They Chose Their Duet, I Chose Freedom

During a group assignment, I'm trying to speak up with my ideas. My boyfriend and our childhood friend are flipping through sheet music, heads down, deep in a heated discussion about ensemble pieces. Halfway through, they finally notice I'm still standing beside them. Reid Sullivan and Aria Merrill glance at the sheet music in my hands and look at me like they don't know what to do with me. "Your fundamentals are way too weak for the ensemble, so don't even bother. Just toss that scrap paper." "Yeah, and you've got such a great eye anyway. Just stick to taking our photos and editing our videos." I grip the sheet music I've spent all night writing while fighting back tears. The three of us are childhood friends. They love music and never run out of things to talk about. I love art, can't carry a tune, and can never get a word in. So, everything I put in just gets brushed off as scrap paper. After class, they fall into step together and head for the practice room without even noticing I'm not trailing behind them like I always do. I crouch in the hallway, staring at nothing. If they don't see any value in me, then I should just leave. So, I wipe my tears and stand up. After tossing the sheet music into the trash, I dial a number. "Cedric, is what you said before still on the table? "I've made up my mind. I'm transferring to the art school and studying abroad." Chapter 1 Madeline's POV Back in the dorm, I couldn't help checking my phone one more time. There wasn't a single message. Even though I knew they probably wouldn't care, my chest still tightened painfully. I turned off the screen and started packing up the music textbooks piled on my desk. My roommate came in from the balcony, looking confused. "You're back early today. Did they go with the sheet music you stayed up all week writing?" "That doesn't matter anymore." I sorted through the books one by one and packed them all into a cardboard box, my mind drifting as I did. Last week in our major class, the professor assigned another group project. Reid Sullivan and Aria Merrill pulled me into their group without a second thought. For some reason, I wanted to try my hand at the ensemble piece. The two of them thought it over, then agreed with a smile, telling me they'd let me join if I could write a flawless arrangement. I was so encouraged I wrote nonstop without taking a break. But the arrangement was shot down before I even had the chance to hand it over. It turned out they'd already picked out the ensemble pieces on their own and just hadn't finalized anything yet. "Then you should have told me sooner! This sheet music is something I—" Aria looped her arm through mine with a guilty look, cutting me off. "We've been in the practice room every day and just got so busy we forgot. It won't happen again, I promise!" Reid added, "That's on me. I forgot to tell you too, so don't blame Aria." It was always the same. No matter what happened, they'd forgotten about me, and then came the apology. I was about to say something else when Aria suddenly started coughing. Reid immediately pulled her into his arms, patting her back to help her breathe. I watched the way he moved on pure instinct, and my hand froze halfway to the water bottle. Then I looked away and handed the water to Aria. "Are you okay? Is it bad?" Aria smiled faintly. "I'm fine, it's just the usual thing. You two don't need to fuss." Reid frowned. "I told you last night it was getting cold and to put on something warmer, but you never listen. Maddie, talk some sense into her. She listens to you more than anyone." I caught Reid's look, then glanced at the way they were pressed close together. Aria had always been frail, so Reid and I took it upon ourselves to look after her growing up. After Reid and I started dating, he made a point of keeping some distance from Aria so I wouldn't read into things. And Aria always made a point of brushing him off, saying things like, "I've got Maddie. What do I need you for?" The way they both put me first used to make me shake my head and smile, completely disarmed. But at some point, this little world of three started running out of room for me. I took a deep breath. "You really should take better care of yourself. Don't make us worry." I turned to head back to my seat, but Reid caught my hand and slipped a heat patch and some Advil into my pocket. He tucked my hair behind my ear and said softly, "You should stay warm too. Your period's coming up soon. "I'll come over every day to rub your back when it does, and you're not allowed to kick me out. Got it?" Part of me wanted to give in to Reid's warmth all over again. It was just that these small moments weren't enough anymore, not nearly enough to outweigh years of built-up disappointment. My phone rang, pulling me back. It was almost time for the next class. When I got to the classroom, Reid and Aria were sitting in the front row with every seat around them taken. Reid saw me and said casually, "There's an open seat in the last row. I saved it for you with a book. "You don't pay attention in class anyway, so just sit in the back and relax on your phone." A heaviness settled in my chest. I lowered my head and walked slowly to the last row to sit down. Up in the front, Reid and Aria were leaning in close, laughing and talking about something. I couldn't hear them, and I didn't want to anymore. Chapter 2 Back in the dorm again, my roommate pointed at the