Bluebird

Chapter 13

"Jealousy Turning saints into the sea Turning through sick lullabies Choking on your alibis But it's just the price I pay Destiny is calling me Open up my eager eyes 'Cause I'm Mr. Brightside"- Mr. Brightside, The Killers

"One last announcement concerning the arts department of the school," her headmaster's nasal voice drawled and Clara straightened her spine as she had sat slumped in the chair during this wednesday's assembly. 

She fixed her eyes to the front to watch the bald-haired, middle-aged principle in the brown, tweed suit and the lazy eye continue talking without sparing a glance at his audience: "As you are all aware we do not offer a music course at this school. However Mr. Carlton..." he gestured behind him where the teachers were sitting in two long chair rows to a younger, brown-haired man whom Clara had occasionally passed by in the hallways but who hadn't taught her as he taught Advanced Mathematics to sixth form. Her principal continued giving the man an acknowledging nod: "...has suggested offering a music course for Fifth and Sixth Form which he would be leading." 

She heard Stevie chuckle beside her and she knew that her eyes had literally lit up at the announcement that she would have the chance to take music as a school subject again. She had always adored it back in her school at Cambridge with the content of the class fascinating her and the teacher being her favourite. 

"Fifth and Sixth Formers will have the chance to switch from visual arts class to music during the second semester. If you are interested in doing so please fill out a form and hand it to your attendance teacher by the 30th of November. That would be all. Thank you," her principal finalized and with a gesture of his hand he dismissed the school while turning his back to the rising student body. 

Clara and Stevie left with the mass of students that streamed out of the aula. All the while Clara asked herself why she felt any misgivings about switching classes. She despised visual arts. She hadn't gone to visual arts for five weeks ever since that afternoon when that high-pitched voice had prevented her from going to him. 

And her visual arts grade was the lowest she had. 

There were a lot of advantages to switching to music: she was passionate about music, she didn't like visual arts, she wasn't good at it, she wouldn't see him anymore. 

And the last one was exactly the reason why she was hesitant to leave the class. 

If she left art, she would only have him as her attendance teacher and that only until the summer break as in Sixth form, Mr. Carlton would take over the post. 

She was so torn- she hadn't ever been so torn in her entire life. She knew that she should not see him, that she should maintain their contact as minimal as possible. Because it was like poking a sleeping tiger with a stick that kept getting shorter and shorter. To take any measures to distance herself from him would be the sensible thing to do. 

But- christ- she didn't want to be sensible with him. She... she liked him. She fancied him. She wanted to get to know him better.  

"So are you switching," her friend asked her as they sat down and waited for Mrs. Glosta to begin the class by asking them to open 'Sense and Sensibility' to page-so-and-so. 

She looked towards him and gave a curt nod in an unpredictable surge of determination.

---

She handed in her signed form to switch classes next monday. 

Her mother had enthusiastically signed and given her permission for Clara to attend the course led by Mr. Carlton- finally, they are being a proper school and offering music- and any hesitance Clara might have still had, had been effectively obliterated because she knew her mother would... expect... her to do music.