*Chapter Twenty Three – Band Geeks Unite!*
(It is now Thursday night, the 19th, the first night of band class…)
The first meeting of the WWE concert band was now in session at the Waters Grove High School, which was a ten-minute drive. It was a little past 7, and already people were running around in the small band room. Maven Huffman, Booker T's cousin, was wondering why the hell they had to be off campus. I know, it's my first year in the band and all, but I seriously thought that I'd be able to walk instead, the sophomore thought in irritation. I don't even know that many people here and now I have to actually hitch a ride here…great. He continued to set up his trombone.
Next to him, Chavo Guerrero was thinking about how he was going to study for his biology quiz the next day. I cannot fail that at all, he thought. I can't help it that the professor can't teach for shit. This runs until 8:30 or so, so that means no watching TV when I get back, and that means I'll just have to tell Jacqueline, Rikishi, and Eddie to keep quiet while I study.
A few feet away, Jeff Hardy was setting up his trombone, when, to his surprise, Kurt Angle and Christian headed straight for him. Wait a second, what do those two want from me? Maybe Edgeness knows, he thought in confusion. Jeff looked to his new buddy, Shannon Moore, who was messing with the piano in the front of the room. He waved and then went back to talking with his roommate, Crash Holly. Kurt took one seat next to Jeff and Christian took the other.
"So, did my brother tell you about the deal?" Christian asked sort of cockily. Jeff gave him a confused look. Hmmm, whatever it is, he never told me about it, he thought as he scratched his head.
"No, he didn't. What's that about, then?"
Kurt smirked. "Well, Christian asked his brother if you and he were willing to 'de-dorkify' us, and well, he agreed to it. And since we haven't been able to get in touch with him, we figured we'd go to you first. What would you suggest to 'de-dorkify' us first?"
Jeff held his hand up. Ahh, my amazing creative powers have been called upon, he thought. But then again…I can't get too creative with Kurt and Christian unless they're totally willing. "Hold on a second. Edgeness basically said that he and I were to help you two look and act cooler?"
Christian nodded. "Pretty much, yes."
Jeff sighed. Well, thank God that I'm totally willing to do this, he thought as he pulled out a piece of paper from his small black notebook that he carried with him at all times. Sometimes he filled it with random quotes from people, and other times, he wrote poetry in there. But usually it was for writing down stuff that he knew he'd forget. He pulled the blue pen from behind his left ear and started writing.
"Here…this is my cell phone number and the room number. Come over after band tonight and we'll get you started." Hopefully Edgeness doesn't have anything to study for, Jeff thought in worry. Eh, he'll get over it. Kurt grinned with glee. Yes, finally, I'm on my way, he thought as he nudged Christian. I swear, I'm going to be just like the Rock in a few more weeks, and all the girls will be hanging on me instead!
On the other side of the room, Torrie Wilson, Lilian Garcia, and Molly Holly were getting acquainted. They all played clarinet and were gossiping about the week's happenings. "When's the next cheerleading practice, anyway?" Lilian asked Torrie, who was using some cork grease on the cork of her clarinet.
Torrie thought for a second and then said, "I think it's not until next Monday. Rico said that he's pretty sure practices will be on Monday nights instead of Thursdays, which is why I decided to join band."
Lilian smiled. "Me too. I miss being in my high school band so much. I was section leader my senior year, ya know."
Molly scowled. Of course, leave it to me to be stuck with two cheerleader types, she thought. Isn't there anyone worth talking to in here? She looked to her roommate, Steph McMahon, who was talking to Nidia and Dawn Marie in the flute section. At least she has people that she gets along with in her section, Molly thought as she continued to look around the room and saw Big Show already arguing with his roommate Jamie Noble in the percussion section. She blinked. Big Show…I never realized how big that guy actually is. Hopefully I never get on his bad side…I heard he's evil when someone is, she thought as she stayed out of Stacy and Lilian's conversation about cheerleading.
Meanwhile, Jazz and Jacqueline, the Moore cousins, were busy observing the happenings in the room. "So how are you going to balance cheerleading with doing this?" Jazz asked, leaning her baritone sax on her left leg. "I mean, band is sorta time consuming."
