A light on in Chicago

Chapter One

Mary Plover tucked her violin case under her arm and shut her car boot; she had a long day ahead of her.
Thankfully, today was Thursday, and that meant teaching at her favourite school, Westwood High.

Distantly, Mary could start to see two blobs of two children skipping towards her, causing her to laugh at the familiar shapes known as Kate Rune and Amelia Courts, a violinist and cellist.

"Good morning girls!" Exclaimed Mary, starting to walk towards the school gates.

"Good morning Miss Plover!" Both girls chimed, settling to walk beside the teacher.

"What band is it today?" Mary mused while motioning to the girls' shirts.

"Only our favourite band," started Kate started.

"They even come from Chicago!" Continued Amelia.

"FALL OUT BOY!" They together yelled, fist pumping the air.

"And then tomorrow it will be Panic! At The Disco, Saturday will be My Chemical Romance, and then Sunday will be Paramore," explained Kate, adjusting her tucked in shirt.

"We are even planning to get The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus shirts this weekend," mused Amelia, brushing her windswept strawberry hair out of her face. 

"Looks like you have your whole week planned out ahead of you," chuckled Mary, "alright we've arrived at the music department, go set up for our string orchestra!"

With that the two girls scurried off to set up four chairs for the violinists at the front on the left, four chairs for the violists on the front right, three in the middle of the violins and violas for the fiddles, two chairs for the cellos behind the violins and finally the chair for the double string bass behind the violas. All in all, Mary was impressed with the numbers in the band, considering most people didn't want to play a string instrument at the school, so they moved to a woodwind or brass. Those 15 chairs were all of the string players expect one double string bass player Mary was always pestering to join, but apparently, bands weren't his 'thing'.

"Alright everyone set up! Then get out the piece we worked on last week please!" Mary shouted over the talking children and playing of instruments.

ONE WEEK AGO

"So anyway, this new album is going to be big, I can feel it!" Exclaimed Pete, holding up his many pages of song ideas and lyrics.

"And what makes you so sure?" Quizzed Joe.

"Because.... drum roll please Andy.... a string section."

The room went deadly quiet.

"A string section?" Laughed Patrick, "whenever we were in school you were laughed at for being in the string section!"

"Yes, I know that" - Pete rolled his eyes - "let's just give recording a go with them if all fails we cut them out. Simple."

"Where are we gonna find" - Andy glanced at the list Pete made - "two cellists, two violists and two violinists plus a solo violinist? Wow, that was a mouth full." Said Andy.

"Ah you see," said Pete, a hint of mystery and excitement in his eyes, "I already have." From his back pocket, he produced a local newspaper article, the front page reading 'Star Violinist Mary Plover (24) leads the local highschool Westwood High into victory in the String Orchestra Competition. Read more on page 7 '. Next to the statement was a picture of Mary Plover in the middle of her string orchestra, all of them looking proud and tired, holding up their 1st place trophy.

"And the best part is that she holds a rehearsal every Thursday at the high school mentioned so that we can visit her! What do you all say?" Asked Pete.