He was completely exhausted and the memories of his nightmare was still fresh as snow in his mind. He didn't have that dream for a while and he hated how it triggered even more awful memories. It was too late to head to the school now since it was almost over, so he figured he would just lay in bed while he waited for Eren to arrive.
His heart was beating as fast as lightning and hard as a drum as he pulled at his black, silky hair as an attempt to get rid of the terrible dream. He was an adult now and he couldn't believe how he could still remember his childhood. He couldn't really forgive himself because music is what caused him all that terrifying pain and traumatic experiences, yet he continued to play because he wanted her to be proud.
It disgusted him, really, how he couldn't even admit that horrible women shared the same blood as him. He really did hate her, but then again she was also the person who introduced such a beauitful creation into his life and he could still remember that day. There were beads of sweat pooling on his forehead as he combed a hand through his hair.
The sunlight was bleeding through the thin window curtains and had a very faint glow but the male squinted anyways, letting his face soak up the afternoon sun. It was terribly hot and he was forever grateful that he had decided to sleep half naked. He didn't want to get up that day at all and for once, all he wanted to do at that moment was to avoid music.
---
A month later...
Eren couldn't really understand why his classmates always got so nervous when the time for a concert arrived, but then again he used to have that feeling as well. Concert band was so great because there was never a moment when the crowd would only look at one person, they would stare at them all as if they were one big entity.
Back in grade eight he would always tell himself that and without fail, he would calm down and relax and play just fine. However, it was much different when he was in competitions because he was the only one on stage and all eyes would be focused on him and him only and it was truly a horrifying experience, but he learned to get used to it.
Concert bands were always a treat because if he was going to suffer, he got to suffer with everyone else and it was one of his many guilty pleasures. It was a Friday night and it was almost evening and all of the band kids were waiting in the music room, dressed in formal band attire. It was nothing much or anything special, but it did make them a little more sharper looking.
Mr. Rutlee just ordered them all to wear black pants (or skirts for the girls) and a white button up or a shirt with long sleeves. It was simple looking but they looked like a team.
The gym was right beside the music room and everyone could clearly hear all the small chatter of the parents who were attending which made the atmosphere feel even more nerve-racking than it already was. Some of the students even looked like they were going to cry which included Armin.
He played the clarinet and there was this one song that only had the clarinet section play, and Eren couldn't blame him for feeling so scared. If he were to make a mistake like a squeak or wrong note, it would most likely be heard by everyone in the gym. They've been doing this since grade eight but for some reason, there was always this deep and dense feeling in the pit of every player's stomachs that would never go away once they walked on stage.
Eren was leaning against the wall with his alto saxophone around his neck as he waited for Mr. Rutlee to arrive and announce when they were going to perform. Levi was just across the room and looking at a few music sheets. Eren hasn't visited him for a while because Levi would rarely answered his phone anymore which angered Eren. They only had about two months left and they still didn't do a lot of practice.
Eren was just about to walk over to him and demand for answers, but right at that moment was when the music instructor finally entered the room and everyone fell silent when he raised his hand.
"Alright, kids, the eleventh graders are done performing and you know what that means. Everyone bring an extra reed with you if you're a wood-wind and extra sticks for the drummers," he told everyone with a smile. "Okay let's get this show on the road."
Everyone followed him out the door in a single file line with their feet shuffling against the sneaker stained hallway as Levi strolled beside Mr. Rutlee. He was in a white dress shirt that was unbuttoned a bit to reveal a small area of his collarbones and was also wearing black dress pants and shoes. The girls were repeatedly ogling at him and whispering whenever they thought he wasn't listening but Eren knowing a bit about Levi, he knew he could definitely hear them.
His hair was slicked back which looked pretty good with his undercut. Eren didn't really do anything special to his hair so compared to Levi, he didn't look very desirable but then, it wasn't like he cared or anything.
