Hey! You're back! Thanks! Once again, I don't own any of this... It's just life. My friend and I worked on this chapter (again) and I have her permission to post it...
Chapter Three: An Accusation
"Well, I guess that's the end of the band teacher curse," Elissa said, sitting down on one of the desks during homeroom.
"I sure hope so," Kasey muttered. "I am sick and tired of you two fighting and complaining and fawning over every new band director."
"Speaking of fawning over band directors, where is Arianna?" Elissa asked. Kasey shrugged as the minute bell rang.
"Whoops! I'm late! I'll see you later," Kasey called over her shoulder. Elissa waved goodbye to Kasey and Arianna stormed through the door just as the final bell echoed through the corridors of the school.
"Well, well, well, look who decided to grace us with her presence!" Elissa teased.
Can you believe the NERVE of that guy?" Arianna cried, desperately and hopelessly frustrated.
"Why? Who? What happened?"
"Mr. Marah! That---that---he is such a---a something so horrible I can't even begin to describe it!"
"Ari! Calm down. Tell me what happened."
"That asshole calls me into his office, tells me I'm a 'good' flute player, and then accuses me of having a 'relationship' with Mr. Berringer!"
"What?" Elissa fake-gasped.
"Yeah!" cried Arianna, not picking up on the sarcasm due to her ranting. "He goes, 'I know you and Mr. Berringer had a relationship.' And then he sits there with that smug grin, and-"
"Ari, he probably didn't mean it like that-"
"He meant it exactly like that! He moved his hands together like this:" Arianna moved her hands close together and then farther apart several times. "That sick... he thinks Mr. Berringer and I were... that we were, you know..."
"Entwined in loves duet?" offered Elissa.
"Sure, whatever, but no more Phantom of the Opera quotes please; I am being serious."
"I know. It's just that, sometimes Ari, you take things a little too seriously. I mean, after all, you and Mr. Berringer were kind of, well, in a relationship, minus all the normal relationship stuff. You would have had to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to see it last year. Everyone knew you guys had a thing for one another."
"Really?" asked Arianna, surprised.
"DUH!"
"Hum, well," Arianna's angry expression turned into one of thoughtfulness and fondness, then back to anger. "Well, I still can't believe to say that. And a 'good' flutist? I am the best this school has to offer!"
"It's a good think you're so humble about it," Elissa muttered.
"What?" snarled Arianna.
"Nothing..." Elissa bit at her fingernails, her worst of all her bad habits.
"If I hadn't been in shock like that, I'd have giving him a piece of my mind! I mean---ah..." Arianna couldn't find anymore words, so she sat down on a desk and crossed her arms, her face red.
"Once more from the top!"
The colorguard and band went back to their beginning positions on the football field for the fifteenth time. It was a chilly September evening and they were rehearsing that year's halftime show for the homecoming game in two weeks. Elissa's fingers were freezing from her grip on the metal pole of her colorguard flag and on her way back to her position, she blew into the hands a few times. She spotted Arianna glaring intently at Mr. Marah and couldn't help but smile and shake her head. Ever since that day in homeroom, Arianna had spent most of her time either avoiding Mr. Marah or, when avoiding him was not an option, glaring at him with furious hatred. She had accomplished one thing in doing so: Marah was terrified of her.
Elissa passed the drum line on her way back to the front of the band and Aaron whispered, "Traitor." He smirked at her and tapped her on the arm with his quad mallets as she walked by and she smiled back.
"Get over him, Elissa. He's not worth it," Kasey said, lazily tossing a single with her rifle.
"He's finally paying attention to me," Elissa whispered. "I'm not giving up now!"
"Elissa, Kasey, quit with the chit chat," Marie, their colorguard coach, snapped. The girls fell silent and the drum line started the count-off once again.
Finally, at nine thirty, the band and colorguard were allowed to leave. Darkness had fallen hours ago, but the lights on the field glowed like daylight. Elissa gratefully rolled up the silk on her flag and she and Kasey caught up with Arianna in the band room.
"I hate him, I hate him, I hate him..."
"Who do you hate?" Kasey asked Arianna as she shoved the piccolo case into it's spot on the shelf.
"Don't you think that is a little obvious?" asked Elissa as Marah entered the room. Arianna glanced up at him with a look of utter distaste and she kept her eyes on him as he crossed the room.
"Oh, will you knock it off!" he finally shouted, making Elissa and Kasey jump. Arianna coldly stood up from where she had been kneeling, staring him down.
"Excuse me?"
"Quit looking at me like I shot your damn dog!" Marah yelled. "Look, I know you don't agree with me, but-"
"That row was fine where it was! Now that it's been moved, where are the brass going to go after measure-"
"I did what I thought was best! If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work!"
Turning on her heel, Arianna left the room, turning her back on Marah, Elissa and Kasey scampering after her.
There you have it. The reference to the Phantom of the Opera is short, but I think I need to add that Andrew Lloyd Webber has the rights to the musical! Not me! Please review and tell me what you think! Don't worry, the story goes on and gets better with every chapter!
