I'm not crazy.
I'm just a little impaired
I know.
Right now you don't care.
But soon enough.
Your going to think of me.
And how I used to be.
~Unwell- Matchbox Twenty
Amu walked passed people that didn't believe in the politeness of not staring at people. She heard giggling and whispers as she passed a group of girls. There was no telling if they were talking about her or not, but she paid no mind to the stupid shallowness of girls.
Finding her first class turned out to be a bigger challenge than she had expected. Having traveled around the whole school twice, she finally found her first class in Geometry. After she settled in an empty seat in exhaustion, she couldn't help eavesdropping on the group conversation behind her.
"Have you seen this?"
"I know it's just too perfect!"
"I'd give anything to sing with them!"
"I know! They're so hot!"
Amu heard them all begin giggling at the thought of what she expected to be some cute guys. She debated on whether to be social or to stick with the "timid new girl" act. After hearing them get that way just talking about guys, she thought it best just to stay out of their conversation, or she may end up smacking some of them on the back of the head.
Amu almost made it to the end of the day. No contact with anyone, and nothing to worry about. Then, she went to her final period. Art. One of her favorite subjects. She loved being creative with her hands, even though she didn't have much of a talent for it.
She made the mistake of sitting at a table and looking happy to be there, instead of looking intimidating to any "goody two shoes" that thought it would be a nice thing to do, and sit by the lonely new girl. She hated people that pretended to want to be friends and just acted nice as a way to make fun of you later. Thus, so far, anyone brave enough to dare venture towards her was shot a death glare that made them retreat in fear.
"This seat taken?" those were the words started all her problems. Amu looked up and saw a small girl. She didn't look like she belonged in high school, but she was startled by her appearance. She had beautiful long golden hair and matching eyes. Her cherubic face made her look more like an angel than a high school girl.
"N-no." Amu answered startled that the girl even wanted to sit next to her. The girl didn't smile or show any kind of emotion. She just sat and stared at Amu, who in turned stared at her.
"My name is Rima. We're in the same English class as well." she started to make small talk. Although Amu didn't care for small talk, she was interested in why she was even bothering speaking to her.
"I'm Amu. I just transferred here."
"Your lucky you didn't have to give an introduction." Rima answered sighing, "When I came here I had to explain every detail about myself." Although she said it as if she were surprised, something told Amu that this girl wasn't as surprised as she lead on. Of course people are going to want to know about her. She's a walking angel roaming the halls. Amu thought of herself as the girl that no one wanted to know too many details about. Amu tried to make herself as unapproachable as possible, and it worked, for the most part.
"I guess..., do you know if this school has a choir?" it wasn't much for small talk, but she had been curious about it. She knew she shouldn't even bother thinking about choir, but still... it taunted her. There was no one to ask other than her. Rima looked at her confused by the question. Amu would admit to not looking like a choir girl, but that doesn't mean everyone has to agree so quickly.
"I don't think so. This school doesn't have much of a music program. Besides, once you hear the signers at the school talent show, you'll understand why it's best there isn't one." the comment made Amu smile at the thought. She couldn't imagine how bad girls had to be to get this angel looking princess to say they sucked.
"Do you like singing?" Rima asked making Amu look at her in confusion. It wasn't so much her asking a question about choir was obvious that she liked singing, but no one had ever asked her that. Some asked her why she was even in choir since she wasn't "the type." This was the first time someone bothered asking what she liked to do.
"I guess so," she answered shyly offering a faint smile to show her appreciation for the question.
"Are you any good?" Rima asked attempt to engage Amu in a real conversation. Amu blushed slightly recalling all the awards and solos she had received for her singing, but she wasn't the type that liked the spotlight on her. That was one of the reasons she enjoyed choir. She could sing, just with a group instead of it all being on her.
"I'm...decent." Amu answered choosing her words carefully. Rima was surprised by her modesty. Rima expected her to be some kind of arrogant punk, but she was blushing and hiding any chance at a compliment. Her reaction made Rima give Amu her own shy smile. Rima thought that she could actually be friends with this girl. She looked like she needed one.