The gym was decorated with lanterns that resembled the ones the Chinese would use and the walls were plastered music note stickers that the students had bought without the teacher's consent, but he later on agreed to stick them around the place since they were pretty great stickers. They didn't even start playing yet but even so, a few parents were already taking photos and waving over to their kids. The players took their assigned seats and sat in resting position as Mr. Rutlee walked to a small stage in front of them all. Levi was standing beside him, inspecting everyone and accidentally meeting Eren's eyes when their gazes crossed each other.
It was senior year so the band was not as big as it was in grade eight because of course there were going to be lot of people who decided to quit. They started off with almost a hundred students a few years back and now it was only around twenty to thirty. Mr. Rutlee didn't mind though because he would always say how they needed to get rid of the cancer cells to be good. It was rather blunt but the more Eren thought of it, the more it made sense because the students remaining now were the only ones who were actually motivated and dedicated.
The music instructor had a microphone in his hand and spoke into it while pushing up his glasses as a smile played on his face. "Hello, ladies and gentlemen or possibly even more than that. Welcome to our senior show. I'm sure you enjoyed the other grades but..." he trailed off and had a deadpanned look in his eyes as he stared at the crowd, "we're about to blow your mind."
Eren rolled his eyes as he licked at his reed. He said that almost every time they had a performance but really, it never got old. The students were chattering quietly but were silenced abruptly when the teacher raised his hand with what they called 'the magic wand'. They were now in playing position and Eren could have sworn that he heard everyone inhale before Mr. Rutlee violently dipped his hand in the air and started waving like mad.
They were playing the annoying song from that Disney movie the kids wouldn't shut the fuck about. Eren didn't watch it because he's heard too much of 'Let it go' to even have a small clue of what the movie was about. The intro was fairly fast and the clarinets were starting it and from Armin's past conversations with Eren, he knew that it took a lot of air and left him exhausted after the bars were finished. To anyone, Mr. Rutlee probably looked as if he were trying to hit a fly with the conducting stick, but for the teens in front of him, it was like a lantern in the dark; they used it to guide themselves through hard situations.
Eren didn't only hate the song because he found the original version boring, but he was saxophone and they were only doing the background parts for this piece. It didn't take a lot of effort, really, and he freshmen musicians could have probably been able to play it as well.
The crowd was silent as some proud parents took videos and photos with their camera or phone. The sound of music was swirling in the air and the students' feet tapped along to the intense beat. They didn't practice this song too much since it was at ninth grade level but Mr. Rutlee thought it would be a great idea sine there was a lot of kids coming out to see the show that night and he was indeed correct. There were many kids due to the fact that his classmates had younger siblings.
He was literally rolling his eyes while playing the song and almost sighed with relief when it finally ended. They were going to play Reflection from his favourite Disney movie Mulan and he honestly loved the song because the flutes sound fucking majestic. The saxophones still had to play background music, but they were easier to hear in this piece.
It was a rather slow song but he enjoyed playing it because it was simply just a breath taking and beautiful Disney song. Levi was going to be conducting this one and he found it absolutely distracting since he was currently holding a grudge against the prodigy for not returning his phone calls. He looked calm and collected as he stepped onto the small stage and raised the conducing stick. Eren was rather impressed because he didn't often meet people who were talented with music and was also able to conduct.
Levi Ackerman was like a god. He was smart, good looking and made any girl squeal whenever they looked at him as if he used some kind of dark magic and Eren could see on the corner of his eyes that this one girl playing a tenor saxophone couldn't sit still.
He had to admit that the song was pretty complicated because of all the dynamics but it was really exciting. The room was filled with the loud music but even so, he was able to hear one sound that was out of place and he felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
There was a few flutes playing one beat faster and Levi was obviously trying to fix the problem by glaring at them and making very big and steady hand movements and was able to return them to the regular beat in under ten seconds. Eren sighed internally and felt forever grateful that the crowd didn't notice at all.
They finished the song and the rest of the soundtracks and to Eren it seemed to only take a few minutes when it really was just around thirty minutes.
