Chapter 4: Perfect Harmony
O god, I hope he doesn't mention anything about earlier. I don't know why his piercing eyes make me so nervous. Chastity gave Vic a nervous smile, waiting for him to continue.
"You're taking Ensemble this semester," he said matter-of-factly.
"I am. How'd you know that?" Chastity queried.
"You're assigned to me. I'll see you 5th period." With that curt statement, Vic excused himself from the lunch table.
"Don't look so confused Chas. That's just how Vic is. They say there's a fine line between genius and insanity right? Well Vic is a musical god, so you'll have to excuse his queerness from time to time," Vanness sighed. Even though the boys were all good friends, Vic was always a bit of an enigma to them. He had become even more reserved after Jina left. Vic's outlook on life now was pathetically bitter and bleak.
"In Ensemble, newbies are paired with a more experienced student. That way the procedures can be taught quicker. It's good practice for the older ones to teach too. You're lucky you've got Vic. He's undoubtedly the best," Shelly explained.
"What do you play?" Jerry asked Chastity.
"My concentration is on vocals, but I play a little piano, cello, and flute too."
"Impressive. Ensemble should be interesting this afternoon. I think I'll swing by," Jerry said quietly to himself. Chastity threw him a weird look, but the chimes of the bell called the end of lunch.
~
"Mr. Chou why don't you get us started this morning," the music director gestured towards the black grand piano.
Chastity watched in awe as Vic's fingers danced over the keys, making even the warm up exercises seem magical. He stepped off the platform, picked up his violin and took a seat next to her.
"Are you tuned?" Vic asked.
"Yes," Chastity had chosen to work with the cello today, seeing that strings were the instruments of choice in the room.
"Play me something."
I hoped he'd say a little more than that, but Vic had already closed his eyes. He held his hand palm up, signaling me to start. I took a deep breath and played the first song that came to mind. Sinking into the melody, I started thinking about how crazy it was to be sitting here in some prep school in Boston playing the cello because some guy told me to. I thought about what my friends would be doing right now and about how it would be if I were there with them. I missed them, my house, my favorite smoothie shop, warm weather, and all the things I loved about Santa Monica. I hated myself for feeling so weepy about it, and I hadn't even realized that Vic was staring at me. Evidently my homesickness translated through the cello, like good music is supposed to, and when I ended the piece even the director was impressed.
"Very nice Miss Tse. Very nice. You and Mr. Chou are an excellent combination. You will learn a lot from each other."
"The exercises are dull. Just follow me," Vic shut the music books on our stands. He started to play, and I let myself fall into the music completely. Once I grasped the mood of the piece, I started to harmonize with him. Fifth period was one of the most enchanting practice sessions I'd ever had. I wondered if it was because of my saddened state or because of the sulky boy seated across from me. The door to the auditorium creaked, and I caught sight of a familiar figure leaving the hall. Jerry showed up after all.
"You play well. See you later," Vic didn't bother to converse with Chastity and dashed out of the room at the chime of the bell. This Chastity was something else, but he berated himself for even thinking about her in that way. Hadn't Jina been enough?
"So today I'd like to officially open the 2002-2003 school session. I call upon your student body president Jerry Yen to give the commencement speech," Mrs. Garwin stepped back to her seat and beamed at Jerry.
In a crisp blue shirt and silver tie, Jerry looked fantastic. His hair was neatly combed back, but one strand kept falling towards his face, just covering his left eye. Chastity envied him quietly. That was her last year, speaking to her classmates at assembly. Gazing at the group seated on stage, she longed to be one of them. They were more than generous to her, but she didn't feel a part of them. They had such a history together and so much in common. Pondering all this, Chastity's eyes lingered on Kiki. She followed the girl's line of vision and was amused to find that Kiki was staring at Ken in a most flattering way. It made sense now, all of Kiki's awkward silences, her tendency to avoid eye contact. It was all because of Ken, and since Chastity was always with Ken, she easily thought Kiki's uneasiness was because of her. Chastity wondered if she should mention this little bit to Ken. Looking around the grand assembly hall, Chastity noticed how strange the student population was. That is, in her large public school in California, she was used to seeing groups of every racial background. Yet here, in this exclusive prep school, she saw mostly Caucasian and Asian persons. Maybe it was just coincidental.
