The Smell of Paint

42.

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The classes she has with Christen goes the same for the rest of the week. Genevieve keeps telling herself one more week and she'll get to hold him again. But this time she doesn't have to let him go.

Genevieve makes her way to band practice after class. But she gets a message from Miranda.

Bitch
Meet me in band's storage room.

Genevieve doesn't answer. Half of her just wants to go to practice and ignore her, but the other wants to know if she will try to pull anymore shit with her.

Genevieve decides to make her way to the storage room. She is having the same feeling she when she first saw Miranda standing outside of Vic's booth.

She opens the door to see Miranda standing there, with her hair a mess. Genevieve walks in and closes the door behind her.

"What do you want?"

"Is that anyway to speak to your Drum Major?"

"No, but it is a way to talk to a bitch."

Genevieve sees Miranda tense up and Genevieve feels like busting out laughing.

"Listen here, you call me whatever you want but I thought that since I'm such a good Drum Major that I show you that your boy- well ex boyfriend has found a new love. See."

Miranda shows Genevieve a picture of a man with his shirt half unbutton and shows him holding Miranda's arm.

Genevieve looks harder at the man's chest and sees it's not Christen. Genevieve feels her heart heal from the crack from earlier. The thing that Miranda doesn't know that Genevieve does—is that Christen has a tattoo that covers his upper chest .

The man in the picture doesn't have a chest tattoo. But Miranda can't know that Genevieve knows that. So she puts on a show for the wannabe Mrs. Stone.

"No! N-No he wouldn't go to a-another woman that q-quick."

Genevieve gives Miranda a fake voice crack to make it seem real.

Miranda smiles believing that she is breaking Genevieve into more pieces.

"Yup, and umm I see why you fucked him. Cause wow, that dick is good."

Genevieve feels her hands form into a fist. She will give anything to punch the shit out of the bitch but she can't. She will get her hit one day.

Miranda goes back to her phone and sends Genevieve the picture trying to break her more. Genevieve just gets even more pissed off seeing how far Miranda will go.

Genevieve is about to throw one of the drum sticks that is laying on the shelf next to her, but the door opens. They both look and it's Simone giving them a confusing look.

Simone sees their friend and the bitch who hurt her. Simone goes into protective mood. They walk in and speak their mind.

"I don't know what you are trying to do to her but you won't ever, I MEAN EVER BE GENEVIEVE."

Genevieve stares at her friend who is standing in front of her, yelling at their Drum Major. Genevieve wants to step in and tell Simone to stop, but at this moment Miranda deserves it.

"Boy, if you don- oh my bad I mean—IT. You better learn your place."

Genevieve feels her blood boil, hearing Miranda call her best friend a "It". Simone is a person. They are human, and they have the rights like any man or woman.

Genevieve has yelled at some of her band kids for saying rude shit to Simone before. But she would never think that a leader. No. The leader of the band, be so hateful towards her band kids. Genevieve loves and cherishes her band kids. She will do anything for them. And at this moment Genevieve isn't going to stop protecting a such good person.

She pushes a hurt Simone to the side and walks up to Miranda.

"What is it n-"

Genevieve punches Miranda in the face and doesn't stop when Miranda falls to the ground. Genevieve feels all her hurt, sadness, and anger go straight to her fist, landing right on Miranda's face.

Simone watches the sweet Genevieve who is against violence, hitting the shit out of Miranda. The room fills up with Miranda's pleading.

Simone runs over to Genevieve and tries to get her off.

"Gen! Please you'll get in bad trouble. Stop! I think she lear-"

Simone turns their head to see the band director standing there in shock to see his Flag Captain fighting his Drum Major.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE!"

He yells and it helps Genevieve come back to reality, but not fully. Her hits start to ease up but they don't stop.

The band director pulls off Genevieve and pulls her out of the storage room. He turns around to face her. He looks down to see a huffing Genevieve. He can tell on her face that she didn't mean to hit her that much.

"Genevieve, what were you thinking? Miranda, from what I can see probably has a broken nose. You could go to jail for assault."

Genevieve feels her eyes start to fill up with tears. She tried to explain but nothing is coming out. She is really wishing that Christen was here to hold her. Tell her that everything will be okay.

"Genevieve you are not the Flag Captain of this band no more. You are out of band. Say goodbye to everyone and leave."

Genevieve feels her heart crack more then ever. Her breathing feels like it is non existent. No more playing music with her band mates. No more bus rides. No more memories.

Her band director feels bad for her. He knows that Genevieve will only hurt someone if they really need to learn their lesson. But he can't have this kind of behavior in his band. Especially from his Flag Captain.

Genevieve walks past him, crying. She makes her way to the double doors that open to the band room.

She opens the door to see all of her band kids. The kids turn their heads at the sound of the fort opening. The band kids seeing that Genevieve is crying, they drop their conversations and run up to her. Asking what is wrong.

"I- you w-will k-know soon. I-I love y-you all s-so m-much."

Genevieve hugs them tight and says her goodbyes. She gets her stuff from the band room. Genevieve leaves her band kids confused.

She walks to the parking lot and pulls out her phone to call Christen but stops when she gets a text.

Christen 💛
Meet me at my house after practice. I have to tell you something. I love you.