Chapter 26

The Midnight Confession

The sound of the applause from the recital hall still vibrated in Addie’s bones, but it brought no comfort. She lay curled on her side in the dark dorm room, her face buried in her pillow, weeping silently so the passing students in the hallway wouldn't hear her. The beautiful, complex piece she had just mastered was supposed to be a victory, but instead, it felt like a wall building up between her past and her future. The more elite her music became, the further away her old life felt.The bedroom door clicked open, throwing a sharp wedge of hallway light across the floor. Julian stepped in, carrying his silver flute case. He stopped when he heard her muffled sobs. Usually, he would make a sharp comment about weakness or distraction, but tonight, his voice was uncharacteristically quiet."You were incredible out there, Addie," Julian said, sitting down cautiously on his own bed. "The judges are completely losing their minds over your emotional range. I've never heard anyone make a contemporary piece sound so... alive."Addie pulled the blanket tighter over her shoulders, her voice cracking. "I didn't want it to sound alive, Julian. I just wanted to go home."Julian stared at his hands, the competitive wall between them cracking just a fraction. "When I was ten, my parents sent me to a boarding conservatory in France. I cried every night for six months. The music doesn't replace the people you miss, Addie. It just becomes the only way you can talk to them when they aren't there."For the first time since arriving at Crestview, Addie realized she wasn't the only one carrying a heavy heart, and a quiet, tentative friendship began to form in the shadows of Room 304.