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Chapters

Getting Her To Talk
Awkward Stranger
This Odd Girl
A Common Misconception
The Start of Something Beautiful
The First Competition
A Bit More Than A "Good Morning"
(Un)expected Emotions
The Seed of Doubt

Getting Her To Talk

Vinyl

Okay, this is it. I'm finally going to go over and talk to her. I can't believe that we've known each other the entire summer already, and we still don't know each other's names. Maybe it's partly my fault. I don't feel comfortable talking to people I don't know. I'm guessing she's the same, or she would've acknowledged my presence in the group by now. I get it, I'm new, well sort of. I'm just younger, so I was the latest to join, even though I already know half of them.

Anyway, I don't think that's her problem. I think she's just incredibly shy. I haven't heard her speak one word the entire two months I've known her. I'm actually curious as to what her voice sounds like. Is that odd? Maybe.

I'm definitely going to get her to talk to me, though. Even just to say hello, and belatedly introduce myself. Yeah, that sounds about right. Let's hope I don't screw up and start stuttering again. It happens every time I try to talk to somebody I don't know.

I sigh, and propel myself into a standing position, stretching my legs out as I do. I walk away from the cabin, and take purposeful strides toward the mystery girl. I slow my pace as I get nearer, though. What am I going to say? What if she doesn't respond? What if she freaks out or something? Crap, I really haven't thought this through. I can't stop now, though; I'm only a few feet away from her, and she'll think I'm weird if I turn around.

So I continue on to the shady patch under that big oak tree, and wave at her. She waves back, a brief shadow of something crossing her face. So far, so good. I amble along the last few feet, still trying desperately to form a plan of attack. I can't find one. This is not going well.

I walk up to the tree, and turn around to sit down, sliding down the bark with my back. I thump onto the ground, and let out a sigh. Pulling my knees up to my chin, I finally turn my attention to the girl sitting next to me. I jump a little, as I find that her big orchid eyes are already turned toward me, studying me intently. I stare back at her for a second, waiting to see if she will speak first.

She doesn't. In fact, within thirty seconds of sitting down, she flushes scarlet red, and turns away from me. I sigh, readying myself to make the first move. I really want to unravel the puzzle that this girl presents. Why won't she talk to me? I lean back against the tree, and scan the camp grounds for any of our other friends. Seeing no immediate rescue, I turn my gaze back to the shy girl next to me.

"Hey. So, uh, well, hey." She turns to look at me, and I can feel the blood rise in my face. She looks at me, and then smiles a little. I swear it was the most dazzling smile I've ever seen. I don't really know why, but that one smile meant so much to me. Not in any sort of romantic way; I am straight, after all. I guess it was just the fact that she smiled at me at all. I decided to try again.

"Look, I'm not very good at this. In truth, I don't exactly like talking to strangers. But you're not exactly a stranger, so I thought I would give it a go. Mostly because everyone told me to, but also because you're an interesting person. I've been wondering why you won't talk to me. Can you answer that for me?" I studied her freckled face for any kind of sign that I wasn't completely screwing up, but her clear amethyst gaze gave nothing away. She quickly hid her face behind a curtain of long black hair when I looked at her. I turned my head back around to face the lake, and waited eagerly to see if she would respond, though on the outside I remained as calm as ever. I heard an intake of breath, and my hopes rose slightly.

"I'm sorry that I haven't talked to you. I'm not very comfortable with strangers, either. I hope I didn't seem rude. I just haven't found a way to talk to you yet. They've been trying to get me to talk to you, as well." I listened intently to those first words, savoring the sound of her husky, sweet voice. I have never heard a voice like that before, and I probably never will again. It was almost a crime that she didn't speak more often. I counted myself lucky to have finally heard it.

I heard a rustling of cloth, and I turned to face her. She had moved a little closer to me, no longer sitting against the other side of the tree. I looked her in the eye, and smiled as brightly as I could. She smiled back hesitantly. I chuckled a little to myself, and a curious look came over her face. I sensed what she was going to ask, so I went ahead an answered her question.

"Was it really so hard for us to talk to each other? I mean, we just stayed in the same cabin for almost a week. Granted, there were like, ten other girls in there, but why did it take so long for us officially meet? Are we just that awkward, that we couldn't even speak to our own cabinmate?" She just shrugged, and I settled for that answer. We may never know why. At least we're talking now.

"So, I never caught your name. And since we've finally managed to talk to each other, I think that should be important. I'm Vinyl, but I usually just go by my last name, Scratch. You can call me either, I guess. I'll be nice to you, and not insist about the whole Scratch thing." She smiled at me, and nodded her head. She drew her knees up to her chest, too, and closed her eyes. I don't know why, but that bothered me. I wanted to see her eyes. They were just so incredibly violet. Yeah, I'm a sucker for purple eyes. Don't ask me why, I've always been. My own were a peculiar shade of red, that shifted anywhere from black, to crimson, to almost-orange, depending on my mood or how long I'd been awake.

"I'm Octavia. You can just call me Octavia, though, I've never gone by my last name. I suppose you ought to know it, though, since you've told me yours. It's Philharmonica." What a pretty name. Octavia Philharmonica. It sounded so perfect, like it was made for her. Which, I guess it sorta was.

"Yeah, alright. I like it. Octavia Philharmonica, it has been a pleasure to meet you. You are an excellent conversationalist. Well, when I can force you to talk." She giggled a little, and blushed. I laughed at the display, and she hid her face again, flushing scarlet all the way down her neck. It only made me laugh harder. Eventually I stopped, wiping a tear from my eye.

"You are just the single shyest person I've ever met. It's completely adorable, but we're going to have to break you of your little hiding habit if you're going to be talking to me more. I can't have you ducking your head every time I open my mouth." She kept her head tucked down to her knees, nonetheless. I reached over and put my hand on her shoulder. She flinched an pulled away. I took my hand back, slightly offended, and kind of worried. Was she abused or something?

"Hey, I'm sorry. Did that upset you? I really didn't mean to. I just do stuff like that with everyone else, and I'm not used to them reacting like that. I guess I should have asked. I'm just one of those touchy-feely type people, and it always seems that physical contact is a good way to send a message. I'm sorry if that bothered you. Are you alright?" She looked up at me, and gave a weak smile. I'm seriously starting to think she's been abused.

"No, it's alright. I just don't like to be touched. I don't know why, it just bothers me. It's not you, it's just crazy old me. You're absolutely fine." She slowly stretched her legs out in front of her, bare legs relaxing in the shaded grass. I stretched my considerably longer appendages out, too, enjoying the feeling of the blades cushioning my calves. This was not that weird prickly grass like we have at home. This stuff is really soft. I would take a nap, but break will be over soon, and I can't be late for practice. I'm a "freshman" here, because I transferred from Lakeview. Good first impressions are key, and being a marching freshman here, I make sure I'm always on time for band. Mostly because the director would kill us if we were late. If one is late, we're all late. Such is the life of marching band kids. At least Octavia will be there, too. She's not in my section, but she is there.