Jacqueline shrugged, resting her feet on her soprano sax case. "Time consuming, my ass, cuz," she laughed. "I'm not taking this as a credit, so if things get too rough for me, I can always just not show up" I'm taking this as a class, Jazz thought, and besides, it's my senior year so I need all the credits I can get. "You're so lucky that you're outta here this year. I have about one more year to go and I really don't think that I can hang on for that much longer." Jacqueline sighed, playing with the bright blue beads on her dreadlocks.
Jazz turned to her cousin and said, "Don't be thinking like that. I actually have no idea what I'm going to do with my philosophy major once I graduate…unless I really want to be stuck teaching it to people." She shuddered – she couldn't teach anyone anything, no matter how hard she tried.
"Yeah, I know how much you love teaching, too." Jacqueline giggled. "Rikishi could try to help you out later if you want." She turned to her boyfriend who was a few feet away from her, "Isn't that right, sweetie?"
Rikishi nodded, leaning his tuba against the wall. "Yeah, Jazz, I have no problem with it. I mean, your major is the same as mine, too, so you know."
Jazz shrugged. "Yeah. I just wish there were more people with my major around. Most of this campus is majoring in psychology or history."
Jacqueline poked her cousin in the arm. "Hey now, just because we're not philosophically minded doesn't mean that you have to put us all down…"
Jazz stuck her tongue out. "Yeah, but I think that the world would benefit if more people thought more philosophically." Rikishi nodded in agreement. Yes, indeed, he thought, stroking his chin.
Just then, Jericho arrived and announced, "The highlight of the night is here!" Steph rolled her eyes, as the rest of the girls in the room either laughed or groaned. Why must he be such an egomaniac? Why?, she thought as she rested her flute on her lap. I'll never understand it. I mean, he wasn't so egotistical in the beginning of our relationship, and now he's just being such an asshole. As usual.
He put his trombone case next to Jeff's, and jumped down to Steph's section. "Hey babe. How are you?"
Steph took her light blue hair holder out, shook her head, and put it back into the holder. "I'm fine." She replied coolly, noticing that a few people were watching the two of them. I'm glad that at least Terri and Debra aren't here, she thought. They'd be spreading stupid rumors that aren't even true. Well, they do that enough now. "What about you? You keeping up with your classes and such?"
"I'm trying, though Professor Miller is a bitch. He doesn't know the difference between macroeconomics and microeconomics." Jericho patted her on the hand, and she flinched. "And unfortunately, you'll have to take that class too…if you're sticking with your business major. What was that flinching for?"
Steph shook her head, noticing that things could turn ugly if she didn't say the right thing. "I'm just overly jumpy lately, I guess. That's all."
Jericho raised his eyebrow. "You sure? You're not pissed off at me, are you?"
Steph closed her eyes. "I might be."
Jericho groaned. Great, now I can't even tell if my fucking girlfriend is mad at me or not, he thought angrily. "Are you or aren't you??"
Steph smiled weakly. I don't feel like telling him the truth yet, she thought. "It's PMSing, okay? No big deal." She patted him on the shoulder.
"Do you need pills or anything? We can run to Walmart after this if you need 'em." Jericho offered sarcastically. I don't want to see my Steph in pain, he thought sadly. But…she can be a bitch at times, oh yeah. Runs in the McMahon family tree, or so I heard.
"Nah, I'm fine, Chris. But yeah, back to that class you're taking. What's it called again?" Steph said, trying to change the subject. I don't want him to flip out in front of all these people, she thought. That would look bad on me.
"Macroeconomic Theory." Jericho replied. "I think you have to take it before the end of your sophomore year."
"Great." Steph muttered. "Hopefully I can take over my daddy's business since Shane wants to go into Pre-Med." Jericho coughed. Pre-Med? Shane? Shit…he only cares about getting with the ladies and getting drunk more than caring about how to fix people and learn about diseases, he thought in shock. But then again…he still doesn't know about us being together, so that's good.
Tazz, the band teacher, appeared out of the band director's office and called everyone to order. "Everyone get in your sections. Now, for those of you that haven't had me before, I'm Professor Senerchia, but just call me Tazz."
Maven blinked. "Wait, how do you pronounce that again?" That caused everyone to chuckle.