desk. "I put your portfolio out for you. You've really made up your mind about transferring?" I flipped open the portfolio and nodded without a word. Josie Palmer leaned in beside me, following my gaze across the pages. "You're seriously talented. What possessed you to sign up for the music department in the first place?" It was because Aria and Reid both chose music and insisted on bringing me along. So, I gave up the art department and switched to music instead. But I never actually liked it, and learning music theory was miserable. At first, Reid would patiently walk me through things. But eventually he just sighed, clearly losing patience. "You're not cut out for music. It's not like you're going into this field anyway, so just pass your exams and call it good." After that, Reid never helped me again. But I'd walk past the practice room and see him carefully guiding Aria through her lessons. He'd break concepts down for her piece by piece, hold her hands, and show her how to play new songs. With me, he'd just demonstrate a few times and point out what I did wrong. So, his patience depended on who he was giving it to. Three days later, I walked out of the academic building into a downpour. Reid and Aria caught up from behind and handed me an umbrella. "Maddie, the professor says the group materials and video need to be turned in right away. You've got nothing going on, so go submit them for us." I took the umbrella with my eyes lowered. "What if I don't have time?" "Come on, don't be difficult. Aria and I are both busy, and it's not like it'll take you long." Something felt off. "Then where are you two going?" "We're heading to a concert. Just go on back." My heart sank. "Just the two of you?" Aria peeked out from behind Reid, looking sheepish. "We could only get two tickets last month, so we didn't mention it." The excuse was so familiar it made me go numb. "Did you really only manage to get two, or did you only buy two? And that extra ticket you gave me before was just one someone else didn't want, wasn't it?" Aria's face drained of color and her lips trembled, but nothing came out. Reid pulled her behind him and looked at me with open disapproval. "Do you have to put it like that? You don't even care about music, so does it even matter if you had one?" I couldn't stop shaking. I thought about all those days and nights in the practice room, playing the same pieces over and over, crying while I practiced. And in his eyes, none of that counted as caring. "Why would you think I don't care?" I choked out. "Your exam scores are terrible. Isn't that proof enough?" Aria tugged at Reid's sleeve. "Reid, why would you say that to her face!" Then she took my hand and said timidly, "Maddie, he just means you've been spending a lot of time on painting lately. That's all." Reid cut in. "And that is a waste of time." I looked at him and almost laughed at how ridiculous it was. They loved music, so they felt perfectly free to look down on my love for painting. They'd dragged me into their world and then resented me for not keeping up. I wasn't bad at what I did. My talent had even been recognized. But they either couldn't see that or refused to. I yanked my hand free from Aria and faced Reid head-on. "If you think what I love is a waste of time, then let's break up." They both froze. Then Reid let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Using a breakup as a threat, Madeline? When did you get so childish? If you've got time to throw a tantrum, you've got time to go practice." And with that, he took Aria and disappeared into the rain. Chapter 3 On Monday, I submitted my transfer application along with my portfolio. Then I remembered I still had a sketchbook left in the practice room, so I headed over during a free period. The sound of music drifted through the door, and I stopped on instinct. I'd heard it countless times growing up. It was Reid and Aria playing a piano duet. I waited until the piece ended, then pushed the door open with a blank expression. I ignored their surprised looks. "I'm just here for my sketchbook. Keep going." Aria awkwardly turned her face away. Reid stood up and walked to the storage cabinet. "I'll help you look." After some digging, the sketchbook turned up at the very bottom of a forgotten corner, buried under a thick pile of scores. I carefully moved them aside and found the pages covered in coffee stains. Something went off in my head like a bomb, and I gripped the ruined pages so hard my fingers ached. "Why is there coffee all over this?" Aria said quietly, "We didn't have anywhere to put our cups, so we just set them on top of it." The words sent a chill through my entire body, and then a wave of fury hit so hard I could barely see straight. "Do you have any idea what it means to respect someone else's work?" Reid flinched at my outburst, clearly knowing he was in the wrong. "It's just a notebook. I'll buy you a new one." "It's not the same!" Reid got angry too. "How is it not the same?" Aria sensed things spiraling and immediately stepped in front of Reid, ready to defend him. I forced back the pain sharpening in my chest and spoke slowly, deliberately. "My parents never supported me learning to draw. You two were the ones who stood in front of me, backed me without question, and told me I'd make something of myself. But then the people who turned around and put me down were also you." My tears spilled over. "I don't understand how you two became like