Chapter 2- 7th grade Hope
A/N This chapter will contain a few instances of bullying and homophobia. Read with caution if any of these are a trigger for you.
A month before his seventh grade year started, Eddward went to the junior high school to sign up for the extra curricula's, to round out his experience there. The event was held in the schools lunch room. All the tables that normally filled the room had been folded and rolled against the walls. So to make room for the smaller tables, these housed each activity available to the students. There were tables for all the usual sports and a few others were for different clubs. The one that caught Double D's eye was the table set up for the school's band class. Music after all had been proven to be beneficial to people with interests in math and science. Double D and his mother approached the table set up with different musical instruments; a few examples of brass, woodwind and percussion instruments were present. Behind the table stood a middle aged man with completely white hair and what could only be described as a Doc Brown hair cut. The gentleman was currently talking to another parent standing with their child. Eddward and his mother perused the display of instruments, while waiting for the man to finish his current conversation. Edd's mother pointed toward the trumpet "What do you think of that one? It looks pretty cool hmm."
Edd just shrugged his shoulders, continuing to look at the different instruments. Beside the trumpet there was a clarinet, trombone, flute and saxophone. Neatly set on the floor beside the table where a few different types of drums. As Edd spotted the saxophone his eyes widened and he was pretty certain which instrument he wanted to play that year. He reached out his hand and placed it upon the instrument, as though trying to form a lasting bond with it . "I believe I would like to try this one mother." He said as he picked up the instrument getting a better feel for it in his hands and presenting it for his mother's approval.
"A beautiful instrument isn't it?" Looking up Edd and his mother noticed that the grey haired Doc Brown look alike had finished his conversation and was examining Edd as he held the saxophone.
"Y-yes it is." Edd said sheepishly as he started to put the sax back down, as though he had over stepped some boundary that shouldn't have be crossed.
The gentlemen just gently smiled. "You can hold it, that's why they are here." Turning to Edd's mother he held out his hand and continued. "I am Mr. Zimmerman, one of the school's band teachers."
Shaking his hand and returning the gently smile Edd's mother spoke. "I am Leslie and this is my son Eddward." Gesturing toward Edd with her free hand, Mr. Zimmerman released her hand and extended it to Edd.
"It's good to meet the both of you." Smile still in place, he glanced between the both of them to emphasize that he was addressing them both. But turned his attention back to Edd and continued. "I take it your interested in learning how to play the saxophone."
"I was considering it, it is quite beautiful." Edd meekly replied turning the sax in his hands examining it. Intrigued by its intricate design, the mechanics that formed the whole of the instrument was like looking at a piece of art in Edd's eyes.
"Yes it is, and makes music just as beautifully. There are three types of that instrument alto is the one your currently holding. Tenor is deeper in sound to the alto and the baritone is even deeper." Mr. Zimmerman motioned to the instrument in Edd's hands. Edd gently handed him the instrument and watched as he put the instrument to his mouth and played several notes, giving Eddward a feel for the sound it made.
Edd's eyes lit up as he heard the rich and vibrant sounds coming from it. Turning to his mother who, when she saw his face, knew that there was no convincing him otherwise. She was just thankful that his father slept during the day while Edd was at school. "I guess were getting a saxophone."
With that proclamation Edd's face lit up with an exquisite smile, his mother turned her attention back to Mr. Zimmerman and began discussing rentals versus purchasing the instrument outright. Edd couldn't wait to get his hands on his new saxophone, before leaving they signed him up for the class. Then made their way to downtown Peach Creek to a music store and purchase him a gently used saxophone. It might have not been brand new, but to Edd it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his short life. With the new acquisition his excitement for the upcoming school year had nearly tripled.
Of course that story changed on the first day of school, his excitement was replaced by the reminder that school meant bullies. Quickly the thing he had been excited about was tarnished a little. Band class for the seventh graders was first period, and several students were already in the classroom, trying their new "toys" out. The room was tiered into three steps, so the seat behind you was raised slightly higher than yours, and was in a semi circular formation with a podium standing in front, dead center. The room was a chaotic mixture of bad musical notes and students talking, without the teacher there to restore order, Eddward could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. Edd quickly found an empty seat laying his sax's case on the floor beside his seat, opening the case he removed the pieces to assemble the instrument. As Edd was putting his saxophone together he felt a rough tap on his shoulder, turning around he was confronted with a familiar face. A bully from his former elementary school and what appeared to be some new lackeys at his side. I mean seriously they just seem to run in packs, whoever being the meanest was their alpha. This particular alpha's name was Tim, and his brand of humor was humiliation.
