BOUNDARIES

One

The early fall day dawned bright without a single hint of a cloud. The trees waved their branches, eager to show off their full foliage before the leaves changed colors and fell to the ground.

In Carlon City, the traffic was beginning to clog the streets; car horns honking, exhaust choking the air. Pedestrians strode down the sidewalks, soaking up the last warm days before fall and winter stole the pleasant weather.

School children woke, ate breakfast, and dressed in new clothes before grabbing their backpacks full of brand new notebooks, pencils, and crayons. Some of them grumbled, others complained, while a few of them looked forward to a new year of learning.

On the north end of the city, wedged between the main branch of the post office and Greyson's Department store, stood an old building that had been built a hundred years prior and currently housed Carlon City's Magnet High School for the Musical Arts. The old, three-story building almost seemed to squat between the taller, more handsome buildings on either side. Although aging, no garbage cloistered in the corners or littered the steps. The patches of grass around the building had been cut, the hedges clipped, and the graffiti meticulously scrubbed from the red bricks. The old building waited in all its glory to embrace those that would very soon burst through the doors to begin their journey.

Kyra Dean walked up the stone steps, a bag hanging from her shoulder, and smiled at the building, her heart skipping at the motto carved into the brick: When there's music in the heart, so shall be love. Three sets of double doors stood quiet, waiting patiently for students to push them open and enter the hallowed halls. But for the moment, all was silent. Even the pigeons that clucked and shuffled in front of the building were sleeping peacefully somewhere, their heads tucked beneath their wings.

Kyra loved the first day of school - sometimes more than everyone else in the world, or so she thought. She'd never said aloud how she felt everyday when she walked through those double doors - how special she truly believed she was - and probably never would. Although her school wasn't as new as others - the building was old and sometimes the air wouldn't work in the heat and the heat wouldn't work in the cold - she still loved it. She loved the lemony smell of the freshly cleaned corridors in the mornings. She loved the heavily painted locker doors that stuck until you yanked them four or five times. She loved the large cafeteria with the long windows that allowed you to view the courtyard in the center of the school. She loved the small, intimate class sizes; the fussy, sometimes over-bearing teachers; the loud, energetic students; the quarterly performances. She loved almost every single thing about her school but what she loved the most was the music rooms. Not as fancy and as well-equipped as the uptown prep school's music department - no, the building was too old for that nonsense. The music rooms at the Magnet School had a unique mixture of new and ancient equipment that worked well together on most days. The scrubbed walls, worn floors, fogged glass - some people would turn their noses up at such an appearance - but Kyra felt that the building had character. It had a soul.

A small smile spread across her lips as she pulled open the door and felt as if an old, dear friend was greeting her with an affectionate hug.

"Welcome back," she whispered as she tiptoed through the halls, relishing the quiet. All too soon the excited chatter of her classmates would fill the air while friends reunited after a long summer away from each other. But for now, she had the place almost to herself.

She'd received all her pertinent school information in the mail so she had no need to stop in the administrative office. She strolled by it, smiling at the secretary who waved at her from the other side of the window. She turned a corner, her eyes grazing the numbers on the once again painted lockers until she found the one she wanted. She'd memorized her combination already, not wanting to have to fiddle around with her schedule every passing period, and turned the lock. It opened but she had to yank on the locker handle a few times for the door to open as well.

She hung her bag on the hook and then unzipped it, withdrawing several photos and other memorabilia that she'd intended to tape to the inside of her locker door. Pictures of musicians, photos of her parents, stickers with inspirational sayings - all adorned the door by the time other students began to filter in the hallways, chattering excitedly about another new year.

"How did I know that you'd be here at the crack of dawn?" a familiar voice asked from the other side of the locker door.

Kyra peeked around it to find her best friend, Ava Grant, leaning against the other lockers, smiling widely, her blonde hair tied up in a tight ponytail.

Kyra grinned. "You know me - I hate to be late."

Ava snorted as she pushed away from the lockers and shifted her bag further up her shoulder. "That's an understatement. Now hurry up so you can help me find my locker."

"What's the rush? You have time," Kyra said, yanking her bag off the hook and slamming the locker shut.

"I know we have time until class starts," Ava said, her blue eyes bright. She tugged Kyra's sleeve, forcing her to move down the hall. "But not a whole lot and I want to check out the population - see if there are any newbies wandering around."

