The bell for class rang again; neither Kelsey nor I actually had a band class, so we had no idea how to get into the clique. We did have French together this block though, Kelsey chose this class because she said it was her dream to communicate with the French people. I took it with her, because I wanted to be with her when she did. The teacher is Mrs. Bonn, her thirty-two year old daughter and her daughter’s son died in a car wreck, leaving her childless and without any possible chance at grandchildren. She never really speaks French anymore; she uses tapes and videos to teach us the correct pronunciation. She is in the mid fifties. When people try talking to her, she doesn’t look at them; she stares at their chest with her hand over her mouth. The entire class feels sympathy for her loss, so we all just sit quiet, if a pen was dropped, you could hear it from the other side of the room.
“Today, we will have Kelsey teach the class.” Bonn slammed her head on her desk.
“Mrs. Bonn—“Kelsey stopped. Kelsey is very comfortable with talking in front of people, so she just went up to the front of the room and took the remote for Mrs. Bonn’s smart board. “Can I use your computer, Mrs. Bonn?”
“Whatever…” The teacher went and took Kelsey’s desk, and again she slammed her head in her laying position. Kelsey turned on the projector, looked up an internet translator and typed in what was on the board.
“Okay, listen to the pronunciation, and then repeat after it.” Kelsey clicked the ‘hear the word’ button and the speakers said the phrase “les fleurs dans la cour sont en mauve,” Kelsey started us repeating it, “les fleurs dans la cour sont en mauve, this phrase means the flowers in the courtyard are purple. We will be learning mainly about colors today, so repeat after me. I will call on you, don’t all speak at once.” Kelsey looked up every single color she could think of and listened for the way to say it properly. “What is the correct way to say black, Kyle Woodworth?”
“Noir!” Kyle smiled. Kelsey smiled back, and then moved on. She picked me to do the next one, orange. Orange in French is orange, but it is said way different. After this, Kelsey took it up a notch, she told everyone in their groups to come up with a phrase, using the colors they learnt and afterwards, she would choose people to repeat what they came up with.
“Le chat noir avait les deux yeux sur le ventre” I looked at the eyes of everyone in my group. Then they chose theirs. Kelsey waited for everyone to stop talking then chose the third group, which had Kyle in it, but not me.
After school Kelsey explained that she had to practice for the play in the auditorium. I went with her, so I could say I was the first to see it. The play was “The Vision” I’ve not heard of it before, so Kelsey gave me the information I needed to understand the random dancing parts. I saw seven people of nine that I knew, but I didn’t expect that these would have been the people in Kelsey’s play. The stage was decorated for the scene as a dark and starry night. A guy from the Richies, Michael Hendrix was sitting on a chair, cross-legged and lay back with his arms behind his head. A girl was standing over him; she was one of the two I didn’t know. When Kelsey yelled action the skit began.
“I am sorry, but how could you know?” He leaned forward in his chair and looked at the girl.
“I suppose I could not…” She sat down on the couch at the end of the stage.
“It was possible to tell you how you could have stopped it, but you refused to listen to me.” Michael sat beside her.
“I know… I’ve learnt now though, if you say something bad will happen, I just have to trust you. My cousins died exactly how she did in your vision, but how long before did you have the vision?” She gazed into his eyes.
“Hm, I suppose I have only a day.”
“Then that’s more than enough time.” She now got up and looked at her reflection in the window. “What if the vision is of one of us?” She looked at his reflection in the window, “Will you be able to protect yourself?”
“Not a problem, but we can’t live in fear. You’re starting college in Peru next week, isn’t that right?”
“Oh, yes.” She spun and sat on the ground. “Peru…”
After the play I gave a loud applause, it was only the rehearsal, but it felt real none-the-less. Michael came to me with the actress.
“Hello John, did you really like it?” Mike said.
“I loved it, I had no idea what was going on until you said her cousins died, but I really did like it.”
“This is my girlfriend Kara.” Mike bowed to her, I shook her hand.
“You’re the one that started the clique ladder thing with Kelsey, right?” Kara looked at the stage. Kelsey was taking off the props and putting them backstage.
“Indeed, my mom was the first one that did it. Kelsey and I are doing it now.”
“We are working on getting in the band for the next clique, but we don’t have a band class.”
“What instrument can you play?” Kara asked.
