Another ice wall has formed.
Every day, Jenny walked into orchestra class and sat next to Eugene. The two were the only ones in the class who played cello, making them stand partners for the semester. Every day, Jenny hoped that somehow that ice wall would break or at least thaw between the two. She didn’t know why there was an ice wall. It was as though Eugene thought she was awkward and ignored her for the majority of the time except for the occasional advice in making the piece sound better.
It wasn’t always like this. The first few weeks of school had happy moments where the two would converse as if they knew each other forever. Jenny and Eugene would laugh and tease, making orchestra class fun. Now, the class seemed barely bearable.
The ice started after the class had its first concert at a local high school to spread the awareness of an actual orchestra in the school district. Everything went well, but the next day, a sliver of an ice wall was formed.
Jenny let go of the cold feeling she was getting from Eugene, thinking that it was only for a while. Boy, was she wrong. That ice wall grew thicker and thicker till the two didn’t even look at each other or said hi during passing period.
The ice did thaw, but for a short moment. As the winter concert came closer and closer, the ice seemed to get thinner. They began to converse again, slowly being back their old selves. At the night of the concert, Eugene did something unexpected.
He hugged her.
That night, Jenny went back home, confused at the sudden physical contact. She shrugged it off, glad that Eugene was talking to her again.
Bam! The next day, the ice wall was back, thicker than ever. The air was thick with tension as both sides refused to talk, more like scared to talk for Jenny. She didn’t know how to break the ice. She was stuck again.
Couple of days later, Jenny heard that Eugene was leaving for another school. She was shocked. He was leaving in the middle of the school year and they haven’t talk to each other since that incident at the winter concert. As the date came closer for the day that Eugene was going to leave, Jenny still didn’t know how to break the ice. She did prepare a gift for him, a folder that had a picture of a cello on it. It was hers, but now, she wanted to give it to him. A parting gift to make him remember their cello-playing.
When Eugene came on his last day of school, Jenny waited till the last moment to give him her gift. After everyone gave Eugene their gifts, Jenny slowly walked up to him. Their eyes met and the ice wall slowly melted. She presented her gift to him and he took the folder in his hands. Although he only thanked her, she knew that that thank you had a hidden meaning.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, everyone in the class got up and left. Eugene conversed with the teacher shortly as Jenny stayed behind. After he was done talking with the teacher, Eugene walked to the door. He stopped and turned around. Jenny’s and Eugene’s eyes met one last time. For a moment, they seemed to have a common understanding. As Eugene broke their eye contact, Jenny smiled as the last words’ hidden meaning that Eugene said to her echoed in her mind.
“Thank you, Jenny, for being my friend.”
The ice wall finally melted, leaving only the waters of regret and sorrow behind.