An Endless Serenade

Chapter Three

            “Isn’t that how it is for everyone?” Aspen laughed.

            I grimaced. Right. All these people were born rich. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m here on a scholarship.”

            Jake whistled lowly. “Ooh, you don’t want that to get around.”

            “Huh? Why?”

            “The last scholarship student here quit after one month of torture after the regular students found out he was on a scholarship. These rich people are rabid,” he responded, smirking.

            My eyes widened. “Really? I though that only happens in movies!”

            Oliver rolled his eyes. “Jake’s being over dramatic. He quit because he couldn’t take the competition. There were only a few snide comments about his financial status. Money isn’t what is important here, talent is.”

            “If you’re talented, you’re dangerous in other people’s eyes,” Aspen continued, creating a giant A on her folder in crimson colored paint. She tossed a few silver glitters on it before painting a giant S. “I’d hold back your skill a little at first.”

            “Do you guys know anyone in the piano section?”

            “That’s nice? Nope,” Jake responded casually. “Elliot’s in that class, but I wouldn’t go near him.”

             “Why?”

              “He’s bad news,” Aspen declared, sighing lightly. “It’s a shame. He’s cute, but everyone’s too afraid to go near him. One time a guy got punched for just talking to him.”

               I frowned. To me that sounded more like a rumor. Even if Elliot had almost crushed me this morning. “Oh. What about the other people in that class?”

               “Everyone is really stuck up in that section. I don’t get it. Piano is easy,” Jake stated with a shrug.

            Oliver snorted. “As easy as guitar, right? The only hard instrument is saxophone, isn’t it?”

            Grinning again, I shook my head. “All instruments are hard to play. But unlike other instruments, you can play two tunes on the piano. Like in a song. You can play the music and the lyrics.”

            “Yeah, but…”            Jake started to protest, but trailed off, making a face.

            Aspen held up her hand for a high-five. “And you just one upped Jake. Nice.”

            Our hands met with a dull smack. “It wasn’t what I was aiming for, but okay. So no one in my piano class is as nice as you lovely trio?”

            “The teacher is nice,” Oliver informed me. “As you can tell, the teachers here must be paid to be nice.”

            “And young,” Aspen added, sending an approving nod to Mr. West. “He’s the third most attractive at this school. In my opinion at least. The English teacher is by far the first.”

            “Really?” I said skeptically.

            “Really,” Oliver and Jake chorused.

            I raised an eyebrow. “Got the hots for him?”

            “Oh yeah,” Jake replied with a deep sigh, putting his hand over his heart. “I dream about him all the time.”