Thea Sisters Fanserie 19 - The road of success

Snouts in the clouds

The sun was shining brightly over the roofs of Mouseford Academy as eager students streamed into the singing room . A special lesson was scheduled for that morning , Professor Anna Aria's presentation of popular music from various world cultures . The Thea Sisters , princesses of Olumpos , sat in the front row , determined not to miss a single minute . But their teacher , usually focused and efficient , seemed strangely distracted , as if lost in thought . She had left the photocopies in the teacher's room , was struggling to get the CD player to work , and had lost the thread of her explanations several times . Realizing that she was in trouble , the five friends rushed to her aid . Nicky , reactive as usual , ran to fetch the missing documents . Violet , attentive and thoughtful , discreetly consulted the teacher's notes and helped her resume her speech . Finally , Pamela , who knew how to get any installation to work , managed in a jiffy , thanks to her magical gift of tinkering , to get the sound system up and running again . Anna rummaged through the CDs .

Anna : The track you are about to , er...hear is a...well , a perfect example of traditional Japanese song !

When the first notes sounded .

Paulina: *whispering* Japanese ? But it's the typical flute song of my country , Peru .

Her classmates stifled a slight laugh , while their teacher , embarrassed , hastened to change the record . The lesson continued without a hitch , but as soon as it was over , the Thea Sisters perplexed exchanged their impressions .

Nicky : Today , the teacher really had her head in the clouds... Is she in trouble ?

Paulina : As you say ! Lately , I've noticed that she spends a lot of time in the computer room . Facing the screen , she writes while sighing , or sighs while writing...

Colette : Mmmh... Distracted , languor , making lots of silly mistakes... It's obvious ! These symptoms are unmistakable...she's in love ! Let's take a look in the computer room , maybe we'll find her !

The students having gone to lunch , the room was almost deserted . Only one computer was on , and Anna was standing in front of it . She was tapping away at the keyboard .

Anna : Oh no ! I can't believe it !

Alarmed , the Thea Sisters hurried towards their teacher . Anna was in the middle of an electronic conversation via the Internet , and on her computer screen appeared the latest message sent by her interlocutor .

Mark- ''I'd love to organize their next concert on Whale Island . After so many years , it'll finally be a chance to see each other again ! What do you say ?''

The mouselings exchanged curious glances .

Anna : Nothing serious , ladies ! I was writing to Mark Mausington , an old friend I found by chance after many years .

Colette : Mark Mausington !? The famous Mark Mausington , producer of the terrific Ratstreet Boys ?

Anna : Yes, him ! We were born in the same town and have known each other since childhood...

The professor pulled an old photo from her pocket . It showed a young girl holding a guitar adorned with colored ribbons , smiling at her comrade with an expression full of joy and hope . For his part , the boy with the odd haircut was gazing tenderly at her . They were Anna and Mausington , a long time ago .

Anna : We were very close , linked by our shared passion for music . When we were fifteen , we formed our first band . We'd just improvise little shows wherever we could , but it was a lot of fun experimenting together...

Violet : What happened next ?

Anna : One day , a well-known agent contacted me about a role in a musical directed by Ms. Ratyshnikov . This was a great honor for me , but they only wanted me... I followed them , and , unfortunately , Mark and I fell out touch from then on . Over the years , I kept abreast of the evolution of his career as a producer and his successes . And now , thanks to the Internet , we're back in touch...

Just then , a new e-mail arrived from Mausington .

Mark- ''Is everything all right ? If there are any problems , the concert can be held elsewhere...''

Anna flinched briefly , then typed on the keyboard .

Anna- ''We'll be delighted to welcome you and the Ratstreet Boys to Mouseford Academy !''

Thea Sisters: YEEAAAHH!!!!

The producer passed on a further suggestion : the opening act for the Ratstreet Boys concert could be a group of beginner musicians chosen from among Anna's students . Listening to their favorite band live and taking on a magnificent artistic challenge together , the Thea Sisters were excited . Anna smiled at the sight of her students joy . Then her expression turned pensive : how would it feel to see her childhood friend again so long afterwards ?