"So, we're cool? That's good. I was afraid you were being abused or something. I don't want to hurt you." She smiled, shook her head. She leaned her head back against the tree trunk and closed her eyes.

"I've never been abused. My dad is amazing, and my mom is alright, I guess. We don't always see eye to eye, me 'n her, but she would never hurt me. And I don't have a boyfriend, so that rules out that possibility." She laughed a little, and I found it a little hard to believe my ears. A girl as pretty, amazing, and sweet as this doesn't have a boyfriend? Maybe it's the whole I'm-so-shy-I-won't-even-talk-to-my-cabinmate thing. Boys are scared by things they don't understand. Sadly, that includes me. Unfortunately, girls don't seem to feel the same way. Sorry ladies, I don't swing that way, despite appearances.

"Well, as long as you're not being hurt, I can handle the hands-off rule. It's no problem. Friends have to be considerate of each other, right?" She looked up from the grass she was twirling in her fingers, eyes wide. What did I do now?

"We're friends?" She seemed a little shocked that I had said that. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course we are. We've learned stuff about each other, and we've been sitting her talking for a good half an hour or so. If that doesn't make us friends, I don't know what will." I put on my cheesiest grin, and she laughed.

"I guess you're right. We are friends, now. That's pretty cool." She continued to tie the grass into something. Not that I would know what it was.

"Hey, you're pretty cool. Why else would I have stayed here so long? I could have been swimming or exploring the campground with Thunderlane and Lyra." She shuddered when I mentioned Thunderlane, and secretly, I agreed. He'd had a crush on her for awhile now, judging by how he was always following her around. I didn't even know her, and I could tell she was freaked out by it. He's kind of a creepy dude. I leaned back, tired now. I closed my eyes, and asked her a question.

"If I fall asleep, will you wake me up when we have to practice? I don't want my section pissed at me. I have enough problems as it is." She laughed, knowing exactly how I felt.

"Of course I will. We are friends, after all. Don't worry." I still had one more important query for this girl.

"If someone tries to rape me, beat them up for me, please." She laughed, and agreed.

Awkward Stranger

Octavia

I found myself sitting under the big oak tree at break again. It was just so shady under here. On a ninety degree day in August, that was a blessing. Especially when you've just escaped from your crazy director and his four-hour practices. With one water break.

I scan the surrounding area for any sort of danger before I let myself relax. You never know what the summer heat will do to people. It looks like most people are just chilling inside their cabins with the AC, or maybe off at the pool.

One person does catch my eye, though. That blue-haired new girl is just sitting on our cabin's front porch, all alone. It looks kinda like she's thinking really hard about something. I wonder what could be so important that she's wasting her free time.

Looks like I might have a chance to find out. She seems to be walking toward me, still with that same expression on her face. She waves to me, and I raise my hand in response. I'm kinda nervous, now. What if she tries to talk to me? Sure, she seems nice enough, but I still get really shy around new people. I guess I should just be glad she's younger than me. Talking to older people always turns me into a nervous wreck. Especially when they're teachers.

Apparently during my mental deliberation, she had reached my tree. One corner of her mouth turned up in a sort of half smile. I could immediately feel her anxiety, almost like it was exuding from her pores. She turned, presumably to sit, and I silently prayed that she wouldn't place herself anywhere near me.

Of course she does. She slides down the tree with her back, and sort of flops on the ground. I stare at her for a minute, studying the anxious intruder. Suddenly, she turns her head to look was me, and she twitches in surprise. I feel myself flush from the sudden scrutiny, and turn my head to look at anything except her inquisitive eyes. She sighs, and shifts her position.

"Hey. So, uh, well, hey." I turn my head to stare at her, curious as what she might say. She blushes, and I smile, understanding her awkwardness. Blinking, she begins to speak again.

I found myself staring at her face for some reason. I noticed the way the afternoon sunlight lit her dark carmine eyes with an inner fire. She still seemed nervous, though.

Suddenly, she turned her head to look at me for some sort of response. I dropped my face, and hid behind my hair again, blushing furiously. I hoped that she didn't realize that I was staring. I guess she deserved some sort of response. That, and she didn't seem like the type to just give up and go away.

"I'm sorry that I haven't talked to you. I'm not very comfortable with strangers, either. I hope I didn't seem rude. I just haven't found a way to talk to you yet. They've been trying to get me to talk to you, as well." It was true. Our friends were puzzled by our distinct lack of communication. They'd been trying to get us to talk all summer.

I decided to scoot over and sit closer to her. It was hurting my neck to have to turn it so far to talk to her. And, I'm sure we looked pretty weird to any casual observer.

I still had a question to ask, but she beat me to it. "Was it really so hard for us to talk to each other? I mean, we just stayed in the same cabin for almost a week. Granted, there were like, ten other girls in there, but why did it take so long for us officially meet? Are we just that awkward, that we couldn't even speak to our own cabinmate?" I had no idea how to answer that, so I just shrugged. She began to speak again.

"I'm Octavia. You can just call me Octavia, though, I've never gone by my last name. I suppose you ought to know it, though, since you've told me yours. It's Philharmonica." She smiled when she heard this.

"Yeah, alright. I like it. Octavia Philharmonica, it has been a pleasure to meet you. You are an excellent conversationalist. Well, when I can force you to talk." Hey, she's pretty funny. I giggled a little in spite of myself, and then blushed when she laughed at me. I blushed, and hid my face. She has such a brilliant smile, like she's lighting the whole world up with it. It's infectious, too.

"You are just the single shyest person I've ever met. It's completely adorable, but we're going to have to break your little hiding habit if you're going to be talking to me more. I can't have you ducking your head every time I open my mouth." I kept my head tucked firmly to my knees, just in case she made me blush again. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I jumped away from her touch. Her apology soon followed.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Did that upset you? I really didn't mean to. I just do stuff like that with everyone else, and I'm not used to them reacting like that. I guess I should have asked. I'm just one of those touchy-feely type people, and it always seems that physical contact is a good way to send a message. I'm sorry if that bothered you. Are you alright?" It was sweet of her to be concerned. I quickly tried to allay her concerns.

"No, it's alright. I just don't like to be touched. I don't know why, it just bothers me. It's not you, it's just crazy old me. You're absolutely fine." I felt like I had been sitting in the same position for too long, and I stretched my legs out in front of me. I watched as she did the same, her longer, tan legs poking out of basketball shorts, ending with feet capped in light gray Chucks.

"So, we're cool? That's good. I was afraid you were being abused or something. I don't want to hurt you," she rambled. I laughed internally at the thought. She sure jumped to conclusions.

"I've never been abused. My dad is amazing, and my mom is alright, I guess. We don't always see eye to eye, me 'n her, but she would never hurt me. And I don't have a boyfriend, so that rules out that possibility." She looked at me rather incredulously, and I raised one eyebrow in response. What was that about? I picked up some grass and played with it while I waited for her to respond.

"Well, as long as you're not being hurt, I can handle the hands-off rule. It's no problem. Friends have to be considerate of each other, right?" Did she just say what I think she said? Are we already that close?