After school the gang crashed at Jerry's house, and Chastity learned that they typically visited someone's house everyday. Jerry's home was every bit as magnificent as Shelly's was, making Chastity realize the affluence of the people she hung around with. A notable difference, however, was that Jerry's home was plastered with awards, plaques, and ribbons of all sorts. Jerry was no doubt an exceptional student, remarkable athlete, and competent leader. Ken and Vanness had pulled out one of Jerry's numerous game consoles, and Kiki and Shelly were whipping up snacks in the kitchen. Chastity took the chance to look at all the family photos atop the fireplace and strewn throughout the living room.
"Should I give you the grand tour?" Chastity turned to nod a polite "yes" to Jerry.
"And this is my room," Jerry opened the white door at the end of the hall.
"Your house is gorgeous. I can't believe how immaculate every inch of it is. Even your room," Chastity sat down on his plush bed. The room was a cool shade of gray, and a geometric border of blues decorated the walls. His bed and dresser were black, but the curtains, bedspread, and sofa cushions were all deep blue as well. The whole room had a clean, modern, and very coordinated feel. Chastity most admired the large metal book case that was straining under the weight of so many volumes. Jerry was reclining on a sofa across from her but leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
"Chastity we haven't really gotten a chance to talk. How do you like Boston so far?"
"It's not as bad as I thought it would be, but then again, I didn't expect to meet such a great group of people so soon."
"Do you have any siblings? What do your parents do?" Jerry continued the conversation.
"I have a younger brother, Dylan. I saw that you have an older sister. She's very pretty."
"Eh, looks can be deceiving. I'll introduce you the next time she's in town." The little chat would most likely have continued if Shelly hadn't bounded through the door at the moment. Chastity was quite relieved. Even though Jerry had done his best to be polite and friendly to her, she couldn't shake the tension she felt with him. His smoldering eyes sent chills up her spine, and she kept questioning if he had this effect on her because she was attracted to him. Jerry just seemed so perfect, the complete package.
"Shelly, if you want something to eat you can always ring up for someone," Jerry remarked coolly.
"What's the fun in that? I'd never be able to showcase my exquisite culinary skills. Chastity how did the evil Jerry lure you into his lair? Let's go grab some food before it's all gone." Shelly guided Chastity back downstairs, and Jerry followed them out.
"Mmm. Shell, this is good. I can't remember the last time you didn't burn this recipe," Ken was inhaling the mini pizza rounds at an alarming rate. Kiki brought out a couple of pitchers of drinks.
"Chastity do you have all the books you need for this semester?" Kiki asked, taking a seat next to her.
"Yeah. I'm going to go pick up the outside reading for Hinderson's before I head home."
"I'll take you and then drop you home, Chas," Ken offered. Everyone lounged around the house for a couple of hours, but Ken and Chastity left first to make it to the bookstore before closing.
~
"What were you two talking about upstairs?" Shelly asked Jerry abruptly.
"Just getting to know each other. Vic, are you coming on Saturday?" Jerry turned to interrogate the boy busy tapping away on his Clie. Vic gave him a small nod.
"I really like her. She's every bit like Ken said. He must feel like shit right now," Shelly lamented.
"Why should he? He's more practical than you think. It's not like we don't really want to be friends with her. There's just a few things she doesn't know…yet. Don't make a big deal of this Shelly," Vanness reasoned.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
**Jina is pronounced like Gina, and it's their nickname for Jiselle. She is the equivalent of Jing/Shizuka.**
~Well? Now that everything's all set up, the plot will move smoothly from here. Keep reading and reviewing please!~
O god, I hope he doesn't mention anything about earlier. I don't know why his piercing eyes make me so nervous. Chastity gave Vic a nervous smile, waiting for him to continue.
