Untouchable

The Non-Date Coffee Date

Mike typed the last grade into his grade book and twisted his wrist to look at his watch. Lexie looked back at him, along with a time stamp that told him there were exactly eighteen minutes until four o'clock. So seventeen minutes until the bell rings. I wonder if they are going to fix that or if it's going to stay off for the rest of the year. I should send Teresa an email about it.

"Did you see this email about the play?" Rob asked, his back to Mike as he stared at his computer screen. He was eating an apple - loudly - and Mike wanted to cross the office and swat it out of his hand.

"Fuck. No. Do I want to open it? It's Friday afternoon. It's almost time to go. If it's going to piss me off all weekend, I'd rather save it for Monday." He was already preoccupied with thoughts of his non-date coffee date the next morning. Being irritated at Dave and having half his mind occupied with thoughts of how to get rid of the annoying theater teacher wouldn't leave a lot of room to navigate small talk. Mike was not good at small talk, and he knew he needed every ounce of his brain power to not sound like a bumbling idiot.

Rob spun around his his chair, the offending apple in his left hand. "I don't think it will piss you off. I mean, if it were any other kid, it might, but-"

Mike held up his hand and glared at the apple. "Just tell me who it is. Who's in the damn play? Is it Bryce? Morgan? I swear, those boys are going to be the death of me," he complained, thinking of his best percussionist and his favorite clarinetist. "I need Bryce to figure out he can't be good at everything. Something's gotta give. And it's not gonna be band."

An amused smile came over Rob's lips as he thought about whether to drag the big reveal out to annoy Mike, or just tell him and get it over with. His boss solved the dilemma for him.

"I swear, Bourdie, just tell me, so I don't have to open my damn email again. My computer hates me. I always have to enter my password twice."

"That's because you enter it too fast. And it's Lily Bennington," Rob informed him. "You know, the one you said could quit band if she got the lead in the play?" His grin was huge as he watched Mike sputter.

"She didn't," Mike breathed, his eyes huge. "Are you serious? Dave gave the lead to a sixth grader?!" His voice was elevated, and he knew it, but it was practically unheard of for a sixth grader to beat all the seventh and eighth graders who tried out for the lead role. "Are you saying she's actually good?"

Rob shrugged, taking another bite out of his apple. "Looks that way. Now the real question is - are you really gonna follow through and let her quit?"

Nobody quit band halfway through the school year, much less halfway through a semester. Mike Shinoda was well known for expecting kids and parents to follow through with the commitment they made to band at the start of the year. Quitting band mid-year wasn't even a question parents tried to ask any more, but Mike had a feeling, since he'd let Lily get under his skin, causing him to open his big mouth in front of the whole class, that the subject might come up. Over coffee. With Chester. Because we'll be discussing the kids and school because it's not a date.

"I don't know, damn it. I said I would in front of the whole class." Mike reached for his coffee cup and scowled at it when he saw it was empty. "If I let her go, it opens the door for any other kid to just come and go as they please. And that's not how this band program works."

Rob nodded his head, stretching his long legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankles, settling in for what was sure to be a long, Shinodaesque rant about integrity and commitment. Mike was shaking his head, getting ready to justify his position, when the band hall door opened, and Jason strolled into the office.