The Music Within
fingers hovered over the trackpad heart thumping as she refreshed her inbox for what had to be the hundredth time tha
it app
s Angeles Ac
our Applic
led sharply, then exhaled through her nose,
Maya
Angeles Academy of Music. After careful
rds bl
hen her vision cleared, the rejection would
floor had disappeared from beneath her. A sharp inhale got caught in her
o
how it was s
was her dream. The one she had spent years working toward. The one she had sacri
generic, heartless email
d like it had burned her. She pressed her palms agai
it d
She sniffled, shaking her head as if she could physically reject the rejection. As
settled in her
dn't m
n't goo
han anything else. Not talen
nd. The room felt suffocating-too small, too quiet, too fill
trings absentmindedly, thinking about the songs she would write at the academy. The ones she'd per
t it made her
to fists, nails dig
ted it, thinking it would be some kind of keepsake-and crumpled it in her fist. Then, with a sharp, f
rfe
wiped the back of her
aybe you should have a backup plan. That was what her teachers had said. Even her paren
elieved in he
where tha
mirror. Her reflection stared back at her, hollow-eyed and pale, like a
or jolted her out
ay
in
eks quickly, forcing a
I com
robably make up an excuse, pretend she was f
ark eyes immediately softened when s
posure, but the concern in Shine's expressi
rp, shaky exhale.
words. She just stepped forward
resistance. But then, something inside her cracked, a
lized how much
e circles on her b
I thought..." She shook her head, pressing her forehead a
kno
e in silence fo
nds on Maya's shoulders. "But you
humorless laugh
One stupid decision made by a committee who doesn't
I don't think that
nd I'm telling you right now, you don't n
but the weight on her chest
pled rejection letter, and smoothed it out. Then
sped. "
" She ripped it again, the pieces fluttering
breathy laugh escaped her. It wa
proud of herself. "Se
ting of rejection was still there, deep and raw
y had been her whole plan. Without it, she
d beside her, nudging her shoulder
't alone
t maybe-this w