Chapter 3: Results and Rehearsals
When I look at the picture tacked on my wall, it amazes me how I got along with everyone. I'm on the end of the row, very close to Erik and Nadir. Meg is to my left and Raoul is next to Erik. Erik used to tell me how he never understood why he didn't kill Raoul right then and there. That always made me laugh, no matter what the situation was.
Mr. Reyer began a speech about how they were very pleased with the results and how they had a difficult time choosing who went where. After what seemed an eternity, he began to read names. The bassists, Henry and Lenny were obviously chosen for the Advanced Orchestra. They were the only bassists in the whole camp. The cellist consisted of many people I did know, some I didn't. I was annoyed to see Nadir and Erik were placed in the viola section for the Advanced Orchestra, so was William. Now the pressure was on. If I didn't make it in, then I'd never hear the end of it from them.
Finally, he called out the violins. I prayed very hard I had gotten in. Meg's name was called and after a few more names…so was mine! I grinned at looked at Meg. She smiled back and I walked over to them. It didn't matter who else was called, I was absolutely delighted that I had made it! I wondered if Mr. Reyer was proud of me. Oddly enough, I seemed to be a favorite of his. He had made me section leader during the school year, but hadn't had the room to teach me privately.
A picture was taken as the Intermediate Orchestra was called together, which wasn't hard for them, since it was the other people who had not been called for the Advanced Orchestra. Then, we walked to our cabins to get ready for dinner.
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I had made it into the Advanced Orchestra. I was glad I was with Nadir, then he could do as much talking as he wished and I did not have to say anything. He knew most of the people anyway, being his fourth year returning to this place. I knew a majority of them, since they were in my orchestra at school and when we combined with the other school.
Walking from the baseball field to my cabin, I felt a small satisfaction in being a good violist. That and it was sort of enjoyable listening to Nadir commenting about the people, including Meg and her friend, Christine. I had remembered her name. Well, I just listened when Mr. Reyer was talking. Pulling on a sweatshirt, I grabbed my water bottle and walked out to dinner.
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After dinner, our first rehearsal took place. The choirs had a step ahead of us, since they don't have to audition. They were chosen based on their age. The Senior Girl and Boy's Choirs were made up of teenagers, while the younger ones were in the Junior Choirs. That's just the way it worked, whether you were good enough or not. I didn't quite understand how that worked.
Rehearsal started with Mr. Reyer telling us to look on the sheet to see where we would sit for the duration of the week. I was pleased to see Meg was the section leader, but a little sad that I hadn't made it to sit next to her.
Soon rehearsal was underway and I found myself sitting next to a girl named Alena Sorazado. The one thing I noticed was her large brown eyes. I was amazed at how pretty they made her look. The pieces that we had to master were distributed and we began to sight read. Mr. Reyer wasted no time in telling us how we had to play it, beginning the start of our music becoming a road map. I smiled to myself, made a joke about Mr. Reyer to Alena, and began to play.
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Sitting up in the front was a new thing for me, I had anticipated being with Nadir, but instead was sitting next to William in the second chair. I had no complaints, Nadir was behind me. Besides, we were both quite pleased to see that Raoul was stuck in the back. Clearly, he was not as good as he thought.
The rehearsal itself lasted for about two or so hours. I was sort of used to it from Mr. Reyer's driving rehearsals during the school year. But this was different in the way it was intensified. I had never seen such drive to perfection as I had now. Now I knew that I had to go to my full potential as well. And that, I would. I would hear the music in the night in a far greater way than I had ever experienced before.
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I was a bit nervous about the section leader position. Christine was right behind me to the left, but it wasn't the same. She had sat next to me during the school year, which we both had enjoyed, though for the good part of the year she wasn't next to me. She knew how to lead a section, I didn't. But that wasn't what was important, she was happy for me and she and Mr. Reyer believed I could do it. Hopefully, I'll be able to stay away from Erik though; I don't like him very much. He's just…well, really annoying putting it kindly.
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I'm so excited about being here at camp. Sure, Nadir might make fun of me, but that's ok. I don't know much about Erik, but Nadir I know will. The previous year, he had gotten a picture of me wearing a very curly, very puffy blond wig. Unfortunately for me, he shoved a camera right in front of my face and snapped a picture of me. He had threatened to hang it up around my church but I guess the picture was so bad that it wasn't distinguishable. Then there was the incident where I got a tin full of whipped cream shoved in my face. Honestly though, I really don't get how you could act out the word Charades. Playing Charades and acting out Charades is impossible. Hence, me getting a "pie" shoved in my face. It was even more embarrassing for me since the girl who did it now only shoved it in my face but pressed it harder and rubbed it all in my face and hair. I had to go to the bathroom to wipe it out of my eyes. From that day on, I was called Pie Face by Nadir. Though, there is never any doubt that I got him back. There was an incident with a sock that coincidently, Meg still has. We bring it up whenever Nadir is being annoying. But now, that's not important. This music is, and I want to feel it in a ways I'll never feel before. I have the feeling that that will be possible this year.
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She was here. Exhilaration filled me, knowing that the girl I liked was here. But she thought I hated her, so that was how it was to be. I couldn't go up and say "hey I like you, will you go out with me?" No. She musn't know, she'd be disgusted, she would hate me even more.