"We're friends?" She smiled slightly.

"Of course we are. We've learned stuff about each other, and we've been sitting her talking for a good half an hour or so. If that doesn't make us friends, I don't know what will." She broke out in her biggest smile yet, and I could feel one gracing my lips, as well. I laughed a little, genuinely surprised at how fun she was to talk to.

"I guess you're right. We are friends, now. That's pretty cool." I was glad that she considered me a friend, after only knowing me for twenty minutes. I looked back down at the grass I was tying in knots.

"Hey, you're pretty cool. Why else would I have stayed here so long? I could have been swimming or exploring the campground with Thunderlane and Lyra." I shuddered involuntarily. Thunderlane had this huge crush on me. But he was really creepy. He seriously follows me around like a stalker.

I looked over at Vinyl when she leaned back, surprised by the movement. She closed her eyes, and I missed seeing how striking they were. She opened her mouth to speak, and I waited.

"If I fall asleep, will you wake me up when we have to practice? I don't want my section pissed at me. I have enough problems as it is." I laughed. Section leaders did get kinda pissy when someone was late.

"Of course I will. We are friends, after all. Don't worry." She smiled contentedly, and relaxed into the rough bark. Almost as an afterthought, she added something else.

"If someone tries to rape me, beat them up for me, please." I laughed, entertained by the notion that someone would just stroll by and try to rape her, with me sitting right there. I nodded my head, as I had no intention of leaving until she woke up. No one's getting raped on my watch!

This Odd Girl

Octavia

I sat under the tree in silence for several minutes. I didn't want to disturb the sleeping girl beside me. Not that I probably would. She was a heavy sleeper. We had tried to wake her one morning, and nothing short of playing an instrument above her head would even make her twitch and roll away from the noise. Luckily, camp beds are small, and she fell onto the floor.

Actually, she landed on my lap, but I got up and ran before she woke. It was pretty awkward. Her face was literally inches from a certain area. I died a little on the inside.

Now I could actually rest, and I didn't have to wake her. I could just enjoy the silence, and sort through how I felt about this whole "new friendship" scenario.

She wasn't exactly helping, though. As if it weren't awkward enough while she was conscious, she was now leaning her head on my shoulder. She may say she's awkward with strangers, but she seems pretty comfortable with me. That, and she has no conscious control over her body right now.

A breeze rolled through, and she shivered, curling closer to me. Oh God, why? I highly doubt that I've ever been in a more awkward situation. I tried to slowly extricate myself from her grip, but soon gave up when she only held on tighter.

After about ten minutes, Jayfeather came to my rescue. I quickly explained the situation, and he agreed to help me carry her to the cabin. He knelt down and slid his arms around her; one supporting her legs, and one cradling her back, bridal style. He stood up slowly, careful not to drop her. She murmured softly when he pulled her from my side. I stretched once, and then sprang up to help Jay with his passenger.

We managed to stagger over to the cabin's wooden front door. For a skinny girl, Vinyl's pretty solid. Luckily, Jay is pretty strong, for a flutist. I helped a little, but I'm sadly not very strong. I hope Vinyl doesn't make a habit of falling asleep like that. She's quite the odd girl.

Jay laid her on the bed, the springs protesting loudly at the weight. She curled in on herself, like a cat. I grinned at Jay, and we laughed quietly at the girl slumbering in front of us.

I walked back over to the door, and pushed it open, flooding the darkened room with sunlight. I turned to find Jay standing behind me, and jumped a little in surprise.

"Bro, that was creepy. Seriously, don't do that to me. I swear I had a heart attack." He just grinned at me, and shook his head slightly.

"You need to stop overreacting. I get that you're kinda skittish, but it was just me. You should realize by now that I would never hurt you. I honestly doubt that anyone could if they wanted to, Mike Hoofson." He chuckled at his joke, and I joined in. It was true, I could definitely kick butt if I had to. I've been training in various martial arts since I was six, and I've had boxing lessons, too.

So yeah, I'm a badass. But nobody knows it but my family and best friends. I don't want people to think I'm weird, or be scared of me. I have enough insecurity issues as it is.

I pushed Jay out the doorway, and gave him a two-second hug, before stepping back inside. I let the door swing shut behind me as I crossed the room to my own bed, which happened to be the lower half of one of the two bunk beds in the room.

I flopped down on the purple sheet with a heavy sigh, not bothering to remove my shoes. I curled up, facing the wall, and decided to catch some sleep of my own. I pulled my phone out and set an alarm for one hour from now. Placing my phone on my pillow, I closed my eyes. The last sound I heard was the deep breathing of my cabinmate and new friend, Vinyl.

A Common Misconception

Vinyl

I woke up in my bed. Weird. I could've sworn I went to sleep outside, under that tree with Octavia. What am I doing in the cabin? There's no way Octavia could've carried me. She's not strong enough. No offense, but she can probably barely lift her backpack for school. Poor girl.

Stretching myself out like a rather large cat, I looked around for any familiar faces. I quickly spotted Octavia, tucked into her corner bed. It was cute, how she curled in on herself, like she was trying to protect herself from some unseen monster. My heart went out to her; she must have some serious insecurity issues. Her entire demeanor practically screamed them at me, even when she was asleep. I happen to be fairly empathetic, and I'm pretty good at deconstructing personalities. She was one of those insecure types that I always seemed to connect with, forming fast friendships.

I flipped my legs over the side of the bed, and stood up, feeling the pressure from my rather full bladder. Time for a pit stop in the bathroom. I sleepily wobbled my way over to the bathroom door, feeling unbalanced and woozy. I slapped my hand onto the doorknob, and stumbled into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, and a good face splashing, I was relatively bright eyed and bushy tailed. Well, as perky as someone could be who hasn't had more than three hours of sleep every night for the last three days. Stupid, crazy band director. He makes us practice from sunup to after sundown, every day. We get breaks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a couple hours of free time after lunch. The rest of the time is spent practicing. Fun.

I took a cursory glance at Octavia's sleeping form, and crossed the room to my own bed. I scooped up my phone, unlocking it to check the time. It was 1:15, so we had about forty five minutes left of our break. I briefly considered waking Octavia up, to talk to her, but then I decided to just let her sleep. She'd earned it, after all. And besides, I wasn't really that desperate to talk to someone.

I rolled over on my side, and checked my phone for messages. There were four from mom, all saying the same thing. How does she honestly expect me to talk to her, when I barely have enough time for food and personal hygiene? If she wants me to talk to her, she can wait until we're on the bus home. Who cares if she misses me, and wanted to wish me a happy birthday? It's not like she's that happy that I was born, anyway. It's just another year, except this time I'm not home for her to verbally abuse on my special day. No way I'm gonna let her spoil this year's. This is my time, with my friends, doing whatever I want to do. I locked my phone again, and threw it down on the mattress, disgusted.