"You're taking Ensemble this semester," he said matter-of-factly.
"I am. How'd you know that?" Chastity queried.
"You're assigned to me. I'll see you 5th period." With that curt statement, Vic excused himself from the lunch table.
"Don't look so confused Chas. That's just how Vic is. They say there's a fine line between genius and insanity right? Well Vic is a musical god, so you'll have to excuse his queerness from time to time," Vanness sighed. Even though the boys were all good friends, Vic was always a bit of an enigma to them. He had become even more reserved after Jina left. Vic's outlook on life now was pathetically bitter and bleak.
"In Ensemble, newbies are paired with a more experienced student. That way the procedures can be taught quicker. It's good practice for the older ones to teach too. You're lucky you've got Vic. He's undoubtedly the best," Shelly explained.
"What do you play?" Jerry asked Chastity.
"My concentration is on vocals, but I play a little piano, cello, and flute too."
"Impressive. Ensemble should be interesting this afternoon. I think I'll swing by," Jerry said quietly to himself. Chastity threw him a weird look, but the chimes of the bell called the end of lunch.
~
"Mr. Chou why don't you get us started this morning," the music director gestured towards the black grand piano.
Chastity watched in awe as Vic's fingers danced over the keys, making even the warm up exercises seem magical. He stepped off the platform, picked up his violin and took a seat next to her.
"Are you tuned?" Vic asked.
"Yes," Chastity had chosen to work with the cello today, seeing that strings were the instruments of choice in the room.
"Play me something."
I hoped he'd say a little more than that, but Vic had already closed his eyes. He held his hand palm up, signaling me to start. I took a deep breath and played the first song that came to mind. Sinking into the melody, I started thinking about how crazy it was to be sitting here in some prep school in Boston playing the cello because some guy told me to. I thought about what my friends would be doing right now and about how it would be if I were there with them. I missed them, my house, my favorite smoothie shop, warm weather, and all the things I loved about Santa Monica. I hated myself for feeling so weepy about it, and I hadn't even realized that Vic was staring at me. Evidently my homesickness translated through the cello, like good music is supposed to, and when I ended the piece even the director was impressed.
"Very nice Miss Tse. Very nice. You and Mr. Chou are an excellent combination. You will learn a lot from each other."
"The exercises are dull. Just follow me," Vic shut the music books on our stands. He started to play, and I let myself fall into the music completely. Once I grasped the mood of the piece, I started to harmonize with him. Fifth period was one of the most enchanting practice sessions I'd ever had. I wondered if it was because of my saddened state or because of the sulky boy seated across from me. The door to the auditorium creaked, and I caught sight of a familiar figure leaving the hall. Jerry showed up after all.
"You play well. See you later," Vic didn't bother to converse with Chastity and dashed out of the room at the chime of the bell. This Chastity was something else, but he berated himself for even thinking about her in that way. Hadn't Jina been enough?
"So today I'd like to officially open the 2002-2003 school session. I call upon your student body president Jerry Yen to give the commencement speech," Mrs. Garwin stepped back to her seat and beamed at Jerry.
In a crisp blue shirt and silver tie, Jerry looked fantastic. His hair was neatly combed back, but one strand kept falling towards his face, just covering his left eye. Chastity envied him quietly. That was her last year, speaking to her classmates at assembly. Gazing at the group seated on stage, she longed to be one of them. They were more than generous to her, but she didn't feel a part of them. They had such a history together and so much in common. Pondering all this, Chastity's eyes lingered on Kiki. She followed the girl's line of vision and was amused to find that Kiki was staring at Ken in a most flattering way. It made sense now, all of Kiki's awkward silences, her tendency to avoid eye contact. It was all because of Ken, and since Chastity was always with Ken, she easily thought Kiki's uneasiness was because of her. Chastity wondered if she should mention this little bit to Ken. Looking around the grand assembly hall, Chastity noticed how strange the student population was. That is, in her large public school in California, she was used to seeing groups of every racial background. Yet here, in this exclusive prep school, she saw mostly Caucasian and Asian persons. Maybe it was just coincidental.
