Rich Boy Problems

Chapter 2 Band Problems

This can't be happening. No. Why can't I just have a normal life?

The man walks slowly down the stairs, like he's taunting us. When he gets down to the stage he starts to speak, "Don't try anything. Don't be a hero because we will kill you. There is only one person we need." Most of us turn to look at Lisa. She's the senator's daughter, so we all assume that it's her that they're talking about, the rest of us are just well off, come from wealthy families.

"The rest of you we don't need, but maybe if you behave we'll let you go." Taunting, all that they're doing is just taunting us. This just can't be happening. I groan quietly, the last thing I want to do it draw attention to myself. Why is my biggest fear is being kidnapped, and this is close enough.

"You will all be split up into pairs. You will follow the schedule that is handed to you. You may be wondering why, well I'll tell you. It's easier to keep track of you. When your name is called come down." They start to call people down.

"Lucille Pape, and Jacob Adams." Lucille gets up and leaves. "Kiley Adamz and Nate Hale." A few more groups later and I hear, "Jessica Kagan and Justin Molone." I look at Justin then at Jake. Jake has his face buried in his hands. He hates Justin, and to think that they used to be best friends. We all used to be friends, but he was a friend to Jake longer than he was my friend.

"Phones." One of the guys says when we get down there. We both hand them our phones. Justin was more hesitant about giving them his phone, because of that; they rip it out of his hand. They hand me a piece of paper, it has my schedule on it.

"It my schedule." I say.

"What do you have first hour."

"Jazz band."

"Are you like band geek or something."

I give him a look. He backs off cause he knows that I'll hit him. Hard. Who even says band geek? "Shut up."

Then I hear, "Jake Kagan and Mellissa Peters." Really she's with him. That girl has the biggest and best-known crush on my brother. And she hates, and I mean absolutely hates me. I don't think she can get it through her head that I'm his sister, not just some random girl. As they walk past us she looks at me and smirks. One of these days I'm not going to be able to resist punching her.

We are told to go to our class so we leave. The fact that she's even smirking is wrong. Does she know where she is, what's going on?

As we walk to the band room I think about what is happening and it's starting to sink in.

"I can't believe this is happening." Justin starts saying over and over again. "I can't-" he starts again.

"Well you can start believing then, cause this is happening." I snap.

"What's your problem?" Really, he did not just ask that.

"What's my problem- I- wow, just wow, Justin. The school is being held hostage. We are all trapped here. Do you know what my biggest fear is?" he shakes his head. Well of course he doesn't why would he, and why am I tell him this? "My biggest fear is being kidnapped."

"But you haven't really been kidnapped though. Just think about it, it's not just you, it's all of us." He's trying to calm me down a little bit.

"This is close enough. We can't contact anyone. People with guns are controlling us. They can kill us at any time." At this point I had slid down the wall and was sitting on the floor having a mini panic attack.

Someone grabs my upper arms and pulls me to my feet. Of course it's Justin. "Hey where's the girl I use to know?"

I look him in the eye, "What do you mean?"

"The girl I know would take her fear and face it head on."

"I would if it didn't put my life and other people's lives in danger."

"What's going on here?" A masked guy comes around a corner. "What class are you two suppose to be in?"

"Jazz band." I say as Justin lets go of me.

"It's right here isn't it?" he asks pointing to the short hallway that leads to the band room.

"Yeah." I say.

"Then get going. Wouldn't want to hurt a pretty face like yours would we?" I take a step back from him.

"Come on." Justin mutters pulling me away.

We walk down into the band room. "Good morning Jess." Mrs. Paul says as we walk in. "Who's this?" She asks motioning towards Justin. He hasn't been in band since we got a new band teacher.

"I'm Justin Molone."

"Are we playing today?" I ask. We don't always play once we did a video of What Does the Fox Say? Now that was fun. Plus every now and then, we get a study hall.

"Yes." She replies.

I walk over to the cubbies to get my tenor saxophone. "I thought you played like the bass clarinet, or something?" Justin asks me. Does he really remember that I play bass clarinet?

"I play the bass clarinet for concert band for anything else I play tenor saxophone." I say as I start to put my instrument together.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here." I look up and see the man in the hallway. I take in his features at this time. He's about six foot or 6"1. About six inches taller than me and he has piercing green eyes. Since he's wearing a mask, like they all are, that's all I can see.

I stand up and take a step back. "Anyone who isn't usually here, needs to go sit over there." Mrs. Paul tells everyone.

At the same time Jake and Mellissa walk in. Although Jake doesn't look very happy, mind you he's practically carrying her.

"Hope you play good." The guy says to me. "It might just decide how long you survive, or if you survive at all." I freeze up when I hear that. Justin comes over, grabs my music and pulls me out of the corner.

Jake walks over to me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I say. Why do I have to weak, I live in a house full of boys?

"Are you sure he didn't do anything?" Jake asks shooting a look at Justin.

"No he hasn't." I say.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." I say. They must really hate each other now.