Chapter Five
Challenges, Courage and Caring
______________________________
Haezel O'Malley POV
________________
I printed my name neatly on the volunteer form, even though I was nearly trembling with nerves. Was this a smart idea, to join the dance group that would be choreographed by the guy who was resolved for me to be another notch on his bed post? I finished the last 'y' and looked at my name with determination. I would repel him from me to the best of my ability. I would NOT fall in love again.
Leah put her arm over my shoulder and pulled me along to our next class, Music.
"I can't believe we're doing this dance thing," she grumbled for the thousandth time. "And with that jerk-off too."
"It'll be fun," I said firmly, for the benefit of both of us. "And we'll improve our skills in the process."
"You keep saying that but I just can't believe it," she said dryly.
I laughed as we turned into the music centre, and then was immediately quiet. Standing in the middle of the room, which seemed to have hundreds of doors, was a seriously grumpy man. He glared at us when we walked in.
"You are?" he huffed.
"Um, I'm Leah Fox and this is Haezel O'Malley," said Fox before I had the chance to recover my tongue. This guy looked like he was about to bite our heads off.
He ran a finger down the paper he had in his hands. Behind us we heard someone else enter the room. I looked back and saw the haughty girl who'd been near-publicly dumped yesterday. I turned to the man again to see that he had his eyes on the girl behind me and it looked like he was almost smiling.
"Ah, Janelle. You can go straight to advanced vocal lessons."
Her heels tapped against the ground as she headed for one of the doors. Just before she entered she glanced back and, to my surprise, gave me a look of disgust. Fox snorted a little in amusement upon seeing the look and bumped me to get my attention. I turned to her and she rolled her eyes. I grinned.
"Ah, two first years, Haezel and Leah. What do you two specialise in?" The guy asked us impatiently, suddenly sullen once more.
"Erm, singing," Fox said hesitantly.
"And have you had lessons before?"
"Yeah. Quite a few."
He put the papers down onto the floor and picked up his suitcase, rifling through the sheets of paper inside.
"Can you sing this for me?" he said, shoving a sheet of music in her direction. She looked over it and then up at him.
"What, now?"
"No, at the Christmas play," he muttered sarcastically. "Yes, now!"
"Erm..." she glanced at the notes again. "I guess."
He raised an eyebrow, waiting.
She began, straight away her voice confident and smooth. I didn't know the tune, wasn't aware of what the different notes were, but the sound of her song made goosebumps rise on my skin and my heart to warm. Her voice was stunningly sensational. When she'd finished I was simply speechless.
"Well then," said Grump, he too seemed awed. "I'll place you in advanced. Just go through the door to the left that Janelle just entered."
"Say what? She's in the year above me." Leah looked as if the man had told her that the sky was actually pink.
"Yes. You weren't informed? Music is split into differing instruments and skill level. Year level has nothing to do with it."
Her face fell and she glanced to the door she would have to go through.
"This isn't going to be fun," she muttered under her breath before raising her chin, displaying confidence, and striding into the other room.
"And you? Do you have a specialty?" he asked me, his voice hopeful. Obviously he was expecting a friend of Fox's to be similarly talented. Boy, was he in for a disappointment.
"Erm, no. I have no specialty. I've always wanted to learn the drums though..."
He frowned and once again looked through his briefcase. "Can you read a sheet of music?"
"No."
"Music Instruction, Beginner!" He shut his briefcase with a snap. "First door here to your right," he pointed to the door.
I followed his directions and pushed open the door. Inside were three other students, none of which I recognised. There were two males and one female. She gave me a shy smile.
"Well hello," said one of the males. "I am liking the start to this new year already." He smirked at me, waiting for a response. I ran my eyes over him, long, slim build, ivory complexion and a lot of shaggy black hair that was spiked up in some places. His expression told me one thing; he believed himself to be a god. I looked him up and down again, to be sure that he knew I was studying him, and then snorted and looked away. Let's see how his ego handled that blow.