"I got it," Kyra said with a smirk. "You want to see if there are any new boys this year."

"Can you blame me?" Ava said, pointing at Evan Bacster, Gavin Varner, and Isaiah Hunter clustered in a corner, drumming on the walls and belting out lyrics of their devising. "Look at what we're stuck with, huh? You'd think that a school for the musically inclined would produce some fine, choice males."

"Oh, geez, Ava," Kyra groaned. "This is a school, not a butcher's shop. And just because it is a school for the musical arts doesn't mean that the boys have to be hot or sexy. This isn't a school for male models."

"One could only hope," Ava sighed. She straightened and stared at Kyra. "Look at some of the guys in the bands today, huh? Most of them are incredibly talented and incredibly hot. Shouldn't that be criteria for auditions - not only talent but good looks, too?"

"I think that's discriminatory," Kyra said. She pointed over her shoulder at the group of boys they'd passed. "Besides, those guys aren't bad on the eyes."

"Eh," Ava said. "Isaiah is about as close to movie star handsome as we get around here but he's no Zac Efron. Please, he's too into his music to notice girls."

"When are you ever going to get off the Zac Efron kick?" Kyra asked.

"When he marries me," Ava said with a twinkle in her eyes. She gripped Kyra's arm. "Or whenever you get over your Justin Bieber crush."

Kyra flushed. "I do not have a crush on Justin Bieber. He's a little too feminine for my taste."

"Justin Bieber is an idiot."

The girls turned at the sound of the voice as Jared Conner forced his way in between them, draping an arm over each of their shoulders.

"Hey," Jared," Kyra said.

"Hello, ladies," Jared said. "So, have you heard the news?"

"What news?" Ava asked.

Jared shrugged, hugging the girls to his sides. "About Old Lady Drake."

Kyra's heart froze as she stopped in the hall, causing traffic to part around her. "What about Mrs. Drake?"

"She bit it, man," Jared said.

Kyra's lungs seized as she stared into Jared's green eyes. "What do you mean? You mean she died?"

"Yep," Jared said, the smile slipping from his face.

"I haven't heard a thing," Kyra said as despair filled her heart. "Not a thing. And I think I would have heard, you know. My father reads the papers religiously and he would have told me if Mrs. Drake's obituary would have been in there."

"It just happened last night," Jared said, removing his arm from Ava to gently hug Kyra. "Sorry, dear. I didn't know that you liked her that much. Most of her students thought she was a slave driver."

"Most of the students are idiots," Ava chimed in. "Mrs. Drake was tough but the music industry is tough. If you want to make it out there anywhere you have to work hard."

Kyra rested her cheek on Jared's chest as the world continued around her. The loss of her beloved teacher hit her like a brick and brought all the fun and excitement of the first day to a screeching halt.

"How do you know this?" Ava asked as she tugged Kyra out of Jared's arms. "Where did you hear this?"

"I was in the office this morning trying to change something on my schedule and I heard Mrs. Ward on the phone, trying to locate a sub."

"No one can replace Mrs. Drake," Kyra said with ferocity. "She's the best there is."

Along with the despair came a bit of disappointment and anxiety. Kyra had had so much riding on this year - and on Mrs. Drake.

And Ava read it in her eyes. "Don't worry, Kyra. Things will work out."

The first bell of the day rang, signaling that students had five minutes to get to class. Jared squeezed Kyra's arm. "I'll talk to you girls later."

Jared disappeared into the sea of students. Ava took Kyra's hand and forced her to move. They pushed through the crowd until Ava finally located her locker. It took her several tries to get it open and once she'd accomplished that, she stuffed her sweater inside, consulted her schedule, then slammed the door shut.

"Listen, Ky," Ava said, her face a solemn mask. "I know that Mrs. Drake promised to hook you up with some friends, but you don't need them. You're talented…"

Kyra held up a hand to halt her friend. "I know. And that's not the important thing. The important thing is that Mrs. Drake is gone."

Ava drew Kyra into a quick hug. "Yeah. You're right."

The warning bell rang drawing a frightened look to Ava's face. "Damn. I have English IV upstairs and I'll be late. Great. See you later."

