Read on for Chapter 6! Wow I'm really pulling them out of the hat fast

Chapter 6

"Will Ms. Rin Blackwell please come to the main office?" asked the chirpy static voice over the intercom. I lifted my head slowly from my desk and stared at the little black box, half wishing it would take the words back.

"You had better get going, Rin" my teacher Mrs. Beck called out. I nodded and getting up from my seat, walked out the classroom door and down the curving hallways to the main office. I had no idea what they wanted but knowing my slightly scatter brained parents it probably had something to do with paperwork. I was totally not in the mood for this.

I got the main office and walked over the corner deck asking the secretary, "Yes, Ms. Brown?"

Ms. Brown, an older smiling lady looked up to me and exclaimed, "Oh, Rin, there you are! Your friend over there needs help moving those boxes across campus and he asked if we could call you for help!" She leaned forward and added in a quiet voice that I could only hear, "And he is quite the looker too!"

I turned around thinking, "Ew, older ladies" and stared. There stood Lucas Curl grinning at me like we were old friends instead of just meeting a week ago. Even I had to admit he looked pretty intimidating (and wonderful) in the starch white music uniform, perfect soft blond hair and award winning smile. Oh, but I knew there had to be more behind the shyly charming smile.

He smiled at me and exclaimed quietly, "Hello there Rin! I needed someone to help me with these boxes of sheet music and I thought you might be able to lend a hand."

Oh, he was crafty alright. This was actually a good way to get someone alone to talk. In this case, to get me alone to talk about, what else, the NHSMC. Man these guys really didn't give up.

I smiled back at him, showing all my teeth. "Sure! Why not," I said slyly, "anything to get me out of class for a while." I went over and picked up one of the boxes.

Lucas grinned and gestured toward the door. "You kids take your time," Ms. Brown called after us. I grimaced but turned around to give her a little wave. Oh, this wouldn't take long.

Lucas and I didn't talk all the way to the other side of campus and went around delivering the sheet music to various classrooms.

I looked all around the music side of the school and was surprised to see how different it was to the General Studies side. For one thing was a lot quieter. Kids weren't aimlessly wandering the halls during class and in all the classrooms I saw everyone looked really focused and there was no goofing around. It was kind of eerie.

The walls were also decorated by various paintings and pictures of men with messy breads. Thanks to my background I actually knew a lot of them.

After we had finished delivering all the music Lucas turned to me and said, "Come on let's dump these boxes by the dumpsters."

I nodded and followed him. Time to find out what this music student wanted with me.

After placing his box on the ground next to all others Lucas turned to me, and he actually looked serious. I placed my box down as well and crossed my arms over my chest staring defiantly back at him.

"Seeing that we are not actually friends, I assume you want to talk to me about something," I said coolly.

Lucas matched my stance and answered in the same cool tone, "Well, I guess you would have to be right. There wouldn't be any other reason for me to lie about knowing you now would there?"

"You could be a stalker," I commented cheerily.

The corner of Lucas's mouth twitched in a smile and I couldn't help smiling too. Even if he was a music student Lucas Curl really didn't seem that bad.

"I suppose I could be," said Lucas slowly, "but I can assure you that I'm not. If I were stalking anything I guess it would be your beautiful music."

All traces of the smile vanished from my face and I said rather coldly, "I thought it had made it pretty clear last time that I have no interest in playing with you guys."

Lucas nodded and spread his arms out. "Of course," he said, "and normally we would leave it with that, but you see we are kind of desperate to get a female violinist so I'm afraid that I've been selected to try and convince you again."

"Oh? And what did you do to receive this great honor?" I asked mockingly.

Lucas lifted a pale finger and tapped his chin, pretending to think hard about the question. "I suppose the answer is that we are in the same grade, Rin," he said.

I snorted. "So in other words you were out voted?"

He grinned, "Something like that."

I laughed but suddenly felt exhausted. I wasn't sure how much more of this music nonsense I could take. It was all bringing back too many horrible memories. "Well, you already have my answer," I exclaimed briskly, "and it's not going to change so I really don't see the point to dragging this conversation on any longer than it already has."

I started to walk away but Lucas moved in front of me, blocking the way. "Wait, Rin," he said breathlessly, "at least wait to hear what I have to say! Please."

"Let me guess," I said hotly, "it goes something like this. You need a female violinist to enter the NHSMC and I'm the best shot you have. In fact, I'm probably the only shot you have. Do I have it somewhere close?"

Lacus let out a nervous sort of laugh and declared, "Great! We're all on the same page! So you'll do it?"

"No!" I shouted. Could this guy totally not take a hint?

"Rin," Lacus said, suddenly very serious, "I don't know if you know how important this is but I can see that even if I told you I don't think you would care. Can you at least give me a reason for your unwillingness to compete? Do you have stage fright or just aren't comfortable with your music? Because if so maybe we can help-"

I cut him off angrily, "Oh, please I certainly don't have stage fright and as you saw my musical ability is just fine!"

Lucas pointed a triumph finger at me and declared, "So you have performed before!"

"I never said I hadn't," I said turning my back on Lacus and starting to walk away.

"Then why won't you help us?" Lucas shouted after me and for the first time on our encounter he sounded angry.

