STATIC (LGBT)

Chapter 15

“Figured it out yet?” She asked me.

I gulped as I pushed my glasses up my nose and looked to the side trying to avoid her eyes. “No.”

“You will.” She said confidently.

I rolled my eyes at her. This was the thing: I now know why she’s put them both side by side in this liking thing, but I’m really not eager to compare them. Because what did that mean? If I did figure it out then what? I didn’t wish to be one of those melodramatic girls trying to figure out what to do with their love problems which sum up what their life is about. No. That isn’t what I want to do. All I want is to concentrate on what I have to do against my will and try not to feel too put off by it. At least it was about music right now.

“Ah.” Jessica said as we were going to part ways to our seats. “Happy Birthday by the way.”

My eyes went wide in surprise. “How did you know?”

She pointed at Zoë and then at her phone. Jessica winked again and left me there while she raised her hands to her hair and tied a messy ponytail. I glanced at Zoë who was heading to sit at a place with 2 empty chairs where next to one was Craig…. Guessing by the position, the other chair was for me.

How did she know it was my birthday? I don’t remember me mentioning it to her at all…

“Sit here.” Craig said in a loud whisper from the circle of 41 people.

So let me explain… when I was up there looking at all of the musicians I realized how not all of the common instruments were here. I meant, there are several in a 100 member orchestra but a chamber orchestra is way smaller. From what I counted, there is: 1 piccolo, 2 flutes (1 being Heather), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 1 bassoon, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets (me and Craig), 2 trombones, 1 bass trombone, 1 tuba, 10 violins (which in my opinion is a really low number), 4 violas, 4 violoncellos, 2 double basses and 2 more people for the percussion part. A lot of people with the basic instruments but a really short amount of people to actually perform orchestral music… that was what I was wondering at first. Why only do a chamber orchestra, usually for chamber music, for orchestral music?

When I sat down, trying to avoid the stares of all the other musicians Zoë started. “As you can see in the group here, there is only the most basic of instruments.”

Everyone looked around at each other and some nodded. Exactly what I had noticed at first probably they noticed as well.

“And the point here is to perform orchestral music for the first show.” Zoë said raising her hands in a ways that showed me she was rather excited about this. “But that is the basis of this creativity concept to… well, break the shell of this girl here next to me. Something you already know.”

Ugh… this was to be expected wasn’t it? A reference to me.I could even feel my body tense up at the extra attention I was getting at the moment.

“Yet the first performance we’re not having any solos or duets or any sonatas or anything.” Zoë said with vivid hand gestures to get the attention back to her. “We’re just getting to know the group. So, introductions. I’m Zoë, your conductor. That girl over there with curly hair, know as Chris Walter’s sister, Jessica is the concert master also leader of the strings and much of the rest of the orchestra.”

“Hey.” Jessica said grinning mindlessly and waving.

“ Over there is Matt. Even though he’s a cellist he’s basically the one who’s also doing the visual arrangements for the performances.” Zoë said pointing at Matt who was sitting next to his girlfriend, and when he waved Zoë  pointed next to the grey-green eyed girl sitting opposite to us. “Heather Adlington there is in summary the coordinator for the wind instruments.”