Cantrell: The Early Years, Part Three

2276, A Cantrell: The Early Years, Update

 

Many of the Wyvern Hall residents, those staying on for another term and new arrivals, gathered into the TV room. Before too long the room was all but stuffed. Erik entered a tad late, having seen Brianna off. “Don’t forget to plant one on Kayleigh at midnight,” she admonished.

“Aye-aye, Captain,” Erik joked back.  By the time he was back upstairs, finding Kayleigh in the crowd was difficult. 

By the time he located her, trying to squeeze through the throng just to stand next to her was nearly impossible.  “Hey,” he said, standing next to her at last.

“Hey, did Bree get off okay?”

“Yeah, Dad was waiting for her at the curb.”

“I’m sorry she couldn’t stay long enough for New Year’s Eve.”

 

“The university has its rules. Graduates have only so many hours to clear out.”

“I suppose that’s to make room for the incoming students.”

Erik nodded. “It’s logical, and before you say it, no asking Dad to bend the rules wouldn’t be fair or right.”

“Sometimes, you’re such a stickler.”

“Would you have me any other way?”

 

“Oh, it’s midnight,” she said, just as Erik kissed her, long and hard. Frowning at him, once she pulled away, she said, “Just what was that all about? You’ll have them all talking for sure, now.”

 

“I’m just so very tired of having to keep us under wraps. It’s wearying.”

“Happy New Year, and good night. Church in the morning and you have the Show. Classes on Monday. I still have some prep work to complete.”

 

“Don’t remind me. I can’t wait until this grind is over. You know I’m only getting this degree to please my father. I already have a very successful career.” Kayleigh kissed him again, “Good night,” she said.

“Um, thank you, Ma’am, may I have another? I could get used to this.”

“Good night,” she said again. “I don’t think either one of us wants to ruin our GPAs, this late in the game.”

 

Hugging her lovingly, he kissed her on the cheek again. “Good night, my love.” Snickering, he walked down the hall to his room. Come the morning, all four struggled out of bed. The festivities of the night before coming home to roost. They made it to church, thankfully. Kayleigh stood with her family, Erik with his mother and little Adrian. “Wow, look how big you’ve gotten,” Erik said, taking him from his mother. Adrian smiled brightly at his big brother.

 

Spending some quality time with their families, Erik looked up to see Aaron tapping his wrist chronometer. “Guess it’s about that time,” Erik said, getting up from the table. He finished off the last sip of his coffee, then reaching over he tussled Adrian’s dark red hair. “See you next Sunday.”

 

Back at Wyvern Hall, the kids settled into finishing up their prep work. Erik hit the submit button on his final term paper, pleased as punch it was done. After he changed into the suit he planned on wearing for tonight, he got straight to work on his last presentation board. Seeing the poor job he’d left it in, he nearly shuddered. “Let’s see how we can fix this,” he muttered to himself.

 

He got so caught up in his work, time slipped passed him, once again. Happily, Kayleigh was suddenly at his elbow. Normally, it was Brianna who was quick to remind him, knowing him as well as she did. In fact, she had texted Kayleigh. “Go tell Erik, it’s time for him to go.” 

“Got a text,” she said. “Oh, that’s looking so good. And it’s time to ‘face the music’ as it were,”

“That time already?”

“Yeah, see?” She showed him the front of her cell phone. “Now, go get ‘em, Tiger and break-a-leg.”

 

Turning, he blew her a kiss.

 

Erik stepped into the top room of the PBP Studios Lounge. The lights were already dim. Being the first Sunday of the New Year, he noticed all of the Christmas decorations had been removed. Seemed the Academy was very much into the show business end of things.  He took a seat in the first row, on the left and settled in until they got to the Music Category.

 

Smiling the Host took the microphone and gazed out at the audience.  “For bringing such aural beauty to the ears of people around the Galaxy, the Best Song goes to Erik Cantrell for his Early Morning Mist.  I swear this guy is supercharged or something. Congratulations!”Erik stood and tugged at the end of his jacket. Taking the stage, he picked up the award and held it high in the air. To You, O Lord.

Smiling, tentatively, he said, “And, here we are again. Seriously, we’re going to have to stop meeting like this, people are getting suspicious.”

“But, seriously, the inspiration behind this piece, the thing that prompted me to write it, was quite simply my very first experience with this phenomenon.”

“No, it’s true. You see, I was born in space on transit to Vulcan where I lived for the first sixteen years of my life. I know, really? I’m all of seventeen, currently. Such an old man, I know.  Back to Vulcan. I never actually saw a dewdrop cling to a blade of grass before. Walking to the chicken coop to collect the eggs early one morning I felt the moisture in the very gray sky tickle the skin on my face. A new sensation for me. Hence, a song was born.”

“I would like to thank my fans, whose steadfast devotion keeps me going. My parents, my many siblings, the crew over at Taygeta Studios. My thanks to Orion Entertainment, Limited.  And of course, I thank the Starlight Academy for nominating Early Morning Mist for Best Song and to those who voted for it. Good night, All. I have to scoot out of here, I have prep work to complete, hopefully before tomorrow, which is the start of my final term at Britechester-U.”

 

All for now. Thanks for reading!