Only, it didn't quite stay on the bed. It bounced off, and flew a good five feet, until it hit the ground, and skidded under Octavia's bed. Great. I contemplated leaving it there, but then I realized that I might need it later. If I left it there, odds are I would forget about it. So, I propelled myself off the bed, and shuffled my way over to Octavia's bunk. I dropped to the floor, laying myself flat, and stuck my head under the bed to look for it.

There it was, tempting me in my misery, all the way against the far wall. I scooted as far under the bed as I could, and thrust my hand blindly around, trying to make contact. Unfortunately, I did, knocking it farther away, into the far corner. I groaned, facepalming at my idiocy. It hurt more than usual, because I had picked up a few splinters during my floor skimming.

No time for that now! I must rescue my phone! I flipped over, and stuck my other hand under the bed. Just as I grasped the phone, Octavia rolled over, and fell off the bed, right onto my back. Granted, she wasn't heavy, but it surprised me, and I jolted up, smashing my head and shoulder into the bed frame. I collapsed back down, cradling my head with my uninjured arm. It hurt like a bitch, to tell the truth.

All that noise must have woken Octavia, because she shifted around on my back, and eventually sat up. She obviously didn't quite comprehend her surroundings, because she appeared confused at the soft surface she was sitting on. I wasn't confused at all, because that fleshy surface just so happened to be my butt. Every time she shifted around, my hips were ground against the unforgiving floor. It was really starting to hurt, and I cursed my natural bony figure.

She must have heard it, because she turned to look for the source of the noise, and located my vibrant hair. She began scooting off of me, nearly pulling my shorts off in the process. I slowly rolled over, and gazed at her mortified face. I readjusted the waistband of my shorts on my hipbones, and waved a hand at her nonchalantly.

"Good morning, beautiful. I was just hunting for my phone, when you decided to roll off onto my back. I'd appreciate if you would refrain from any future displays of affection, if it involves personal injury for me." I smiled my famous crooked grin at her, and her face immediately flushed.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. Where are you hurt? Are you okay?" She ignored my obvious jibe, and instead turned on a more professional demeanor. I almost laughed at her sudden change in countenance.

"I'm fine, but you could still fix me up if you wanted to, Dr. Love." Her face turned scarlet again, and I was thoroughly enjoying myself. She huffed, and stood up, turning away from me to walk towards the bathroom. I assume she was feeling the call of nature, just like I did. Why is it that you always feel like peeing after sleep? The world may never know...

About a minute later, she strode back out of the bathroom, and flopped back on the bed. I had remained in my position on the floor, crossing my legs and waiting for her to come back. As she settled back into the mattress, I leaned back against the bed frame. Casually looking up, I stared straight at her. She blushed again, reminded of the incident from earlier. I smiled lightly, just barely tugging up the corners of my mouth. Slowly, she smiled back. Success!

"Look, that thing earlier, it was no big deal. People do stuff like that all the time. I really didn't care, except for the fact that I hit my head on the underside of the bed. That hurt a little. But we're cool, okay." She smiled at me, and nodded her head, glad that we were over the awkwardness. Good, because I still had a joke.

"You know, if you wanted to cuddle with me, you could've just asked. I'm totally cool with it." Her face tinted again, turning scarlet in less time than it took me to blink. That's gotta be a new record for her.

"Th-that's n-not what I w-was doing! I j-just rolled off, a-and l-landed on you," she stammered out. Man, I really knew how to make the girl nervous. This was fun, our little game. Well, my little game. She was just an unwilling participant.

"Aw, chill. I know you didn't mean it. But seriously, you're welcome to cuddle with me anytime. I'm just a big ball of adorable, huggy, fluffy cuddliness. Like a giant teddy bear on comfort steroids." She laughed at that, the color slowly receding from her cheeks. I love how easily I can control this girl's reactions. She's precious.

"Well, I don't think I'll be cuddling with you anytime soon, but thanks for the offer. I'll keep you in mind when I need a teddy bear." She smiled at me, and leaned back against the wall. Unfortunately, my brain came up with more vaguely sexual jokes.

"You know, I wouldn't mind sleeping with you. That's what teddy bears are for, right?" Her face flushed again, but she kept her eyes closed, preferring to ignore my comment rather than give me more ammunition to use sexually against her. Speaking of...

"I hope you won't hold that against me. I'd rather enjoy it if you would hold yourself against me, though." Her face scrunched, horrified at my terrible joke. I am the master of sexuality, and don't you forget it. She suddenly jerked her leg out, kicking me in the head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" She smirked, and I rubbed the back of my now throbbing head.

"For saying those awful things. I don't appreciate sexual humor, or whatever it was you were doing." It was my turn to smirk.

"I was only flirting. I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself when I see such a gorgeous woman." She kicked me again, harder this time. It still hurt, despite the fact that she wasn't wearing shoes.

"Stop that. It's weird, flirting with another girl. Do you like me or something?" I smiled through my tears, and winced as I laid my head back.

"Oh please, don't flatter yourself. I only flirt with the girls I don't like. Which is all of them, because I'm straight. So there. You're just gonna have to get used to it, because I do this to everyone." She groaned, and I had the perfect comeback. I decide it would be better to not push my luck, though.

"Are you enjoying this? I'm certainly not. It's kinda awkward." I had to admit, it was a bit awkward, but I was enjoying myself. Quite a lot actually.

" Why yes, actually, I am. It is kinda awkward, but I prefer to look past that to the comedic value. Simply put, your reactions are hilarious." She frowned at this, and I blinked as my neck muscles suddenly spasmed. I decided to try something. Hoisting myself up suddenly, I hopped up onto her bed. Octavia scooted away, eager to distance herself from me in case I tried something.

"Chill, girl, I'm just trying to get comfortable. My neck is killing me from trying to look up so far to talk to you. Isn't this much better?" She slowly let go of her knees, letting her legs flop to the bed, and nodded her head.

"Yeah, actually. It was kinda hurting my head to have to bend over to talk to you." Oh, so many sex jokes for that one. Don't ever say bend over in front of me, Octy. It's hard to hold the comedy tide back. And, Octy... Huh. I suppose that's a good nickname. Certainly better than saying Octavia all the time, even if it's in my head. Less effort.

"See? This is better. Now, to continue our conversation. You start." She huffed again, slumping forward. I was enjoying her reactions.

"So, I'm curious. Why do you flirt with girls, if you say you're straight?" Hmm, tough one. She leaned forward a little, probably unconsciously awaiting my answer.

"Well, I don't really know. Maybe because it's fun? Maybe because I like watching them squirm? Well, the ones that don't know my game are uncomfortable. Everybody else just flirts back." She seemed a little taken aback by this explanation. Seemingly deep in thought, she rested her chin on her hand, and stared at me.

"So, you're telling me that you don't like girls, but you like flirting with them. You are certainly a confusing person. Do you flirt with guys like this?" I knew the answer to that one, clear as day.

"Nope. Guys will actually take it as legit flirting. Girls usually don't. Although, there have been some occasions where I met a few lesbians and bisexuals. Not fun trying to explain the whole situation." She laughed at that, glad to hear that my little game backfired sometimes.

