the music of love

chapter four

It was about 1 and a half weeks later when I saw Mike walking to math... I hadn't seen him all day and at that moment, I almost didn't recognize him. His eye was swollen, his ring finger in a splint, and a busted lip.

"Omg... are you ok?" I asked." What happened?"

" nothing... just got in a fight.. that's all..."

"With who??"

"No one..."

He walked in to his class then I went about my business wondering what had happened, who he fought with, and why.

8t was not until later that day in band, that I realized what coupdve happened.

Mr. Lerkin had a slight shiner and was walking with a limp. While he was conducting, it looked like it hurt to lift his arms. He was staring at our section a lot with sincere hate. I turned to look at Mike after a few minutes of this. He was staring right at Mr. Lerkin. If looks could kill!!! After class, Mike will usually hang around and talk to me and so will Mr. Lerkin but they bother avoided me and eachother.

The next day, Mike wasn't here and Mr. Lerkin called me to hos office after class(we eat lunch over there).

"Kaiti... I need you to be real careful around Mike... he could be dangerous."

I just stared at him..."what makes you say that?"

"You just need to be careful."

And he turned to his computer and continued typing something. I sat there for another two minutes and after nothing, I got up to leave. He stopped

"I don't want you seeing him or hanging out with him ok? Your parents and I are good friends and I know they wouldn't appreiciate knowing you're hanging out with the likes of him"

I just walked out and ate my lunch in silence.

************************************************************************

"What's taking so long?" I had been waiting at the bandhall for two hours for my pparentts to come pick me up. They went to a party in Austin while I was at region band tryouts and they hadn't picked me up or answered their phones. That's when Mr. Lerkin walked out and told me everything.

He had just received a call from the hospital saying my parents had been in a car crash and they were both in the emergency room. He was pretty much the only "family" we had so they called him. We drove in silence to the hospital. By time we got there, my father had passed and my mother was on the verge of it. It was a very dark time for me and Mr. Lerkin didn't leave my side the entire time.

At midnight, my mother passed. I was devastated. I was all fryer out and when our attorney read who the next legal guardians were to be, I couldn't believe it.