Sta.sh
Fox 011: Speechless Fox
by ~LadyQuindecim[AN: This is the eleventh in the Fox Tale series. Please read them in order, thanks.]
[Creative property of Lady Quindecim]
Part Eleven: Speechless Fox:
After band I was talking with Drummer Brad and Keith, one of the quad players, about the next week's routine when I would be out on the field rather than on the side lines. Cody came up, smiling at me, then Keith and Brad. He was such a friendly boy.
"Hey, Keith," Cody greeted the tall, lean and dark sophomore.
Ginger walked up along side me in the interruption of Cody's greeting to Keith, "Word of your performance is spreading."
"My what?" I asked, confused.
She continued. "Well, we couldn't hear you in the band hall during Lab Band, but those out in the hall doing homework said it was good. Well, see ya," and she trotted off to catch up with Mary Ann.
"Uh, okay... Thanks?" I said quietly to the vacant space she left.
Drummer Brad gave me a little punch-tap on the shoulder. "Don't be modest. I heard it was really good. Have you been holding out on us?"
I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Cody talking with Keith about something, then returned my attention to Drummer Brad. "Oh, no, I mean I like it, but..." and I trained off with a shrug.
"Are you sure you are okay with being my date for Friday?" It took me a moment to realize that Cody was talking to me.
"Sure," there was an itch on the tip of my nose that I carefully relieved with my finger tip as to avoid anyone thinking I was, well, doing something else with my finger and my nose. "That is, if you still want..."
"Pfft... yeah. I got the prettiest girl in my year to go with me. You think I want to give that up?" Keith and Brad laughed along with him and I could not help but join in. I only hoped they were not laughing at me, but I really didn't think so. However, there seemed to be something else exchanged between Cody and Keith. I put it out of my mind. Cody seemed to genuine, and if he wanted to have a laugh at me, there were too many other opportunities.
"Okay, so, yeah. We're still on, and I must say, you are," I wanted to say pretty, of course, but of course, I couldn't say that.
"Short?" he supplied. I looked at him anew. Yes, he was short.
"Not what I was going to say, but that works." He was really easy to like. Open, honest, and vulnerable. I could see why Fox would be looking out for him. I would.
"Oh, um, about the flowers..."
"Just match the band uniform?"
"Ha, um, I was going to say that I didn't want to make you buy anything-"
"No, that's cool. I don't mind. In fact, please, just get me something small and subtle."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
I was running to make it to history on time, working my way against the current of bodies. There she was. Red hair, messenger bag, so frail and thin, and under those skinny black jeans, bright and magnificent socks that I imagined going all the way up her thighs. Quickly, I banished the unwanted thoughts and ducked into Mrs. Pacific's classroom before Fox could see me. Time to bury myself into another place and time for the next fifty-five minutes.
During my free period, I played nothing outside of the current pieces for band. There were three pieces for bells next week, but only two we were playing at the homecoming game. Then there were the two school songs that I needed to know on both timpani and bells, then two drum-line routines and a handful of crowd-pleasers that I only needed to worry about toms. I was coming along, but it was still going to be work to get these down by Friday and there it was, Wednesday.
At the end of the hour, I needed to take a break before moving out to the practice field. I opened the practice room door and there in the hall, Sam and James sat doing homework of one kind or another; and Mags, Brad, Brad, Ginger, Mary Ann, and Brian coming out of the band hall. Then I turned and saw Fox sitting with a sketchbook in her lap. It was closed, but there were still colour pencils setting loosely about. She looked up and her eyes were bright and while her mouth was opened as if she was about to say something, the corners were turned up in excitement.
I could not help but to smile back at her, but that was when it changed, her expression. Her face did not fall, exactly, but she closed her mouth into a straight, tight, inexpressive line and her eyes affected a neutral, passive facade. The only betrayal of emotion was a red flush on her cheeks and face that I could not understand.
She was sitting on the floor, right by the door. I kind of could not really even finish wheeling the drums out of the tiny room with her still there, but I did not really want here to move either. But as her face flattened, so did mine. Looking back up at me blankly, she broke the locked gaze and quickly gathered her things and ran out of the hall without a word.
I stood there for a moment, looking after her, where she had disappeared, and realised there was a teardrop at the corner of my eye, threatening to run out and down my cheek in some kind of exposure of my heart that I could not understand. I turned, hiding my face and wiped it away. I was sure no one saw.
I heard Ginger or Mary Ann say, "That was weird," and Mags said, "Huh." The guys who were not Sam expressed some other measures of curiosity.
Having removed the first drum from the room, I turned back to face Fox's friends. They were looking at me as if expecting me to say something. "Whenever I start to think she may like me, she proves me wrong," I shrugged, hoping no one knew how hurt I was that she ran off from me.
"Me too." It was Sam that spoke. In moments, the hall would be flooded with people going this way and that, but before the rush, I hear him say quietly, "She either loves you or hates you, Chole, but goodness only knows which."
"How am I supposed to tell?" I could hear the approaching people, footsteps and commotion rolling just ahead of them like a wave, cresting, ready to break on top of us.
"I keep wondering that myself."
I was pretty sure I understood what he meant, but I knew she liked him very much.
[You have been reading the eleventh installment of the Fox Tale Series by Lady Quindecim.]
[If you received this text from a source other that DeviantArt, please let the author know via e-mail to lady.quindecim@gmail.com]
[I hope you have enjoyed this installment]