Ava shot off toward the staircase leaving Kyra to dart through the crowd toward the Math wing. Kyra's bag banged off her back as she nearly jogged to her classroom, her mind on poor Mrs. Drake and her untimely end.

xxx

Kade Tyler entered his Government class, not surprised to see how small it was, and grabbed a seat near the front. Most people had more than likely fulfilled all their core requirements before their senior year and had opted to not take anymore social studies classes. Whatever - that was their choice. But Kade had decided that history and government was just as important as musical talent when it came to the real world - maybe even more so. His musical talents had gotten him into the door of this school, but his brain was going to carry him forward once he left.

He nodded a greeting to a few of his acquaintances - none of his real friends had taken the class - and waited for Mr. Reynolds to enter to get things started. Textbooks were stacked on the teacher's desk, ready to be distributed. Kade couldn't wait to get his and flip through the pages, eager to see what would be covered.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Reynolds said, coming through the door as the final bell rang. He stood in front of his desk in his usual garb of white polo shirt and black slacks, but his face was full of sadness. He cleared his throat. "I'm not sure if any of you have heard yet, but Mrs. Drake, one of our oldest and dearest instrumental teachers, passed away last night."

Kade's eyes widened as his jaw nearly scraped his desk. He'd only had Mrs. Drake his freshman year but she was as much a part of the school as the walls and the floors.

Around him, his classmates whispered their shock - a few of the girls shedding silent tears - but Kade hardly noticed. His mind ran instantly to Kyra and how devastated she'd be once she found out. Kyra, with her long hair a smooth, chocolate curtain down her back; her tall, slim frame; her eyes almost the exact same shade as her hair - she'd be grief-stricken for sure.

His mind continued with the vision only this time he was there to wrap her in a consolatory hug, allowing her to lean on him in this dark hour.

He shook his head in disgust as Mr. Reynolds spoke words he couldn't hear. How dare he be so selfish? How could he even think that he'd be able to score some points during such a sad time? Kyra was his friend and he'd need to be there for her, not for his own purposes.

A book fell on his desk and he looked up in time to see Mr. Reynolds moving on to the next person, dropping books as he went. Kade opened the text but didn't really see the pages - his mind was still on Kyra. He hadn't spoken to her in awhile so he wasn't sure what her schedule was like this year. He hoped they'd have a core class together as he was certain they'd have no electives in common.

Mr. Reynolds started his lecture on his expectations for the year, making Kade scramble for a notebook. He copied the words from the whiteboard into the first page of his notebook, wishing the school would join the real world and get up to par with technology. Wouldn't it be nice if they all had laptops?

Pushing the random thoughts out of his head, he focused on Mr. Reynolds and the things he was scribbling on the board. Relief washed over him when the bell rang and he was able to escape the classroom in order to hurry off to the next. He stuffed his notes and his textbook into his backpack before bolting for the door.

Kade's eyes scanned every face in the hallway, looking for one in particular. His heart nearly stopped in his chest when he spotted her, lounging against the wall near his English classroom talking quietly to Isaiah Hunter.

"Hey," he said as he approached them, doing his best to keep his eyes from roving over Kyra's body. He shook Isaiah's hand instead. "You guys hanging in okay?"

"Hi, Kade," Kyra said with a bright smile that sent electricity straight to his heart. "I guess you've heard about Mrs. Drake."

"Yeah. Reynolds told us first hour," Kade said. "It sucks. She was like a fixture in this school."

"Yep," Isaiah said. "We were just wondering if they've been able to get anyone in to cover for her today."

"That's a good question," Kade said as he rested his back against the wall next to Kyra. "I haven't heard a thing. Reynolds didn't say much. I suppose if they weren't able to get a sub that her classes will have to be free periods today."

"No one will ever be able to replace her," Kyra said, her eyes filling with tears.

Kade shifted his backpack strap from one shoulder to the other in order to give Kyra a gentle squeeze. "I know she was your favorite teacher and I'm sorry you lost her." He wanted to wince at his corny words but they seemed to do the trick. Kyra ran a finger under each eye before smiling her thanks.

"There's the warning bell," Isaiah said unnecessarily. He pushed away from the wall. "Are you in this class, too?"

"Guess so," Kade said as he entered the classroom with Kyra and Isaiah.

They chose seats near the back, Kyra between them, and chatted until Mrs. Green started the class in pretty much the same fashion as Mr. Reynolds. More books were distributed, more expectations given, more rules announced.

Class ended far too soon for his liking as he was certain that Kyra kept shooting him covert glances - he'd caught her a time or two when he'd been looking at her.

