AN:Edited on 2019

Chapter 9

I was dreading having to see Eric after I yelled at him. If he was sitting in again today, I don't know if I can look at him let alone talk to him. I ascended the stairs and entered the room. So far, he was nowhere to be seen. I took a deep breath. I decided I was going to move up in the room so that I did not have to look at where we sat yesterday. I got out my new nameplate and placed it at the front of the desk.

I got lost in thought till someone tapped me on my shoulder and asked something that I totally missed. I looked over my shoulder and was surprised to see an extremely attractive guy standing there. I did not remember seeing him in class the day before granted I was completely engrossed in Eric then. He was tall with amazing golden-brown eyes. His hair was a rich dark chocolate color that he wore long down. His features were sort of the opposite of Eric's while Eric was light and very masculine. This guy was dark with softer features. "I am sorry I missed that what did you say?" I asked him, blushing.

"I was wondering if it would be alright for me to sit with you. Are you saving the seat for your boyfriend?" He asked shyly. His voice was like a melody that I had played on my cello deep and rich.

"You mean Eric, he is not my boyfriend he is just a friend of my older brother. You are welcome to the seat I am not saving it for him. My name is Sookie by the way." I replied offering my hand.

He took my hand and kissed it I was ready to swoon. "I am Preston. It is nice to meet you Sookie. So, I see you picked a name it is pretty. I like what you did for your nameplate. Mine is not that original." He said taking out his nameplate. He had chosen Petter and he had drawn a basketball in the corner.

"Well, I am not that original either. My given name is Susanna I had chosen a different name, but I changed my mind. I like yours what does it mean?" I questioned.

"Well, it is the Swedish version of Peter which means stone. I thought it was kind of funny. It is better than Preston which means priest town. What does yours mean?" He inquired with a smile.

"It means lily or rose depending on which original version you look at." I returned his smile.

"I think it suits you." He countered.

"Thanks!" I got quiet when I saw an all too familiar silhouette looming over me. I looked up and saw Eric frowning down at me. I dropped my gaze trying to ignore his presence.

"I see you chose a different name can I ask why?" He asked looking at my nameplate.

"You can ask but it doesn't mean I will tell you. Class is going to start you should go sit down." I said not taking my eyes off the desk. He seemed to not get the idea that I did not want to look let alone talk to him. He took a chair from the back row and brought it up to sit next to me. Mrs. Fant came over to take attendance.

"You changed your name or are you planning on using both versions?" She noticed picking up my nameplate.

"I decided that I did not want to use Sanna because I didn't think I would respond to it," I told her trying to ignore Eric and his conceited eyebrow raise.

"Alright, I will change it on the list dear. Eric, I think that you should move to the back for today, so you are not tempted to inadvertently help. I have a book for you to read. I would like you to summarize it for me, Eric, now go sit in the back so you are not a distraction. Shoo." Mrs. Fant smirked, handing Eric a book. I silently thank Mrs. Fant for giving him an assignment that would keep him out of my hair for a while. For class she had us do some simple conjugating. I was getting bored with the I did, you did, he, she, or it did, and so on. She then had us read to our table partners the first few pages of the chapter. I worked with Preston until class was over. I got packed up and walked out the door. I heard someone call my name, but I just keep walking which turned into a run. I stopped only when I got to the band room. I walked purposefully to the storage room to get my cello. Today we were getting our pieces approved to use for chair selection on Friday. I had taken Godric's idea to play Cello Suite #3, I had come to the conclusion that I could go out for quartet and full orchestra next year. I retrieved my cello and music and took a seat towards the back of the room. I tuned the cello and waited.

"Everyone, sit down please. I would like you to practice the piece you would like to use. You will be trying out on Friday. The rest of the week you will be practicing once you get approved. Now I will be taking you out one at a time to approve your pieces and to test you on scales and the like. So, make sure you are ready for me. I will be starting with the cellos and basses since there are fewer of you then moving up. Godric dear you are first. Sookie Jessica you two should get ready and Mel you too, oh and Jake you as well dear." Mrs. Fortenberry walked off to her office with Godric in tow. I had my stuff ready to go so I walked up, the stairs and into the hall outside her office to wait. I could hear mumbled voices from her office then scales being played. Jessica and Mel followed right behind me. They both took a seat on the bench next to me. Jake came up the stairs slowly behind us, caring his bass. He sat his bass down on its side then sat at the end of the bench.

