Page 36 of The Darkest Note

After a second of hesitation, I follow her.

She leads me down the hallway, her steps swift and urgent. I have no idea what’s going on and the secrecy is starting to get to me.

Finally, Miss Jamieson opens the stairwell door for me and gestures for me to walk in first. I pass her by slowly, taking note of her beautiful face.

One of the reasons Miss Jamieson gets the best participation out of all the teachers at Redwood Prep is her immaculate beauty.

She’s got long, spiral curls, dainty, pageant-queen-esque features, and a lean body. Her clothes are always professional but stylish and she isn’t afraid to wear short skirts or funky blazers on campus.

I’ve heard more than a few boys talking about how much they’d like to—ahem—experience her.

When she steps in after me and closes the door, she smiles. “I’m sorry for all the cloak and dagger, but Harry really wanted to see you before he left.”

“Harry?”

“That’s my first name,” Mr. Mulliez says, stepping out of the shadows.

Tears press at the back of my eyes when I hear his voice. “Mr. Mulliez.”

I fly over to him. His hair is messier than usual and his eyes have dark bags beneath them. Despite the obvious weariness, he musters up a smile for me.

I notice the box in his hands. It’s got sheet music, a few awards, and the plaque he hung above the door that says ‘music is the language of the soul’.

The moment I see that box, I know what it means.

Guilt springs its mighty claws and rakes a bloody trail from my throat to my spine. I’ve never experienced a feeling like this before and itsucks.

Mr. Mulliez was the first person who looked out for me, gave me a chance and expected nothing in return. Yet it cost him everything.

“No.” I shake my head. “You did nothing wrong,” I insist. My voice is climbing and the natural reverb in the hallway causes it to bounce back to me. I can hear myself getting more and more unhinged. “You have to stay. You have to fight them. You can’t let them win.”

“Cadence.” He approaches me and stresses my name. “Cadence.It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” I sniff. “I’ll go talk to the principal. I’ll explain everything. They haven’t even gotten my side of the story.”

“I’m not leaving because of you.”

“Yes, you are,” I insist. The world is turning blurry because of the tears that I can’t keep back.

“I’m tired of this school, the politics, the way powerful families think they can control everything.” He shakes his head. “I’ve been considering moving for a long time. I’m just glad I got to leave a gem in Redwood before I did.”

“A gem?”

“You.” His eyes are soft and caring. “I didn’t fight for you to get into Redwood just so you could study here. You have the talent to do music and be successful at it. And all the tools that you need to go far are within these walls.”

“No.” I shake my head. “If they’re kicking you out unfairly then I’ll—”

“Don’t even finish that sentence.” He sticks up a finger. “Besides, your contract has a clause that says you’ll have to pay back for the scholarship and the termination fee. Do you have that kind of cash?”

I blink unsteadily. I’d completely forgotten about those terms. At the time, I thought completing senior year would be easy. I didn’t account for Dutch crashing into my world and trying to burn it to the ground in a week.

Mr. Mulliez glances up. “I asked Miss Jamieson to help me meet you here because I don’t think it’s the best idea to meet in public, whether inside or out of Redwood. After everything, I don’t think it would be proper.”

I lower my head. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He pats my shoulder. “Just… try to stay out of the boys’ way.” Mr. Mulliez pauses. “And don’t make enemies with Jinx.”

“You know about Jinx?”