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Thursday, October 16, 2014

Those That Which Are Talented: Chapter One (Part Two of Two)

Chapter One (Part Two of Two)


          After that class I had lunch (Our classes were long and varied. 3 classes in one day and an hour study hall at the end of the day, but we all had 15 classes 3 classes for each day of the week.)

          Lysander followed me to lunch and I was a bit creeped out that he was just following me after only knowing me for about three hours.

          “I bet I aggravate you, don’t I?” Lysander asked me as if he wanted to hear yes. Maybe he did want to hear yes.

          “No, not really. You just startle me a bit. Actually, I’m quite flattered. No one’s ever gone to the trouble of following me before,” I said.

          “Oh, don’t worry, it’s my pleasure,” he said. “My pleasure indeed. . .”

          “What’s good to eat here?” I asked.

          “I know something pretty good,” he muttered.

          “Huh?” I asked.

          “Nothing, I don’t really eat but I guess if I did, I’d get that just because the cake looks cute,” he said. He was pointing at a tiny bowl of pasta accompanied with a small piece of cake that did, yes, look adorable.

          I decided to get that just because he said and he took me in the garden where no one else seemed to be. It was a very calming environment that had a nice atmosphere.

          “This is nice,” I said. “You’re quite the gentleman.”

          “Me? A gentleman!” he laughed and he continued laughing. “I’m far from it. Truthfully, I’m quite the misogynist. No, no, even more so I’m a misanthrope. I never really had friends since the first day I started school here and I've been here since Kindergarten. I have had a horrible social life. I really don’t understand why they still bother me.”

          “They bother you because they need someone to make fun of. It’s their security blanket.”

          “And that is exactly what I like about you. You have a different point of view. They would say something along the lines of that I should be lucky to be noticed at all.”

          I smiled at him and he smiled back at me, “Shall we kiss now.”

          “What?” I said laughing. “You’re very umm, candid about your feelings and motives.”

          “No, no, I’m always throwing a sexual innuendo here and there at times, so I am not very candid about my motives!” he said throwing his hands in the air as if orchestrating a song with passion.

          We both started laughing until our sides hurt and he pretended to wipe tears from the corners of his eyes.

          “Kalliope, we’re friends yes?” he asked me.

          “Yeah, we’re friends,” I said laughing some more.

          “Be quiet,” a girl and a boy said popping their heads out of the bushes.

          “Umm, okay,” I said.

          “KALLIOPE YOU DON’T NEED T—“ Lysander started but I put my finger against his lips.

          “They’re making out,” I whispered. “Let’s go take a picture!”

          “You’re devious! What will you do with this picture?” Lysander whispered back, rubbing his hands together. “Lysander likey!”

          “We’ll keep it as blackmail,” I said. “Or use it as a prank. We pretend to take a picture and then see how they react. When they find out it was fake, they will hate us!”

          “I’m used to people hating me, nothing hurts anymore!” Lysander whisper yelled.

          We both creeped over to the bushes where we saw their heads pop out. They were not making out, no even worse, they were lying naked together.

          “I don’t want to take a picture of that,” I said wanting to throw up. I had seen naked bodies before, but on screen, on film, in books, but in person, that was a whole different world.

          “That was not a great sight to see for a virgin mind was it,” he said to me.
          “Not at all,” I said. “How are they able to do that without getting caught?”

          “No one ever goes through here, it’s a rarity to see people in here.”

          “So people come in here—“ I started.

          “—to do the nasty, yes. They always come in here to do the nasty.”

          I sighed and I didn’t even want to eat my cake anymore. “Have my cake Lysander, consider it my first gift to you.”

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          Lysander took me to our next class, which was acting located in Building B. “This is a good class. The teacher is a bit like Mr. Miller, flamboyant, but she’s reliable. Now, Mr. Miller. . .”

          “Do you and he have hatred towards each other?” I asked.

          “Yes, I suppose you could say that. Don’t tell anyone else, but Mr. Miller and I are, how shall you say, very much closer than you think.”

          “Cousins perhaps?” I asked.

          “No, good guess though. My, if we were cousins, I’d have tried to drop him down a stairwell by now!” he exclaimed pinching the bridge of his nose.