"Are you ready I am so nervous? I know that she is not picking chairs today, but I can't help but feel like I am going to mess up on a scale and she is going to decide that I should be fourth chair. I know that I was third last year, but I feel like you and Mel are better than me. I know that Jake and Godric are, but Mrs. F will probably make Jake play bass since she did last year. Are you going to go out for quartet and full orchestra too?" Jessica just went right on rambling not giving me a chance to answer.

"Jessica, I am ready, but I decided that I could wait a year to go out for quartet and full orchestra. You should not be nervous you are better at vibrato then I am. You will be great." I interrupted her. Right when she was going to start in again the door to the office opened. Godric came out and motioned for me to go in.

"Good luck Sookie." He said as I passed. I entered the office and sat in the chair across from her desk.

"So Sookie what are you planning on playing?" She asked I handed her my music then picked up my cello. "This piece is fine dear now I would like you to play a C major scale, please. Then I would like you to play with vibrato." I played what she requested. "Thank you Sookie dear that was lovely. I have to ask do you plan on going out for quartet and full?"

"No Mrs. Fortenberry I don't think that I will have enough time to do so this year. I also know that it is more likely that the older students will want too. I think that they should get it I will have time to do so in the coming years." I answered.

"I won't say that I am not disappointed, but I think that if that is what you would like, I may consider you for first stand in Orchestra. You play beautifully dear that is all I need you are done for the day. Send in Jessica would you Sookie on your way out?" She said looking down at her notes. I left the office cello in hand.

"Jessica you are next you will do fine. I'll see you all tomorrow." I said as I walked down the hallway back down the stairs into the band room. I packed up my cello, picked up my bag and exited the room. Godric was waiting for me in the hall.

"Are you done for the day too then? How do you think you did?" He asked picking up his bag and cello. I nodded. We walked down the hall to the door that led to the parking lot.

"I did fine, I think. She said she is considering me for first stand so probably second chair. Oh, and I decided not to do quartet or full this year so I can have time for other things." I answered. He held the door open for me. We walked out the door and down the hill to where Jason's truck was parked. We had about forty-five minutes till Jason and unfortunately, Eric would be done. "Do you want to learn some of the choreography for your dance?"

"Sure, the more time we can spend on it the more likely I can do this without looking like an idiot." He replied putting our stuff in the bed of Jason's truck. I showed him the moves and had him copy me. We did this for half an hour until he started to get tired. I decided that we could continue when we got back to the house. He climbed up into the bed of the truck and helped me up. We sat down at the back leaning against the cab.

"Is your mother coming to get you when we are finished tonight, I realized that I never asked how you were gonna get home?" I mumbled.

"Yes, but I think that it will be a while after supper if that is alright." He replied.

"That's fine with me. I forgot to tell you, but Eric is staying with us for a while cause his dad is going to Europe for business. So, he will be riding home with us. Do you care if we ride in the bed instead of the cab? It'll be really tight with all of us in there and I don't really want to deal with Eric right now. I am mad at him for some insensitive macho stuff he said last night and during lunch today." I rambled on to him leaning over and putting my head on his shoulder. He put his arm around me, and I scouted closer.

"I am comfortable where we are." He answered closing his eyes. We sat like that in comfortable silence till my brother and his dick friend came out.

"What the fuck are you doing in my truck with my sister?" Jason seethed.

"We are not doing shit, Jason. We were just waiting for you two to get out here. We were done early with Mrs. Fortenberry cause she had us go first." I scowled back at him. "Are we going or what?" I asked.

"Why is he in the truck with you?" He asked calming down slightly.

"He is riding home with us or did you forget I told you during lunch?" I answered still ignoring Eric's existence.

"Oh yeah sorry after you blew up at Eric and took off I kind of forgot you said that." He apologized. "Are you two gonna ride in the back like that? I would feel safer with you in the cab Sook."

"We will be fine. It is not like I have never ridden in the back before." I quipped. Jason just shook his head and climbed into the driver's side. Eric got in too, but I tried to ignore how close he was when he stepped in. The ride home was quiet but not like this morning it was nice. When we got to the house Jason jumped out and started to unload our stuff. Godric and Eric had both gotten out. I was walking over to the tailgate when I slipped falling. I thought for sure I was gonna get hurt but I was caught for the third time in two days. You would think that I had better balance then that being a dancer but apparently the pull of gravity was heavier in the last couple of days. I looked up to see Eric holding onto me. "You can put me down now," I said rather firmly.

"What no thank you for saving your clumsy self or are you still mad at me?" He joked setting me on my feet with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, thanks," I mumbled not really meaning it. I grabbed my cello and bag. I then walked up the stairs and into the house.