Symphony || Byler

Chapter 8

-Will's perspective-

     Mike took a deep breath as he ran his hand through the side of his hair. "I guess there's no other choice."

     I felt my heart drop. There's no way he was serious. "What do you mean?! We don't have to do what she says! It's not a final decision!"

     There's no way I would survive with this absolute jerk as my tutor! Literally anyone would be better. The entire time I would spend with him wouldn't even be on learning. It would be full of frustration and fear.

     Mike sighed before turning his body to face me. The look of impending doom basically painting over his face. "Yes... but for the sake of band, she's right. You've made absolutely no progress. So if you won't quit...you need to get better. Fast."

     I felt my heart drop even further. He was so honest...it was brutal. He was right though...It's been weeks and all I can get out is an elephant toot while everyone else in the band, including the new people, had a general sense of how to play.

     "Unfortunately for me and you, Will, there isn't a single person who is as capable as I am of teaching you. So it's...sadly my responsibility to try." His eyebrows furrowed as he picked up his stupid clarinet case.

    "Well....I REFUSE!" There's no way in hell I'm going to survive being stuck with this dude. He'd probably yell throughout the entirety of the 'lessons'. And I don't learn if I'm being yelled at.

     Mike sighed as he placed his Clarinet case into Jane's hands kind of roughly. Jane practically jumping out of her chair in surprise. "Will...you want to get better at trumpet, don't you?"

    "Well...duh." I sighed as we made eye contact.

     Mike brought his hands to his hips and glared down at me. His face showing nothing but his usual sarcastic look. How was he filled with so much anger? "And you want band to exist next year, right?"

    "Yeah. Obviously. What's your point?" It didn't feel like this conversation was going anywhere. He was pointing out things that had a very obvious answer.

     "My point is...you need to improve. With my help... I think we can make this work." Mike removed one of his hands from his hips and held his hand out for me to take. "It's either that or flunk out. Which I mean... band would be better off anyways."

    This...ASSHOLE! I felt my face heat up as I took a deep breath. I wouldn't allow him to get a reaction out of me. It's what he would want. "You know what...? Bring it, Wheeler. I'll only need a few lessons before I'm better at Trumpet than your...well multiple instruments!"

     Mike nodded with a small smile growing on his face... was this his plan?

-A few hours later-

"He's so annoying, Rob!" I accidentally yell while getting my things out of my locker.

Robin held her finger in front of her mouth to shush me as politely as possible.

"Sorry...just... How did I end up saying yes?" I pulled my hands up to my face to sigh into them. "Like he has some like hypnosis power or something!"

Robin sighed before leaning against the locker next to mine with a soft smile. "I mean...maybe it's a good thing? If you're forced to spend time together, you two might work out your differences?"

"Rob... you don't understand! He's such a snob with music! Or anything really! He's....unbearable!"

She sighed before placing her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. But I have to go so I don't miss the bus. My parents would kill me if I'm late to dinner again. We'll continue this conversation...tomorrow...?"

"Okay...Well...be safe. Don't get lost. Don't do drugs...stay in school...eat your vegetables." A smile starting to form as she withdrew her hand from my shoulder.

"I'll try to remember it in that order, William."

"Ew! Please don't call me by my full name!" I shivered at even the thought.

She laughed before turning away "I dunno...sounds pretty nice. Might continue, William Byers!"

I rolled my eyes as I closed my locker. She was joking...I hope. "Alright love you platonically."

   "Love you platonically!" She yelled back from further down the hall.

I still had one last thing to do today. I had promised Eddie that I would visit his after school club...and when I make a promise, I never break it.

I used to play D&D with Jonathan a while back. He had bought all of the books. Call it a phase. He sucked so bad at it that we ended up stopping...but I at least knew the basics of how it operates.

I pulled the card out that Eddie had given me out of my bag to flip it over. "Room 305." Was scribbled onto the back in messy handwriting. It would be surprising if Eddie had nice hand writing, but considering that he was a writer, it would be preferable.

I carefully walked down the hall. There was multiple club meetings as I passed. One stood out the most from them all.

The room was dark and barely lit with candles. From the looks of it on the outside, it looked like it would be some sort of occult club. As I looked over to the room number, sure enough....it was 305.

I slowly opened the door to see Eddie at the edge of the classroom peaking his head over the divider at the end of the table.

As I looked to the other members...I noticed...someone who I never thought would be there. Who I never wanted there.

    It doesn't make sense....this isn't his sort of activity. At least from the outside looking in.

As if in almost perfect unison as we met eyes, we both made a disturbed face and uttered the same words.

"You've got to be kidding."