Me; We got chapter 10..!
Mayhemb; Let's start it then!
She still remembered how she had gotten into this mess...
It was after Choir a few days ago, once Pinky had left her side. The two had been talking about how soon Christmas seemed to be coming up...But, then the Prep was taken away by Derby. Leaving her alone to face...THE BEAST.(FLASHBACK TIME KIDDIES!)
"Excuse me, are you Katherine?" a large woman asked while approaching, already Katherine felt uneasy.
"Uh...Yeah...?"
"Spendid..!" Oh crap was this woman loud... "I am Miss Peters, the Music Teacher."
"Ah..Well uhm...Good for you."
"Anyway, I heard from your teachers about your talents on the piano."
Already Katherine felt a small pit begin to form in her stomach... "Oh...?"
"Yes, and you see, the pianist for the Holiday Pageant canceled on me a few hours ago."
"I'm uhm...Sorry about that..."
"Oh, you don't have to be sorry! In fact, you can be our savior..!"
"...What."
"Yes...! Please, I need you to join us."
"...Why exactly?"
"Because if you don't." The tone change made everything seem darker and more threatening now... "I'll talk to your Choir teacher, or you Drama teacher, and make you fail."
"Y-You can't do that..!"
"Do you really wanna try me?"
...A small huff was heard, before a frown formed on the Artist's face.. "Fine..."
"Thank you...!"
Katherine sighed as she stood with her eyes transfixed on the rested curtains before her. Tonight was the winter Holiday Season Pageant, thingy...
She she couldn't believe that had been forced into this by Miss Peters...
Heck...
She still couldn't believe that Miss Peters threatened to talk to the Choir or Drama teacher, and bring her grade down...!
The little-
"Ah Katherine~" The French girl looked up to see the odd hippy woman. "Are you ready?"
"...As I'll ever be."
The Artist smoothed out the fabric of her dress, a small ball forming in the middle of her throat.
Her dress was a simple, smooth, light red. The hem stopped only a centimeter off the floor, and the sleeves managed to reach a bit above her elbow. Across the sweetheart neckline was a small stream of sequence, and around her waist was a white sash.
"Well, don't you look fancy." Katherine turned around at the voice, and had to stop herself from laughing when she saw Jimmy behind her...In a nutcracker suit.
"Oh...My...God..."
"Don't you dare..."
"...Hey Jimmy.."
"Kat...Don't."
"You feelin a bit-"
"Don't do i-"
"Nutty?"
"I hate you. I hate you so. Fuckin'. Much..."
"Don't hate me 'cause you ain't me."
"Too bad, I'm hating you."
"Katherine~ You're up...!" Miss Peters called over, making The Artist sigh through her nose.
"Yes Miss Peters..." As she stood up on her silver flats, adjusting the red poinsettia in her hair, Jimmy patted her shoulder.
"Good luck."
"Thanks..I'll need it with these uncultured swine..."
The piano had been dragged out onto the far left side of the stage, to where Katherine's seat to the keys where the only things the audience saw from her.
In the middle of the stage was the choir, which was made completely out of preps now, due to the Artist playing the piano. Perhaps this was another hidden meaning behind the job, but the French girl didn't question it.
She just wanted to pass and get this over with.
All the preps were dressed in black satin dresses or tuxedos that were FAR too formal for this occasion it seemed, with those fake smiles plastered on.
Miss Peters came out into the spotlight, stepping before the group. "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first act of the night, I'd like to present to you Bullworth's honor choir...! Accompanied by our dear Katherine Charbonneu on piano."
The entire room filled with a golf-clap applause from everyone it seemed.
'Stupid rich, parents who're terrible...' Katherine thought to herself as she looked at the part of the crowd which was filled with the upper-crust.
"There first piece, out of three, is Winter Wonderland. Soon followed by Baby It's Cold Outside, and Jingle Bell Rock."
The Artist rolled her eyes as she thought over the songs. Could they be any more cliche...?
...
Okay, they probably could...
So the French girl, grudgingly, complied to the selection. She opened the first booklet containing sheet music, and prayed this would be over with soon..
It didn't end soon enough.
Once the curtains closed after the choir's bow, she almost bolted out of the room.
...
Had she not remembered Jimmy's uniform.
After remembering the badly dressed boy, the Charbonneu girl took a seat and smirked.
Miss Peters came running out onto the set when the curtain re-opened for the new production, laughing and waving as the parents clapped. "Oh-ho-ho! What's that lovely?.! Hahaha, oh yes..!"
