Cassandra stood in the middle of the empty classroom. School had been over for an hour now. The first day had been hectic, difficult to manage.
Now was the time he truly loved.
Now, he got to stand alone in this glorious room, with its towering windows and beautiful acoustics, and play for no one but himself.
Moving with immeasurable grace, he lifted the violin, tucking it beneath his chin. He set the bow delicately against the strings, drawing them across. The low, luminous note which sang from the instrument filled the great space around him with shocking ease.
And then he was playing, complex, dancing tunes flickering from his fingers and bow-hand without a conscious thought. It was instinctive, now. He had seen the music. He had played it before. His fingers had memorized their dance.
He was only glad that no one was there to hear it. He was not one to perform.

James smiled and thanked the young staff worker as he walked by her and into one of the larger practice rooms. It probably wasn't all that necessary to get a bigger one, but he wasn't feeling a little claustrophobic today. And that lovely blond counselor back there seemed more than happy to abide by his wishes, so it wasn't like he was doing anything bad. Actually, all of the larger practice rooms, including this one, had been signed out already, but James had convinced the woman to cross off one of the names and put his own on it for this time. Sure, he sort of felt bad for the person who was missing out, but you snooze, you lose.

He looked around at the array of instruments before walking up to the microphone and plugging it in. He smiled calmly as he shuffled through his backpack on the ground for the lyrics he'd written earlier that day when he was supposed to be doing classwork. "Where are they...," he mumbled.

From outside the oak door, students passing by could hear the same thing: Jason and his guitar. Jason was known to spend whatever time he didn't dedicate to class in his dorm, jamming on his custom designed guitar...exceptionally loud too. Having no parents, no girlfriend, and only his sister, Jason has become quite withdrawn since joining the Saint Belle Academy of Music. Scattered around the floor is numerous scrunches of paper with scribbled lines on them. "Ah come on, class time already?" Jason replied, looking at the time and placing his guitar on the bed, and finally leaving his dorm out the door. A few seconds later, he rushed back in and grabbed his black and blue bookbag. "Always forget this thing...." he muttered as he began to stumble towards his class. Finally reaching the classroom, nobody was there. "Oh, forgot it was Saturday...." he sighed, heading back to the dorm. As he looked back into the classroom, he walked back a bit as his eyes caught a girl standing in the empty classroom. For what reason she was there, he had no idea. The least he could do is introduce himself.

Melody was walking through the hallways, making her way past all the different rooms. Some were full of voices, others complex music arrangements, and others, silence. It seemed wrong to have some parts of the academy void of beautiful music, of voices that reminded people of angels. Sighing, Mel hurried on, excited to get to the practice room. She had booked it earlier, so she could play piano in peace.

The staff worker, a pretty blond, muttered something about a mix up of schedules, but Melody ignored her. Walking past the woman, she opened the door. Inside was a guy shuffling through a bag. Upon entering, he directed his gaze toward Melody. She faltered; she had booked it for this time, right? Running through her memory, Mel was sure she had.

Her shy personality instantly took hold of her. Why was someone here? She wasn't one for people. "Uh, I'm sorry." She muttered, studying the floor. "It's just, I thought I had booked this room."

Cassandra's long, lean body flowed with the music, twisting with each stroke of the bow, drawing the music out of the instrument as though bringing the violin to life. The sound echoed off of the walls, filling the room around him. The most beautiful sound, some might think, which could be pulled from a violin.
Cassandra didn't hear it, however. He felt it. Felt the well-tuned vibrations in his hands and neck, his chin and collar-bone, wherever the violin touched him.

I miss you, Amy...

Ivy was feeling the studded bracelet. It was pink and flowery with hearts and the like. This s the only thing that she wears which is not black. It's comforting feel on her fingers calmed her, it helped her manage. She knew she loved Amy, but she didn't know what kind, and th answer was all muddled up and confused and mixed up with the pressure of everything that had been her life back then. Ever since leaving her, ever since having her heart broken and shattered, she had taken to haunting the halls of Saint Belle.