          We entered the room as the bell rang, which seemed to be the standard routine. Our acting teacher saw me and smiled. She was wearing a 1920’s flapper girl costume as if it were no big deal and she went to the front of the room and crossed her legs, most likely to display that—which I do believe is strange for a teacher of all people to do—her legs were long and sexy.

          “So we have a new girl I heard,” she said grinning with her hands folded underneath her chin. “What should I do to initiate her?”

          She walked around in circles formulating an idea in her mind and then she stopped at pointed towards the back of the room where I was sitting with Lysander and she curled her finger to tell me to come up on stage. My second time center stage and I was still a nervous wreck.

          “So why were you accepted to this school?” she asked me.

          “My singing talents,” I said.

          “Oh,” she said with a chuckle. “Well, I hope your stage presence is just as good when you’re acting as when you’re singing. Mr. Miller did come tell me how you did so well during your song. I do trust his word, so let’s see if he was right about you. If not, he’s in for a big laugh after school.”

          I didn’t know what she meant by “big laugh” but I considered it to be a challenge. I would not let the handsome teacher Mr. Miller laugh at me and I would not fail in front of anyone!

          “So my challenge?” I asked.

          “Oh, I like that. You think you’re ready?” she asked.

          “Ready!” I said.

          “Alright, let’s say you’re only limited to saying words using half of the alphabet, so you can choose A through M or N through Z, which would you like?”

          “A through M, please,” I said.

          “Alright, I get the other half, whichever of us fails first by using a letter in the other person’s half loses. Got it?”

          “Got it?”

          “Alright, I’ll begin,” she said and then clearing her throat she looked at me and touched my shoulder, “Not today! You need to stay out of this town!”

          “But I didn't do anything. . . incorrect!” I said.

          “Yes, you've ruined our town. You've stained this town out of your own will!”

          “I know, but couldn't you forgive me for doing such a thing. It’s dreadful knowing I hurt everyone.”

          “You’re nothing but a witch who should scald on the stake!” she yelled at me with such passion as if she actually meant it that she did not realize she had said ‘a’.

          “But Ms., I am a champion, Ms. has lost!” I said.

          “Time out, I didn't lose!” she said appalled I would even mention the word lose to her.

          “Yes, you said you’re nothing but A witch who should scald on the stake,” I said “And you said that whoever used a word from the other person’s half of the alphabet loses, so what now?”

          “I guess you win, rightfully so. Good show, good show!” she said with a bitter sound upon her lips. It was obvious to me that she did not like the fact that she had been defeated, by a singer no less. Someone who didn't even want to be in the field of acting had beat her at her own game.

         She continued teaching, but had a horrible disposition now. She pretended like everything was fine, but once class ended she called me over to her and as everyone left she looked at me and asked, “What’s the big deal?”

          “What?” I asked.

“You beat me. No one ever beats me,” she said.

“Well, maybe it was high time you lost,” I thought in my head, but out loud I said, “Mm, I guess I was just lucky.”

“Oh, hmm, luck seems about right. Yes, lucky indeed. You can go now,” she said pointing at the exit. “Don’t be so lucky next time.” She was laughing now as if she somehow defeated me, but I was simply saying what she wanted me to tell her. It was nothing more than that.

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It was finally study hall, where everyone was able to hang out exactly where they wanted. Technically, school was not finished yet, but people acted as though it were. We couldn't go out, but we didn't have to be under the supervision of anybody.

“Kalliope, what did Ms. Morgan tell you?” he asked.

“She said something about never being beaten before and that I was just lucky,” I explained.

“Yes, she’s a very, how shall I say, person of great discontent when she does not receive things her way,” he said.

“It seemed so,” I replied.

“Don’t take it personally, maybe she’ll take you under her wing,” he said.

“I wouldn't wish to be under her wing. She seems to me to be a horrible woman with hatred in her heart,” I said.

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After study hall, I left Lysander and walked to the dormitory. I was given room 303, simple and easy to remember. Third floor, third room! I walked in and saw my room buddy. It was not Piper, thank goodness, but a meek girl with glasses secluded in the corner with a thoughtful look on her face.

“Hello?” I said unsure if this was the right room.

