-Sophomore-

B-flat (index), C (open), D (index and ring), E-flat (middle and index), F (index), G (open), A (index and middle), and- with the last tiny bit of air I didn’t even know I had left in me- B-flat (index).

My arms fall to my sides, still holding onto the trumpet as I throw my head back and take in a huge breath of air in triumph. B-flat major scale, one whole octave, and it’d only taken three hours of practice!

Yoshi, hearing me from the upstairs-hall outside my room, pushes open the door with her nose.

Yoshi is a Tosa Inu my mom had rescued a few years back. Tosa Inu’s are a rare Japanese breed that grow to be over 100 pounds, hence her name.

I collapse onto my bed and run my hands through my hair. Yoshi gets excited and jumps up into bed with me, resting her head on my lap.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I take it out but don’t recognize the number, so I ignore the call.

A minute later, my phone starts to buzz again.

I pick it up. It’s the same number.

I’m about to decline it when Yoshi looks up and gives me a tilted look. Usually, I don’t answer numbers I don’t know, but, for some reason- well, I was in a good mood after getting that scale down.

“Alright,” I say to her. “I’ll answer it.”

I slide the green arrow. “Hello?”

“Hello?”

“Hi?”

“This is Ken.”

“Oh, hi Ken.”

“Sorry to call you out of the blue.”

“Um, it’s okay. I was just-”

“Have you been practicing?”

“Yeah! I just played an entire b-flat major scale, just like you showed me.”

“Very cool!”

“Yeah… Hey, how did you get my number?”

“You gave it to me! Remember?”

I remember giving him my number a few weeks back and feel like a complete fucking moron.

“Of course! I’m so sorry. I completely forgot.”

“That’s okay! We are having a trumpet sectional next Tuesday. You should be there. We practice for a few hours after school and then go see a movie. What movie do you want to see?”

“Movie? Um- I don’t- I’m not really sure I’m ready to-”

“Oh, that’s okay!”

“No, I mean, I still have a long way to go, and I don’t want to-”

“That’s okay! I only wanted to invite you anyway.”

“Thank you, but I don’t think I’ll be able to come next Tuesday, and I don’t want to-”

“What movie should we see?”

“What movie? Umm… I don’t really know any of the movies out right now.”

“Everybody wants to see Magnificent Seven. I’m the only one wants to go see Blaire Witch.”

“You know what I wanted to see so bad during band camp and never had time to? Is Kubo and the Two Strings still in theaters?”

“I think so. I think I saw it while looking at movie times for Tuesday. You know movies on Tuesday only cost five dollars?”

“Bargain Tuesday.”

“You should go see Kubo Tuesday night…”

“I would, but… I don’t really have anyone to go with…”

“Oh… That’s okay!”

Such a fucking idiot.

Me, not Ken.

I wouldn’t realize it until three weeks later, but Ken, in his own indirect way, had been trying to ask me out.