"Ah, playing hard to get, are we? No worries, I adore a challenge." He leaned back in his chair and kicked the seat next to him so it scraped backward. "If you're so unaffected then you won't mind taking this seat next to me." He grinned cockily.
I laughed out loud and wandered to the back of the room to take a seat next to the other girl.
"Hi, I'm Haezel." I said cheerfully.
She turned to me and gave me the same small smile. Her dark brown hair framed her face, making her seem even more timid.
"I'm Tori. That sucks for you," she said, nodding her head toward the guy who now had his feet up on the table, iPod in. he was totally unfazed that I had rejected him.
"Eh? Why is that?" Was the guy I'd ignored some kind of son of an important person and, by insulting him, I'd made a fearful enemy? My imagination was going a little bit too wild.
"That's Vance. He is the most competitive person I've ever known. He won't lose this challenge you've set up, it's impossible for him." Suddenly this meek little girl was the school gossip. I stared at her, amused.
"If he's so competitive, how'd he end up in this class? The beginner's beginner class for music."
She rolled her eyes. "He doesn't give a damn how well he goes in music. All he wants to do is act." She turned her gaze to the back of Vance's head. "I'll be honest. He's a pretty good actor."
I looked at him as well, unable to believe that the guy could act like a gallant gentleman. His demeanour would in no way fit his character. I was about to speak my doubts when a tall flustered woman came through the door.
"Oh, so sorry that I'm late. And for the first class too. I'm not giving a good example am I?"
Vance pulled out his headphones and pulled his feet down, leaning forward. "You know that we're not bothered by it, Ms. Rose. Don't worry yourself over it, it doesn't make you any less of a great teacher." I could imagine a sincere expression on his face. He did sound like he was being truthful, but the words didn't fit the guy I'd been introduced to when I'd walked in.
The teacher, Ms. Rose, blushed. "Thank you, Vance," she said, avoiding eye contact with him. Ugh, don't tell me, she had a crush on the creepy competitive womaniser.
"Right then. Let's begin."
** **
"That was the DULLEST lesson I've ever had," I moaned as I caught up with Fox after class. "I mean one and a half hours of learning different notes, ugh! I can't even remember them now!"
She patted my shoulder. "Once you start playing an instrument it gets easier to remember them. At least you didn't have to go through a class with that vain blonde, Janelle. I swear every person in that class was practically brainwashed by her. We didn't even learn anything! We just listened to every detail about her summer 'tutoring'."
I began to tell her about Vance when a body stepped between us and placed his arms over our shoulders, pulling both of us toward him.
"So it seems that you two couldn't stay away after all." Greg had a broad grin on his face, his blue eyes like sparkling sapphires.
Fox ducked under his arm and pushed herself away. I went to do the same but his arm squeezed me tighter.
"Let her go, you moron. We only joined your group because we wanted to get some extra dance practice," Leah jeered, rolling her eyes.
Greg turned to face her, still clutching me against him, oblivious to my attempts to push him away. This guy was seriously strong.
"Is that so, Foxy? Then why didn't you just sign up for a tutor?"
I muffled a giggle at his nickname. It did not suit her at all.
She scowled. "Mr. Paul practically forced me to sign up for your group. I wasn't going to bother showing up but Haezel reminded me that it would be a good way to improve. So we're sticking it. "
He spun his head back to me, leaning toward me with those perfectly shaped lips. I jerked my head away from him.
"Is it true? You wanted to join my class so you talked Foxy into it?"
Leah poked him sharply in the shoulder. "First off, quit calling me 'Foxy'. That name is disgusting. Secondly, let her go, you're virtually molesting her."
He turned to sneer at Fox but before he could speak I got in first.
"Actually, Fox, I can handle this one."
I grabbed his shoulders and brought my knee up, hard, in between his legs. He doubled over, wheezing. Leah let out a short burst of laughter.
"Oh man, you are brutal."
I grinned. "My dad taught me how to defend myself from perverts."
