HOPE: A Band Story
A down-to-earth, honest freshman girl, and a 14-year old genius master CEO of a worldwide mega-corporation who both share a passion for music. These two unlikely characters meet in a small high school, one trying to gain acceptance into college by pursuing the activity of her dreams, the other helping behind the scenes, with a motive yet unknown.
Hope is a mysterious thing.
But why question it when it is often the only thing that keeps us going?
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Oftentimes, when things are at their worst, we hope.
We hope that the tides will change. We hope that life is not as bad as it seems.
Hope is indeed the only thing that keeps us going in those times.
Witness now, the lives that were changed by this simple emotion, which we all resort to in our final stands.
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Fiona Wilhelm, freshman clarinetist, sat at her chair quietly, fiddling with her clarinet. It appeared to have a joint loose, and therefore sounded rather odd. A slight adjustment and it would be okay. Letting Melanie play with one's instrument was never a good thing. She was just too hyper.
The taller girl was flirting again with some other guys, and Fiona smiled. Melanie was extremely playful, and very active. Not a moment passed when she wasn't flirting or running around. Despite that, she still managed to get good grades and was excellent with her flute. Fiona admired the heck out of her, and was her best friend. All of the teachers seemed to like Melanie as well, perhaps due to her outgoing attitude.
Tightening the last joint, Fiona stood up and brushed down her skirt. Her strawberry-blonde hair caught the light and her soft brown eyes sparkled with mirth. "Hey, Steph, isn't Mr. Gerrard coming soon?"
Melanie laughed lazily as she stretched out luxuriously next to her boyfriend and displayed her long, slender legs to their greatest extent, her miniskirt reaching only the upper half of her thighs. "Aww, the G-meister will understand, Fiona. No worries!"
Fiona grinned and walked over to the music stands, getting out today's musical score. It was James L. Hosay's Persis. If Fiona remembered her composers correctly, it was an extremely difficult piece. Placing one for her Principal and Section Leader who had yet to arrive, she settled down and scanned the score. It was indeed hard.
The tinkling sounds of a xylophone caught her attention, and she turned her head to see a young man with dark hair that seemed to shine eerily blue under the ceiling light playing the score. His hands flew across the board with mallets in hand, playing flawlessly. From what she heard, it was every bit as hard as her own part. Yet, the boy appeared to be playing it almost perfectly.
She was a ninth-grader, and very new to the band, even though she knew several people from middle school. She had never, however, seen this boy before.
The other percussionists joked around with him, and he exposed his face from under that stern countenance, revealing a young Asian face with premature lines etched across it. His hair was combed neatly into a centre parting and slicked back with so much gel, it seemed not to move an inch under the breeze that blew in from the window. He was not exceptionally handsome, but seemed to scare her somehow. She found herself thinking with no small measure of relief that he was not a woodwind player. At least she wouldn't have to speak with him then. He didn't seem very nice.
Again, her mind wandered towards him as she heard the semiquavers rolling along like an endless wave. Trying to follow, she realized that there was a rhythm to the melody. It went up, and then started from several notes lower, and again, and again…
"Nice work, Fiona!"
It was her Section Leader, Daniel Allard-Liao. The American-Chinese guy smiled down and nodded at the score. "It's a fine piece of work, isn't it?"
"Why, yes, sir!" Fiona had to grin. No-one else in the entire band, save perhaps Mr. Gerrard, took their music as seriously as Daniel. He was one to spend entire class periods poring over a score, or writing his own and publishing them later. He was also a member of the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra's training group, and several of his works were in circulation among the top music stores of the nation. They were lucky indeed to have him in their crew. Rumour had it he had sight-read an entire book for auditions.
"If you'll note the notes here, which……" he trailed off, assuming he was speaking to the entire clarinet section (which was in fact ignoring him extremely loudly), and pushing his messy hair up.
Fiona giggled again and immediately looked up as Mr. Gerrard entered the room, heralded by his customary cadence and cymbal crash that he activated whenever he entered the room. It was kind of silly, but it had a way of getting your attention.
"Good morning, people! I assume you have your music?" asked he, ignoring as best he could the sight of Melanie rising off the carpeted floor with her boyfriend, both of their clothes horribly messed up. She tossed him a grin, and waved hello, her skirt having rode up to her waist before she had the good grace to lower it.
Everyone paid her little heed. They were all used to Melanie's humorous antics, albeit rather sexually provoking ones. She was just strange. Strange, but fun.
Mr. G cast his eyes around for a while before letting them fall on the new guy. "Oh, everyone. I would like you to meet our latest percussionist: Mr. Katsuya Shinamori! He's from Japan, and he'll be joining us for a while here. I'd like all of you guys to treat him well, and give him a warm welcome, got it? Don't make me say 'or else'!"
Everyone groaned. Mr G told so many bad jokes that Melanie reckoned he did it on purpose.
Everyone else turned and gave Katsuya a wave, and she at last relented, waving once. The guy didn't seem very friendly, but he smiled back, somehow exhibiting tiredness. Fiona wondered if he was just being mean.
Melanie could be heard whispering something about the new corporation in Philadelphia, but Fiona didn't hear much of it. Why was everyone whispering so much today? It had to be the weather.
**********
Riiiing!!
The bell rang, signalling the end of class. Katsuya Shinamori packed up his briefcase (briefcase?), felt that it was kind of conspicuous, decided to take something else next time he came, and got ready to leave. The business suit would have to leave as well.
"Hey there, brother!"
Katsuya looked up, mildly surprised. Returning some of the high-fives that his other percussionist friends gave him, he at last turned to Melanie and her gang of friends, including Fiona, who was not-so willingly being dragged along.
