As of now, All-County auditions are mere hours away. This is the story of a girl with a paranoid director.

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Anna looked at the clock, and raised her clarinet to her mouth for one last practice session before

leaving for her All-County audition. She set her embouchure and started her piece. As she reached the third measure, her cell rang. She growled slightly, then put her clarinet on her bed. She reached for her phone and answered.

"Hello?"

Her director's voice met her ears. "Are you ready for tonight, Anna?"

Anna blinked, and answered slowly. "Mr. N, why do you have my cell phone number?"

"Never mind that. Are you prepared?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Good bye." And Anna ended the call.

She lifted her clarinet again. She finished her piece and started her scales. Three notes in, her cell phone rang. She answered again.

"Anna speaking."

"Are you sure you're ready? I mean really sure?"

Anna frowned. "Mr. Niko, I told you already. I'm ready...And who gave you my number?"

"Tavi did," he answered absentmindedly. "You've got your piece perfected? All the dynamics are good? No rhythmical issues?"

"Mr. N, relax, okay? I've got to go. You're wasting my minutes." She hung up.

She set her phone on her desk, then grabbed it again and shut it off. She began her scales again, and as soon as she began her chromatic, the main phone rang. She ignored it, and when her mother picked it up, she continued her chromatic.

Her clarinet let out a squawk when her embouchure slipped. Her mother had shrieked her name, telling her something she didn't want to hear. "ANNA!!! MR. NIKO IS ON THE PHONE!!!! HE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!!!!"

Her left eye twitched. "I'll be right there!"

She put her clarinet away, but not before swabbing the inside of the body. She closed the case and walked to her mother. She grabbed the phone and said:

"Yes I'm ready. There are no problems. Why do you insist on calling me?"

"Um...This time I wanted to tell you that your time has moved. You need to be there now." He sounded faintly hurt. He hung up, and Anna stared at the phone.

"MOM! WE NEED TO GO NOW! MY TIME'S BEEN MOVED!"

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Anna rushed through the check-in, not seeing her other band mates waving at her. She ran into Mr. Niko. He helped her up. In a playful tone, he asked her:

"Are you ready?"

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So you know, I play the flute.