“Kelsey can play the piano and the acoustic guitar, I can play drums and bass guitar.” Kelsey came to my side now.
“Do you think you could get us in band, Kara?” Kelsey tilted her head slightly.
“That shouldn’t be a problem, come with us.” Kara and the rest of us went to the door so Kelsey could lock up. Then we all went to the band room. The first thing I saw was a marvelous oak top piano, Kelsey was grinning quite widely. Secondly, I saw a drum, I couldn’t play this drum, but the guy that already was could. They were bongos. “Mr. Muse?” Kara said.
“Why yes, my star pupil, how can I help you?” Mr. Muse is a dark skinned man; he talks quite funny at times. It goes along with his funny accent.
“John and Kelsey here are interested in a spot in band. Is there any room?”
“Depends, how is your music skills?” He gestured towards the instrument room. “Pick what your good at.”
I got a guitar out of the room and Kelsey ran over to the piano. We haven’t rehearsed anything, but we played the exact same song at the exact same time.
“That is beautiful!” Mr. Muse spoke joyfully. “Welcome to the band!” Kelsey and I love the instruments we play almost as much as we love each other, if she was ever gone for a week, I could find her in her room playing a piano. I would be beside her with my guitar again playing the same song, Blue Moon by Elvis.
“We need to get a class switched, which would you switch,” easy question, the one class that we don’t have together, English one. “Could we be able to switch English one?” I asked.
“No, I’m afraid not, what else?” Mr. Muse asked.
“French, that’s not that important.” Kelsey is so smart. I agreed and we were accepted into band.
After we were done talking Dad called to ask where I was, I told him I was headed outside. He sighed his “alright, I’ll be right over” sigh and hung up the phone. Kelsey and I went outside and waited.
“You haven’t lost your skills, my love.” I smiled at her.
“I know, I enjoyed playing again, Kara made a good decision with that.”
“What Marian said made me feel like I was in eighth grade again, it made me sad.”
“We still have a long while before I graduate, we just have to enjoy the time we have together.” Dad came in a new car. This car was low to the ground; it had red rims and LED headlights. The car’s body was a silvery color with tented windows. Dad opened the passenger door revealing the black leather interior. I let Kelsey get the front.
“What do you think about your new car, John?” Dad looked at me through the rear-view mirror. I didn’t know what to say, all I could get out was a weird growling noise. Kelsey and Dad laughed insanely. “Is that a ‘you like it’?”
“It’s gorgeous! It shall be my second love!” I heard that line from a movie before. Kelsey was still smiling, I guess she understood. “When do I get to take the driving test?”
“Were going to some back roads tonight, then we’ll get your license tomorrow!” He was still smiling. This car roared like a lion, the interior still had the smell of fresh leather, and the tented windows were as dark as the midnight sky. I was still speechless. “Do you want to drive this car, or my truck for the test?” He looked at me again, “you’ll need a car you’re used to.”
“Let me take my chances, I want to drive this beautiful machine!” I looked at Kelsey now, “love ya babe!” I grinned widely. She seemed to have snapped out of a trance and looked out her window, then at me.
“I love you more!” She growled. When we got to Kelsey’s house we saw her mom sitting on the porch. I opened the door for her, kissed her, and got back in the car.
“How was your day at school?” Dad always liked knowing, and I kind of like sharing, because my life is going really good.
“Kelsey and I were in art today, we finished the dogs we were making, then we went to the auditorium, Kelsey was working on the play today. Lastly, we joined band.”
“My son, in band…” He waited for a second, “band geek!” He laughed.
“No, I play the guitar!” I smiled, Dad taught me how to play when I was twelve, and I’ve been playing since. “Kelsey’s playing the piano, again. We both got out of French for band.”
“Do you not like French?” Dad requested. When we got home Fred opened the gate, we got in the garage and out of the car. “Fredrick, were home!” Dad called.
“Welcome home, sir! How was your day at school, John?” Fred spoke. He came from the game room.
“I can’t complain. I have to get ready for tomorrow.” I ran upstairs and changed my clothes, then jumped in bed, grabbed my guitar and tried practicing some songs. After I got bored I put it under my bed and turned on the TV.