Tazz laughed. "Never mind that, kid…Tazz is just easier to remember. Anyways, I'm the band director at both Waters Grove High School and WWE University, so that in part explains why you all have to travel off campus to be here." Ah, so that's why we have to be here instead, thought Maven as he looked to Jeff Hardy and his bright yellow and dark red hair. Leave it to me to be next to the weird kid. He looked to his right, where Chris Jericho was – and the egomaniac. Tazz produced a piece of paper and handed it to Nidia, who was on the end of the flute section. "This paper that's going around…fill out your name, section, email, where you're from, and a number where I can reach you." He then picked up a stack of papers off of the top of the piano and said, "And the syllabi are going around. I'm going to do roll call. So whoever's taking this as a credit, your name will be called, got it?" Everyone nodded.
(After band practice, at Jeff and Edge's apartment…)
"Okay, so the first step in de-dorkifying you is getting rid of that…hair." Jeff Hardy told Kurt Angle and Christian. The three were in Jeff's living room, with Kurt and Christian on the couch, and Jeff and Edge on two chairs. Shawn and Triple H, the other roommates, were out with a few of their buddies at the bar.
Kurt gave Jeff an incredulous look. "What? I have to get rid of my hair? I have to go bald?" He patted his light brown hair and winced.
Jeff waved his hand. "It's not that big a deal. Hair always grows back. Besides, it'll give you more of a bad-ass vibe, like Vin Diesel." He winked at Edge, who chuckled.
Kurt looked at Christian and mouthed, "Isn't Jeff gay?" to which Christian replied, "No."
Edge continued, "Jeff's really good at figuring out what to do with people's hair…and his own." He saw the look on his younger brother's face and got annoyed. He is jealous of Jeff, he thought. I knew it.
"What about Christian? What should we do with him?" Jeff asked Edge, who grinned evilly.
"He can go bald, too."
Christian's eyes went wide. "What?! You wouldn't do that to me, would you, big bro?" He fingered his long, wavy blonde hair – the standout characteristic of the Copeland men.
Edge shrugged. Time to mess with his mind, he thought. "Well since you're so embarrassed to be my brother…why don't you just look like you're not related to me?" Christian groaned. No, I'm not fighting you here, he thought, not in front of these two.
"I'm not embarrassed to be your brother! Where'd you get that idea?"
Edge leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "Oh, I don't know…you wish you were Jeff?"
Jeff shook his head. "Why anyone would want to be me, I don't know. Most people are scared of me, anyhow. But yeah, I'm flattered, I guess –"
Christian cut him off. "Shut up. I don't want to be you…I just want your help, that's all."
Jeff sighed. "Okay?" He looked to Kurt. "Is he always like this, whiny and whatnot?" Kurt shrugged. "Okay then. Who wants to go first?"
Kurt looked at the annoyed look on Christian's face and smirked. "I'll go. Looks like these two need a long brotherly talk."
"Ha, you're so funny, Kurt. Really, I forgot to laugh." Christian muttered in annoyance. He looked at Edge. "What are you laughing at, bro?"
Edge sniffed. "You. You worry and whine about the stupidest shit! I swear to God, if I wasn't –" Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Who the hell could that be?" Edge got up to get the door and it was Torrie, along with Nidia. "Oh hey, you two. What's going on?"
"Well, I heard that Jeff's going to attempt to mess with Kurt and Christian's hair again, so I figured I'd help him out." Torrie replied, her dark red lipstick glistening in the light.
Edge blinked and nodded. "Uh, yeah, sure…he's in the bathroom getting Kurt ready." Torrie and Nidia headed back there and he shook his head. Damn is Torrie hot, he thought with a smile.
"Man, I should've requested to live with you. You have all the girls coming in and everything." Christian said in admiration.
"I put up with you enough at home…why would I want to live with you at school, too?" Edge replied in an annoyed tone. Christian winced. Hmmm, maybe he's more pissed at me than I thought he was, he thought as he got up from the couch.
"Well uh, I'm gonna go and bug everyone in the bathroom, I guess." Christian started to get up, but Edge shook his head.
"Nope, you and me are going for a drive." He got his car keys out of his pocket and dangled them in his hand. "Let's go." Christian sighed and trudged behind his brother, knowing full well that he was in for it.
****
End of Chapter Twenty Three…