Chapter one

I inhaled deeply, my chest puffing up and out from the expanding air. Here goes… well something. I hoped. The metal was cold on my mouth as I blew. The sound was clear and loud, switching pitches as I tested my tone with a scale. It was good, besides the almost-squeak that happens when I hit high D flat. Ms. Miles waited for me to finish, her eyes on the clipboard in her lap, her pen scribbling wildly.

“You can start your soloing now Rochelle.” And with another deep breath, I launched into my own little world of music, concentrating on the rhythms, notes, tempo, and dynamics, all of which I had to make up on the spot. I don’t remember when I closed my eyes, but I must have because when I opened them, Ms. Miles was smiling. “I believe that’s all Rochelle. The list will be posted tomorrow.” It was only then, when I exited her office, I finally exhaled.

            I was polishing my trumpet, rewarding it for cooperating with me, when I heard a small chuckle of laughter behind me. “Are you trying to make that thing shine like the sun?” I turn to see Alex, straddling a chair, close by.

            ‘say something smart, say something smart. Say. Something. Smart.’ “The sun doesn’t shine, it illuminates” I retorted, mentally smacking my forehead with my algebra calculator. ‘Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.’

            Alex giggled a little, running her fingers through her hair. “Always the smart one.” She yawned, stretching her arms out like a cat, “You ready?”

            I slung my backpack over my shoulder. “Yeah.” She got up, rolling back her shoulders and wincing at the tension. I stared at her shoulder blades, poking out as she stretched. What would it feel like to feel that mocha skin on my palm?

Gently, I laid one hand on the base of her neck, massaging the flesh that was there. She winced again. “Cold hands” She said. I quickly pulled away, but she took my hand and held it between hers. She looked up from underneath her lashes “I can fix that.”

My heart pounded as Alex dragged me out through the band door and into the sun.

            The rays of warmth hit my skin, raising my temperature too high too fast. I dropped my backpack and lifted my hoodie up over my head, my hair landing astray around my face. “Um. Rochelle?” I looked up to see Alex a tomato red, her eyes sheepishly aimed at my midriff. My shirt had ridden up to my waist, exposing my pale belly for passing cars and my girlfriend of two weeks to see. I pulled it down quickly and looked up to see a flicker of disappointment on Alex’s face. She shook her head, for herself more than me. “You hot?” She asked after we walked a few paces in silence. She blushed even more if that were possible, stumbling over words “I mean, are you warm? Well, were you warm?”

I looked down at my feet, trying not to smile at how cute she blushed. Maybe I wasn’t the only one self conscious about relationships. “Yeah, I guess.”

Another silence hung in the air “How was your audition?”

I smiled, “Well, I don’t want to brag…”

“But you did awesome?” Alex finished for me. She laughed and turned to me, her crooked grin lighting up her face, “I told there was no reason to stress.”

I sighed “I know, I know. I was wrong and you were right. You’re always right.”

“I know.” She giggled, all of her previous awkwardness drifting away with the breeze. She yawned. “You wanna hang out tonight?”

She yawned again. I frowned. “You tired?”

She shrugged. “A little, Pointe class ran a little late last night, and because of homework I didn’t get to bed till 3.” Another yawn escaped her lips, “But can we still hang out tonight right?” She pouted, “Please?”

 I looked her, her bottom lip sticking out, and her eyes glinting mischievously. “Yeah”   Another yawn escaped her lips. “we could watch a movie at my place.”

“Well…” She looked up at the clouds. “You see, I kinda need a dress for my mom’s awards dinner and I’ve been kinda stalling…”

I sighed, then weighed my options. Lie and boredom, or truth and misery. Lie. Misery. Lie. Misery. Lie. Alex in a black dress. The image flooded my mind all too easily. I looked up; she was staring at me intently, looking desperate for a shopping partner. “Sure. I’ll go shopping with you.”

She smiled, and my mind pretty much shut down. Which was okay because she took over the conversation from there. She told me about the dance she was learning in tap class, and how her friend Sasha and she were in the middle of making up a ballet, modern, hip hop fusion   routine in her basement. “I’m telling you, she’s a genius when it comes to ballet…” I smiled and nodded, humored by her facial expressions. She just seemed so… lively. Her hands moved excitedly, and her face had this everlasting smile plastered on it.

