Fall ❥ George Shelley |Discontinued|

4

CHAPTER FOUR

I scurry through the crowd as I try to make it to the Music Hall. I let out a sigh as I finally reach the place where I seem the most happy. I smile a little to myself as I push open the door to the building where the class is being held. I can hear the beautiful melodies coming from different doors of the building, but that is suddenly not what I am thinking about anymore. I feel a wall of human colliding into almost instantly as I enter the building a little farther.

He doesn't even seem to apologise as he continues on his path, his path being out the door. As I try again to walk further into the building, I succeed in not colliding into another body. I realise the smell of the stranger continues to linger as the strength of the smell is so strong it's basically intoxicating.

I've only known one person in my life to wear that much cologne... well two as one of them is basically disconnected from my current living. I look back towards the door, almost expecting the human wall I collided into to come back, just to confirm my suspicions. I just really hope the suspicions aren't accurate.

I try to ignore the thoughts as I finally enter my appropriate classroom. Just as I enter Dr. Davis hands me a music sheet and I smile at him. With his profession being in music I know I'm being educated properly.

We usually work with a different modern type of music each week. This week, since Valentine's Day is quite close, we have been working with love songs and we are going to continue doing that for the entire month. We normally take one of the four songs we've worked on and perform it, if we want to and whoever wants it. I basically feel free, making me happy, in this classroom.

This week's song is Next to Me by Emeli Sandé. I feel like I've basically got the vocals down, even though I feel more comfortable doing the piano for the songs instead.

Once I've got my lyric sheet in my hand I am walking toward my normal seat with a smile on my face. Just before I am situated into my seat Dr. Davis shouts out, "Everyone settle into your seats!"

Everyone pulls out of their conversations, mounding up the stairs to get to their seats.

There are still a few utters coming from the more talkative people of the bunch before Dr. Davis says, "We are only going to be practicing the vocals for today." I hear some soft groans coming from the crowd. I expect they are trying hard for him not to hear anything as I could only hear them faintly. When Dr. Davis says, "I heard that," I know he agrees.

Dr. Davis settles down into the seat of the piano. He is just about to start playing, making me take a breather. Suddenly, he is interrupted just as he sets his fingers in the right position to the first chords of the song.

Everyone's heads dart towards the door, as does mine, as someone stumbles in. I am quite taken aback by who enters that I look down at the desk. I can't believe that my suspicions were confirmed! What is he doing here?

I try to study the vocals as much as I can, trying to memorise them, as I hear the raspy voice that only belong to... him....

"I'm sorry I'm late. It's my first day here. I hope you can forgive me?" he says, kissing up the professor. It's a little awkward considering they are both heterosexual men.

"Sure, but may I get your name?" Dr. Davis asks.

"My name is Ryan. Ryan Anderson," he greets. He looks down at a piece of paper. "Mr. Davis."

"It's actually Dr. Davis," he corrects. "It will be a pleasure having you in my class." I know for sure that, that is a damn lie.

"Thank you," he says softly in response.

"Well, you can take a seat next to Cindy. Take one of these lyrics sheets. We are working on Next To Me by Emeli Sandé this week. We do a different song each week. Considering we are already half way through with this week you have a lot to catch up with, but today we are only going to do the vocals. It will be the only thing you will participate in during the performance since you haven't been present during the rest of the rehearsals," Dr. Davis explains.

"Performance?" Ryan questions. Oh God, can you just make him shut up already? I roll my eyes.

"We always hold at least one performance a month for the school. We perform one of the songs we practiced during the month. This month we have already selected the song in which we will be performing at the end of the month. It so happens to be the one we are currently rehearsing," Dr. Davis explains further.

Ryan is handed a sheet of paper and mounds the steps towards his seat. It isn't particularly a seat considering we don't have any desks. We just have the large steps that we sit upon because we don't have much use for sitting. Our voices are a lot more powerful when we stand.

Luckily for me he is completely across the room from me. Maybe I could be lucky enough to not be noticed by him entirely during the course of this class period.

Dr. Davis hits the first few chords of Next to Me just as Ryan sits down, not giving him enough time to register how quickly Dr. Davis likes his class to go.

Just as the vocals come to play everyone joins along; everyone's on their feet by now. There isn't change in our normal sound, even with the new addition. I take it that Ryan doesn't even bother to sing. I look back for a split second to have my suspicions confirmed as he hasn't even bothered to stand up like the rest of the cooperating class. Also in that split second his gaze connects to mine threatening me to face forward. Maybe he doesn't recognise me, if I'm lucky... which I'm most likely not.

When we are nearly done I struggle to continue and hold a note as someone taps my shoulder. I have once been told that I have a voice like Demi Lovato which is quite an honour considering she has the beautiful voice of a Roman goddess!

I look toward my right to see the person who has tapped my shoulder holding out a note. It's a confusing gesture and he explains by saying, "From the new kid." I take the note into my grasp, even though I hardly care for him. When we are finished with the song I take the few seconds to read the note.

"Hey babe - Ryan"

That is all it says. I roll my eyes before discarding it. I look back towards him and he just smirks my direction. It looks like my luck has again disappointed me.

I groan softly to myself. For the first time since I've had this class, I urge it to fast forward so I won't have to live it.