"Well, okay then. Sorry to hear that. I'm sure those are some awkward situations. Have you ever considered maybe, not flirting with girls?" She smiled at me, and I smiled back.

"Of course I have. It just doesn't work for long. I'm just too sexual. If you only heard all of the thoughts in my head. I think my biggest fear is that people will think I'm into girls. I really don't want that misconception hanging over me." I slumped my shoulders, remembering all the years of taunts that just ended this summer because I didn't see any of my tormentors anymore. Why is it that when a girl doesn't outwardly show affection to guys, she's immediately labeled gay? I'm not, I'm just not a whore, throwing myself at guys constantly. Jeez, life.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up in surprise, shocked that Octy actually willingly touched me. I looked down at her hand, and she quickly drew it away, embarrassed.

"Hey, look. I get that. Everybody used to think I was a lesbian before I had my first boyfriend. Granted, I do find that guys are kind of rude and downright disgusting at times, but we have to live with them, right? I think most girls secretly would rather be attracted to their best friend, than their boyfriend, if you know what I mean." I smiled at that, knowing exactly how truthful it was. Most guys I know aren't really Prince Charming.

I shifted around, laying down on the bed and stretching my legs out to lay alongside hers. She jumped at the sudden movement, and moved her hand away from my legs. Poor awkward girl. I nudged her with my foot, and she scooted slightly away, taking the warmth of her legs away from mine. Darn. I was enjoying that, because it's cold in here with the AC on. Apparently she was, too, because she tried to subtly scoot down farther, and slide her legs next to mine again. I noticed, so her attempt at being stealthy was all for naught. It was cute, though, how she refused to acknowledge that I was comfortable.

I began absently picking at the toe of her shoe, and she started giggling. I started laughing, too, even though I didn't see anything funny. Her laugh is just infectious.

"Hey, what's so funny up there? Why you be laughing so hard? Gurl, you got some 'splaining to do." She laughed even harder at my words, and her chuckles began vibrating the bed. I felt like I was on a ship out at sea. Eventually she calmed down enough to answer.

"It's just weird, how you just started messing with my shoe. It tickled a little. I don't like being tickled. That, and you were just looking at it like it would hold some hidden treasure. Curiosity killed the cat you know." Hearing her words, I latched onto an important phrase. She doesn't like being tickled? Oh, this is gonna be good.

"A cat, huh? Well, MEOW!!!!" I launched myself at her, and started skittering my fingers up and down her sides. She tried to push me off, but I was just too heavy, and she couldn't focus through the laughter.

Eventually, she managed to roll me over, and threw herself on top of me. She started trying to tickle me. Unfortunately for her, I'm not ticklish. So, instead of forcing me to stop, she just ended up rolling over top of me, and thrashing around. I rolled over, straddling her legs, and bent down to blow a raspberry on her stomach. I lifted the hem of her shirt just slightly...

And Lyra took that precise moment to walk in. I heard the door slam shut, and someone clearing their throat. My face burning, I sheepishly turned my head to see the dark girl standing at the front of the room. I waved hello, very conscious of Octy's pushed-up shirt and labored breathing under me.

"I can explain... It's not what it looks like. Please believe me?" I stared pleadingly at Lyra, whose wide eyes told the tale of what she was thinking about the two of us. I hastily yanked Octy's shirt back down, and dismounted from my compromising position on top of the wheezing girl.

"I'm sure that's what they all say, Vinyl. Don't worry, I don't care what you do in your free time. Just don't do it where anyone can walk in and see you. I would hate to think what would happen if Breeze had walked in here and seen you two, you know..." She trailed off, uncertain how to continue. I can't believe that she didn't believe me. As if Octy would ever agree to have sex with me. Aside from that, we're both presumably straight. I know I sure as hell am.

"Look, we weren't, you know, doing it. She told me that she didn't like being tickled, and I decided to start a tickle war. Surely you wouldn't believe that it was anything else. You know me. You've even done the exact same thing with me before. So stop acting like you think we would actually do that in a fairly public place." I crossed my arms, and raised one eyebrow at the smiling girl.

"Oh, relax, I was just kidding. Jeez, you would think I had just made a gay joke. Oh, wait, I did!" She giggled to herself, and I found myself chuckling quietly at her jest. I absolutely loved this girl, because she really got me, like nobody else did. That's why she was one of my best friends.

Glad that it was over, I turned around to retrieve my phone, and was faced with a rather peeved Octy. I smiled at her, nervous that maybe I had gone too far. Especially since Lyra had walked in on a rather easily misconstrued situation.

"Hey, sorry? Can I have my phone back, now? I promise I won't do that again." She huffed at me, and tossed the S III my way, nearly taking my head off with it. I snatched the flying device out of the air, and stuck my tongue out at her. Seized by a sudden thought, I wiggled it around, and licked my lips suggestively.

"There's more where that came from, cutie. I suppose we'll have to wait until later, though. Do pine for my body in my absence." I hurried up and snagged my shoes from by my bed, and sprinted out the door, laughing maniacally with Lyra as we ducked thrown pillows and shouted insults. I think there was one about my mother in there. I might just be hurt. Nah, her futile attempts are just adorably funny.

I raced outside, and barricaded the door, just as Octy threw herself at it in an attempt to get to me. I couldn't resist another joke.

"I didn't realize you wanted my body that badly, gorgeous. If you keep this up, I might just have to come in there and teach you a lesson about waiting." I heard a muffled scream of indignation, and then a loud thump as she threw herself on what was presumably her bed. Laughing as I sat down, I put my shoes on, and hurriedly jogged to catch up with Lyra.

The Start of Something Beautiful

Octavia

"That unbelievable, uncouth, uncivilized, rrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaahhh!!!!!! Why does she do that? What satisfaction does she find in my embarrassment," I growled, knowing full well what she got from it. She acts like such a male sometimes, making rude and suggestive jokes. I can't believe her parents let her get away with that. Of course, they probably don't know. It's a good thing, too, because she is just undeniably frustrating. I've only known her less than a day, and she's already done things most people haven't done to me in three years, back when I first started high school! Everyone knows better than to tickle me. And they most certainly do not make sexual jokes at my expense.

I shuddered at the cold in the room as I paced, slightly missing Vinyl's warmth. She gives heat off like it's free. Luckily, my face still burned from that rather compromising situation a few minutes ago, so my head and neck were warm. I stalked over to my bed to grab my phone, and promptly turned around to exit the cabin, and maybe find Vinyl. We need to talk about how far this friendship thing is supposed to go. Friends shouldn't flirt with each other in my opinion, especially if they're straight. I have nothing against homosexuals; my former best friend was one, in fact. But I find the whole thing uncomfortable, regardless of how accepting her other friends are of her deviant humor.

Taking long strides, I quickly crossed the commons in the middle of our semicircle of cabins. I searched the area for a hint of bright blue hair, and finally I noticed an azure streak under the covered bridge on the opposite side of the grounds. I hurried in that direction, fuming silently under my breath. My frustration subsided slowly as I walked toward the bridge. Vinyl was just playing, after all. I suppose there's no harm done. But we still need to have a talk about this whole thing. I'm still not quite comfortable with her yet, and she needs to understand that.

