Sorry about the lack of updates for this story... It's just a little tough for me to update this one because it happened so long ago and I don't remember much more than snippets.. Gah, anyway, here you are!

Chapter Twelve: A Gesture Of Affection And A New Friend

Arianna was exhausted. She had purposely skipped her last class and wondered if they were paging her at the office already. Well, she had told her teacher she was auditioning for the honor band this week and that she might be late. She would always bring a note or a pass, she assured the teacher, who was not too keen on letting her skip class for music. Arianna didn't care how mad the teacher would be. Her auditions were finished: all she needed to do was give Mr. Berringer the envelope she now held, the large envelope with the paperwork and precious audition tape.

There was a faint knock on the door and Arianna, pleased at having a visitor on her last day of audition work, stood and went to the door. It was Mr. Berringer; Arianna, excited despite her weariness, opened the door and let him in. He smiled at her and held up what he had brought: a small box, paper cups, and a bottle of juice. Arianna tilted her head, confused.

"Left over from what the other students couldn't finish. I noticed you didn't have anything for lunch and I thought we would celebrate."

"Celebrate what?"

"Your audition, Arianna."

He sat in a spare chair after moving the recording equipment and Arianna sat next to him, nervous. He poured both of them a drink and opened the box to reveal pastries.

"Let's eat as many as we can; I'm not taking them home."

"But, we'll get sick if we try to finish them."

"Then we'll get sick."

He smiled again and Arianna felt her own mouth smile, her lips trembling.

"You're exhausted, I know, but you did a great job. Here is to your audition."

Mr. Berringer touched his cup rim to Arianna's before drinking, Arianna taking a sip of her drink.

She hoped the audition tape was enough to make it. She hoped she could make him proud. She never wanted to see him sad when it came to her musical skills. She wanted him to be proud and to confirm the feelings she had.

Several months passed, fall becoming winter, snow burying the earth. Allie, Elissa, and Arianna made a new friend: Kasey.

Kasey was a year older than them and Elissa had befriended Kasey in an English class. Kasey was beautiful, with dark hair, pale, but freckled, skin, and a smile that made everyone else want to smile. Her trademark was her guinea pig laugh, however, the squeal alerting everyone of her presence.

The trio had now grown into a group of four.

And, over the course of the past months, Arianna had realized her feeling for the director: she cared for him.

What do you think? This is a little set up to the chapters to come; I needed to introduce Kasey, too... (Caring is not the same as loving, I want to add!) This chapter is not very well put together, but I needed to get this one out of the way to clear the path for the chaptersto come!Review, please! Thanks!