"Well, if you're interested, check this out." Rima said grabbing Amu's attention. Rima pulled out a flyer she had gotten at lunch and showed Amu. Amu stared at the flyer. It was a band looking for a female lead singer. She wanted to laugh out loud at the thought of her being the only singer, singing on stage with a band. Basically, there was no way in hell she was going to try out for this.
"You're so nice Rima-chan!" Amu heard a voice comment. She guessed this was an unwanted visitor as Rima's smile quickly faded with a look of annoyance at the sound of her voice. Amu glanced over to see a girl with beautiful red hair and green eyes. Behind her were a pack of girls. To Amu, they seemed like a pack of wolves on the prowl for their prey. "Trying to give a chance to the new girl?"
"I'm not nice." Rima stated flatly staring the girl down, "Understand that and you'll get through high school a lot easier. I don't believe there's much competition for this anyway."
"You're exactly right." she agreed with Rima nodding and smiling a shroud smile, "This competition is in the bag. For me anyways. I'm the best singer in school." Amu could tell this girl had no idea what the definition of humble was.
"That's not much of an accomplishment at this school." Rima fired back before glancing back at Amu with a quick wink, "I think you may have some competition now." Amu was stunned by Rima's comment. She'd never heard Amu sing, and she wasn't interested in this anyway.
"Is that so?" the girl asked glaring at Amu, who just looked back unemotional. There was no point in her getting upset, she had never heard her sing either. "Let me get one thing straight for you newbee. This competition is mine. Got it? I'm the one that's going to be the lead singer!"
"Ok," Amu replied blankly looking away uncaring. All the girls stared at her in disbelief. They had expect a verbal fight, but Amu acted as if it were just pointless. To them, that logic made no sense.
"Ok?" the girl asked in confusion.
"Ok, I don't care if you get to be the lead singer. I'm not interested." she pointed out blankly with a hint of annoyance in her tone.
"What? Is the band not good enough for you?" she asked being offended for the band.
"I don't know. I've never heard them play. They could suck for all I know." all the girl's gasped at that. Apparently she had crossed a line somewhere in her words.
"Take that back!" the girl demanded offended again for reasons Amu just couldn't understand.
"Take what back?" she asked unaware of what had pissed everyone off.
"They do not suck!"
"They're too hot to suck!"
"They're awesome!"
"I love them!"
All the girls in the class seemed to gang up on Amu in the argument. Amu felt herself getting irritated by the girls. She assumed there was at least one hot guy in the band. It was like being in a room full of fan girls, which Amu guessed was a pretty accurate simile.
"Has anyone ever heard them play?" she asked the question meant to only be for Rima, but her voice must have been louder than she had wanted and everyone got quiet and stared at her.
"I'm guessing no." Rima whispered to Amu as the girls continued to shoot death glares at her.
"You have no idea what you're talking about!" one girl yelled at her, as all the others agreed.
"Obviously!" Amu couldn't help pointing it out, these girls were just so annoying! "I may have just transferred here, but I know enough to know just because some guy is cute doesn't mean he can play the guitar!" her outburst caused everyone to just stare at her. Not glare, just stare at her in amazement. Even Rima couldn't believe she had pointed out the obvious to these girls that she knew practically worshipped at least one of the guys in the band.
Unexpectedly, one girl took a jar of paint and threw it on the floor. All the other girls settled in their seats, still stunned and quiet as the bell rang and the teacher walked through the door.
"Alright, who broke it?" she asked once she saw the mess on the floor. Every girl in the class pointed at Amu and said her name. She didn't bother defending herself. The whole class against her, the odds weren't exactly in her favor. "See me after class and you can take the job of cleaning up the whole room."
With that punishment placed on her Amu sighed and dropped her head on her desk. When she looked up, Rima was smiling at her, biting her lip in an attempt not to laugh.
"I think we're going to be good friends." she whispered to Amu before class began. The thought of a friend made Amu smile a little, even though she wasn't looking for any friends, she guessed that one wouldn't hurt.
"This is going to be great!" Kukai commented with his usual amount of enthusiasm for an event, as the band members began setting up their equipment for the auditions. Kukai beat a fast pace on the snare drum before banging his cymbal. "With all these girls auditioning, we're bound to find our singer!"