After a small bow, the music teacher continued. "Thank you! And now for a real holiday treat, I give you the 'Holiday Medley'!"
If Katherine had said she didn't enjoy watching Jimmy play xylophone to a Christmas tune, anyone could call her out on the lie.
Though, she had wanted it to, at the least, be a GOOD Christmas tune...
The Hopkins boy didn't stick around after the concert, and immediately took off when he saw Katherine walking over.
After knowing her, he KNEW her teasing wouldn't end for several weeks...Maybe even a year.
The Artist, with a smile on her face, turned around and walked away. She needed to get out of this dress, once she put her sheet music in her locker.
ssssh-click
sssssh-click
sh-click
The locker door opened for Katherine, a smile on her face...Only when she noticed an odd piece of paper that had been put in her locker.
She picked it up, opening the folded piece to see another odd letter.
"Very good at the Winter Formal earlier today." Oh, it was these people again..."I think it's about time you finally meet us. Come to the Music Shop at 5, go through that door you had before. We shall see you then.
P.S. Don't tell anyone where you're. We're trusting you to do this Katherine, just as much as you have to trust us."
Katherine bit her lip, thinking for a bit.
It wasn't all too late in the evening, maybe 2 PM at most...But...
Did the Greasers plan on her visiting? If they did then what would her explanation be?
...
With a sigh the Artist decided.
ting-ting
The bell atop the entrance door chimed as it was softly pushed open, the Charbonneu girl stepped inside quickly. She was back in her uniform, cozy in pants and tie, along with a black messenger bag.
After a quick look around, noticing that no one was there, she made her way to the door and descended down the dark staircase behind the door.
Her heart was pounding as she saw the room at the bottom of the steps lit once more, and smiled as her feet touched the flat area.
The room was still as beautiful and retro as before when a quick pan of the room was cut short.
There was a TV in the corner with several old game stations, Guitar Band, and a karaoke machine. In another corner was 2 laptops on either side of a turntable, and several extra doors leading to who knows where.
The 7 people from before were there, sitting down in beanbag chairs or cushioned seats. Gloria smiled at Katherine, who gave her a nod.
"Glad you could visit Kat." Paul was the first to speak up, smiling at her gently, while he held an odd book in his hands.
"Uhm...Well...Thanks for uh...Inviting me." Katherine noticed the extra chair in the room, along with one of the boys there nudging it towards her. The Artist carefully walked over the paint cans beside the door, and took the seat happily.
"So uhm...What is this about..?"
The group of rather odd members looked at one another, before the red-headed boy Katherine knew spoke up. "...You see, Katherine...You've peaked out interests."
Katherine had an odd poker face...
"And by that I mean caught our attention in an observation way, not in a romantic way."
The Artist was clearly relieved by this.
"That's great and all, yeah...But who are you guys?" Finally, her golden question was asked.
"...We are the Outcasts. The ones outside yet inside. The Creators of expression within our own means..." Paul seemed to have already planned his odd dramatic monologue... "We are...The Artist Clique."
Katherine's heart stopped for a second, trying to repress the grin. Artists! True Artists! YES! SHE WASN'T ALONE!
"You already know how I'm associated with the Arts." The Music Store worker (and co-owner) declared rather smugly. "But you don't know of the others."
Gloria turned to Katherine with a big grin on her face. "I'm more into the Literature side of Art."
Next was Constantinos, an odd look on his face as he watched the French girl. "I'm into Journalism..."
"Physical representation like gymnastics." Christy chirped in, a smile on her face. "I'm glad another girl got in."
Katherine didn't really know what she meant in entirety, but she was glad that everyone she knew was accounted for...Now then...
The Charbonneu girl turned to a skinny boy with dark blue eyes and brown hair parted to the left that was beside her. The one who had nudged her the seat. "I'm Ivan Alexander...I'm into cinematography."
Geez...The guy sounded as tired as he looked...!
Next was a boy who was significantly overweight and has a sandy brown buzzcut. "Hi...! I'm Ray Hughes, I like comics, reading, and video games."
"Hiya Ray." Well, he seemed nice!
Then, finally, was a little boy with dark skin like her, and with black hair. "I'm Sheldon Thompson, I enjoy Drama...Uhm...Ya know, besides the uh...Bullying."
"Very understandable." Katherine looked at the whole group then. "Then uh...I'm Katherine Charbonneu...I uhm...Well, I like just about everything in the Artistic categories!"