"Hello. May I help you?"
Melanie grinned broadly, pulling her boyfriend over. "Hey, we'd just like to say hello, and welcome to America! I'm Melanie; this is my boyfriend Kenneth, my friend Nancy, my other friend Daphne, my other friend Carrie and my other friend Fiona." The others all gave him a big smile and a hug, save Kenneth and Fiona. The clarinetist was trying to hide behind Melanie, and avoid the young man as best possible.
"It is my pleasure to be here." With extreme courtesy, he took each of the ladies' hands and gave them a light kiss. Feeling that cold hand touch her, Fiona couldn't help but shiver. She had some sort of repulsion towards him, for some reason. Like the sort one has when facing a snotty rich kid.
Which he probably was, accustomed to living in ivory mansions.
Melanie blushed as he kissed her hand, and looked at his business suit curiously.
"Oh, why are you dressed so formally?"
"Oh, er, I assumed America would have school uniforms as well."
Two other guys walked up, identified as percussionists by their mallet bags. "Yo, K-meister! You free to follow us to the mall after school? I'm sure you'll come, eh, Melanie?"
"Yeah! Oh, Katsuya, please do you'll come. It's an excellent way to learn about American culture!"
Katsuya smiled, his icy eyes boring holes into Fiona's own ones. She tried to avert her stare, but he seemed to have her riveted into the unfathomable depths of his twin orbs. Her legs felt weak, and she was just afraid she'd fall when he looked away, releasing her from his darkness.
"My apologies, ladies. Miss Wilhelm's brother has invited me over to their residence in order to have dinner with them. Perhaps tomorrow might be a better time?"
Melanie grinned. "Okay! You can count me in though, Douglas and Rick!"
"Yeah, lady! Okay, we'll see ya around, k-meister!"
"Without doubt you will. I AM going to be here everyday after all."
At length, the group left, leaving the young man alone. Fiona couldn't help but sigh with relief. The others were busy chatting about Katsuya.
"Oh, did you see how polite he was!?"
"He's really cute!"
"I think he must be a really rich guy!"
Wondering at the amount of fuss over him, Fiona turned and saw the young man was no longer there. Only one door led out of the bandroom, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Shrugging it off, she followed to others to class.
**********
"Not likely."
Katsuya glared at his aide, who immediately busied herself with admiring the scenery.
"Stephanie, I want you to tell me if what I'm wearing does not fit the general attire of the public, understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
Leaning back into the plush leather seat of one of his many private helicopters, Katsuya activated the intercom to his pilot. "Jean-Luc, get me to Shinamori Tower Epsilon Twelve please. The Shinamori Complex should already be prepared for my arrival."
The executive chopper flew at top-speed across the county, heading to Philadelphia. In the northern parts of the city, the newer parts of it, all funded by the massive Shinamori Corp., stood a huge complex with ten tall towers, the emerald-blue 'S' symbol emblazoned proudly on each.
Suddenly, several laser-guided missiles rocketed towards the craft. Katsuya heard the missile alert alarms, and opened a channel to his pilot.
"Jean-Luc-"
Already on it, sir. Time for me to earn my paycheck."
If Katsuya didn't know better, he would have sworn that his pilot was enjoying this.
Tearing through the skies, the copter swerved madly around tall skyscrapers, the missiles following close behind. Katsuya calmly noted the building several inches away from their rotors. "No civilian casualties, please, Mr. Jean-Luc."
"Understood, sir."
They swerved around and headed towards the Shinamori HQ, the missiles still trailing them. Katsuya would have a lot of explaining to do, but it was better than evading several surface-to-air missiles. Money could resolve any problems caused by the anti-missile defense system.
**********
"Mark time hut!"
The band snapped to attention and began marking time. After a long summer break, it was the last thing on most of their minds, but they consented under the stern but caring leadership of Drum Major Richard Leo and Drum Majorette Danielle Summers.
Well, or so they like to say.
"Move those feet, you guys! What are they made of!? Bones and flesh or Jell-O!?"
At least Richard was kinder. Only slightly.
"Come on, you heard the lady! Move it!"
Well, at least he didn't make up his own insults.
Fiona found it easier to concentrate, as it was her favourite subject. Who wouldn't mind slogging out under the hot sun for several hours after school if they loved band? There was also a competition due soon, and she was anticipating it to be a great chance to learn. She didn't mind the fact that it had just rained the day before and the ground was extremely muddy, sucking down on her white sneakers. She was also covered with sweat, and her dress was sticking to her body.
After putting up with much complaint, the drum majors finally deemed it good enough to allow them to leave. Charles Wilhelm, her brother and Percussion Section Leader, waved her over. "Fiona! You going back now?"
"Er…yeah! Once I put my clarinet back, that is."
"Okay, could you please tell mom and dad that I'll be slightly later today? You guys can go ahead and start dinner with Katsuya without me. I have to take the Percussion Section for some drill and cadence training."
"Oh, okay. Um, isn't Katsuya a percussionist?"
"Ah, he's busy now. Said he had something with the Student Council."
Student council? He didn't seem like the kind to attend council. He doesn't seem like the kind who would even care about others.
Lately, her mind had been leaning more towards a none-too-favourable inclination about Katsuya. He didn't seem attractive at all to her, and seemed to be haughty and arrogant instead.
"…Fiona? Are you listening?"
"Oh, alright! I'll inform mom and dad."
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A/N: Well, how's that for a beginner? My previous band stories have all been about competitions, so please review this thing! Thank you!