AGONY (A Klapollo One-Shot)

The Rehearsal

"Excuse me! Coming through!" I shout into the crowded hallway, white walls lined with posters of upcoming concerts and recitals. There's people walking through with heavy cases holding their instruments, or bags full of sheet music to practice. But tonight there seems to be way more people just loitering around, shouldn't everyone be off –I don't know– practicing?

That's what I'm trying to do anyway, get to a rehearsal in time so Mr. Prodigy won't give me one of his frowns and some sly comment again.

My peers begin to clear off and make room for me after my shout. Yet as I pass by everyone, I swear that they all give me weird looks, staring at me and smirking, like something funny is happening.

Come on Apollo! You're just imagining things, you're fine!

With sheet music in one arm, and a water bottle in the other, Apollo Justice is ready to rehearse!

... Just not with him.

"Ah, Herr Forehead! It seems you have made it just in time." Klavier Gavin, the music school's golden child, smiles at me as I enter the Serenade Recital Hall. He sits on the edge of the stage with his legs crossed, smiling at me with a smile as stupid as the nickname he's given me. My forehead isn't that big. Besides, Klavier has a lot of clout in our music school, he's the only student able to book Serenade for rehearsals, talk about privilege...

Ignoring Klavier, I step up the staircase onto the stage, nodding at the person sitting at the piano, playing Steel Samurai Royale on their phone. "What's up Pea-o?"

Pea-o looks up from their huge glasses, slightly slipping off their nose as they give me a curt nod. They don't really say much, but they're one hell of an accompanist.

"We should get started, no?" Klavier asks, standing up as he flicks his long blonde hair. He walks over to Pea-o, who's staring at me. Oh right– I come over, feeling my face flush, as Klavier gently smiles, opening up his music as it lays on the piano, Pea-o sets up the score on the piano.

"Let's start...hm..." Klavier's eyes wander over the sheet music, "at about 59."

"Shouldn't we warm up first?' I ask, as I place my water bottle and music down near the grand piano. Klavier just chuckles, leaning way too close to me as he answers. "Herr Forehead, we have been singing all day, no? What's missing one little warm up gonna do, hm?"

"Oh, I don't know," I try not to fidget with my bracelet as I keep steady eye contact with Klavier. "Maybe we might strain our vocal cords even more? Causing, at worst, permanent injury?" Just keep your head up Apollo, don't let him push you around! Growing with confidence, I add just before Klavier butts in. "Besides, it's been a couple of hours since choir ended, shouldn't we at least do one exercise?"

"Ah, if you insist so much," still leaning too close for comfort, Klavier snaps his fingers, turning his attention to Pea-o. Thank god. "Let's do some of the chamber warm ups."

As Pea-o's hands glide over the piano; playing scales and arpeggios as Klavier and I sing various vowels and phrases. I can't help but feel Klavier trying to one up me in each exercise, challenging me as each note gets higher and higher, or falls lower and lower, even when each note is held longer and longer. Well that's fine by me, I'm ready to out sing him any day!

"Good," the piano stops as soon as Klavier talks, he chuckles, delightful, as he looks at me. "Now that our voices are warm, we'll run from the top, ja?"

"But you said you wanted to start at 59," I state, crossing my arms. Klavier flicks his hair, shrugging, "Oh, change of plans Herr Forehead, It would be better to get a full run of it, no?"