this. You forget everything so easily; I bet you don't even remember you two are the ones who gave me this sketchbook." Aria opened her mouth to say something, but when she saw the disappointment in my eyes, she slowly pulled her outstretched hand back. Reid's gaze froze, and a flash of panic crossed his face. I didn't have it in me to hear another word from either of them, so I turned and walked out. Two weeks later, the transfer went through. I walked out of the registrar's office and ran straight into Reid. I pretended not to see him and tried to go around, but he caught me from behind and wrapped his arms around me. "I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have said those things. Please stop being mad at me, okay?" I pulled free and turned to face him. When he saw I wasn't leaving, his face lit up, and he held out a bag like a peace offering. "I bought you some art books. You always used to say you liked these." I glanced inside the bag. Every single one was an outdated edition that had been pulled from shelves. Even his attempt at making up felt condescending. If he'd cared at all, he wouldn't have come back with a bag of books nobody else wanted. "I don't need them. Take them back." Reid's hand hung in the air. After an awkward pause, he finally said quietly, "Okay, I'll hold onto them for you. Whenever you want them, just let me know." I didn't respond, so he kept talking on his own. "You haven't been coming to class lately. Are you getting ready for a competition?" I'd been trying to figure out how to explain why I was coming out of the registrar's office, and he'd just handed me the perfect excuse. He took my silence as a yes and looked relieved. "You're still a music student at the end of the day. No matter how much you love painting, you need to take care of your actual major first. "When you come back with a win, Aria and I will take you out for a big dinner." I gave a noncommittal response. Once I was gone, we'd never cross paths again. They could keep their dinner. Chapter 4 Aria took Reid at his word and came to wait for me outside the dorm. I didn't like the way they did things, but I still had more patience for Aria. "What did you need?" Aria was all smiles, chattering away in my ear. "I heard you came around and decided to go compete. That's great news! And the group project from last time? The professor loved our work and gave us a guaranteed spot in the graduate program!" I answered her question with one of my own. "Really? So, does that mean I got one too?" Aria faltered, her face twisting with discomfort. "Reid said the work you did was pretty basic, and your goals aren't really here anyway, so he didn't put your name down. "But when you come back, we'll help you prepare for everything, and then you can just apply on your own. That way we all keep studying together!" I looked at Aria. She kept gesturing as she talked, saying things that were equal parts naive and cruel, each one twisting deeper. "You took my name off, cost me a guaranteed spot, and now you want me to go through the whole application process by myself?" Aria stopped mid-motion, her eyes wide and lost. She stammered for a long time without managing a response. The sun was blazing overhead, but I felt cold inside. "Go home. Let's not meet up unless there's actually something important." Aria panicked. "We're doing this for your own good! If you get in on your own merit, that just proves you're capable, doesn't it?" I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and said flatly, "So, for my own good means taking my name off without permission and deciding my future behind my back? But did either of you ever stop to ask whether that's what I wanted?" Aria looked like she might collapse, her eyes rimming red. She kept shaking her head, still trying to explain herself. I stepped back. "You're not well. You'll get sick staying out in this heat. Just head back." Aria took it as concern, as though I was giving her a graceful exit, and left looking relieved. I watched her walk away, then turned toward the dorm without looking back. Three days later, Cedric Lowell came to pick me up from campus. On the way out, we ran into Emily Hathaway, who used to teach my classes. She looked surprised to see me. "Madeline Lane, right? I'm not mixing up the name?" I smiled and told her she wasn't. Ms. Hathaway gave my shoulder a pat. "I know you've transferred to the art school, and you're not planning to stay. That's alright. Follow the path that feels right for you." I looked up. The afternoon light filtered through the gaps in the leaves and fell across her shoulders. She kept talking for a while longer, and Cedric stood quietly behind us, waiting. I squeezed Ms. Hathaway's hand and thanked her properly. After we said goodbye, Cedric stepped forward and took my suitcase. That same light fell across him now. "What are you smiling about? You look happy." "She said I did well." Cedric glanced over at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You've always done well." I let out a small, surprised laugh, and the last weight I'd been carrying finally lifted. From here on out, nothing was going to stop me from moving forward. Inside the airport terminal, a few unread messages lit up my phone. Every single one was from Reid. I didn't open them. Then I blocked both Reid and Aria on everything. The boarding announcement came over the speakers. I stood up and walked toward my future without looking back.