"Probably would agree with you." Nagihiko responded with a quick downward strum with a G chord.
"Watch it be the first girl auditions." Tadase offered with a pluck of his four strings before playing a G chord himself.
"Don't get your hopes up too high guys," Ikuto warned them with more knowledge about the girls in this school than any of them. Being a senior, he knew a lot about the school, including the music program, or the lack there of. They should all know now by the middle of the school year, but Tadase was still a freshman, Nagihiko was never one to be harsh about anything, and Kukai was just oblivious. "It may take a while to find a girl that isn't tone deaf."
"Relax, man!" Kukai commented in a laid back nature, "There's nothing to it. Just sit back and listen to voices of angels."
"Yeah, yeah." Ikuto responded looking over the first person scheduled for 3 o'clock. "You guys get off the stage, and Tadase, get the first girl."
"Yamabuki Saaya!" Tadase called opening the door slightly.
"Oh my Tadase-kun!" a girl walked in with a voice that sounded slightly embarrassed that made her seem sweet and innocent. By the girls traveling behind her though, Ikuto supposed the sweet and innocent appeal was just an act. "You know who to pick first." and their the act went, "I'm the best in the school. This will be the only audition you need."
"That's our Miss Saaya!" the girls chorused behind her just like a bunch of lackeys would.
"Oh, Ok." Tadase answered with his own innocent look that Ikuto knew was just the way he was around girls, "Then we'd love to hear you sing."
"Tadase-kun~" she answered looking as if she were going to float away, with that loving look in her eye. Ikuto assumed that she like Tadase, not that it wasn't obvious.
"Just go on the stage and sing a song of your choice." Nagihiko told her with a nod of encouragement. The girl walked on the stage with her fan club sitting in seats a few rows behind the band.
She cleared her throat and took a deep breath before singing out loud:
HEy hEY! YOU YOU!
I DoNT LiKe YOUR Girl-friend!
NO wAY! No WaY! I ThINK YOu NeED a NEW ONE!
HeY hEY! I CAN BE YoUr Gir-l Fri-end!
All their faces began to twitch at the sound of her voice. That voice could make someones ears bleed, and memories of the past auditions came back to Ikuto. He began to consider that maybe they weren't as bad as he first assumed.
"Next!" they all said in unison once the girl was finished, having endured too much torture to be concerned with her feelings.
"Just listen to the voices of angels, huh?" Ikuto commented with a mocking tone to Kukai.
"Maybe dying angels." Kukai mumbled under his breath so only the band could hear.
"I'm sure all the girl's don't, well..., have better voices." Nagihiko reassured them still acting as a gentleman as to avoid offending anyone.
...
"This is hopeless!" Kukai complained slamming his head against the table. They had already gone through over a hundred girls singing their favorite songs, and so far, there was nothing that could actually pass as singing.
"How many more?" Nagihiko asked taking a head ache medicine from the noise of the girls.
"Twenty," Tadase answered banging his file of registration forms from all the girls against his head. "Can't anyone sing here?"
"It's not looking too promising is it?" Ikuto commented trying his hardest not to curse the world with some colorful words. "Next!"
One girl came on the stage after another, it was all pathetic up to the last girl.
"This is pathetic!" Kukai commented being stopped by Nagihiko from banging his head against a wall. They brought all their equipment in hope of finding a girl that could make it to trying one of their original songs, but nothing.
"Guess we better start packing up." Nagihiko sighed dragging Kukai with him to gather the sound equipment.
"I'm going to get a drink, you guys go ahead." Ikuto said before walking towards the door.
"Yeah right! You just don't want to help!" Kukai accused Ikuto with more emphasize and noise than usual.
"I swear I'll be back in a second." Ikuto called back before walking down the hallways to clear his head. That was torture. He was loosing hope in finding any singer. This is harder than finding instrumentalists, but he managed to find three. How hard can it be to find one singer?!
Taking a drink from the water fountain he stopped suddenly stunned, as he just looked at the water fountain. He heard the thing he'd been looking for.