“Did Mr. Harrison tell you what he wanted to see me for?” Milo asked me as he closed the auditorium door behind him.
“He didn’t,” I answered as we started walking down the hall to return to the band classroom. “How’s vocal rehearsal going?”
“Ehh,” Milo responded, shaking his hand back and forth as he did. “It’s fine, it’s just not as exciting as band used to be.” I nodded my head, understanding where Milo was coming from. Band class hasn’t been the same since Milo’s dual major status was suspended; it’s made me not want to be in band class anymore since no one but our teacher cares about the string orchestra section. At least when Milo was there, he always looked excited to hear the strings play or rehearse. Milo looked at me before saying anything else.
“Band’s not too exciting either,” I admitted as we turned the hallway’s corner. “Our rehearsal is actually making me sleepy.”
“You? Sleeping in class?” Milo teased. “The world is coming to an end.” I couldn’t help but laugh along with Milo. I really do hope he’s able to come back soon to band class. We finally get back to the band classroom and enter; the band class turns around to see Milo and I walk into the room. I can hear Davey call out to Milo as we both walked toward Mr. Harrison; he couldn’t help but wave and say hi back. Some of our other bandmates called out for Milo; he was very popular in this class when he was here.
“Alright class, quiet down,” Mr. Harrison says to the class. I return to my seat as Milo walks up to Mr. Harrison. “I’m giving you 5 minutes to go over your music before we continue our rehearsal.” Mr. Harrison takes Milo to his desk. I opened my binder of sheet music to go over a couple of trouble spots in the piece we’re doing for the rehearsal.
“So,” I hear Davy say as he sits next to me. He clearly tries to hide from Mr. Harrison as he talks to me. “Whatcha think Milo’s here for?”
“I don’t know,” I quickly answered, hoping that would end the conversation. Apparently, he didn’t get the memo.
“You think Milo is coming back?” Davy asked. “I mean, Aaron hasn’t been showing up to band practice so there’s no one really playing in percussion.” I looked at Davy, not aware of that information. The two sections of the ensemble have been having separate rehearsals, so I didn’t know what was going on with the other half of the band.
“Aaron hasn’t been to rehearsals?” I asked. Davy shook his head.
“Not that I know of; people say it’s because he’s a dual major and he gets special permission to come whenever he pleases, Davy answered. “But whatever, we already know Milo’s the better musician anyway,” Davy said as he walked back to his seat. I turned around to the seats where Milo and Aaron would sit. Did Aaron quit? I look up front to see Mr. Harrison letting Milo go, indicating that the conversation has ended. Milo turned around to walk out of the band room. I looked at him, hoping he would give me some sort of sign that things went well. He walks past me and looks at me, flashing a smile and a thumbs-up. I look forward, smiling. I think Milo’s back.
…
I opened my locker to take out the books needed for my next class. The hallways are full of chattering students in passing. I look up and see Aaron and Mollie walking down the hallway together; it makes my stomach turn. Something tells me that Mollie hasn’t told Milo that she’s friends with Aaron, which Milo despises. If she did, I know Milo would’ve told me about it, and it annoys me that for Mollie to be his best friend, she hasn’t really been acting like one. I quickly look away, back toward my locker. I can see that Aaron has just walked up to his locker, which is two lockers down from mine. I don’t look up or say anything, but that doesn’t mean Aaron understands the social cues of someone that doesn’t want to be bothered.
“Hey, Sophie,” Aaron says to me. I look at him quickly, barely giving him a smile. “So how was the band rehearsal today?”
“You’re asking me that?” I responded to Aaron. I was confused that out of all of the people in our band class, Aaron wanted to ask me how the rehearsal went.
“Well, you are in band, and I know you had to have been at the rehearsal,” Aaron slyly said back to me.
“Well, maybe you should start actually showing up to band rehearsal if you want to know what is happening in band rehearsal,” I spat back, closing my locker before walking away.
“I’m a dual major, sweetie,” Aaron answered back. “My time is needed in vocal as that show is coming up first-“
“It’s Sophie,” I corrected him. “And quite frankly, I don’t care.” Aaron’s eyebrows scrunched together, clearly, he was getting offended at the way I was responding to him. “Then maybe you don’t deserve to be a dual major.” I don’t know why that came out of my mouth, but it was too late to take it back.
“Why would I listen to a mediocre violinist,” Aaron spat back. “I was trying to be nice and ask a simple question about rehearsal, but clearly you’re hurt or intimidated that Mr. Harrison doesn’t get on my case as much as he does with your weak little section.” I was getting angry; I refuse to let someone as shallow and conceited as Aaron Serrano get the best of me.
“Mr. Harrison’s not on your case because he just asked Milo to come back for band, ” I said as I looked at Aaron right in his face. “Clearly, the ensemble doesn’t need you as much as you think we do.” I turn around to walk away from Aaron; I was going to be late for my next class and I didn’t have time to argue with Aaron. I knew Aaron was very self-centered, but I didn’t think he treated others like complete garbage. Something told me he only treated me that way because he knows Milo and I are friends, and clearly he has some opinions about Milo being his competition. It felt good to tell him that Milo was coming back to band and that he got his dual major status back, but the pit in my stomach tells me otherwise. Is he going to try to get Milo in trouble again? Was it my place to even say anything about Milo coming back? Was that even true that Milo was coming back to band? I mean, he really didn’t tell me anything besides that everything was okay.
Did I just add fuel to a fire that had nothing to do with me?
I get lost in my spiraling thought, not realizing that I bumped into another girl in front of me.
“Watch where you’re going,” the girl said. I immediately recognize the voice being Mollie’s. I look at Mollie and she rolls her eyes.
“Sorry, I-” I began to say before she walks past me, going in the opposite direction I was going. Mollie, from what I gathered in my own observations, was a mean girl. She has never really been nice to me unless Milo was in the same room as the both of us. Again, I don’t know why Mollie refused to be nice to me if her best friend was friends with me; but then I quickly realize that Milo is not nice to Aaron and vice versa. Maybe Milo does know about Aaron and Mollie? Maybe that’s why Milo and Mollie have been so distant from each other lately?
“Ms. Lee,” I hear a teacher call out. I look at the teacher standing at their classroom door; it was Mr. Kamalani leaning against his classroom door frame with his arms crossed across his chest. “Get to class.” I nodded my head before I quickly walked past him.
I need to find Milo before Aaron does.
Letters From Liz. 