The rest of his morning went the same except that he hadn't had anymore classes with Kyra. When he finally entered the cafeteria at lunch, he spotted her sitting at their usual table with Ava Grant and Ava's twin, Audra. Kade grabbed a few selections, paid for his lunch, and joined them.

"Hi, Kade," Ava said with a smirk.

He wondered briefly what that was all about. "Hey Ava. Audra. Have a good summer?"

"Not bad," Ava said. "You?"

"It was bearable," he said. He glanced at Kyra across the table. "Heard anything about Drake's classes?"

Kyra shook her head as she jabbed a plastic fork into a salad bowl. "Nothing. I was supposed to have her class next period. I guess I'll find out when I get there, huh?"

Kade shrugged. "I'll walk with you if you want. I have to be in the recording studios next period and Drake's room is on the way."

"Thanks," Kyra said as she speared a tomato.

They chatted quietly as they ate while other friends joined them. As they compared schedules, Kade was thrilled to find that he shared his Contemporary Music IV class with Kyra. He was sure she'd be really down as the period before that would have been her class with Drake. Maybe he'd be able to give her a little moral support - lift her up if she was feeling down. It was worth a shot, anyway.

After lunch, he walked her to the Instrumental wing. On the door to Drake's classroom was a note instructing students to go to Study Hall for the period. Giving Kade a tight smile, Kyra squeezed his hand.

"There's my answer. Thanks, Kade. I'd better go," she said.

"Sure. See you later," he said. He watched her until she turned a corner and then he ambled to class. He'd see her next period.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out so well for him when he did see her again. Contemporary Music class was so loud and boisterous that he didn't get a chance to speak to her. Besides, Ava was in the class, too - Ava the best friend, ready to lend a shoulder should Kyra need a good cry.

xxx

He sat outside on the steps once the final bell had rung, going over his day. He knew he should head home as his dad would be anxious to hear what he'd learned, but he was in no particular hurry. This was going to be his last first day of high school, ever, and he sort of wanted to prolong it - make it last. Nothing lasted forever as he'd been reminded today by the passing of Mrs. Drake - but he could stretch things just a little bit if he tried really hard.

"Something wrong, man?" Jared Conner asked as he plopped down next to Kade.

Kade leaned back, resting his palms on the step behind him. "Nah. Just chilling for a few, you know?"

"I hear ya," Jared said. "Can you believe this is our last year?"

"I was just thinking about that," Kade said. "It's going to be weird next year."

"Figure out what you're going to do yet?"

Kade shook his head. "Not really. Nothing set in stone. I suppose I'll work on it this year. What about you?"

Jared blew a long breath at the hair hanging in his eyes. "I've been talking to a few of the guys about getting a band together but, like you said, nothing set in stone. Maybe I'd be better off on my own, hooking up with a band down the road. Who knows? I guess I'll have to figure that out this year."

Kade snorted as he got to his feet. He snagged the strap of his backpack while Jared stood. He bumped Jared's fist and then pointed at the sidewalk. "I need to head home. I'll talk to you tomorrow, man."

"Yeah, sure," Jared said. "Take it easy."

Kade nodded as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. Tucking his hands into his pockets, he set off down Fifth Street, ignoring the bus stop. The weather was still decent enough and he wanted to enjoy it before it turned too cold to walk home. He had a lot of things to think about - especially what he was going to do about his career once the year ended. And whether or not he should finally make his move on Kyra this year.

Yeah, a long walk would do him some good.

©RockFan 2011

A/N: Yeah, yeah - let me hear it from you guys - I can take it. You know me, I can't stay away from this place for long.

This is an idea I have been kicking around for a year or better and just decided to give it a shot. I don't know that I'm totally in love with this story but I'm going to give it my best effort. It's going to be a series and each story will probably be a bit shorter than the other stories that I have posted in the past but that's okay. I just want to try this out as I have two or three stories in mind. And if they don't work out, I'll just dump the whole project.

I have a blog (I guess it's a blog) and I'll post a link on my profile sooner or later. That blog (or whatever) has updates on what's going on with me and writing. It's easier to put it there rather than here. Also, before anyone asks, I have decided to repost some of my old stories on here. Not all of them, mind you, as I've placed some on Lulu and on Kindle Direct (I'll post those links on the blog thing, too).

I've missed all of you a ton and am excited about posting on here - PLAGIARISTS BE DAMNED! I look forward to hearing from you.