Rays of heat poured down on us like rain, so she had only worn a pair of cutoffs and a tank with Dance written all over it in various fonts. Light beamed off of her ebony curls and as she turned to stare at me, crooked grin and laughing eyes, I felt my knees buckle. She stopped, contemplating my stare. “What?”

I looked down, my hair hopefully cloaking my face, which was profusely scarlet. “Nothing.”

We approached my house in silence. Both of us had nothing to say, or if we did we were too scared it wouldn’t come out right. It was Clarie who broke the quiet. She opened the door, one of moms scarves wrapped around her head like a turban. In the middle of her forehead was a big black dot colored in with a marker “I knew it was going to be you.” She said in an ominous tone.

Alex chuckled, walking in after me. We sat at my kitchen island while Clarie pranced around with her recorder trying to play the snake charmer and moving her hips in exaggerated circles which, I guessed, was her version of belly dancing. Alex thought it was hilarious, even throwing in a few hip circles as well. Clarie, happy to have company, gave Alex a scarf to wrap around her head. She wrapped it loosely around her waist, throwing her hands up and swaying her hips from side to side. I rolled my eyes. “ Clarie Tante Frances de Wheres ?”

“À l'église”

I furrowed my brow “Pourquoi est-elle à l'église ?” I caught a glimpse of Alex out of the corner of my eye, her head cocked to the side slightly, like a dog commanded a trick they didn’t know. “Sorry Alex. What is Mom doing there?”

“She said she had to talk about you. What she was going to do with you.” She giggled “Maybe she’s going to throw you a party!”

I gritted my teeth “Maybe.”

As Clarie skipped away Alex turned to me. “I didn’t know you could speak French.”

I shrugged. “My mom is from France. My Dad was there on a business when he met her. They got married and he took her here and had me. Do you want a water? ”

I got up and filled two glasses with ice, taking the purified water container from the fridge. Alex stayed on at the island, crossing and uncrossing her legs. Hesitantly she asked “What happened to your dad?”

I kept my eyes down, handing her a glass. I could hear Clarie playing upstairs. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me if it’s too-“

 “He had another family.” The grains of marble never seemed more fascinating to study. I kept my eyes on a swirling brown pattern. “Well, I guess, technically, since they were first, we were the other family. I met them once. They were nice.” I remember vaguely the smiling woman with the round face and dark eyes. “Anyway, he lives with them now in Ohio. He sends money.” As well as family photos and the occasional Christmas card, but there was no need to mention that.

Alex put her hand over mine, intertwining our fingers. “I am so sorry Rochelle. He’s stupid for not wanting to be with you.”

I looked up, forcing a grin “No, I’m pretty sure you’re just insane.”

She let out a small chuckle, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “What about Clarie?”

“Her moms in jail. We were the closest relatives she had. She was young, so she doesn’t remember much about it; just knows to call me Rochelle instead of Sissy, and Aunt Frances instead of mom.”

Alex exhaled “Damn Rochelle.”

“You don’t need to be sorry.” I said quietly, cupping her face in my hands and bringing her eyes up to meet mine “I’m not. My moms not. Clarie is sure as hell not.” As if to prove my point, I heard her recorder squeak upstairs. “If her mom hadn’t gone to jail, I can’t even imagine how she would have grown up.” I pictured a beaten Clarie in a small dingy room with a needle in her arm and shuddered. “We’re happy, independent females with the ability to function without a man holding our hands all the time.” I felt my hands vibrate: she was giggling. “What?”

“Nothing. You just. Well,” She jumped off her seat and pulled me close, the emerald scarf she’d tied around her waist drifting to the hardwood floor. She whispered into my hair “You are the biggest feminist I have ever met.”

I laughed throwing my hands behind her neck. “Come on, we’ll leave a note and go to the mall. They close at six you know.”

Alex frowned “You sure Clarie should be left alone? I mean she’s only what, seven?”

“And a half. But we could dump her at Natalie’s on the way there. Just let me call.” I pulled Alex closer and closed my eyes “In a minute…” Alex’s laugh was like bells, She untangled her arms from my waist and went to put our water glasses in the sink. Her body still felt imprinted on mine. I pulled out my cell phone and pressed speed dial one. Natalie picked up on the first ring. “Bonjour Mademoiselle Elle”

 “Hey. You mind watching Clarie for a while? Promise to pay you back.”

“Deal. Tomorrow night. Sleepover. I’ll bring the movies…”

“I’ll bring the chocolate.” I finished with a laugh “See you in a few.”

