This is the chapter my friends and I agreed was the biggest in terms of "bam!" before I decided to post the story... I like it a lot, but I would like it more if I had not been there.

Chapter Thirteen: Something Like A Soap Opera

"I feel so tired," Arianna stated as Elissa drove out of the school parking lot.

"No, you don't! We are going to have such a fun time tonight. I called Allie and she can sleep over, too!" Elissa sounded so thrilled that Arianna felt a little of her weariness slipping away.

They had, while on the bus ride home, called everyone they knew, shouting the good news over the noise of the other students. It had been agreed on the bus that, although Arianna had wanted to find Marah once they got off the bus and pound him into the ground, neither of the girls would say a word about him leaving until they found more about it. After all, he had promised he wouldn't leave. He had made such a convincing speech. It could be a rumor. That's all it probably was, they told themselves, just a rumor that Marah would deny the moment he heard about it.

As they turned down the road where Allie was staying with her grandparents that week, Arianna thought she saw something near the street, in front of Allie's house.

"Elissa, do you see that? It looks like something is digging in the garden."

"Yeah, I see it." Elissa slowed down as they approached the house, headlights sweeping over what was digging in the garden: It was Allie.

Dressed in an old tank top with wooden beads around her neck, Allie ran up to them as the two girls got out of the car. Allie's dirt covered hands wiped themselves on Elissa as she was pulled into a big hug.

"Allie, why are you gardening at night?" asked an astounded Arianna, warding off Allie as she swooped in for a hug.

"Oh, I was just spreading some mulch, not actually gardening,"responded Allie, brushing her short red hair out of her eyes. "Now, take off that marching jacket and let me hug you!"

"I love Subway! Love it! L-O-V-E-S-U-B-W-A-Y!"

"Do you think Allie loves Subway?" Elissa asked Arianna as the three girls walked into the restaurant. Subway was attached to the gas station and was the local hang-out for the high school students. Except that night. No one was hardly there.

"I am surprised that there are not many people here," said Allie, her solo over as they walked to the counter to order. "What are you getting?"

Allie and Elissa placed their order, but there was something Arianna had seen and it caught her attention. Arianna, still dressed in half her uniform, jacket over her shirt, shoes peeking out from under blue jeans, didn't feel like a nerd at all, but didn't like the feeling she was getting in her stomach as she stared harder at what she had seen. Allie was drawing some attention with her dirty hands and wooden beads as she ordered first. Elissa had a plain shirt over her color guard dress. All in all, they were an odd group, but they didn't care: they were celebrating their victory.

"Arianna, order something- oh, no..." Elissa caught what Arianna was looking at and buried her head in her hands. Allie, not knowing what was going on, ordered for Arianna as Arianna turned pale and then bright red.

Mr. Marah had just entered the gas station and was headed their way.

The girls moved out of the way as Mr. Marah ordered his food, making sure that Arianna, Elissa, and Allie saw him. The station was very silent and the tension grew by the second.

"Mr. Marah, I have to ask you something..."

Elissa grabbed Arianna's arm as she took a step toward the band director.

"No, Ari! Don't do it, don't-"

Mr. Marah turned to face Arianna, a hard look on his face. Arianna slithered out of her marching jacket as Elissa tried to pull her back by the sleeve. Even the girl behind the counter looked concerned as the silence went on and on with every step Arianna took, until she stood inches away from Mr. Marah.

"Is it true?" she asked. "Are you leaving?"

Arianna asked the question that had been on everyone's mind. It had been a rumor that spread like wildfire after the bus ride home. Wade had told as many people as he could find. But now, Arianna had crossed the line of safety, pushing the limit. Mr. Marah looked closely at Arianna before answering, face shrewed and unyielding.

"Don't ruin my night."

Arianna took a deep breath, Elissa and Allie letting go of their's. Arianna was not going to be murdered at the moment, but she had certainly been wounded.

"You know, Arianna," continued Marah without mercy," You raised your instrument early in the judging zone. And your distance was poor; you needed to get the band to move faster in the judging area. You also hit a few wrong notes. It was hard not to hear you..."

"But we still won first place," breathed Arianna, her face going from shock to disdain to loathing. "I did fine. If you wanted me to do better, you should have given me the whistle. I do what I can with what I have. I have very little right now to work with."

Allie bit her lip and shuffled her feet, throughly uncomfortable. Elissa looked at the marching jacket she held in her hands and began thinking of a nice speech to make at Arianna's funeral, because Marah was going to kill her after all. She didn't know where Marah got the things he told Arianna. Arianna had done fine in the parade.

"And whose fault is that?" Mr. Marah said as he snatched his food from the lady behind the counter, shoving some cash into her hand.

"I should think you would want to prove that the rumor is false instead of letting it grow. You promised-"

"Don't ruin my night!" Mr. Marah repeated, glaring at the three girls as he cut Arianna's words short. Without taking his change, Marah left the station, fury on his face, slamming the door behind him.

Arianna sighed and, as she turned around from where she stood, the tension broke and even the girl handing Allie the food seemed to be relieved.

"Ari, are you alright?" asked Elissa, concerned. "I told you not to bother him. I tried to stop you..."

"It's alright," said Arianna softly, taking her marching jacket from Elissa, eyes on the ground, face pale. "I know you tried, but I'm glad that happened."

"Why?" asked Allie, still a little confused on what had just happened.

"Because," replied Arianna, "When he leaved, I won't be as sorry as I thought I would be." Arianna smiled, surprising Elissa and Allie. "Besides," she continued, we are going to have a sleepover and I am not going to let him ruin my night."

There we go... I don't own Subway or know the people who own Subway. I just had to include it because it was a minor detail that hopefully will make appearances in the sequel/prequel. I don't own the gas station either... But I know who owns that! Thanks for reading! Please review... The next chapter is coming up!