’t meet him, offending him or something?”

“That’s some bullshit,” Kat said, her face about summing up what I thought about it.

“Right? I mean, it’s pretty obvious he’s the one who wants to keep things on the down low.”

Kat nodded vigorously. “Exactly. He’s a professor dating a student. There’s no way he wants that getting out. It could ruin his career.”

“That’s what I told her! I said it seems like, from what she was saying, he was seeing someone else and it was kind of a pattern with him. She didn’t take it well, yelled at me, and hung up.”

“Ugh,” Kat groaned, flopping down on the couch beside me. “This is such a mess. I don’t know what she’s thinking.”

“I know. I’m not looking to start a thing with her, and I won’t mention it again, but it’s making it very hard to deal with her.”

“Yeah,” Kat said, kind of letting her voice trail off.

I knew it was hard for her too. Hanna had quickly become her best friend, and Kat was one of the most loyal people I’d ever known. I knew it was eating her up, there being tension there. But there was also nothing we could do about it since actually feeding into the insanity would be worse. 

“So, on a happier topic,” I said, sitting up and shaking off the mood I was about to sink into. “I talked to Warren yesterday about the thing you said on Tuesday, about wanting to be more involved in things.”

Kat perked up. “Yeah? What did he say?”

“Well, he was talking about how we needed to get a better presence online, on social media and stuff, since we’re starting to get more exposure. I guess it’s important once things get to the next level, which the talk show definitely is. He wants someone to manage posting on my accounts, since I’ll be too busy when we’re on tour. I thought maybe you could do it, if you wanted.”

Kat’s eyes lit up and she bounced in her seat a little. “Really? I’d love to! I could totally run your socials.”

“I figured you’d be into it. You’ve always been better at social media and well, everything, than me. Seemed like a good fit.”

“This is perfect. I can do the band accounts too! It’ll be so much fun, and I can make sure everything looks great and really represents you guys well.”

“That’s what I told Warren you’d say. He wasn’t so sure about it at first.”

Kat’s smile faltered. “What? Why not?”

“He didn’t say no, he just felt like there’s a lot on the line and, once you get to a certain level, there’s a lot of liabilities and stuff. Like, if you say the wrong thing you can lose jobs or even get sued. People don’t care when you’re a no one, but once you hit a certain level, you get a target on you. He’s right, but I don’t think that would be a problem with you. Besides, he was talking about hiring someone to post, like, tour dates and stuff. Really dry. I told him you’d be way better at it.”

“Damn right I would be. I know you and the band way better than some random person he’d hire. Plus, hello, I’m literally a college student. I know what works on social media way better than Warren does.”

“Right? He was talking about it like it was some kind of corporate thing, but that’s not what I want. I mean, yeah, my personal account should still be me, but the band account should have some personality too.”

“Exactly! It’s about connecting with the fans. They want to feel like they know you guys.”

“That’s what I was thinking. Which is why I wanted to see if you started posting for the band account and then, when I’m busy or whatever, you could post on my account too.”

“Really? You’d be okay with that?”

“Yeah, I mean, I trust you. And I did some research last night, which is why I didn’t mention it to you yet.”

“Research? On what?”

“On how other bands handle this stuff. Turns out, a lot of them have a second person who posts for the lead singer. They usually sign off with their initials or something, so people know it’s not actually the singer posting.”

“That makes sense. So it’s still active and has personality, but you’re not, like, deceiving anyone.”

“Exactly. I don’t want people to think it’s me posting if it’s not. Can you imagine the backlash if they found out someone was pretending to be me?”

“Yeah, that would be bad.”

“Anyway, I think it would be better for the band and you’d get to be involved. It would be a win-win. And it’s not like I’m going to keep you a secret.”

“Aww,” she said, cuddling up closer to me.

“I mean, can you imagine the kind of street-cred I’ll get for having a hot Olympic gold medal winner as my girlfriend.”

She let go and jumped back from me, a fake frown on her face as she said, “I’ll show you what you’ll get.”

She then leapt at me, fingers going for my ribs. We ended up tumbling to the floor, both in fits of laughter.

Not a bad way to start my Sunday.

***

The next few weeks I just got to be a kid again, for the most part. The Nashville show went amazingly, with a completely packed house. Even better, unlike our previous out of town shows where most of the crowd had just come for the venue, and not the specific band, this time the people there were specifically there to see us play.

