Chapter One
When Tears Are In Your Eyes

Lydia sat on the top bunk of Michelle's bed, dangling her legs over the side. Her toes wiggled in the air, drying the purple and gold polish on her nails. She fell back and looked at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. Sighing, she asked, "So you're really going off to Virginia Tech?"

"For the millionth time, yes," came the answer from below.

Still staring blankly at the ceiling, Lydia spoke again. "But you'll still visit, right? I mean, you can't just leave and never come back to visit anybody."

Michelle swung up from the bottom bunk and grasped the rails to the bed. "Lydia, you know I won't just leave and never come back. Of course I'll visit. And every time I do, we'll have a moviefest," she stated as she swung up onto the top bunk to join Lydia. "or sobfest. Your choice,"

Lydia sat back up and smiled. "Good," A few slow, silent seconds passed by until she spoke again. "You're going to tell me everything that happens between you and Steven,"

Michelle looked at Lydia to see an impish grin spread across her best friend's lips. "Well, not everything," Lydia pushed her gently and laughed. Michelle continued, "You wouldn't want to know everything; I've corrupted you enough already!"

Lydia laughed out loud and nodded in agreement, "That you have,"

A few quiet moments passed by as the girls dangled their legs over the side and thought. Lydia's purple and gold hair ribbons sat in a corner with white fabric paint reading her name drying ever so slowly. She stared at them through her greenish-brown eyes, now filling ever so slightly up with tears. She blinked them back and immediately, a lump formed in her throat. Band, or any class for that matter, would be quite the same without her friend.

Michelle broke the silence. "It's going to be so scary next year with Steven, no joke!" she said loudly. Lydia smiled and shook her head. It had taken Michelle all six years of secondary school to agree to go out with Steven Wood. He'd been madly in love with her since the seventh grade, but she'd rejected him for the longest time. Now that her senior year was ending and they would be going to the same college, she decided to throw in the towel and finally agree to one date. Lydia knew, however, as did everyone else, that she'd say yes to more than one though. They were meant- she just hadn't realized it yet. Again, Michelle split the air with a laugh. "Everyone's just going to say 'I told you so!'"

"Yeah they are, there's no way you're living this one down!" Lydia agreed heartily. "Don't you worry about me and Ryan either- you'll know everything about that, too," she promised.

"I better! I'm going to come down here for Homecoming and see how you're doing with him. Hehe, Operation Fish, too!" Michelle commented. Operation Fish was the code name for finding Lydia a new guy so she could move on from her year-and-a-half long crush on Ryan Wilson. "You'll find a new guy on your trip to Europe this summer, don't worry. How 'bout that clarinet boy?"

Michelle was referring to a band trip to Europe that summer. People from different schools all over the state were in the band, and Lydia had taken a liking to the first chair clarinet. Lydia's face curled into another mischievous smile. "Ooh, yea, shall be fun," she replied smugly. "Mommy dearest is worried that I'm going to do bad things with him on the Europe trip. She told me this and I just kinda gaped at her like what the heck? And she just eyes me suspiciously. I mean, come on, I've never ever kissed a guy. I'm not some sort of slut," Lydia said incredulously.

Michelle laughed. "No, you're a good little Catholic girl, see the halo?" she giggled as she pointed to the space above Lydia's head. Lydia smiled and rolled her eyes upward to the spot Michelle was pointing to. Her hands folded themselves neatly in her lap. Both began laughing again.

"I'm going to need you so much next year, no joke," Michelle said. Lydia smiled to herself and nodded. The two shared another moment of thoughtful silence.

. . . .

Lydia's hands moved gracefully to each note. Her eyes no longer had to see the music as often; the first glance had let the memory inundate the keyboard. Everything had become natural to her now. Her right hand moved past the sixteenth notes easier than ever before, and her left hand produces a slight, rumbling crescendo and then a quick diminuendo into the next verse. A lone tear began to trickle down her cheek.

When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all

!~*~! (A/N: There you all have it- the better-formatted second chapter, actually chapter one, hope you enjoyed.

Sharon, I am definitely looking forward to what you have to say on this. ;- )