After school the gang crashed at Jerry's house, and Chastity learned that they typically visited someone's house everyday. Jerry's home was every bit as magnificent as Shelly's was, making Chastity realize the affluence of the people she hung around with. A notable difference, however, was that Jerry's home was plastered with awards, plaques, and ribbons of all sorts. Jerry was no doubt an exceptional student, remarkable athlete, and competent leader. Ken and Vanness had pulled out one of Jerry's numerous game consoles, and Kiki and Shelly were whipping up snacks in the kitchen. Chastity took the chance to look at all the family photos atop the fireplace and strewn throughout the living room.
"Should I give you the grand tour?" Chastity turned to nod a polite "yes" to Jerry.
"And this is my room," Jerry opened the white door at the end of the hall.
"Your house is gorgeous. I can't believe how immaculate every inch of it is. Even your room," Chastity sat down on his plush bed. The room was a cool shade of gray, and a geometric border of blues decorated the walls. His bed and dresser were black, but the curtains, bedspread, and sofa cushions were all deep blue as well. The whole room had a clean, modern, and very coordinated feel. Chastity most admired the large metal book case that was straining under the weight of so many volumes. Jerry was reclining on a sofa across from her but leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
"Chastity we haven't really gotten a chance to talk. How do you like Boston so far?"
"It's not as bad as I thought it would be, but then again, I didn't expect to meet such a great group of people so soon."
"Do you have any siblings? What do your parents do?" Jerry continued the conversation.
"I have a younger brother, Dylan. I saw that you have an older sister. She's very pretty."
"Eh, looks can be deceiving. I'll introduce you the next time she's in town." The little chat would most likely have continued if Shelly hadn't bounded through the door at the moment. Chastity was quite relieved. Even though Jerry had done his best to be polite and friendly to her, she couldn't shake the tension she felt with him. His smoldering eyes sent chills up her spine, and she kept questioning if he had this effect on her because she was attracted to him. Jerry just seemed so perfect, the complete package.
"Shelly, if you want something to eat you can always ring up for someone," Jerry remarked coolly.
"What's the fun in that? I'd never be able to showcase my exquisite culinary skills. Chastity how did the evil Jerry lure you into his lair? Let's go grab some food before it's all gone." Shelly guided Chastity back downstairs, and Jerry followed them out.
"Mmm. Shell, this is good. I can't remember the last time you didn't burn this recipe," Ken was inhaling the mini pizza rounds at an alarming rate. Kiki brought out a couple of pitchers of drinks.
"Chastity do you have all the books you need for this semester?" Kiki asked, taking a seat next to her.
"Yeah. I'm going to go pick up the outside reading for Hinderson's before I head home."
"I'll take you and then drop you home, Chas," Ken offered. Everyone lounged around the house for a couple of hours, but Ken and Chastity left first to make it to the bookstore before closing.
~
"What were you two talking about upstairs?" Shelly asked Jerry abruptly.
"Just getting to know each other. Vic, are you coming on Saturday?" Jerry turned to interrogate the boy busy tapping away on his Clie. Vic gave him a small nod.
"I really like her. She's every bit like Ken said. He must feel like shit right now," Shelly lamented.
"Why should he? He's more practical than you think. It's not like we don't really want to be friends with her. There's just a few things she doesn't know…yet. Don't make a big deal of this Shelly," Vanness reasoned.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
**Jina is pronounced like Gina, and it's their nickname for Jiselle. She is the equivalent of Jing/Shizuka.**
~Well? Now that everything's all set up, the plot will move smoothly from here. Keep reading and reviewing please!~