Chapter Text
"Peter," I looked up. It was my music teacher, Mrs. Brown. "you're failing my class."
Yeah, I'm failing music class. How? Well, I know how to play an instrument but I don't even know which note is which. I just play by ear. And Mrs. Brown, who is a new teacher, wants us to read music sheets and all those things I can't do.
"Sorry... It's just difficult. How do you want me to learn that?" At first I thought that music was easy even if we had to learn to read it, but... There are a lot of strange symbols that I don't understand!
"I was thinking about tutoring" Tutoring? What does she mean by that? She's the one supposed to be teaching me... She's the one getting paid! "I'll mention it to your mother."
"My mom?" I don't really want her to know I'm failing something. What if she gets super mad? What if she kills me? Or even worse... What if she makes me quit soccer?? "Does she need to know?"
"Yes, she needs to know. She's your mother and you're still underage, I have to tell her almost everything." Ugh, let's just hope she doesn't take soccer away from me... "Now, let's see your homework."
Oh fuck, my homework. "Emmm... I lost them on the bus? Maybe?" I don't think she believed it, but, she continued asking everyone else. I could see her getting mad at other people who didn't do it, maybe she really believed me. Wow.
When she finished collecting everyone's homework she turned on her computer and connected it to the screen. "Today we're going to listen to another concert, this one's written by Kabalevsky. Does anyone know anything about him?" Everyone stayed silent and still. Well, everyone but one kid. "Yes Patrick?"
I turned around to see him. He probably just wanted to ask if he could go to the bathroom. How could anyone know who Katisky was? I looked next to him and noticed a little case. Too small to be a guitar case... Does he play the ukulele? "Kabalevsky was one of the greatest Russian composers from his time and he helped create the Union of Soviet Composers in Moscow. Most of his work was piano music, but, he also wrote for different instruments. For example, my favorite work from him, the concerto in C major for violin, which I hope is the one we're going to hear today."
What the fuck just happened. I'm actually confused. Did this kid really know all of that? Wow. Nerd alert! "Good job, thank you Patrick. And yes, that's the concert we're going to hear today." She turned off the lights, sat down and clicked play on the video.
As soon as it started my eyes started to close. It's not that boring as other shit we've heard before, but it's still not my thing. Before I fell completely asleep, I tried to see if Mrs. Brown was looking my way, but ended up looking at the guy named Patrick. He was doing some strange shit with his fingers and moving his other arm. I don't understand this kid, I don't understand music, I don't understand life either. The only thing I understand is that this stupid Kavinsky doesn't do good music, only boring shit.
- - -
"Pete. Pete... Peter!" What? What's going on? I looked up and saw Mrs. Brown. I have to say, that's not a good thing to wake up to. She may be a new teacher but, her face it's not that new. Not trying to be rude, it is what it is. "You’ve been sleeping all the hour..."
I knew what that meant. "Oh, sorry… I have detention, right?" She smiled and shook her head. "I don’t? But, I fell as-"
"I’ve let you sleep through detention. You seemed to really need it."
"I… Thank you so much Mrs. Brown! Is there anything I can do to pay you for this?"
"Mmm… Just do your homework next time and try to study for my class." Oh, so she didn’t believe me, fuck. But she didn’t seem angry, which is a good thing, right? "I know you can do it, you just need to try more. Also, you should hurry! Your tutor is probably starting to get mad as he’s waiting for you."
"He's what?! Where? Should I go to the library or is he in another classroom waiting?"
"Don’t worry, he’s waiting at your house. So, if you don’t want your mother to embarrass you, you should get going." I grabbed my things and went to the door quickly. "Wait! Grab this. You lost them on the bus, didn’t you?" She gave me some papers smiling.
"Oh, yeah… Thank you! Bye!"
I got outside the school and ran to the bus stop hoping that the next bus didn’t take long. When the bus arrived, I got in as quickly as possible, paid and sat in the back. Then I grabbed my headphones and put some music just so I could stop hearing the stupid baby that was next to me cry.