Grasping her harp under one arm, and wondering why someone her size (Five feet even. The thought of being so short was unfuriating.) could even carry it, but she could carry the weight. The black, elegant D shaped instrument oozed class and mystery, just by looking at it. It's magnificent curves, the rises and falls of the steel plating on the wood, the delicacy of the strings, it was just the perfect image of sorrow. Ivy smirked a little at that, to herself. She eyed lazily at her silver flute, feeling a strange indifference with it.

She then positioned herself, the harp at her side, with one arm over the top slant of wood, and her left arm began to pluck the strings. She thought it was rather beautiful, and resented the way she could pla the flute with much more talent, the harp symbolized who she was.

Dear mom and dad,

School is going great. I can't wait for you guys to come back from tour I have so much to tell you.
I miss traveling on the bus with all of you. I haven't made any new friends yet and I make sure to scare the crap outta all the guys... though I have found a few cute ones but that's beside the point. I love the New CD: Danger days: the true lives of the fabulous killjoys, it rocks I plan on doing sing for the upcoming talent show.

well I gotta run, lots of love.

Bandit </3

she folded the letter and stuck it in the envelope before licking and sealing it.

she really did miss her family but she wouldn't let it show outside of the apartment.

Yes while her parents were on tour she stayed in their condo.

"Well its time for me to go" she grabbed her black ultra high top converse and zipped them up the back before grabbing her electric guitar and her back pack and walking out the door letting the security system activate.

----------------------------

She set foot on campus and immediately pulled out her schedule "Crap, I have Music history first hour, how lame." she said walking through the classroom door of room 221 and found a seat to the left by a window.

this class was going to suck.

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(I can play the teacher for this class if anyone else wants to join in on this post.)

James' attention was immediately directed back up towards the door from his bag just as he found the papers he'd been searching for. He expected it be that blond staff member, but was surprised to see a different blond girl instead, one actually his age. He figured she was probably one of the other students here. He was new, as he supposed was everyone else, so he hadn't actually managed to meet anyone as of yet. Well, hello, hello, he smirked to himself as he stood and placed the lyrics on the stand before turning his full attention on the girl.

"Hello!" he boomed brightly. "So you were the one who booked this room, huh? I'm sorry for the mix up, but it appears the staff got so hectic they messed up our schedules. But I don't mind if you don't." His grin widened and he winked. "Maybe you could help me out perfectly. What do you say? What can you do?"

(Who is the blonde girl James is talking to?)

(He's talking to my character, Melody.)

Melody looked up just in time to see him grin and wink. She instantly looked back down. Why was he here? She had been hoping for a quiet room with no one else. Just herself and the piano. However, she didn't want to say no. What if he got mad? Why are you so worried about everyone else? Stupid shyness. Melody mentally scolded herself. "I play piano." She muttered, absently twirling a strand of her hair. She always did that when she was nervous.

After playing a few chords, Ivy decided that her fingers hurt. She sighed, a hopeless sound of homesickness and emptiness as she scrounged through her purse for her schedule. In the dark corner of the auditorium, the girl loved it there. Free from most other people, usually the other students didn't come in here during their free time. It was nice and dark, and Ivy could easily sit alone and relive the memories of her old life. She hated it here. But only for one reason- the Academy lacked Amy. Ivy figured that she was obsessed, and hoped Amy didn't realize. The worst thing that could happen is that, when Ivy returned home, Amy wouldn't be waiting for her. That Amy would have moved on.

Music History? Really?

She walked slowly in the direction of the class, hoping that there as no one she recognized in the same class as her. Her hours of meserizing was quickly hidden away from the outside world, as Ivy returned to her stoic but dangerously closed off face, determined to stay isolated from the rest of the students. Determined to stay true to Amy. Dressed in a black leather jacket, obscure band t-shirt, ripped jean shorts and fishnet leggings, no one would ever think this girl showed weakness.