"We've noticed." Gloria joined in, her hands folded over the table. "And that's why we asked you to come here."
"You see Katherine...The Artist Clique has been a secret, underground, group for several years now. As to get rid of any posers or wanna-bees..." Paul then placed the book on the table. "And well...Not many of us can fight all too well, so it's best to not put ourselves on the food chain.."
"However, we've taken the proper steps to ensure our safety."
"Oh...?" The French girl quirked an eyebrow at Ivan's declaration, yet Ray as kind enough to answer.
"You see, each and every one of us is sort of...Associated with each and every group. I, for one, am close to the Nerds. Much like Gloria is. Christy keeps the Cheerleaders and some of the Preps in check, Ivan has both the Jocks and Preps."
"I take on the adults in town, and most of the faculty." Paul confessed, then waved a hand towards Constantinos and Sheldon. "Constantinos has the Jocks and Prefects, while Sheldon has the teachers also."
"Uhm...Okay." Katherine tried to keep up with all of this.
"You see, we all get information on the group we can fit into." Gloria added on, a calm look on her face. "We gather as much information, and store it into the book that Paul is holding. And should the time ever arise, we'll use the secrets we've learned to protect ourselves."
"That's dandy and all but...Where do I fit into this?"
"Well...We don't have anyone in on Jimmy and the Greas-"
BAM
Sheldon stopped speaking when Katherine's hands hit the table in rage. "You can NOT be asking me to do that..!"
"And we aren't." Paul threw a look to the young boy, before focusing his eyes on Katherine. "What we would like though, is for you to join our Clique. The teachers have been heard saying that you used to get into fights that left your opponent rather...Bruised."
Understatement...
"Plus...Well...You meet our requirements. You love and enjoy an Art, you aren't afraid of showing that you're in it, you're trustworthy, and you also...Well, you're rather sneaky."
"Yeah, if you hadn't bumped into the paint can that day, we never would have found you." The Cheerleader confessed.
...
"That reminds me...Why ARE there paint cans by the door?"
"Alarm encase anyone tries to get in." Ray declared, making Katherine face-palm. Welp, that should've been obvious...
"So...?...What d'ya say Katherine?" Paul slid the book over to Katherine, who stopped it before it could fall to the floor.
This...This sounded amazing actually...
Yet, also, rather deceitful...
She didn't feel right lying to Jimmy, or her boys...!
...
...
But...
...
"I...I would love to join.." The 7 people around the table smiled at her, before a pen was tossed on top of the book.
"Then, like all of us...You need to sign back of the covering, and add one of your secrets into the pages." Sheldon instructed, watching as Katherine wrote her name in. "That way, you're sealing our trust with you, and vise-versa."
...
...
'I am actually colorblind.' The sentence was plain and simple, yet ment the world to Katherine...
"So, what's your secret?" Christy questioned with a smile, making Katherine look at her in slight fear.
"Aw come on Kat, you can tell us..! After all, you can see all our secrets whenever you want. Ya just gotta lock it back up in the safe in the storage room." Paul's wide grin and small consolation made Katherine a bit better... "So...?"
...
...
"Promise not to squeal? O-Or look at me any different?" Everyone agreed once more for good measure. "...I...Uhm...I'm sorta...Colorblind..."
...
...
"Well...Then I think that I speak for everyone when I say...That you being colorblind only proves how great of an artist you are." Gloria declared with a comforting smile. Katherine looked around the room, seeing how everyone else had the same sort of smile...
"I...I...Thank you...That means a lot to me."
"No prob Kat." Ray said with a happy smile, before the clock in the room chimed, like it did every half hour.
"Crap...I better go, my boys are probably waiting for me...Sorry." The Charbonneu gal apologized while standing up, all the people around the table said it was okay, and that they probably had to go to.
"Bye guys...!" Katherine called out over her shoulder as she walked up the stairs, opening the black door.
"Bye Kat!" Paul shouted with all his might, he was even heard once the thick door was closed.
"So...Where were ya?" Hal questioned as he and Katherine sat on a couch within the Tenements, each with a soda in hand.
"Gettin' some new guitar strings." Before the boy could ask another question, the front door was kicked open.
"THAT NO GOOD SLUT!"
"What did Lola do this time...?" Esposito muttered under his breath as he and the Artist beside him got up, walking down a flight of stairs to see Johnny pacing back and forth in the main room.
