Mallory's Melody

Chapter 17

THE FIRST THING SHE SAW WHEN she pried open Starlight Academy's doors was William's livid face. With her head held low, she walked past him and joined the other participants on the floor. But William wasn't as eager to dismiss Mallory's lateness as she was.

"Tardiness is unacceptable in this Academy." He strode to her "You of all people should know that, Mallory Trent!" His voice shook the walls of the academy.

Mallory's defences rose. Me, of all people, she wanted to ask, what is so different about me William? But Mallory calmed and bowed her head in shame. Cole always told her it was inappropriate to talk back to adults. Other than that, she swore she would've attacked William with verbal bullets. She was irritable today. Her upsetting encounter with Cole had made her so.

William's face calmed. "The next time you're late Mallory, I will not hesitate to eliminate you from the audition."

The lack of conviction in his voice made her doubt that he would. He could never eliminate her, not with how insistent he'd been for her to join the academy. If he did, then all his searching and chasing would have been for nothing.

"Now, as I was saying before the interruption." William's eyes flashed at Mallory, "you violinists have been assigned with specific dance partners. The both of you will have enough time to practice for the next stage of the auditions."

Many people groaned. Willaim's face brimmed with a bright red. Something about him was off today. His mask of formality was slipping off. Did her lateness rattle him that much?

A red-headed boy rose to the challenge. "Sir I think it's better if we make our selections. Choosing someone we can easily resonate with will improve the quality of our—"

William abruptly turned his head to the boy . Get out Max!"

Gasps whirred through the room. And Mallory shook her head. She almost felt bad for Max. Almost. Only a fool would rise up to challenge William in his fragile state.

Max opened his mouth in protest but then closed it, his face holding his disappointment as he sluggishly made his way out the room.

William returned to the crowd. "Does anyone have anything else to say?

All heads shook at the same time.

"Good, because that would mean you would have to join your friend, Max out there. There's something you guys have to understand about this industry." He took careful steps, his hands dug into his pocket. "Nobody cares about your opinions, and if your childish selves can't come to that realization, then it's enough proof that you're not what the industry needs anyway."

With a loud gasp, everyone backed away from William. He spoke to them like professionals, which some of them were, but his harsh and inconsiderate admonishing made it seem like he was oblivious that they were also adolescents still honing their skills.

"Are we understood?" Willaim asked the room.

A collective "yes.' was uttered.

"Now." He retrieved a long scroll from his pocket. "I'll read out your partners to you. Get to know each other. Do whatever shenanigans you teenagers do nowadays to form a relationship. I don't care what you do, just ensure that your performances are topnotch. I want to see connection.  I want perfection." His words lost the eloquence it usually had, a harshness obscuring it now.

William came to Mallory's name. Eric Rosse was her partner. Mallory surveyed the bustling room for a possible Eric. Relief washed through her when an oily boy greeted her. He wore glasses. But he was anything but the typical nerd with the type of sort of body he had. It was solid, and bulky, and smooth. The body of a dancer.

"Mr.William wasn't the most pleasant today," Eric said, a smile beaming on his face. He reached his hand out. "Nice to finally meet you, Mallory Trent."

"Finally?" Mallory gave him a handshake.

"I've wanted to meet you for a long, long time. My father wouldn't stop telling me tales about the great violinist who led the instrumentalists in church."

"Your father?" Mallory asked. "Do I know your-"

"Mr.Rosse, owner of Laketown church, crazy preacher. " He interjected, ever-still smiling.

Mallory's eyes widened. Eric was Mr Rossi's son? The world really was a small place to live in. Mallory had never set her eyes on Eric, even as the preacher's son. Absurd for a Pk. But Mr Rossi had always said something about having to deal with teenage angst in the house, dedicating the most of his sermons to it. But Mallory couldn't fathom it, that Eric, this fine-looking male standing next to her was the teenage angst Mr Rossi always spoke of dealing with.

"Wow. I never see you around in church, " Mallory blurted.

Eric's countenance dropped, his gaze become wary, uneasy. "Yeah. That's because me and my father don't get along much."

Mallory fought the urge to interrogate him further. Cole always told her that it was inappropriate to pry on people's lives, especially people she wasn't really conversant with, so she didn't ask anymore questions.

"Wow, I expected you to question me on that." Eric said, "People always do."

Mallory shrugged. "I'm not the prying type."

"I like that." Eric's dark eyes met with hers.

When the silence between her and Eric was too much to bear, she shifted her gaze away from him. Unfortunately, it landed on Jason Trevor. He was leaning against one of the pillars, handsome-looking in a shiny black jacket. She should've torn her gaze away from him, but she didn't, and neither did Jason. One wouldn't have guessed they were fighting with how solemnly they studied each other. But then a flash of anger arose in Jason's eyes. He shifted his gaze from her to Eric, them scrunched his face, obviously disapproving of both of them together. Mallory didn't try to guess why he would be. She tore her gaze from him and rolled her eyes.

"Jason Trevor." Eric followed her gaze. "You guys a thing?"

Mallory's first impulse was to get defensive, but it wasn't sensible to be defensive towards a question that required a simple response, such as "No."

"I knew those rumors weren't true." Something like relief flashed through his face.

Mallory was aware of the rumours going around. In fact, she'd heard several girls talking about it as she hurried for practice this morning. She would've loved to listen if she wasn't in such a hurry, and maybe even lecture those seemingly jobless girls on the importance of minding one's business. At times it baffled her how quick rumours travelled, and how distorted they become as they did. That she and Jason Trevor were a thing, was preposterous on its own, but that he helped her to shoplift was insanity. It seemed that logic and research didn't matter when it came to rumours'.

"You guys don't match anyway," Eric said.

Mallory couldn't fight off the urge to ask him to, "expatiate."

He rubbed his scruff, visibly unnerved by her interrogation. "He's—"

"Selfish? Arrogant? dishonest?" Mallory finished for Eric, the spite in her voice alarming her.

"Yeah," Eric laughed, "That about cuts it. You seem to know him a lot."

"I learned a hard lesson from last night."

Mallory was ecstatic Eric didn't press on the issue.

They exchanged numbers and agreed to meet at Vintage church to practice for the audition. But as Eric walked away, Jason Trevor stormed for her. Mallory's throat tightened. She didn't want to face him. Thank goodness he wasn't armed at least. Diana didn't accompany him.