"Hey Edwina, me and the boy's were wondering if you where really a man?" Tim said looking around at his colleagues to gauge their laughs of approval.
"I can assure you Timothy that I am a male." Edd stated trying not to look flustered.
"O really, I said a man, so you growing any grass around the tree then?" Tim said a little louder then Edd was comfortable with.
"Yeah, have your nuts dropped yet ya sissy?" Tim's friend to his right said just as load.
"By the sound of his voice I'd say not!" the friend to the left practically bellowed with laughter. With that Edd turned around trying to hide his face from the boy's behind him.
"O, is Edwina going to cry? Tim said in a mock pouting voice.
Edd knew he couldn't hide how flustered he was getting anymore, he refused to turn to face his assailants, instead keeping his eyes on the front right of the room at the door to the class. Praying the teacher would arrive and with their presence the bullying would stop until the end of class. From there he would just have to count on his speed to get him out of any further entanglements with these boy's. The clock being above the door he could easily see that he had five minutes left till salvation would arrive. To his left he could see out of his peripheral vision someone leaning forward looking at him.
"His face looks like it's going to pop." Looking slightly to his left Edd saw it was Kevin Barr, another one of his bullies from elementary school. How could Edd not have noticed that he had put himself right smack in the middle of the vipers nest. Guess he figured band class would have been a safe haven from people like this. How wrong he was and he was just finding out that his hopes for enjoying this class had been hurled upon the rocks.
"Come on Edwina don't be mad at us, we thought faggots like you enjoyed people talk about their junk." Tim said as he pushed Eddward's head forward and to the right rather roughly.
"I think he does, he's just shy, aren't you Edwina?" Kevin chimed in.
Eddward wasn't going to give these boys a response; it wasn't that he was scared; he just knew that to say anything would be throwing fuel on the proverbial fire. Lucky for Edd the bell rang, both band teachers arrived and rearranged the class; Mr. Zimmerman was keeping the woodwind sections which included the saxophones, oboes, bassoon, clarinets and flutes. While the other teacher took the brass and percussion sections, to Edd's surprise Tim and his lackeys were in the brass section. Maybe there was hope yet, unfortunately Kevin wasn't moving, well hopefully he wasn't in the same section as him maybe big bad butch Kevin was playing the flute. Edd snickered at the thought of the football player playing such an instrument, not that there was anything wrong with the instrument, he just knew it didn't fit Kevin's picture of masculinity.
When the instrumental sections where all divided up Edd's heart sank a little more, not only was Kevin in the same section as he, having also chosen to play the saxophone, but he was sitting right next to him. Edd was to find that this sitting arrangement was never to change as long as Kevin was in the class. Mr. Zimmerman went over basic fundamentals of reading sheets of music and counting out and identifying the different rhythms. Finally explaining to each sections of instruments how to hold their particular instrument and how it should be put in their mouth. For instance the saxophone player must curl their bottom lip over their teeth and bit down on the mouth piece. Explaining that each different type of note will take different degrees of pressure from their mouth, that is why in amateurs you sometimes get that squealing noise when they miss the note.
The last ten minutes of class was left for the students to converse and make introductions if they didn't go to the same schools before. Edd disassembled his instrument and put it in its case sat back up and noticed Kevin looking at him. Turning to face him Edd lifted a brow silently asking him what he was looking at.
"Sup fag, what made you chose this class?" Kevin asks while chewing on a piece of gum.
Not appreciating the name calling still, that fact being pretty evident on his face, Edd could only bring himself to ask. "The same could be asked of you Mr. Barr, never thought band class would fit into your social status."
"Well figured I could learn how to play a little and attract me some chicks, by playing them some sexy ass shit." Kevin said with a smirk playing across his lips. "Not that you would know anything about that shit." With the conversation at an end as far as Kevin was concerned he turned his attention to the goth kid on the other side of him. What little time was left Edd did his best to blend into the chair he was sitting in to avoid anymore unwanted negative attention. First day of school and first period of that day, Edd was pretty sure all the kids he didn't know where going to have a set notion about him. That notion being, that he was a limp wristed screaming queen, who threw glitter in the air while squealing like a fan girl. The rest of the day the fates were not any kinder to him, having gym class with both Kevin and Tim and a few others with just one of them at a time. So few of his classes were with his friends, only having one class with Ed, lunch was the only time he got to see them both. By lunch time Edd's fears had been confirmed, that word had been spread through the bullying underworld that he was a queer and to make certain he was aware they knew it. If today was any indication of how his Junior High and High School life was going to be like, he was going to be glad when it was over.