"I'll get you for this," Greg said when he'd finally recovered him breath.
"Oh sure. Do your worst, Gregory," I said sweetly before linking my arm with the still guffawing Leah. I felt like skipping to the cafeteria. Never before had I been so confident around a guy. I used to be so shy and compliant, doing and saying whatever they wanted. But then I'd been hurt. And I promised that I never would again.
_________________________________
Leah Fox POV
________________
"Are you serious? Right in the nuts? You are brutal." Matt seemed to be fighting between sympathy for Greg and amusement.
"That's what I said. It was the funniest thing I'd seen in years. He did not see it coming and had no idea what to do after." I laughed at the memory.
Haezel had her head down, looking at her tray of food. But I could still see traces of a blush.
"Now that I think about it maybe I'd been a little over the top," she mumbled. "I mean, kneeing a guy in the balls? How cliché. I should have just stepped on his foot or something."
Matt put his arm over her shoulder. "As much as the thought of such pain makes me shudder, I think you probably did the best thing when it comes to repelling that egotistical macho-man. He probably likes his women unconfident and submissive."
"I really hope so," she said, pushing her salad around with her fork. "Because it's getting hard to pretend that I'm not attracted to him."
"Eh?" I was taken aback. "Whoa! You actually like him?"
She blushed again. "Well, you know... he is cute, and those eyes are just so hypnotising."
Matt slapped his hand to his forehead. "Oh boy."
"What? He is hot! If he wasn't than he wouldn't be so popular. And, it's just... every time he looks at me I kind of forget that he's probably looked at plenty of other girls that way."
My jaw dropped. "I don't think we can go to those choreographed dance groups after all. You're totally falling for him."
Her head shot up and suddenly she exuded a cool and calm aura. "I am not. I'll prove it to you. I will not fall for Greg Shannon."
I had to admit, her determination impressed me and I believed her. She said it in such a way that made me think that falling for Greg was a joke. I smiled. Maybe I didn't need to protect my friend after all.
** **
After lunch was my modern hip-hop; technique and fitness lesson. As Matt had told me earlier, the lesson was spent participating in fitness tests. To my surprise I didn't do too badly. I was either average or just above the average of my classmates. Considering that my only exercise in the past few years had been riding my bike to and from school, I hadn't expected to do well at all. After the lesson, even though my already sore muscles were now throbbing, I felt happy. If I worked hard enough, I may not be shockingly bad at dance in the end.
I headed to my locker to pick some of my books for homework, feeling floaty with my new realisation. The halls were empty; everyone must have rushed back to the dorms. I looked at the already messy space inside my locker in frustration. I pulled out my books from beneath a pile of music sheets, holding them inside while I shut the locker door. Thankfully nothing fell out.
A hand slammed onto the locker next to me. I jumped in fright and spun around to find Blake looming over me.
"What the hell? I heard that you encouraged that Hazelnut girl to kick my mate in the balls. What is your problem?!"
His stormy grey eyes seemed to be drilling holes into my skull, plucking out secrets. I quickly ducked under his arm and created a larger distance between us.
"Dude! Just because my friend deflated your buddy's ego he actually went whining to you?"
His hands clenched. "I didn't hear it from him. Gossip travels fast in this place. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?"
I narrowed my eyes and blew my hair out of my eyes. "What she did was her own choice. And I damn well admire her for it. And if you think that this gives you the right to harass me or Haezel, you've got problems of your own. She had a right to do what she did. Your friend is an annoying sleaze."
"My FRIEND is in LOVE!" Immediately after his outburst he blew out a breath and swore. "Geez, something about you makes me so fired up. I shouldn't have said anything."
I was still stunned by his revelation. "In love? What kind of joke is that? Is that what you guys call lust?"
He pushed his black hair back off his face with his hand, staring down the hall. "It's a Greg thing. And he's totally sincere. Look, I'm sorry I confronted you. I guess I overreacted a bit. The thing is..." He pinned his eyes on me again. "I don't want him to get hurt."