Rich Re:grets

Chapter 7.1: Oblivious to Signs

(DECEMBER 2010)

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RICH MUTATIO

NO WAY WAS I LETTING MYSELF BE LATE on the first day back from the retreat, but since I was still so drowsy and exhausted from that sleepless outing, I managed to snooze through my blaring alarm.

I left my house five minutes before class started, passing by the empty playground and managing to make it inside the classroom out of breath.

"Good morning, Rich. You're late," Mr Darley told me.

"But I didn't hear the bell ring."

"Because... it probably rang before you arrived?"

I took my seat. "Oh, yeah. I didn't think about that."

"Zoey is still coming to class after her doctor's appointment, correct?"

"Yeah, she said she'll be back around music class."

"That's good to hear. Then I'll be explaining everything when she gets back," Mr Darley said before getting back to the science lesson.

While we were putting our instruments together in music class, Mrs Vitelli handed us a permission slip and two music sheets named The Tempest and Dramatico.

"We're going to Woodbine Mall for a concert?" Charlie read from the form as he warmed up his fingers on the piano.

"We're not only going, but we're also performing," Mrs Vitelli explained. "Those sheets I gave you are the pieces we'll be playing. Other schools will be there so it's a little like a competition. But once you guys are done with your performances you'll have the entire day to roam the mall."

"This thing is happening in the last week of January?!" Annie asked. "Excluding the winter break, that's only less than a month away. That's not enough time for us to practice."

"No? Mr Darley asked me to only give you guys a month because he believes that you guys can do it."

"That teacher..." Kayla cursed. "Why does he keep showing us off?"

"If you guys don't think you can't do it, I can always have the seventh graders join you."

"No, we just got a victory from them. We can't ask for their help."

"What do you mean by we?" Jessie stomped. "Don't group us together. Not all of us want to be embarrassed on stage."

"So do you want the seventh graders to join you?" Mrs Vitelli asked.

"No!" we answered in unison.

"This class keeps contradicting each other!"

Zoey knocked on the door and joined us with her clarinet. Mrs Vitelli gave her the papers while Annie explained everything that she missed.

After warming up, Mrs Vitelli had us practice the two pieces. Everything was off the first few times we played the songs, but as we neared recess, we began to sound in sync.

"For the first time playing those pieces, that was pretty good," Mrs Vitelli complimented as we cleaned and put our instruments away. "Your volume is what needs working on. It's like all of you are fighting for the spotlight instead of complimenting whoever's in it."

Once the bell rang, we went to the classroom to put our instruments away before taking our coats and heading outside.

"Zoey, Justice, I want to talk with you two," Mr Darley asked.