I soon reached the bridge, and had begun trying to figure out the way to get under it, when I felt a hand grab my leg and pull me down. I landed hard, and slid down the side of the hill by the bridge. I fell onto something soft, and heard a small gasp of breath as I settled. I glanced down to see that I was seated on Vinyl's midsection, effectively knocking the wind out of her. I felt my face flush, and I quickly jumped up from my position, smacking my head on the underside of the bridge as a result.

As I tenderly rubbed the back of my sore head, I saw Lyra helping Vinyl up. Vinyl dusted herself off, and leaned over, putting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She shook her head quickly, and stood up, cracking a smile at me.

"You just can't stop throwing yourself at me, can you, Octy? I'm starting to think these aren't just accidents. Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something." She grinned like the Cheshire Cat, and I had to physically restrain myself from strangling her.

"I. Am. Not. A. Lesbian! Stop saying that kind of thing!" She just shrugged her shoulders, and stuck her hands in her pockets.
She looked at me like she thought otherwise, but she was just joking; I could tell by the twinkle in her eyes.

"Well, I mean, you don't have to be a lesbian. There is a such thing as bisexuality, too. I'd be totally cool with it if you were, just so you know. I've always kinda wanted a gay best friend." She turned that crooked smile on me again , and as quickly as it came, my indignation at those words simply vanished.

"Vinyl, for the last time, I am completely straight. I have always been, and will most likely always be." Seizing sudden inspiration, I decided to turn her own humor back on her. "You know, with all these allusions you've been making, maybe you're the gay one. Are you secretly trying to tell me something?" She stared back at me, eyes wide as she tried to collect her thoughts. I'd left her completely dumbfounded. Success!

"You know, I can't believe you just did that. Well done, Octy, well done. The padawan has learned well from her master." She grinned at me, and slapped me on the back, almost knocking me over again. I huffed at her, and finished dusting myself off.

"Well, I hate to interrupt you two lovebirds, but it"s almost time to head back for practice. We have about forty-five minutes, but it takes about fifteen to get back there, and we don't have our instruments. So, let's spend about twenty minutes here, and then we'll head back, right?" Vinyl and I gaped at Lyra's initial comment, and then I collected myself slowly.

"Yes, that sounds perfectly fine. And I do wish that you would refrain from calling us lovebirds. People might begin to get ideas. And by people, I mean Vinyl. And we all know what sort of ideas she gets." Vinyl rolled her eyes at this, and plopped down onto the dirt. Lyra chuckled a little at my jest, and then she dropped to the ground, too. I soon followed, and we spent the rest of the afternoon much the same way, with the three of us hanging out in every spare second.

This was the start of a beautiful friendship. And in the end, it was so much more. More than I ever could have imagined. All thanks to one odd girl.

The First Competition

Vinyl

The summer passed in a blur, and not the high-on-drugs-has-no-concept-of-reality blur, but the time-flies-when-you're-having-fun blur. I loved spending the summer with Octy, and I couldn't ask for a better best friend. I still haven't gotten her to loosen up yet, but I'm getting there. Slowly.

Soon, the first competition of the year was upon us. It was hosted by our local rivals, the Summerset High School Highlanders. We arrived at the school in the late afternoon, and it was a bitterly cold day for the beginning of September. We were very glad for our thin cotton gloves and heavy woolen marching uniform jackets. We spent the first hour finding out where our practice area would be, and unloading the percussion equipment and band instruments from the trailers.

After that, we had about three hours left, and one of those was dedicated to practicing. We also needed about a half hour to get lined up and get onto the field, being such a large band, and needing to tell the newbies what to do. So, in the ninety minutes or so that we had left, I just chilled with my friends, and ate some concession stand food. Nothing like grease to warm you up for marching.

As we got done with warm up, we lined up and stood around for a few minutes waiting for our director to signal the drum majors to lead us to the field. Eventually, we heard the cadence of the other band leaving the field, and I knew it was time. I tugged on my saxophone's neck strap one more time, checking to see if it was secure. I knew my shoelaces were double knotted; can't have untied shoes when roll-stepping our way through a performance. Finally we heard the distinctive four-whistle signal from our director, and we began the march to victory. I fell into autopilot, and I didn't notice my surroundings, nor the wildly cheering parents in the bleachers. It was game time, and I was in the zone.

I took my place at the sideline, right in front of the thirty yard line, and waited for the band-o-grams and introductions to be over. The four whistle blasts sounded again, and we began to mark time. After those initial sixteen counts, I led my line forward onto the field. We marched into place, and executed a 180 degree turn. Then, we stopped, and waited for the drums to quiet. This anticipation is what our band was known for. We always kept the audience on their seats until the very end, a lot like the drop in a dubstep song. I've always wanted to be an electronica artist, but my parents disapprove.

A hush fell over the assembled parents, even those not from our own legion of paternal and maternal figures. I waited, knowing what would come as soon as our drum majors raised their arms. And as I took a quiet breath, puffing out little clouds into the air across the springy green turf field, I watched for that very action.

It came like a lightning bolt, injecting electricity into the band members' veins. I almost swore there was some magic flowing through us, but there was no telltale aura anywhere. I could tell that we were just as anxious as the crowd. It was our first competition of the year after all, and the first competition ever for many of the new kids. We were nervous about messing up the first time we would show our performance to the public. We had practiced this an incalculable amount of times, but there were always those pre-season jitters for everyone.

And then, the drum majors' arms dropped, and they began conducting. Every thought went out of my head, and I was electric. I could not see anything around me but swishing silver capes, white pants and shoes, and royal purple jackets. I swam through a sea of flipping, twisting, and snapping marchers, each with a deadly focus. We became a single entity with one purpose only, to execute the show flawlessly and defeat our rivals. We have been so thoroughly trained that we even coordinated our breathing. This is the true spirit of the Marching Cavaliers.

Time passed more quickly than thought, and before I knew it, we had stopped, and the performance was over. Head held high, I still felt the adrenaline of marching as I sucked in lungfuls of air. This was always the single greatest moment in time, hearing the near deafening applause and riding the leftover high from performing with all I have. I love this job. Almost as much as I love being around Octy; it's the same sort of rush that comes over me.

Did I really just think that? What is that even supposed to mean? Where did it come from?

I didn't have much time to ponder those potentially life changing questions, because the drum majors were dismissing us from the field. I followed the guy in front of me with my head held high, despite my exhausted body and desperately churning mind. I kept the act up all the way back to the trailer, and then it didn't matter, because we were loading the instruments back up.

I waved nervously at Octy when she passed me, still unsure of our friendship. We had only known each other for a month. My fear was unfounded, as she smiled lightly at me on the way to pick up her case. I hurried to finish packing, practically throwing my mouthpiece and neckstrap into their compartment.