She looked up from what she was doing and sighed. “Are you my new roommate?”

“Yes, I’m Kalliope,” I said.

“Kalliope Shaundrey?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“Alright, that’s your bed,” she said pointing at the corner. “If you have any questions please make them quick and intelligent. I’m Teagan Thompson by the way. You might see my name held up in the Hall of Fame in Building D. Maybe then you can ask me some questions, but for now, please don’t bother me.”

“Of course,” I said setting my stuff down at the bed she told me was mine. I was a bit intimidated by her, but I’m sure that was just her personality. It wasn't like Piper, who purposefully intimidated people.

I sat there awkwardly and she stared at me. “You know you could do something. There’s lots of neat things to do here. You just have to explore. I know because you’re new that you think everything’s a little strange, but trust me you’ll become as strange as what you think is strange right now, so get used to it.”

“A-alright,” I said and I decided to get out of there because I had absolutely no idea what she was trying to tell me by saying that I need to explore. I simply took it as my cue to get out of our room so she could have peace and quiet.

I didn't know where to go, so I just kept walking and sure enough my walking helped, because I bumped into Malerei.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi,” I said.

“What are you doing?” she said. “Trying to find your room?”

“No, no. I found it already, but I don’t know what to do. The girl in there seemed to want to be alone, so I took it upon myself to go.”

“Oh, hmm, well I know what you could do,” she said.

“What?” I asked.

“There’s like a whole recreational building, Building F. Did they not tell you about it?”

“No, they only said there were five buildings not including the dormitory,” I said.

“Well, Building F, basically has places where everyone can practice and share their talents with each other. I always go to the Poetry Peace though. I don’t like writing it, but listening to it helps me relax. I’m going there right now, wanna come?”

“Sure,” I said. I followed her down to Building F which was past the garden and past all the other buildings and in fact, it wasn't even in the school. It was separated from the school. It was a building called, Easy Entertainment.

“Easy Entertainment,” I said out loud.

“It’s got a cheesy name, but the shit in there is awesome,” she said. “Excuse my language. Well, ha, we’re teens should I be saying sorry for that.”
“No, not at all,” I said.

“And you hang out with Lysander, so that shows for something,” she said.

“Huh?” I asked.

“Well, Lysander’s kind of a pervert just warning and he used to always say a bunch of bad words at a time. A total rebel, still is.”

I didn't reply, I simply smiled knowing that that was definitely how I envisioned Lysander to be.

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I looked around, there were tons of little hang out spots in there directed towards all the different fields taught at the school. She took me to Poetry Piece and everyone was not snapping, but clapping.

Up came a boy, with half white half black hair. He didn't have a piece of paper and then he came to where we were at the back of the room and he started talking into the microphone.

“New girl, new girl
Not sound or sweet
New girl, new girl
With the killer voice
As heard from inside
She might be a new girl
But she isn't trying to hide!”

Everyone clapped and I clapped politely, too, but I saw no reason for him to do that. Malerei was clapping out of sincere appreciation I could tell and she looked at him as though he were a perfect genius. He, I think, was far from that.

When Malerei and I left, she said, “You got a poem by the one and only, Devin Ingleheart.”

“Is he like, special here?” I asked.

“I guess you could say so,” she said. “He’s absolutely hilarious. I don’t know how he comes up with that stuff, but he’s there every day and he never has a poem in mind, he just looks at someone and makes one up.”

“Oh, has he done one for you?” I asked. I assumed this is why her face lit up when talking about him.

“No, not yet,” she said. “He usually never comes where I am, this is the closest I've been to him.”

“Do you have a fascination with him?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s much more than just a fascination,” she said as we walked out of the building. She took me back to my room and said good bye.

“Did you have fun?” Teagan asked me when I entered the room.

“Umm, yeah,” I said.

“Well, enjoy it while you’re here, because once you leave you’ll wish you’d have had even more fun. That’s the kind of affect this school has on people,” she said.


“Yeah, I’ll make sure to make this the two best years of my life,” I said as I fell onto my bed and fell asleep. This was going to be a good two years. It might be a little horrible, because of the hurtful people, but as long as I have friends by my side, I’ll always have fun.

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