HEY EVERYBODY! I FINALLY finished this (thank God), and my exams are over. We had Eid holidays (5 days) here in Bahrain, so it was like a mini summer vacation. School's started yesterday and I was spending some part of the Eid holidays typing this.
Honestly, I'm not satisfied with this chapter, but that's because I couldn't expand this suggestion, 'old broken musical instrument that got bent as well like a triangle or something,' into a chapter properly.
Thank you, combatlighting, for the suggestion.
This chapter holds stuff about different extracurricular activities that happen in the American Ed System, which I am unfamiliar with, so I apologize if it isn't like it at all. I just typed down about clubs and stuff with whatever knowledge I had.
Reviews:
PetitWing: Yeah, you're right. It is really sad. Thanks for reviewing!
Akuma No Kami 4444: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
RubinaLadybug: Abandoned? No way! I'm gonna finish off this thing and nothing's gonna stop me, except death and God. Thank you! And yes, this is literally the end of the box. Next will be the epilogue, although I'm quite uncertain as to what I'll include in it, BUT it will have something.
Memories
Chapter 8
Peter put the watch away and stared into the box only to see one thing - a broken flute. Raising his eyebrows, he took it out as his head, once again, flooded with memories.
Ages:
Peter: 12 years.
Mary Jane: 12 years.
"Peter, how about we join the music club?"
Peter raised an eyebrow to the question asked by Mary Jane. It was the first day of the first year of middle school, 6th grade. People were joining different clubs to participate in extracurricular activities. Some people joined it out of interest, while others joined it for the sake of grades.
"The…music club?" Peter asked, unsure.
"Yeah," Mary Jane nodded enthusiastically. "We've never been to the music club, why don't we try it?"
"Uhh…" Peter was unsure. "I'm already in the science club."
"Peter, you should try out more stuff other than science, you know," Mary Jane said. "Only then will your life be colourful."
"I like science," Peter said. "Besides, I'm not really interested in joining the music club. You should, because you're good at singing. Me? I stink in singing."
"They do instruments too," Mary Jane said.
"Okay…"
"Picture yourself playing an instrument. Wouldn't that be fun?"
In the end, the two decided to join the music club. Why not? Peter thought.
"Those who have chosen instrumental, please follow me," the girl, who was the head of the instrumental part of the music club and a high school freshman, said.
Along with the other students, Peter and Mary Jane followed the girl. Some of the students were new, while others have already chosen the music club the previous year and was continuing that year too.
"Listen up, everybody," the girl said. "The name's Evelyn Clay. So about the music club, since you all have chosen instrumental, you're going to have to choose an instrument about which you'll be studying and practising for the rest of the year. You can also switch instruments or even switch to vocal if you want. Some instruments like drums will be provided by the club. You'll have to buy other instruments, like the flute. Any questions?"
Evelyn's eyes swept around, and when she saw that no one was asking anything, she continued, "Okay. No questions. That's good. Now, I'll be passing down this paper. You'll have to fill it up by writing your names, your chosen instruments, your class and if it's the first time you're playing it or not. Fill it up quickly and while you're all doing that, we'll have a quick discussion of music and what you're all expecting from this club, why you chose it, etc. Basically, we're just gonna interact as we won't be having any classes today."
Once the paper reached Peter, he took a look at the available instruments. He was sure he didn't want to choose huge instruments as he wanted to start with something small, simple and probably easy to learn. Maybe the flute?
'Let's give it a try,' he thought.
Mary Jane said she chose to learn the keyboard. A lot of people were choosing to learn to play the keyboard, and they were being provided by the club.
The next day, Peter went to the music club with his own brand new flute. It was made of cheap wood as he did not want to spend too much on something he might give up later on.
He, along with the kids who chose to learn the flute who were limited in number, gathered in front of a person who will be teaching them. Peter observed the teacher and listened to his instructions. The teacher started with the basics and decide that they'll try a song that very day itself because he wanted them to experience playing the flute.
Needless to say, Peter's experience was a bad one, due to, according to him, the following reasons:
1) He was not exactly interested in learning how to play the flute.
2) He was not exactly interested in playing the flute.
3) He was bad at playing the flute.
4) Mary Jane forced him to come.
5) The teacher kept correcting Peter (and others, but Peter didn't consider that) too much.
6) The teacher was rude.
7) Refer to Reason 3.
8) Refer to Reason 7.
9) Refer to Reason 4.
10) Refer to Reason 9.
After coming up with ten very valid reasons, Peter decided that he wanted nothing more to do with the music club or any club except the science club. During the bus ride back home, he spoke to Mary Jane about it, presenting his 'Top Ten Reasons Why Peter Parker Does Not Want To Return To The Music Club'.
Mary Jane sighed. "Seriously?"
"I don't want to go back. It's a waste of time. And as we all know, time is precious," Peter said, as they got out of the bus. They stood in front of Mary Jane's house's gate.
"Can't you, like, give it another chance?" Mary Jane asked. "Maybe you'll start to like it after a few days or something?"
"No."
"Okay, fine. Whatever," Mary Jane said. "I just wanted you to, you know, open up to new stuff."
"I don't like this 'new stuff'," Peter retorted. "And since I'm never going back, I'm gonna give this" – he clutched his flute, which he was holding the entire time – "to someone who wants it."
At that moment, Peter felt a tug from his hand and in a second, the flute was gone! Peter turned back to see who was took it, and to his surprise, it was a beagle! And it had a collar on it.
"It's that dog!" Mary Jane said, looking at the dog. "That annoying one which belongs to old Mrs Brooks."
"She has a dog?" Peter asked, puzzled. The dog was now 'chewing' the flute. Since it was made of cheap wood, it started to get damaged rather quickly.
"Uh…I don't think I would be giving that flute to anyone," Peter said, looking at the now broken (sort of) flute.
Mary Jane nodded. After the dog left, Peter bent down and looked at the flute. "I wonder if we could reuse it? Actually, let me spray water on this. And then I can have a talk with Mrs Brooks. She should be careful about her dog."
"I just have to keep wondering who puts all these garbage in this box," Peter sighed. "Maybe it's me. I don't even know."
That's it! Really disappointing, I know. It really sucks because this was the very last chapter and I wanted to end it with a BANG! By 'bang', I mean 'an awesome ending'.
But - wait! We have an epilogue too! That will be our official ending to this story which I enjoyed writing so much!
I love this story like anything and it makes me so happy and proud to finally finish it and click 'Complete' to this story. I would hate to leave any story incomplete. That would stink.
Anyway, the epilogue will be published quickly (I hope), so you guys wouldn't have to wait too much.
On another note, I'd like to know more about the American Ed System and about the extracurricular activities aka the club system. The way I portrayed it here literally depended on the very less knowledge I have on it. I'd like it if those who know about this system tell me if I portrayed it right or wrong.
Thanks a lot for reading so far!