I picked up my case and walked over to Octy, and offered to hold her case while she packed because she was struggling. She smiled and handed me the case. I waited as patiently as someone like me can; tapping my foot and jiggling my leg, watching birds overhead, and pondering the grey clouds on the horizon which might bring rain. I hope it waits until after awards.

Finally, Octy finished, and I grabbed both instruments and took them to the trailer. Passing them off to the loading parents, I turned around to find Octy, only to see her standing right behind me.

"Vinyl, what possessed you to load my case? I'm perfectly capable." She irritatedly swiped a bit of black hair out of her face as her violet eyes peered curiously at me.

"I dunno, really. It just seemed nice. I like being nice to people, usually. If it bothers you, I won't do it again. It's just less work if one of us carries both." I shrugged my shoulders, rolling them around under my uniform jacket, which was kind of big on me.

"No, it's no bother. I was simply surprised. Most people only do that for the person they're dating, or close friends." I smiled toothily at her.

"Well duh, of course we're close. We shared a room for an entire week at camp. We've seen each other at our best and our worst. That should make us pretty darn close. Don't you think so?" I reached back and untied my ponytail because it was messed up from the helmet I had squashed on it and sweated in for at least an hour. Sliding the band back on my right wrist, I shook my hair out and started gathering the loose hair back up while I waited for Octy's answer.

"Well, I suppose it does. I had no idea you were so logical, Vinyl. You should be like this more often." Wrapping the band back around a third and final time, I frowned at her.

"Octy, if I'm logical, there's nobody to be crazy and awesome. Well, aside from that Rainbow girl, but she's way too cocky and full of herself to be fun like me. You can keep on being logical and kinda stuffy and occasionally stuck up, and I'll just chill like usual. Sound like a plan? Good," I said, not waiting for her answer. She planted her hands on her hips and scowled at me. If looks could kill, those lavender eyes would be armed with atom bombs. Seriously.

"I am not stuffy and stuck up! I can be fun if I want to! You obviously just don't understand fun as well as you think." I snickered at her statement. Octy and fun mix about as well as oil and water. The most fun thing she's ever done is join the band, and even then, she plays cello for orchestra class, so it cancels out.

"Whatever, Octy. At least you're spending time with me. You'll loosen up. I'm already rubbing off on you." After giggling at the double entendre and receiving a well-deserved slap to the shoulder, I decided to make it my mission to change her. Have no fear Octy, you will soon be fun!

"Hey, Octy, I meant to ask you earlier, would you be my two for the walk back to awards?" I felt a little awkward asking her, but all of my other friends had already paired off, and I didn't want to be with someone I didn't know or couldn't stand.

"I suppose I could, Vinyl. But just behave. No obscene jokes whispered into my ear like you know you do. No getting too close on purpose. And definitely no flirting. I don't care that it's just your way of showing you care, I don't like it one bit. Got it?" I laughed a bit when she mentioned the flirting.

I can't help it. It's just in my nature to be flirty, and I take it out on my friends. I can't exactly flirt with random guys; they would think I was serious and try something that I'd have to stop painfully. But girls are another matter. Sure, some people think it's weird, and I've had the gay question flashed at me by strangers and busybodies more than once, but my girls know I'm kidding. They flirt back, so it's obviously not weird to them. I'm even apparently the 'husband' for my two oldest friends. Nothing weird there. It would be weird if I liked girls, I suppose.

"Got it, sexy. No flirting with your gorgeous self. Can I hold your hand, though? What if I get scared?" She punched my shoulder and glared at me as her face flushed red.

"Vinyl, I meant it! There are people all around! What are they going to think if they see you flirting with me like this? No! You are not allowed to do anything. No holding hands, ever," she hissed at me. I expected a forked tongue to flicker out of her mouth at any second. It didn't, sadly.

"Chill, Tavs. I was kidding. I know how you feel about personal space, beautiful." Before she could respond, the drum majors blew a whistle to get us to line up. Octy glared at me like she does when I'm in for it later. Yay? No, wait, that's bad.

The walk over was uneventful, what with the furious silence of the girl marching next to me. She kept her back ramrod straight, and her eyes glared straight ahead, whereas I stood mostly straight and left my eyes to wander. I had to admit, she was one of the best marchers I've ever seen, but it lacked something. She was too mechanical, which is saying something for a member of a precision band.

She was funny like that, always doing everything exactly the way she was told. She was missing the art in everything. I found some tulips the other day, and she said they were pretty. Nothing more. She couldn't see the graceful bell shaped curve of my favorite flower, or the subtle shade variations. Flowers were the one thing I've always loved, unlikely as it seems. Well, flowers and music. Octy could see the beauty in music, at least.

When we reached the bleachers for the bands to watch the awards, we saw that it was going to be a tight fit. The organizers hadn't given our two hundred members quite enough space, even without our contingent of twenty that went out to the field to receive awards. Octy was not going to like how close we would be sitting.

I was right about that. She glared at me every time I shifted the slightest bit, like she thought I was up to something. She ought to know by now that I don't like girls, so I'm obviously not trying to subtly grope her. Even if I did feel that way about her, she deserves more respect than that. I wouldn't even do that as a joke. But I suppose I have been kinda terrible about the whole flirting thing the last few months. Maybe I've given her the wrong impression.

As I had begun to mull this over, the announcer finally began calling Class AAA. We won every category, including Overall Marching, which was a total surprise considering some saxophones apparently messed up pretty badly at the end. We also got the title of Best Overall Band, which made us Champion of the Hilltop Highlander Harmony Festival. It was a pretty great start to our season, truth be told. I almost considered trying to hug Octy, I was so excited. That might have been a bad thing had I actually done it.

Back on the bus, everyone was in a celebratory mood. We passed the trophies around so everyone could kiss them. Then, they were stowed away in seats with responsible kids that wouldn't break them. That means Octy and I didn't get one, simply because I was there. I think I make people nervous when I'm around breakable things. Bull in a china shop type of scenario, although it'd be more likely a rampaging bull with firecrackers and explosive thingies on a unicycle, playing chicken with a bear on a motorcycle with a rocket launcher. That's no hyperbole, I utterly destroy every fragile thing I come near. I'm a special breed. At least that's what Octy always says. I can't tell yet whether she means it in a bad way or not.

Speaking of Octy, I've managed to trap her into sitting with me on this trip. Fun for her. Actually, I do think she's kinda enjoying it, despite my frequent flirting. Is that like frequent flying? Do I get miles for that? Ba dum tss. Thank you, ladies and germs, I'll be here all season. Try the concession stand hot dogs.

All joking aside, it was a rather pleasant trip. Octy was too tired to be as uptight as she normally is. Actually, she was really too tired to do anything. She even fell asleep on my shoulder about thirty miles from home. It was really adorable, if a bit awkward. That didn't last long, though, because soon I told everybody what was going on, and the mobile phones and permanent markers came out. She woke up looking like a street thug, complete with rather convincing facial hair drawn by moi, and tattoos courtesy of Jay. She was not pleased. I'll probably have to go to a surgeon to get her foot removed from my butt, because I think it got stuck from kicking me so hard. I will never do that to her ever again, so long as we both shall live.