I stopped and turned back to him and asked, soft now, "This really means a lot to you doesn't it?"

Lucas sagged against the wall and sank to the ground. Almost despite myself, I walked over and sat down next to him.

"Yes, it does," Lucas told me, looking straight into my eyes, "I'm not like most of the other music students here. I don't have a strong background and I'm certainly not rich by any stretch of the imagination. Not to mention that this is the biggest music completion in the whole country. So, yes, this does mean a lot to me."

The boy turned and staring into my eyes continued, "And it's not just me. It's the same with all the others you met last Monday. They may have more money-wise than me but music is really the only thing that matters to them as well. We have a good chance at Nationals this year but there is simply no female violinists registered in our school good enough to participate. No one but you."

I was about to say something, but Lucas held up a hand, gesturing to let him finish. "I know we haven't exactly made a very good first impression for you, what with freaking you out in the forest and everything but we really do need your help. Who knows, maybe you'll even have a little fun!"

That last sentence decided it for me. Have fun playing music without Shou? As if I could. I stood up and this time spoke softly. I really did like Lucas after all. He was a nice guy and I felt that he was probably one of the only music students who understood the real world.

So this time I spoke in a more gentle tone. "Sorry, Lucas. I'd like to help but I've given up performing because of some personal reasons. So I'm sorry but you are really going to need to find someone else."

Lucas held my gaze for a long moment and then gave a resigned shrug. "Well, I can see I can't change your mind," he said, "I'm not one to pry so I'll leave you alone. I know what it is like to have personal issues. But I must give you fair warning that some of the others have no fear of intense prying and don't have our understanding of having lives outside of money and music so they may be coming around too."

I grinned and placed my hands on my hips trying to look threatening. "Well, they might want to take another look on who they are dealing with. Thanks though, Lucas. I like people who can take a hint."

He smiled sheepishly and answered, "Some people may call this giving up too easily."

"I'd call it being street smart," I responded cheerily.

Lucas Curl turned to his side of campus and lifting one hand in a gesture of farewell, said, "See you around Rin?"

"No offense," I said, this time with a slightly sad smile, "but I hope not."

He nodded in understanding I walked away with a last nod. It really was too bad. Lucas Curl was one of the nicest boys I'd met in a while, much nicer than Sesshomaru Ito anyway, and if it had been any other favor I would have gladly helped him but this was something that I simply couldn't do.

Lacus Curl's POV

I watched Rin Blackwell walk away, considering the girl. There was defiantly something she was keeping from us but I could tell that she wouldn't give up the information easily.

Still, I wasn't quite ready to give up on her. If her playing in the forest was really just a sample of what she could do then there would really be no one else that could be our female violinist but her.

"Intriguing girl that one," came a familiar voice from behind me.

I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. "How long have you been standing there, Will? You know it's not nice to eavesdrop on people."

I heard his soft laughter and suddenly Will was standing next to be, leaning on my shoulder.

"I never claimed to be nice," he asked in that mocking tone he often used, "I heard enough. That girl sure is stubborn if nothing else."

"No, it's more than that," I said in a considering tone, "something she is hiding from, something about her music but I don't have the slightest clue on what it might be."

Will glanced at my face, suddenly all traces of amusement gone replaced with a strong intensity that I had seen on him more and more often as of late. "That stuff you said," my friend remarked coolly, "about you understanding what it was like to have personal problems and all, is there something I need to know about? Something that's changed?"

I looked up at my best friend and saw something flash in his eyes. Panic? Anger? Something in between? I couldn't tell.

Sometimes I marveled at how fast William North had become such a part of my life and vic versa. When I had first met William he had been an arrogant playboy with an intense talent for music but no respect for it. I had never thought that we would become close or even talk to each other but that was before what happened that stormy night.

After that, Will's whole attitude changed completely. He stopped treating girls like play things and in fact he pretty much stopped dating all together. He also started to spend quite a bit of time with me.

Others kids really didn't know what to make of us at first. What was the rich genius music student doing with the poor scholarship boy? Well, it wasn't like I could tell them what had happened without Will getting really angry with me but eventually they all at least accepted it.

Will would often drive me to and from school and practically became one of the family. My parents and sisters adored him and he seemed to genially like them too. It also drove Will crazy whenever I came to school with a worried frown and would pester me until I finally told him what was wrong and then desperately try to fix it.

Will really had become like my own guardian angel and it wasn't like he had a great home life either. In fact, his home life was practically nonexistent.

"No, you don't have to worry about anything," I said reassuringly, "I was just talking in a broad sense."

We stared at each other for a long moment and then Will shrugged and said, "If you say so. Come let's go, class is almost over."

"What are you doing out here anyway?" I asked, suddenly curious.

He laughed and said, "Oh class was especially boring today and I thought this may be more interesting. Turns out I was right."

I raised an eyebrow at him and said dryly, "So glad you're enjoying yourself."

Will laughed and together he walked back to our side of the school.

"So do you think we'll be able to convince Rin to join us?" Will asked as we walked through the doors.

"Maybe but that girl is defiantly hiding something. I guess we will just have to wait and see," I answered.

He nodded and we went back to class just as the bell rang.

Ok, I know the characters of Lucas and Will may seem a little strange at the moment but these two will actually play a very important role in the story soon. REVIEW!