Free Sounds of Yesterday by Briana Pacheco

double major in Music Education and Music Therapy in Florida. It’s not too far from home. I’ll be doing something I love. It’s all that matters.
    “I’ll be close, Sophie,” I whisper. Obviously, I have to choose a pricey school but I have a few small scholarships lined up for me. Since Wilks doesn’t have a music program, I found places to volunteer around Boston and Brookline that would make up for that. It clearly paid off. Music is my life and I’ve done nothing but make that clear to the world. All this high school drama can stay behind. I’ll be starting fresh soon.
    I won’t be in a place where people call me a liar or a whore or don’t give a shit what-so-ever. I’ll be free from all of that.
    Sophie nods as she clicks on the two other emails. I got into both and I’m stunned.
    I don’t need anymore acceptance letters though.
    I’m getting away.
    I’ll learn how to be me again.
    It’s what my therapist wants. Technically, he’s not my therapist anymore. Mom hired him last month so I could start opening up but when one of the first things out of his mouth was ‘tell me about that night’ I told him to fuck off and that I was never going back. He said I needed to understand that in order for me to be me again, I had to take that step.
    Well, I’m taking that step. I’m leaving it all behind.
    “Please don’t tell him.”
    Those four words are what do it. They shatter my best friend into tiny pieces. She loses it knowing I’m leaving Alex behind. She wanted us to be together in college. She wanted us to have Zach and Alex by our sides. She’s getting nothing that she planned.
    Alex needs to live his life and move on. He thinks of what happened just as much as me. We’re both so broken over it and it has done nothing but cause a big barrier between us. We’re friends who don’t do anything except be around each other, mostly in silence. We’re nothing like we were before. This is our after.
    In a way, it’s good for me. I need to be alone, grow, heal, be me again. I need to put some distance between myself and everything that cripples me.
    Sophie’s tears pierce my wandering mind and shatter us both. I feel my heart break. My lungs burn with every breath I take. The tears streaming down my cheeks remind me that I’m human.
    For the first time in months, I feel and I don’t want to.
     
    ***
     
    Zach sits with me on my bed and we wait while Sophie raids my closet for something I need to wear tomorrow. She wants to go see a show in Downtown Boston and I’m being dragged along. It seems like a good idea if I don’t think about it.
    “What the hell is this? Were you a hooker for a short period of time?” She steps back and holds out a black dress that leaves little to the imagination. I thought of trying it on months ago but chickened out every time. It’s too...risqué.
    I laugh a second later because she really thinks it’s mine. Zach stares at me like I was just replaced with an alien. I wouldn’t blame him. I’m so quiet and barely speak words in the presence of others that this is abnormal.
    “Soph, that’s your dress. You left it here thinking I’d wear it.” She used to be shy when we were younger but having Zach around boosted her confidence. They were made for each other. He brings out something in her that I can’t. There are some things a friend can’t help with.
    “Oooh.” She holds it against her chest and looks at Zach, her cheeks reddening. Oh, god. Please don’t do it. “This is the dress I wore when we had sex in your car the second time.” She starts to giggle at the memory. I, unfortunately, know this story and do not want to hear it again.
    This is typical Sophie behavior.
    “Don’t worry,” I say, waving my hand at him. “Sophie shares everything.”
    “Ohmygod, I do! I showed her the first nude you sent me after you became this sexy piece of ass and her reaction was priceless. ”
    Zach’s eyes grow wide and his mouth falls open as he looks at