It upset him how they would spend months practicing and to only finally perform it for less than an hour but strangely enough, it felt satisfying to know that this is what their hard work had brought them all there in front of people who were willing to listen.
The crowd clapped and some of them even got up as they took even more photos and the only one who wasn't smiling was the famous Mr. Ackerman. They stood up calmly and bowed when Mr. Rutlee gestured them too and sat back down as he walked on the small stage to say a few words.
"We couldn't have been able to perform the way we do without the great Levi Ackerman to whom we own our thanks. We're all glad for you all coming out tonight to see my students and for that I thank you too. Most importantly, give another round of applause for my wonderful senior students!"
Everyone clapped once more, but even louder this time. Eren smiled as he spotted Mikasa and his mother in the crowd taking photos. They were soon escorted to the music room once more and friends and family slowing started to file out of the gym impatiently.
Levi looked outraged the minute he stepped foot into the classroom and immediately began to talk. His hands were in fists and his hair was a mess but even so, it still made the girls drool over him.
"Why the hell did the flute section screw up?" he demanded as he paced the room. "We've practiced the same stupid bar at least a hundred times and I have no idea why you guys were not able to play it correctly when in front of everyone."
"It was a simple mistake and it's not like anyone noticed anyways," Eren blurted out as he began to put away his alto saxophone in its case. "I think the flutes did a fantastic job."
"You have no idea how half assed that just sounded, Jaeger," he snapped s everyone single student's eyes widened with terror and surprise.
"I'm just saying. It was only one mistake."
"You're a music prodigy so you should act like one," the older male growled. "I don't care of they didn't notice because they aren't like us, they have no idea how music works but to us and me including, we just failed after months of practice. All I want is perfection so why is that so hard to ask for?"
Eren glared at him and slowly got up as Armin came running to him, trying to pull him back and frantically whispering to him. "Eren, Eren, Eren, please don't try to pick a fight."
"Oh I do act like a music prodigy. I just don't want to act like a spoiled and stubborn one like yourself," he told him.
"What the hell did you just tell me?"
"I don't have to repeat myself for I know you heard me. You've failed before so maybe that's the reason you want us to play flawlessly. You want to achieve the perfection you were never able to receive yourself, am I correct, sir?"
The whole room started to erupt with gasps and hushed whispers. They were lucky Mr. Rutlee wasn't there at the time because he would have probably scolded the both of them until the day they died.
Levi's eye twitched and his hands were held in tight, sturdy fists as he grit his teeth. "Don't you dare speak to me that way."
"I'm a prodigy, you're a prodigy so technically I have no superior which means I can talk to you however the hell I want. You seriously need to calm down and get off your damned high horse-"
Eren felt his neck jerk to the side as a sharp and swift force slapped him across the face and he stood there stunned, trying to figure out what had just happened. The room went silent as he covered the now red spot on his face. Everyone started to back up a little in fear.
"You're really fucking obnoxious," Levi hissed. "How can people even tolerate you? Also, if I don't answer my damn phone you don't have to spam my answering machines with stupid questions."
Eren didn't say anything as he felt his legs tremble a little. He was looking down on the floor as he heard Levi walk past him.
"Out of all people in that competition, why did I happen to get stuck with you?"
He heard a door slam and his first instinct was to chase after him. He refused to look weak after he just yelled and slapped him in front of the entire class. He pushed the door open and ran as he heard the voices of his classmates shouting after him. It was dark inside but thankfully he managed to spot Levi's white shirt s he ran up to him and jabbed him the nape of his neck with his thumb. He was panting from running so fast and his face was flushed.
"You're stuck with me because no one can beat me," he choked out as he tried to catch his breath and steady his heartbeat. "I won't lose to you, Mr. Ackerman."
AN:
this was such a pain to write since the first copy of chp 9 was deleted...
ah i ended up writing 700 more words to make it up for the lack of updates i guess
anyways if you enjoyed dont forget to vote and comment! your support means a lot to me c:
~Your Friend Takeshi