Some girl in a leather coat walked into the music history room and Bandit just gave a glance and tuned her attention back to the class.

"“Vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm.

These are all accurate definitions. But where did music come from? When and where did it begin?

If you think of music as communication, perhaps it started with all creatures, including humans, communicating. To this day, we hear birds communicating with distinct melodies and tones and consider it music. Even today we refer to music as the “universal language.”

In ancient Israel a thousand years before Christ, King David composed and sang hundreds of songs called psalms. A few of them are cataloged in the old testament in the book of Psalms."

Bandit raised her hand as Mr. Garbow pointed to her "Yes miss.." he looked at his list "Way"

"music as we know it now, as having structure and form, may have begun in the 10th century with the Gregorian chants. These chants were organized and detailed with soloists and small groups singing distinctive parts. This lead to the need to notate and write down particular tones and passages.

Common rhythm notation began around the year 1200 and soon after, troubadours singing “folk” music starting to appear in parts of Europe. In the 14th century, sacred music (church music and hymns) was quite common but secular music had begun to take hold as well. During the renaissance, around the year 1500, one of the most significant events occurred—the birth of the composer. The appearance of composers, of course, spawned instrumental music and the creation of the instruments such as the piano and lute.

1750 to 1820 is considered the Classical period with the piano being a composer’s instrument of choice. During this time, Mozart wrote his first symphony, Bach performed in London, and Beethoven was born. Many of the symphonies we enjoy today were written during this time.

By 1900, Scott Joplin had composed and published the “Maple Leaf Rag,” an event many see as the beginnings of the music we know today as popular music. Strauss and Stravinsky were active during the early 1900s, but with regard to popular music, a ground breaking performance occurred in New York in 1924, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” This was hailed by many as the first truly American composition ,most compositions at that time were still derived from European forms. Not only was Gershwin a fine composer, but he and his brother, Ira, helped usher in the Broadway musical with “Porgy and Bess” being their most well-known.

Soon after, new musical forms were taking hold. Jazz in the 1930s, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, big band music in the 1940s such as Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, and rock-and-roll singers Elvis Presley and Chuck Barry in the 1950s. Other countries, most notably France and Spain, were creating their own popular music during this time ,although their music were not as vibrant and as influential as the music happening in the United States."

Bandit finished and the teacher applauded "What I would expect from a child born into a musically talented family."

Jason snuck up behind the girl, and whispered "Hello", awaiting for a response. He had no idea of the shock he was about to witness.

Cassandra swung around, his features ice-cold. For all the world, he looked exactly like a girl. He moved like a girl. His features and expression were like a girl.
He would have to speak before Jason would realize that he was not.
But he was not one for speaking without a reason. He tipped his head, questioning. Immediately, he stopped playing his violin.
He did not want an audience.
He never did.

"That was nice playing" Jason explained, trying to put out a compliment to the lonely student. He then proceeded to grab a chair from the back, then place it on the stage and sit down. It was clear that Jason was kind of lazy.

Cassandra's eyebrow quirked upwards. Without a word, he turned and knelt in front of his case, loosening his bow and tucking it into its place. He had no intention of playing a single note, anywhere where someone else could hear him.
He was going to have to find a new place to practice, now that this one had been discovered.

Jason wasn't sure what the deal was. For some reason, he....well, Jason could tell as Cassandra turned that he wasn't a girl. "Wait, your leaving? I can always leave if you want some alone time...." Jason explained.

Cassandra's eyes were perfectly calm as they settled on Jason.
"I do not need to practice," He spoke in a velvety voice, only barely too low to be a girl's, "You may have the room."
He closed the violin case with a resounding snap, flipping the clips shut.

"Ok, if you say so...." he stated as he walked backstage and walked back, his fire-decalled electric guitar hanging on his shoulder, his amp in the other hand. Immediately he began to set up, not paying attention to Cassandra as he headed out of the room.