It was wild getting the same, or at least similar kind of energy we got from the Blue Ridge but with like six times the number of people. School had started off well and none of my classes were particularly challenging. Coming into the school at sophomore year, I hadn’t gotten to pick my schedule as most of the other kids who’d been in the district their whole lives, but I guess whoever did it three years ago, arranging my progressions of classes, figured that senior year was a busy time, and had taken it easy on me, with half my classes being electives.

My main concern, however, was figuring out how school would work while I was touring. I had gone in to see Dr. Wallace several more times and talked to some of my teachers, and we developed a plan for how it would work, but it all required approval by the school board, who still hadn’t ruled if we’d even be allowed a remote option, let alone they Hybrid model we were planning.

I was in my last period computer science class, which I actually found way more interesting than I’d have thought I would, on a Friday less than two weeks before I was supposed to fly out to California, when I was called out of my last period class just a few minutes before the final bell.

While being called to the office had become so regular for me that all of my teachers acted like it was almost a given, and made comments when I managed to make it a week without going to the office, this time it was different. Instead of going to the office, however, I was told to report to one of the larger English class rooms, where I’d had English my Sophomore year.

It was made clear, at least kind of, when I went into the room and found Dr. Wallace, a few of my teachers including teachers I’d had previous years, and six other adults, who I recognized as being the superintendent of the school district and several of the school board members from my meeting with them at the end of the previous year, after the whole debacle with Vice-Principal Packer and Aaron’s father.

“There you are, Charlie,” Dr. Wallace said, taking me by the arm and leading me inside. “I want to start by thanking you for your patience as we worked through the details of your unique situation. I know it hasn’t been easy, but I assure you, we’ve been doing our best to find a solution that works for everyone.”

I noticed he waited to say the second part until we were right in front of the school board members.

“I understand, Dr. Wallace. I’m just grateful you’re all willing to work with me on this,” I said, trying to sound as humble and cooperative as possible.

I think the board members noticed, too, because the woman I vaguely remembered as being the school board president said, “Charlie, we’re here today because we understand the incredible opportunity you have before you. It’s not every day a student from our district achieves such a high level of success. We want to do what we can to support you, while also ensuring you receive a quality education.”

“Absolutely,” I agreed. “School is still a top priority for me. I don’t want my music career to come at the expense of my education.”

Which was true, although I didn’t mention I would ensure that by getting my GED if they couldn’t make it work.

“And that’s what we’re here to discuss,” Dr. Wallace said. “As you know, we’ve been working on a plan that would allow you to continue your studies while you’re on tour. It’s not a perfect solution, but we believe it’s the best option given the circumstances.”

“What we’re planning is a hybrid model, designed to accommodate Charlie’s unique circumstances while ensuring he receives a comprehensive education. When Charlie is in town, he will attend classes in person, just like any other student. However, when he’s away on tour, he will attend classes remotely.”

“You are aware, Dr. Wallace, that we do not offer remote classes or have enough students available for a remote class. Also, how would that work, since, as you’ve made clear, Charlie would be actively involved in touring, which I assume means his hours will not accommodate being available, even remotely, during the necessary times,” Mr. Jennings, the superintendent, said.

“Yes, I am aware of that, and I am not suggesting a standard, fully remote class designed to simulate a standard classroom environment. What we are proposing is to have each of Charlie’s classes recorded on video, with those recordings sent to Charlie each day, or perhaps at the end of each week. This being a unique situation, I admit there will need to be some flexibility there as we determine what works best. He will be required to watch the videos and complete the assigned homework, the same work his classmates are required to complete, which he will then email back to his teachers.”

“What about quizzes and tests?” another board member asked.

“Quizzes will be allowed to be done remotely on the honor system. Many of our teachers allow take-home quizzes and open-book quizzes, so this should not be a significant departure from that. Tests will still happen in person. Charlie has given us as much of an idea of his schedule as possible, and we do know that he will be returning from time to time, as the tour isn’t fully continuous. We will hold tests back and administer them when Charlie is in town at the first available opportunity.”

“That could lead to a significant backlog of tests,” the school board president, Mrs. Jenkins, said.

