Love and Music: Chapter One
Ah, yes it was wonderful to be a senior. Duo Maxwell sighed quietly as he shifted more comfortably in the plush bus seat, the accompanying seat beside him devoid of another human body, but that of a large duffel bag stuffed to the zipper with CDs and magazines. His headphones of a recently purchased MP3 player nestled on the crown of his chestnut head, almost invisible due to his long bangs. He sighed contentedly again as the quiet strains of the Chinese ehru danced in his ears. To Duo, music was the elixir of life. It could energize or calm, anger or inspire, make one joyful or sad. Yes, music too was a wonderful thing. The huge caravan bus was half-filled with high school seniors of Cinqwing Academy and he was looking forward to the long trip to Florida in relative peace. That peace was momentarily shattered as the girl sitting in front of Duo suddenly turned in her seat, throwing her arms over the back, hugging as though it were her best friend. She silently smiled and waited patiently for Duo to unwillingly removed one side of his headphones in order to hear her.
"Still being antisocial, Maxwell?," she teased in her soft voice.
"Define antisocial, Peacecraft," responded Duo, but he too smiled after a moment. He didn't mind so much being interrupted by Relena Peacecraft. At first, she had only been the rich girlfriend of his best friend, but now she was the rich girlfriend of his best friend who loved music almost as much as Duo. Most people only had interest in only one or two types of music with maybe a passing interest in a third, but Duo's range and taste ran across the board and it was rare that he came upon someone else with similar tastes. Relena was one of the rare ones.
"You should really talk with us, join the conversation," Relena was saying. "Trowa is giving a wonderful lecture on how much sun would be enough for us each day, with or without sunscreen."
Duo sweatdropped. "I think I'll pass on that one. Maybe when his mouth gets tired, I'll see what's going on. He can't possibly talk all the way to Orlando."
"You never know. He just might meet someone from the other school who can match his big mouth."
One brow arched curiously. "Other school? What other school?"
Relena looked surprised. "Didn't you know? Oh, that's right. You never did make it to the meeting that morning. Quatre was telling us that another school would be joining us and that we'd be with them the entire week. Apparently we have the same itinerary as they do. It's another private school. McWoodan, actually."
Duo snorted inwardly. McWoodan. Great. A bunch of snobs. Just more of what this bus needs. "Well, McWoodan," he said sarcastically, "can have the front. I'll be back here if anyone needs me." With that, he adjusted his headphones, turned up the volume and closed his eyes.
He opened those same cobalt blue orbs to the discordant sound of loud laughter and people talking all at once, disrupting his nap and his music. He scowled at the sight of McWoodan Academy students eagerly picking seats and seat partners. More specifically, many it seemed were clamoring for the attention of one girl in particular and if not able to gain it, they scrambled for nearby seats around her.
"Tierra! Tierra!," they called out. "Who are you sitting with? Come sit here!"
The girl, Tierra, was smiling, more to herself than anyone else, Duo noticed. Actually, it was more of a smug grin as she instructed one young man on where to place her bags.
"Put them over there with Sy," she commanded in a haughty voice, tossing shoulder length dark hair back from her eyes. The boy called Sy grinned as though he had won something as Tierra slinked her way to him after her "helper" had put her bags down. Duo noticed she never thanked him, didn't even acknowledge him afterwards. He rolled his eyes. Only at McWoodan…., he thought. He scanned the group, all still chattering away with Tierra at the center….all save a few. A small group settled themselves nearer to Cinqwing and several of Duo's friends. Three girls in particular seemed to want nothing to do with the McWoodan group as they talked amongst themselves. They sat together, two in back, one in front. The one in front sat with her back to the McWoodan students as she looked out the opposite window, her profile ignoring the Tierra-based raucous. Her long black hair hung down one side of her pretty face, golden brown complexion like honey with dark almond shaped intelligent eyes, small nose and full lips. He found himself staring, but he was soon jarred from his thoughts by a rather grating and whiny voice calling out.
"Kalial! Kalial!," it drawled out. "Don't you hear me talkin' to ya?"
The raven haired girl turned, sighing and removing an earbud as she did. Duo's brows raised.
"Sorry, Tierra," came the tight and weary sounding voice. "What is it?"
Tierra rolled hazel eyes. "I said, did you pack the stuff I need to sing? Everybody wants to hear me sing."
"You saw me put the whistle in this morning."
"Don't get smart with me." Tierra sucked her teeth, shifting her eyes to the others slyly. "I don't deserve it."
"Yeah, Ka', come on," joined in Sy. "Give your sister a break."
Sisters? These two? Duo's inquisitive eyes darted back and forth between Tierra and Kalial. Tierra was no doubt pretty, wide eyes hazel in color, small nose, her own dark hair shot through with streaks of red, a sensuous mouth with pearl white teeth. She sat, crossed legs in the aisle of the bus, dressed in dark glittery denim and a hot pink shirt that read "Baby" in silver sparkles. It was Kalial, however, who drew Duo's attention. Like her sister, she too was pretty, but in a different way. Where Tierra was flashy in bright colors, too much jewelry and popping gum, Kalial was more subdued, quiet, a gentle beauty with hair of soft ebony waves, reaching past her shoulders, high forehead, those black eyes hard. She shared her sister's nose and mouth, but that was probably all they shared. Kalial wore a teal ¾ sleeved blouse with black slacks, no jewelry save for a simply diamond necklace. Duo was confused. It was obvious to him who should be surrounded by friends…so why was Kalial getting such dirty looks?
Tierra popped her gum loudly as she noticed the second group of high schoolers on the bus. She sighed just as loudly. "God!," she exclaimed. "Why we gotta share a bus with a bunch of lames?"
Cinqwing students turned and eyed the brash young speaker, disdain clear in their eyes and Duo saw her falter slightly, but then her friends laughed rudely and chimed in with their own remarks about the "lames". Tierra sat up straighter then, the confidence back on her face. Duo was horrified at the girl's behavior.
"Who is that awful girl?," came a quiet comment from behind him.
"I don't know, Dorothy," responded another. "Just ignore them. It's only McWoodan."
He noticed how Kalial silently turned her back to her school once again. He didn't realize he was staring again until sharp dark eyes met his. He started, she didn't. Instead she smiled softly and lifted a hand in a friendly wave. His surprise disappearing, he smiled back. He thought about getting out of his seat and going over, talking to her, hearing what her voice sounded like, but then she said something to her friends and slid down in her seat, disappearing from view. Maybe later, he thought.