"Wha'd 'appened Johnny?" Peanut was the first to give the golden question, only to be answered by a few pictures being shoved in his chest.
Everyone crowded around the Romano boy, Katherine included.
Each picture was of Lola and some Prep out on a date around town. Dear lord...
'I'mma PUNCH that girl...If I can even call her that.' The bitter thought ran through the Artist's mind, before looking up at the fumming Johnny.
"I can't believe she did d'is to me! ME! OF ALL PEOPLE!"
"Wha'da we gonna do Johnny?" The 'King' turned to Vance, a menacing look on his face.
"We're gonna teach that kid what happens when ya mess with my girl..! Lefty, Vance, you two's are comin' with me." Johnny then looked to Katherine. "You in Kat?"
...
...
She knew she shouldn't be defending that no good floozy of a girl Lola...But this was unadulterated violence...!
...
"Let's go ladies...!" Katherine yelled with a grin, pumped and raring to go.
Katherine sat atop her bike, one hand resting on the handle bar while the other hung limp at the side.
Finally, after what seemed like an hour of waiting, Jimmy came racing in with the Preps behind him.
"Well hello Gord." Johnny was 'nice' enough to greet the man he was gonna beat down. "Seems like you've been messin' where you ought not."
'Such...Bad...Grammer...' Katherine had to restrain herself from going all Grammar-Nazi on Johnny...
"No, cousins are legal." Gord's statement made the Artist's stomach flip... "Oh, you mean Lola."
"Yeah, my woman. Now you pay!" Then, chaos broke loose.
Bikes zoomed pass one another, fists were slung and cherry bombs were tossed at rapid paces.
Katherine had gotten a few good punches in at Gord and someone named...Uhm...Chad? No...No that wasn't...Uhm...OH! Tad, yep, Tad was his name..
However, it changed when Gord managed to get her square in the jaw, making her fall off her bike. "CRAP!"
The Charbonneu girl rubbed her sore jaw and sat up slowly, spewing out a long slew of cuss words in French.
"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Justine, the Prep she didn't know, questioned with a smirk.
From across the room Jimmy had heard this, and momentarily stopped his bike to look at his Best Friend...
...
...
"Hey...! Ka-" Jimmy stopped talking when Katherine tackled Justine off his back, sat atop his torso with both legs at his sides, and wailed on him.
The Artist didn't say anything, not even when she felt her fingers start to blister.
It took both Lefty and Jimmy to somehow manage to separate her from her victim, who was grabbed by Gord and Ted as they ran off.
Katherine was left outside, waiting for the Hopkins boy as he got some reward money from Johnny.
"Hey..." her Best Friend said as he came out on his bike, and only followed as the French girl started to ride off.
"Come on Kat, speak ta me...!" Jimmy almost begged the Artist, who hadn't said a word since Justine had spoken his offending question.
"...Hi..."
"You know that's not what I meant."
"Meh..."
...
...
Jimmy walked over to the bar, where Katherine was seated, and hugged her tightly. He didn't say a word.
Her mom was never an easy subject to talk about, and people making random questions or comebacks like that set Katherine off faster than a box of TNT.
The girl in question just sat there a moment, before turning around and tightly hugging Jimmy. "Life's unfair man..."
"And don't we know it..."
A new page, a new day, huh...?
Dear mom...I hated today for the most part...
I managed to do that weird Winter Pageant thing, and I did okay...Heck, I even saw Jim-Jim in this RIDICULOUS costume...
Then I...Well, I can't really write what happened next. I'm not allowed to. So, you'll have to wait. ;P Sorry.
But, what really set me off today, was when I got into a fight.
I know, I know. Fighting won't do me any good...But it was for Johnny Mom...
Anyway, sometime during the fight this kid ended up making a comment after I uh...Said some things...And I basically wailed on him until my knuckles were scratched...
He said, "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
...
I would do anything to just feel you again mom...
Anyway, I better turn in...Love you.
Song of the Day; One Girl Revolution by Superchick. Because us girls can be more than a guy can handle.
The journal was shut and tucked away once again, the regular routine played through as Katherine nestled into her bed's warmth.
If she ever saw that stinkin' Prep again...She'd probably lose it.
But, now wasn't the time to think about that...Now was the time to focus on her sleep. Now was the time to start healing herself via dreams, dreams that no one could take away from her.
Me; Man that was a long one...But fun still...!
Mayhemb; No doubt. Anyway, please rate and review!
Me; And we'll see you all soon!
Me and Mayhemb; Bye..!