I hung up and grabbed my purse, calling for Clarie. She came down in a hustle, her turban falling to the floor and her curls bouncing back into place. Alex picked it up and placed in on Claries head, wrapping it around her face then behind the opposite shoulder. “That’s how women in India wear it, plus it’s easier to keep on your head.”

Clarie grinned “I can’t wait to show Natty!”

Alex turned to me, head cocked to the side. “Who’s Natty?”

I rolled my eyes. “An old friend of mine. She’s known Clarie ever since she came here and me since I was born. I guess you could call her my” I did invisible quotes in the air with my fingers “‘sister from another mister’ or ‘brother from another mother’ or whatever.”

She laughed. “Wait. Is she the one with the red hair and black clothes?”

I gave the description a half-hearted smirk “yep. That’s the one.”

Clarie jerked the door open dancing outside like a ballerina, blasting and squeaking her way through Mary had a little Lamb. Alex stayed behind, standing as close as two ‘straight’ girls can stand, her hand radiating heat onto mine.

Natalie looked disheveled as she opened the door, clad in her after-school black flannels and lime green tank, spotted with different paints. Her hair was up, and she held a paintbrush in her hand. Clarie pushed her way inside, spinning around to face us. “Natty!” She shrieked

“Claire!” Natalie mimicked, reaching out for a hug.

Clarie put her hand on her hip, which was jutted out to the side “Clarie” she said, holding the e out for a full ten seconds before jumping into Natalie’s arms.

“Well alrighty then Clarieeee” Natalie put the two paintbrushes in her hair like chopsticks. “What are you today?”

Clarie rolled her hips, throwing her hands up in the air in an imitation of Alex. “An Indian belly dancer” Putting her hands together above her head, she moved her neck from side to side “Do do do do doo…” I rolled my eyes.

“Good luck” I turned to leave but Nat caught my arm, gasping over dramatically

“You were going to leave without introducing me?”

I bowed: Our private little joke. “Forgive me.” I looked up at Alex “Introducing the one and only Natalie Riley.”

Natalie curtseyed “Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Alex giggled and held out her hand daintily “I’m Alex. Rochelle’s friend.” I could tell she hesitated for a moment on the friend, glancing over at me to confirm I haven’t told her yet. Natalie didn’t seem to notice. She clutched her heart with one hand and reached up to wipe an invisible tear with the other. “My little Elle is growing up.”

I punched her on the arm “I am capable of obtaining more that one friend Natalie”

“You’ve finally proved me wrong” She grinned “How long will you be?”

“About three hours.”

“Alrighty. See you then.” She turned, but then whipped her head around, a few strands of scarlet hair coming out of her ponytail, her look was probing, yet open. Something was there. Something I couldn’t quite recognize. “Don’t forget. Tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night.”

She smiled, but it was too sweet “Nice to meet you Alex!!”

As we turned the block from Natalie’s, Alex took my hand. “Nice friend.”

I smiled “Yeah. She seemed a little…odd though”

Alex snorted “Rochelle…She was jealous.”

“Of me?”

Did Natalie like Alex?

Alex rolled her eyes “Of me. I think she thinks I might steal her best friend” She leaned closer to me, her lips an inch away from mine “She might be right.”

My breath was heavy  “Alex…people…”

Her eyes were mischievious “I know.” But she broke away reluctantly, still holding my hand.

The silence was deafening, so I tried to carry on the previous conversation “I think she has a right to be jealous. I mean, I wouldn’t go shopping with her unless I was handcuffed to the bench in the dressing room.”

Alex raised her brow “Oh really?”

“What?”

“What tamed you today?”

I blushed, looking down at the side walk the image of her in the black dress coming back to me in waves. “I don’t know.”

She must have read my mind, for she smirked. “You like the idea of shopping with me don’t you?”

I looked up, trying to sound nonchalant. “What do you mean?”

“Me trying on dresses… short dresses…”

Despite of my embarrassment, I grinned “I guess your right.” She was always right.

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Holly O'Brien]

nice nice nice....I'm enjoying it lol....time for the next chapter....I love the way you describe everything...great skills indeed!!

[D1218]

Oooh Short Dresses :p
Lol Loving the story so far
Keep writing :)

[Angel's Lady]

oooh...you changed it up some! I like that! Very nicely done...
Good write...please do continue!

[Ryan]

I like it so far. Again, no mistakes. Keep going, it's good ^^ although I would add in a lil more about the back ground if I were you. Just saying, helps get the reader into the story.