I wasn’t looking forward to not being with Kristen for a whole week, but I reminded myself that Kristen had this particular problem because of my bone-headed ideas. I forced myself to smile. "That sounds… um… great, Kris."
Kris looked at me, and stifled a laugh. "You are a lousy actor, Jim!" She hugged me closer, planting a kiss on my lips.
"It’s time to get to home room," Patty suggested. That was where we’d get our official class schedules. We already had a "preliminary" schedule sent to our houses, but things usually got shuffled around at the last minute.
Kristen bid her good-byes, and kissed the two of us quickly. I had Patty stay back a second.
"Patricia?" I said.
Patty’s eyes beamed. "Yes, James?"
"You want something sexy, or embarrassing?"
"Um… how about a little of both?"
"OK," I grinned. I opened my attaché case and took out a marker. "Here."
"What’s this?"
"A magic marker. It’s water soluble, so it will wash off. Anyway, I want you to get a guy to autograph one of your breasts."
"Huh?" Patty said.
"Too much for you?"
"I thought you’d… like in the mall…"
"Nah. Already done that. Just show me the signature when you pick me up after school. Oh… I almost forgot. I need to stay late today, about an hour. Do you think you could find Kris and have her meet me in the music room at 3:45 today?"
"Exactly?"
"Yeah. You can’t enter the room if the red light is on outside. Just wait for the light to turn off after 3:45 and you and Kris can come in."
"Sure thing. You really want somebody to autograph my breast?"
I smiled. "Tell some guy you’re doing it on a dare."
My first home room was a bit exciting, since it was my first time having a real class in high school. The big topic was, of course, the resignation of Tricky Dick ("I am NOT a crook!") and possible repercussions about having our first unelected president in office.
I had World History for first period, and it was upstairs. The conversation about the recent happenings with Watergate and stuff was still the hot topic for the first half of that class. I don’t remember exactly where in world history we started after that; it has been a while, and didn’t seem as earth shaking to me at that time.
I know that I had music class for third period, followed by lunch. Usually, with this kind of schedule, I would skip lunch, and spend more time in the music room. But now I had friends that might have fourth period lunch. I decided to do my schedule straight for the first day.
In music class, the teacher started the task of getting a bunch of students used to playing their instruments again, usually after not having touched them in three months.
The music teacher, Mr. Proilet (his name is pronounced "Pree-Lay"), saw me in class, and asked me how my summer had been. I assured him that I had kept current on my trumpet, but that I’d be willing to fill in on any instruments where he might be short-staffed. He smiled at my offer, knowing that I was quite versatile musically.
"I’d rather have you at first trumpet, first chair."
I groaned at this. The first chair was usually reserved for seniors or at least juniors. And I know that there were a few really good trumpet players in this year’s class.
I looked around the room quickly, and noticed a certain section was a bit short. "How about trombone?" I asked.
The teacher looked at me. "Are you up for it?"
I smiled. "Bass instruments are usually easier, and the 'bone is natural pitched instrument."
"How are you on the slide?"
"Almost as good as trumpet," I assured Mr. Proilet.
"Hmmm. How about second trombone? Bill, there, is a killer on the slide, and Roger also wants to play first," my teacher pointed out, referring to two seniors in the trombone section. "We can use some more support on second trombone, if you don’t mind the lower position."
I grinned. I’d prefer to play second trombone, actually; it would avoid resentment from the older students. "Second it is."
The teacher shook his head. It wasn’t every day that a student would turn down the status of playing first chair. "Um, Jim?"
"Yeah?" I asked.
"Mr. Thurd told me how you like to play new instruments," Mr. Proilet said.
"Yes?"
My music teacher walked into the instrument closet and found an instrument case, coming back into the room and handing it to me. "Here’s something from the marching band. It fingers like a trumpet and reads trombone music. We got a few over the summer. Would you like to give it a try?"
I shrugged, never having touched the instrument. "I’d like to add another instrument to my repertoire!" I grinned.
I opened the case and saw that the instrument looked like a rather large trumpet, but aside from being twice as large, it also had a bell the same size as that on a bass trombone. I looked up, "Um, Mr. Proilet?"
"Yes, Jim? I need to start the class."
"I have a little music project… something for after school. Could I spend the period copying a master to some individuals?"
The teacher laughed. "Mr. Thurd had warned me about you. You still need to practice the new instrument, too. Go ahead and have fun."
I thanked the teacher, and gave the new instrument a test. I quickly ran through a set of scales, and noticed that it had the range of a standard trombone, without the slide effect. I got the hang of it quickly, and then resumed my music project to the accompaniment of the cacophony of a bunch of students trying to turn noise into music. In a way, the noise was soothing to me.
I was surprised to see Patty at lunch at fourth period, and looked around. Kristen was nowhere to be found.
Patty saw me looking. "She has lunch during third. You missed her walking out."
"I had music class, and was doing a special project."
Patty’s eyes widened. "I remember you! You were in Annie Get Your Gun last year!"
"Yeah. They imported me for piano and a couple of extra parts last year." I didn’t mention that I had been in the two previous high school musicals as well.
"Must be cool to have all that talent. You know, Kristen has a piano at her house."
"She does? How come I never noticed?"
"Because, when you’re around Kris, you only notice Kris, you Don Juan!"
One of the upper classmen from music joined us at the table. His name was Toby something-or-other. He was in the band, playing first trumpet, third chair.
"Um… Am I interrupting?" Toby said.
"No," I said. "Toby. This is Patty, a friend of mine."
"We’ve met," Patty said, but blinked her eyes demurely in a move that could only have been copied from an expression that I had seen Kristen do frequently.
"Yeah. We have math together," Toby said. He turned to me, "I want to thank you for what you did in music today?"
"Huh?" I asked.
Toby’s face was serious. "Taking second trombone instead of first trumpet. I would have been kicked down to second trumpet if you had taken it, and I’ve heard you play. You really deserve it."
"It’s nothing, really. The trombone section looked weak."
"Whatever. Thanks, anyway."
"Sure."
Patty watched this exchange, probably not understanding any of it. "So, what do you think about Calculus?" she asked Toby.
"Seems pretty easy," Toby said, grinning.
Patty shook her head. "I don’t think I’ll ever get it."
I watched Patty and Toby make small talk. Unlike when I was with Patty and the girls, she did not draw me into this conversation.
The two of them were transfixed with one another. I felt a little awkward, and quietly got up and left. I don’t think either one of them noticed.