Writing Randomness

Short Story - Choir Class

I sat next to my best friend, River, in Choir and waited for our teacher, Ms. Tresie, to start the singing. I was stuck as a soprano two for a while, since October, and I’ve never liked it. I’m a soprano one forever, and if I could have it my way, I would bring River with me over there. She told us she was going to switch us around, and she already picked two of the soprano ones to be switched. I held my breath with my hopefulness and waited for her to say the words.

“Monica and Nei, switch with River and Kaylee.” She ordered, and my heart dropped. My best friend was now a soprano one, and my other friend too. But not me. I felt my throat close on me and so many tears in my eyes, I don’t understand why she didn’t pick me. My voice goes over high ‘fa’ and I was a soprano one all throughout middle school. I don’t know why she’s screwing me over!

“Bye…” She trailed as she grabbed her music and sat over with the soprano ones. Words couldn’t describe what I felt. I felt betrayed by my teacher and best friend, and I couldn’t focus as I tried to hold back my tears. I hated this part, I was a true soprano one! I couldn’t even look at my music, it was that bad.

“Okay, turn to A New Day.” Ms. Tresie ordered, and I heard papers being flipped and backpacks and binders being unzipped, but I sat there with my music on my lap, head next to my chest, unable to do anything. She started playing piano and I couldn’t bear hearing the soprano one part, I closed my eyes and tried to think of anything but Choir.

“You okay?” The girl next to me, Emily, asked.

“Yeah yeah, it’s just allergies.” I lied in a normal voice, and she nodded, believing me. But I couldn’t stop as we turned to different music and worked on parts, and I was forced inching closer and closer to the altos. I tried to stay as close as I could with the soprano twos, because even that was better than an alto.

“Kairi, move over next to D’erica.” She ordered, and she was talking to me. I felt my face heat up and tears fall, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t care about anything unless you were one of the top singers, and I bet she thought I wasn’t even in the run for it. D’erica was the alto on the edge, and I could see the gears in Ms. Tresie’s head saying ‘Put Kairi as an alto, that’d really screw her over and ruin her life.’ But I couldn’t talk back to her, she was impossible to reason with.

I scooted over next to D’erica and sat there silently, wanting to switch places with River so much. She was a much better singer than me, definitely one of the top singers, but I still worked harder and was a better teacher pet. I sang the right notes all the time and knew how to sight-read. Why the hell was I inching farther and farther away from where I was supposed to be!?

We finally stopped and went onto sight-reading, something I might’ve been able to do since my throat was clogged up and I could barely breathe. “Okay, we’re all going to sing the soprano one line.” Ms. Tresie demanded, and I held my arm up to my eyes, holding my head low. What was wrong with her today!? She played the couple first notes and we sang the triad, and began.

The notes were long and tiring, but I couldn’t sight-read either, I lost breath easily and my throat was in absolute pain. We stopped it though, and I put my music away and grabbed a couple tissues, excusing myself. I couldn’t take it anymore, I had to get the hell out of here.

“Hey…” River trailed off slowly as she approached me, throwing my used tissues in the trash can. “I didn’t want to be moved, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“No, no, it’s not even that. It’s so much deeper.” I whimpered, and she dragged me to behind the risers and hugged me, and I cried into her shoulder. I didn’t know why this was such a big deal for me, but when you’re a singer, your voice part is everything. “I don’t understand why she didn’t move me with you.”

“I don’t either, because you can sing so much higher than I can.” She admitted, but I shook my head. No way was that true.

“But that’s just it. You can, and I can’t compete with you for singing because you’re going to get it. You got switched, you got the solo, you made the musical, and so much more. I can’t do any of that, River!” I cried, and she grasped my hands and held them up to my chest.

“I don’t want singing to ruin our friendship, but if you’re asking me to stop singing, I won’t.” She told me, and I shook my head.

“No, no, I know you won’t stop singing. I’m just saying that I can’t do anything that involves singing because I know you’re going to make it, and I won’t. I can’t be a better singer then you, it’s not possible. I just wish I could have something for my singing, but I always get screwed over if I even try! That’s just it, I can’t try with you!” I sobbed, and I finally let it out. So much steam I’ve had for the past four years, and it’s gone. The only problem was that she knew… everything.

“But you are becoming a better singer, voice lessons help with that.” She wrapped her arms around me again. “You will become all these things.”

“I wish I could be that optimistic.” I whimpered as Ms. Tresie called us back, and we stepped back into our rows and sand the melody to a French song we were singing, but I couldn’t pronounce the name. After that, the bell rang and we all left, and headed to my next class, which was Sign Language.

I ran into one of my friends in the hallway, pointing us to the language lab. I walked River to her English class and then headed to the lab. There were computers with cams all over the place, so I logged into everything before we got started.

“Alright, you’re going to be finishing up your video dictionaries today, you’ll get forty minutes.” Ms. Sellers told us, and I laid back in my chair. When I’m sad, I write. And I love to write, it was the only thing I was somewhat good at. So I sat up and opened Microsoft word, and my short stories file, and began writing about third period at school…