Fan Fiction |
by vietnies
As Chilam stood before the trumpet section of thirty-four explaining the theory of overtones, Charmaine stood their watching him with a sense of admiration. “He is so…intelligent and so creative… and he has that cute little dimple…” Charmaine found herself thinking. But as she became cognizant of such thoughts, she reprimanded herself and focused on the music.
After a relatively brief sectional of 3 and a half hours (not brief by some standards but for Chilam it was an improvement), Chilam gave a forty-five minute break for the trumpet section. Although others formed into a large ellipsis quoting t.v. shows, Charmaine sat in a corner, reading “Raisin in the Sun.”
As Chilam scanned the room for forgotten stands and chairs, he saw Charmaine sitting alone. When he walked over to her, he noticed she was reading and didn’t want to interrupt her, but before he had walked too far away, he heard Charmaine calling him back.
“Did you need something?” Charmaine’s dulcet voice asked.
“No, I—I just wanted to keep you company when I saw that you were alone is all. I didn’t know you were reading…” Chilam replied as he turned around. “What do you think of the book?”
“I…hate Walter Lee with a fiery passion and I want to slap him! And I usually don’t want to slap people…” Charmaine spurred out quickly.
“Oh, it’s gonna get worse…Walter Lee is going to be like a roller coaster, he’ll throw you for loops…” Chilam disclosed and the two continued in the banter about books until the break was over.
~*~
“I can’t believe it’s over…” Charmaine said softly.
Kevin was walking beside her and seeing her expression of slight despair and regret; he placed his arm around her and pulled her into a hug. He immediately felt her body stiffen into a rigid, defensive form, yet he did not release her; in fact, he pulled her closer.
Charmaine, dumbstruck by how assertive and aggressive Kevin was behaving, pushed him away and kept walking.
“Don’t be sad…it’s not over, just band camp… which is a good thing you know? Now you don’t have to march in the blistering sun for 6 hours a day…now you don’t hafta have four hour sectionals with Chilam making you play until those cute lips of yours are numb…” Kevin tried to console her as he walked beside her again. He clearly was affected by her evasive behavior to his hug.
“That’s true…” Charmaine pretended as though the thought no longer affected her, but felt inwardly saddened that she couldn’t observe Chilam anymore…he was so…sophisticated.
“Oh? So you admit you have cute lips…” Kevin joked, with a twinkle in his eye and a sly smile on his face.
No one’s every said that kinda stuff to me, Charmaine thought. She didn’t really know how to respond so she turned away from him, pretending to look for her car.
“I wonder where I parked my car…” Charmaine muttered. She laughed gently to herself, looked over at Kevin, and said, “I guess I really am tired.”
Kevin, relentless as ever, walked to face her again. He stepped back to give her space and looked at her, attempting to be genuine.
“I think it’s pretty clear that I like you. I mean, really like you…in a not-friendly way… Wait... sorry, I guess I’m kind of nervous, I meant in a different-than-friendly way, although I still like you as a friend…” Kevin said softly. “So can I ask you a question?”
Charmaine remained silent and looked down at her hands.
“Well, I mean, other than the one I already asked…?”
What do you want from me? Charmaine thought half pathetically. I’m a nineteen year old, who’s never even been complimented by a guy…how do you expect me to react to this…?
Seeing her remain silent, Kevin just kept talking.
“Will you sit by me on the bus trip tomorrow?” Kevin asked.
Surprised at the question, Charmaine looked up but did not answer immediately.
“It’s your first band trip with the devils and I know you get to sit by anyone you want and probably don’t want to waste it on me but…” Kevin said casually.
“No, that’s not it at all…” Charmaine found herself interrupting to assure Kevin. She felt rather shocked that she had just encouraged him, but it was like a Freudian slip…
“So then you will sit be me?” Kevin asked again.
“We’ll figure that out tomorrow, k? I’m kinda tired…” Charmaine answered evasively.
“All right…let me walk to your car,” Kevin offered.
~*~