Cassandra paused as he left the room, turning slightly. His violin bumped lightly against his leg.
"Are you new here?" He asked quietly, "I haven't seen you around."
Of course, that wasn't a surprise. Cassandra didn't have any friends in school. He didn't pay attention to the people in his class. The truest of musicians, he only cared for his violin.
Or, that was what most people thought of him.

"Yeah, I joined here when my parents died in a car crash. My sister was already attending here, so I figured I'd join too to keep us together as a family" Jason stated while tuning his guitar. He wasn't used to being this open with someone, but something about him reminded him of himself.

Cassandra blinked slowly, violet eyes calm.
"I see." He murmured, pushing back a strand of his thick, dark hair, "I'm sorry to hear that."
He sounded like he knew how it felt, to lose a family member.

James' eyes lit up. "Piano, huh? You might just be the girl I'm lookin' for," he said. Shy, he noted mentally. I can work with that. He sauntered over and carefully laid a light hand on her back to lead her with him over towards the small make-shift stage. Behind it, there was a baby grand. "Would you be willing to help me out a bit? I promise you can have the room to yourself as soon as I'm done with this one song. I just haven't been able to practice it since writing it. Pleease?" He gave her his usually irresistible puppy eyes and hopeful grin. He was being honest, really. Plus, he sort of felt bad for taking over this room from this pretty girl. Speaking of... "Hey, what's your name? I'm James," he asked as he bent down and pulled out a couple sheets of piano music from his bag that accompanied his lyrics. He was good at composing these things together, as he could easily read piano music, but something James never found himself catch the hang of was piano. He was more a mallet guy concerning that stuff. He just didn't have the 'pianist fingers,' as he called it. He stood again and handed her the music. "Think you can do it?"

Ivy walked into the room, where a teacher was droning on about the history of music. She groaned internally, but she kept a poker face intact as she sat in the far corner to the back. A girl had looked over briefly, but Ivy refused to acknowledge her. A self proclaimed genius, Ivy didn’t feel the need to listen, so she pulled out a book from her packsack without looking, and began to read.

Analysis of Dream Interpretation.

As she pulled open to where her bookmark was, the sound of the teacher began to drown under the sound of her own voice in her head, reciting the words on the page. She faintly heard one of the other students ask a question but she didn’t exactly hear it. Ivy just didn’t care enough.

‘Miss Way’ started her own spiel now, and Ivy smirked in the middle of turning a page. Most students are rather… given bleak intelligence, something Ivy prided on not having.

So, I suppose my dream last night meant that I’m slowly changing into someone who I never wanted to be. It was like a warning? Also… I think the dream’s trying to tell me to look out for alterations in me, because it might ruin the one thing that matters most.

She stared into blankness for a moment, then blocked out her emotions. She mentally envisioned a wall, a wall rising up around her brain and her heart to shut out all the badness that could creep in. And it worked.

That’s you, Amy. You’re still waiting for me, right?

She shook her head dismissively, her bangs now covering one of her eyes. She brushed it out impatiently.

But every interpretation can be questioned, right? Because, like, we’re only human. Most of the dream passes through our sub consciousness so fast that we can’t even pick up on it. We won’t remember most of it. So there’s always some crucial details that will be left out in the interpretation. So…. I can’t really trust the book at all, can I?

Ivy snapped the book shut, and then listened to the girl speaking, reciting the history of music in general, and Ivy scowled; this girl knew what she was talking about. Not a stupid one this time. Whoever she was, the girl speaking knew the facts in general.

She stood up abruptly, challenging the girl, almost daring her to contradict her.

“The Greek Chorus, Miss Way.” She sneered, putting emphasis on the ‘Miss Way’. “Look it up.”

Melody jumped just a little as he placed a hand on her back. Though she was constantly around people, she rarely communicated with them. She always found herself worried of what to say and how to act. Also, the thought of getting close to someone - romantically or as a friend - frightened her. "I'm Melody." She said in response to his question. He handed her the sheets of music, which she looked over. "Sure, I can do this." Mel said, a little more confident and comfortable since she was in her element.