“Yes, but that puts additional responsibility on Charlie to prepare for them all, as he will know when he is returning and know which tests are due. This makes it more difficult for him, but knowing Charlie, I am confident he can still achieve in this format. In addition, this is the best way we can ensure the integrity of the testing process.”

“I assume you have already talked to Charlie about this, prior to presenting it to us?” one of the members whose name I didn’t know, asked.

“We have. While waiting for this meeting, Charlie, all of his teachers, and the administrative staff worked together to come up with the best plan we could to ensure both comprehensive education and flexibility.”

“And you’re on board with this plan, Charlie?” The man asked.

“I am.”

“What if the demands of touring and performing prove too much for Charlie to keep up with his studies?” one of the board members asked. “We don’t want to see his grades suffer because of this arrangement.”

“That’s a valid concern,” Dr. Wallace said. “But I assure you, we’ve thought about that. Charlie has demonstrated a remarkable ability to balance his music and his education thus far. Even with the challenges he’s faced over the past semester, he’s maintained good grades and a strong work ethic.”

Mrs. Henderson, one of my previous teachers, spoke up, “I can attest to that. Charlie has always been an engaged and dedicated student in my class. He’s never let his outside commitments interfere with his schoolwork.”

“But this is different,” another board member countered. “He’ll be on the road, in a completely different environment. What if he falls behind?”

“We have a plan in place for that,” Dr. Wallace assured her. “Charlie’s teachers will be monitoring his progress closely. If they notice him starting to struggle, they’ll reach out immediately to provide additional support. We’re also ready to adjust the plan as needed. If it becomes clear that the current arrangement isn’t working, we’ll reevaluate and find a better solution.”

“And what about the other students?” Superintendent Jennings asked. “Won’t they see this as special treatment? We have to be fair to everyone.”

“This is special treatment,” Dr. Wallace said. “But, I would argue we already offer a wide range of special treatment that is not equal student to student. Students in athletics get to miss half, and sometimes entire days of school for away games and state competitions. Choir, Mathletes, and numerous other clubs and extracurriculars with outside competitions are allowed time away from school that students not in those groups do not get. Every student is unique, and it’s our job to find ways to help each of them succeed. I think this continues that tradition, and shows other students that, if they succeed, we will do anything in our power to stand behind them. In addition, I view this as an opportunity for our school. Having a student like Charlie, who has achieved such a high level of success, attending our district is a point of pride. It shows that we’re capable of nurturing and supporting exceptional talent.”

That last point sold them more than anything else Dr. Wallace or anyone else had said. Mrs. Jenkins and Mr. Jennings exchanged a look that suggested they had already considered that option, and made me think that, in spite of the way their questions sounded, they were already considering it.

“Thank you, Charlie,” Dr. Jenkins said. “If you could please step outside for a moment, we need to discuss this further as a board.”

Out in the hall, I leaned against the wall. While I had a strong guess that they’d already decided to let me do it, what did I know? My luck was so all over the place, it seemed completely in line that they would tell me no, and end it at that. It wasn’t the end of the road. I was going to go to the tour one way or another, but the backup plan I’d worked out with Dr. Wallace that included getting my GED. He’d assured me he would help make that happen if the board refused the hybrid model. But I didn’t want it to come to that. Getting my diploma, walking across that stage... it mattered to me. It would have mattered to Mom.

After fifteen minutes I was just about to start climbing the walls when the classroom door opened. Dr. Wallace stuck his head out, his expression unreadable.

“Charlie, could you come back in, please?”

“Charlie, we’ve discussed your situation at length,” Mrs. Jenkins said as I rejoined them. “While this is certainly an unusual request, we recognize the incredible opportunity you have before you. The board has agreed to the proposed partial remote learning option, allowing you to continue your studies while you’re on tour.”

I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

“However,” Mrs. Jenkins continued, “this arrangement comes with strict conditions. You must maintain a high level of academic performance. If your grades slip or your teachers report that you’re not keeping up with your work, we will reevaluate this decision. Do you understand?”

“Yes, absolutely,” I said, nodding vigorously. “I won’t let you down. School is still a top priority for me.”

“We’ll be monitoring your progress closely,” Superintendent Jennings added. “Dr. Wallace and your teachers will be in regular communication with us about your performance.”

“I understand. I’m committed to making this work.”

Another hurdle down. Now I just had to do the tour itself.