Prologue
The staff room wasn't dark, but it wasn't particularly bright either, due to the storm raging outside. A tall, pasty man bustled about the room, lighting candles.
"Thank you, Lumiere," another tall man sitting in the corner said. His legs were crossed with leisure, sipping coffee casually. In fact, he might have been the only relaxed one in the room.
"I'm very concerned," a short, squat Jamaican man said, "this year they want us to compete in the regional chorus competition, yes? Our chorus is nowhere near ready! And the teacher!" He shook his head woefully. "Aye, I've known Scuttle a long time, and he's a good friend, but I am glad he quit. The man sings like a seagull."
"I think everything will be just fine, Sebastian," a plump, happy old woman said.
"Thank you, Verna," Sebastian said with a sigh, rubbing his eyes, "but hope will not get us out of this one. I would teach Chorus myself, but I have Orchestra AND band now!"
"What if I told you," the man in the corner said, "that I have found a Chorus teacher? Five, in fact?"
"Five?!" Sebastian said in astonishment.
"Well, they insist on working together, so it's really just one with five personalities," the man said simply.
"Oh, splendid!" a man in a blue suit with a long white beard and glasses remarked.
"Indeed, Professor Merlin, indeed," replied yet another man in a long, rather stylish black coat and top hat.
"Jiminy, would you bring them in please?" said the calm man in the corner. The stylish man stood up. "Of course, Headmaster." He walked over to the door and reached out for the handle. Immediately it swung open, almost slamming the man into the wall behind him. Five women of various heights and sizes made their way around the room, finding places to lay down their purses. The shortest and bustier one spotted Jiminy behind the door and winked at him before joining her group again. Their silky white dress pants and tops flared out whenever they walked, creating a blur of white as they looked all over the room. Finally they rearranged themselves, the tallest woman standing in front as if she was the leader of the group.
The man in the corner took another sip of coffee then started to speak, "I believe they will help us in this situation of ours, so meet our new chorus teach-"
The tallest woman interrupted, "We'll take it from there headmaster. We are the Muses, a troupe of Gospel singers from Louisiana."
"And you are qualified to teach music, yes?" Sebastian asked hesitantly.
"Oh, honey, don't you worry your pretty little head," said the tallest.
"We're more than just qualified," said the short and busty one.
"Ain't that the gospel truth," said a third. The Muses nodded their heads and made sounds of agreement.
Sebastian looked concerned.
"If you would show the Muses to their room, Professor Scar," the man in the corner said. A sullen man with a large head of slick black hair stood up grumpily and slunked out the door, the Muses following. The smallest one threw a wink back into the room as she strutted out.
"Are you sure this is a wise decision, Headmaster?" Sebastian asked.
"Of course," the Headmaster replied. "Now you all are dismissed. Open house is tomorrow, after all!" The staff slowly filed out, Sebastian the last to go.
The Headmaster grabbed his cup of coffee, drank what was left, and then placed it off to the side for later use. He walked out of the lounge, closing the door behind him, to make his way back to his own office. Once settled inside his room, the man sat down in a swiveling chair, spinning around to face a large cage with two black mice. They looked up, as if they knew what decision had just been made. The one with the patch that looked like a bow stared at him, sniffing.
"Minnie don't give me that look, that goes to you too Mickey. We'll all be just fine," he whispered. He smiled and could've sworn Mickey gave him a thumbs up. With that he turned around and began to work, but his mind often wandered to what the new school year would bring.