The next day, Dad called from downstairs to wake me up, I wasn’t late. I just didn’t turn on my alarm clock. I ran downstairs and hopped in the car. “We’ll get your permit today, so you can drive this beauty. If you want, we can take Kelsey too.” Dad glanced at me cautiously. When we got to school, Kelsey was sitting where Dad usually parked; she was sitting on her math book, so she wouldn’t get dirty. I hopped out of the car and we went to class, Drivers Ed.
“Good morning boys and girls how was your sleep?” Mr. Huey was straightening his desk. I did the same, putting my pencil and eraser together at the top right hand corner. I noticed the Goths were gone today. “No one want to answer? Well, I slept well!” He sat down now, waiting for the bell to ring.
“I slept well, Mr. Huey, I’m not sick anymore!” Zack smiled. That set off a couple more answers, until the bell rang and the room got silent.
“I hear John Cline and Kelsey Gore are going driving today, so you’ll not be in class today. The guy to take you out should be in here soon, the rest of you will be learning about different types of licenses.” We jumped simultaneously; we’ve never been behind the wheel of a car, so Kelsey pointed at me to drive. I gulped. “Most of you will all get a class F license, that means that you are a legal driver, but you can’t have more than four people in the car with you.” The guy came in and we scooted away.
“Who’s driving?” He was walking really fast; I knew I was so I couldn’t speak.
“John is driving, he’s better than me.” Kelsey smiled her lovely smile. I grinned back, but I still couldn’t get anything out. “Are ya nervous, my love?” She laughed. I got in the drivers seat and started the car.
“First off, you need to know where all the buttons and stuff are.” He looked around the car for a few seconds then back at me. “Where is the defrost?”
“Right here,” I pointed to the vent thingy button on the car mechanics panel. “The defrost is used to unfog your windows.” He nodded his head, and then told me to prepare myself to drive. I told everyone to put on their seatbelts, checked my mirrors and turned on my turn signal to get on the road. The driving teacher told me that we had thirty minutes of drive time, so I took the car to a small restaurant. “Would you like anything?” I smiled. We were only in the drive through, so I had to park after this. The teacher ordered a burger and Kelsey just ordered some fries. I ordered some chicken nuggets. Then I drove to the parking lot and let Kelsey in the driver’s side.
“Okay… start the car, put my seatbelt on, and check my mirrors. Can you two put on your seatbelts?” Kelsey had a very noticeable sense of horror. The teacher slapped his belt against his chest and Kelsey started driving. Kind of, she was stopping when she got over ten miles an hour. Then after we left the parking lot she sucked up her fear and really started driving, checking both ways before leaving the lot, and turning on the turn signals to leave. The teacher was laughing at it while eating his burger. I was rested in the back seat waiting to get back to school.
When we got back to school there was still thirteen minutes left of class. We went over to Zack to talk to him about the nerds. We weren’t ready to go back to the nerds yet, but we did have too. He told us about the trip to Japan, the stuff he liked watching on the computer, and then the bell rang. We went to lunch, the Goths were in lunch, it seemed awkward to me, but we sat by them today. Feroschia welcomed us to the table; she and Josie were smiling widely. “Hey you two, we were planning on going to a very exclusive Goth-only club tonight, it would be exciting if you would come?” Josie was the one talking now. I had no idea what to expect from this, but I was interested in finding out about it. Kelsey seemed to know what to expect, she was cringing, but with a smile on her face. “Are you interested?”
“We are interested, we will come.” Kelsey spoke for both of us.
“Very good, we will pick you up at nine tonight.” Feroschia was still holding her vampire toothed smile. Lunch today was potatoes; we usually get the alternative, pizza. Though, today we were both in a potato kind of mood. “We are celebrating Ryan’s nineteenth birthday, and we were going to scare some bleep into him, but he didn’t show up today. We always go to the club, so we will see him there. In order for you to fit in we need to get you some black makeup and red hairspray.” She looked at us. “Do you think we can get you at like seven? We can have some time to talk about stuff.”
That is what I was left with; Slash skipped this block, but Jolly was here, she was reading at this moment. The teacher was outside talking to the class’s class clown about sending him to the office if he kept his crap up. The rest of the class was just listening in. The door was wide open, so Mr. Baldwin could embarrass the boy on purpose. After they came in, he sat down and put his head on the desk.
“Class, we have a pop quiz over Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, it’s only six questions, no need to fear. Riley, can you pass out the papers?”
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