On the upside, she's now an internet video sensation. She doesn't like that much, either. There's just no pleasing this girl.

Well, of course there's not, now that I think about it. She doesn't like the idea of sex. (That was a very long, drawn out, not so hilariously executed sex joke. Thanks for sticking with me.) And I've been trying very hard to see how far I can get before she shuts me down. The guys are using me like an information gold mine. I, meanwhile, having been trading my secrets for the scoop on Jay. He just sees me as one of the guys, but I'm trying to change that. It might help if I stopped flirting with our girl friends. I thought I've made it clear that I'm straight, but I guess not.

Why is my behavior always so inherently sexual? I act just like a guy sometimes, I swear. I'll never admit it, but good old Octypus is right. (I'll never admit to that nickname, either, unless it irritates her. I should find out, shouldn't I? Pushing Octy's buttons is always fun.) Oh well, can't change me now. If I act too sexually and manly, so be it. I will change for no one and nothing.

Although, I did go to the trouble of locating Octy's clarinet and putting it in her locker when they unloaded the trailers back at the school tonight. That's really odd for someone like me, very uncharacteristic. Maybe she is rubbing off on me. ( Mental side note: Hah, rubbing off. I should use that on Octypus sometime. I can just see her face now.)

Anyway, she appreciated the gesture, at least. She gave me a weird look when I told her, but she did smile and thank me. That was nice. I might get a hug out of her eventually, if I keep being this oddly sweet to her. That would also be nice.

A Bit More Than A "Good Morning"

Octavia

It's been strange lately. Vinyl's been uncharacteristically kind, and she's done multiple favors for me that I wouldn't have expected from anyone, much less someone whom I've only known a few months. Someone that seems to take great delight in my discomfort about her rather sexually motivated antics. I'll likely never understand why she does the things she does, but I suppose I'm growing used to the near constant barrage of inappropriate humor and awkward situations that seem to come with the territory that is Vinyl Scratch. That girl gets on my nerves more often than she doesn't. Actually, it would be more apt to say that she tramples them, along with all rules of normal societal convention and etiquette. What female intentionally flirts with another female, simply for their reaction? I'm beginning to question whether she really is as straight as she professes to be. Perhaps she doesn't even realize anything herself.

A good example of this sort of behavior would be the incident a few days ago. This sticks out in my mind simply because of the sheer repetition of this sort of behavior from Vinyl. This took it a bit further than she normally does, but nevertheless, this behavior has become a typical day's routine for the two of us. That disturbs me, slightly. However, this has most definitely disturbed me, because I never expected it, nor do I wish to experience it ever again.

"Mornin', Octavia! How's my favorite sexyfine girl doing today? Keeping that nice jogger booty going?" I jumped slightly at the greeting, smacking my head on the underside of the shelf I was arranging uniform helmets under. I glanced up, eyes watering, to see a grinning Vinyl saunter into the band room with a black drawstring pack slung over her right shoulder. She was dressed much as usual; iconic purple sunglasses resting on her thin nose, blue hair classically messy, and a Rise Against tee, white skinny jeans, and black combat boots with electric blue laces to complete the ensemble. I glared at the approaching figure for her unwelcome remarks. Why would she care about my "nice jogger booty" anyway?

"Good morning, Vinyl. First off, I am not 'sexyfine', nor am I your girl. Secondly, was it really ever any of your business how my bottom appears, regardless of my training habits?" She flashed her trademark grin at me and cocked her head, leaning on the shelf next to me as she did so. Dragging her glasses halfway down the bridge of her nose, she gave me a rather sultry look. I felt my face flush, and I cursed inwardly. Why did she always have this effect on me? I am the single most inherently heterosexual person on the planet, and she is female, for goodness sake! I guess you could just add that to my already long list of life problems.

"Oh, darling, you are so sexyfine that I could just drop you right here. And yes, it is my business how your ass looks, because I haven't been able to stop looking at it since the day we met. Now, what say we go find a nice, quiet place somewhere, and I take that jogger booty for a spin?" How can she be so nonchalant about her inappropriate behavior? Does she not understand that I'm not in the mood for this today? I stared daggers at the offending woman, and decided that a well placed punch was necessary. Watching with a smirk plastered on my face as she rubbed her left shoulder, I responded to her previous statement.

"Vinyl, dear, why don't you find some other hapless fool to direct your advances toward. I'm sure there are plenty of nice people who would love to become acquainted with you. Sadly, I am not one of those. You'll have to try a lot harder to convince me to do anything." Vinyl smiled at me, undeterred. She then had the gall to place a hand on my shoulder and lean in. As she pulled me close enough that our noses were practically touching, she purred. In all seriousness, she purred. Who on earth purrs?

Nevertheless, she did. I coughed slightly to clear my throat, and she grinned. Still, she did not let go. I became increasingly nervous as the seconds passed and she began to gently push me backwards into the brass closet next to us. I struggled to free myself from her grasp, but unfortunately, Vinyl was much stronger than I. She retained her grip on me, and pulled the door closed behind us with a flash of blue magic as she pushed me farther within. The fluorescent lighting flickered ominously, and I briefly entertained the notion of crying out for help until I realized that no one else was in the band room outside at that moment, and that Vinyl was not very likely to actually do anything. Right? I don't want to be violated, especially not by a fellow woman.

This line of thought was interrupted as Vinyl backed me up against the trumpet cages. Aaaannndd, violation imminent. My brain screamed at me to move, to struggle and fight and get away. I fought very hard to keep my breathing calm and steady, despite my frantically racing mind. Vinyl pushed her glasses up onto the top of her head with her free hand, and stared at me with a smoky gaze. I swallowed hard, suddenly afraid. She leaned forward unexpectedly, and I flinched. Laughing, she flipped the slide lock on one of the cages shut with a pulse of azure light.

"Can't have unlocked cages, can we? Everybody needs a safe place to keep their instrument, right? And as for us, well, you'll see," she whispered into my ear. I certainly didn't feel safe. Of course, I hadn't felt safe since we received the bad news about...

By this point, I was sure that she could hear my pulse beating rapidly in my throat, like a caged bird desperate to be freed. I wanted out of here, but I was afraid to try to get away because I had no idea what might happen. I trusted that Vinyl was only joking, although this was taking it a bit further than she normally would.

I was abruptly jarred from the safe haven of my thoughts by a tugging at my neck. I looked down to see Vinyl pulling on my bowtie with her teeth. She was untying it! Okay, this had gone far enough. I've been through enough emotional trauma lately.

"Vinyl, enough. This is not okay. It never is, but this has gone too far. For the last time, I am not interested, and I don't really think you are, either. Please, kindly release me so I may go on and complete my organization of the uniforms." Chuckling, Vinyl removed her hands from my shoulders, though she gave the aquamarine bowtie one last tug for good measure before she backed away.

"Oh, good show, good show, my dear Octavia. I was waiting to see how long you would wait before stopping me. I will say, you lasted a lot longer than I thought you would. Maybe you really are into me, and you just won't admit it." Waggling her eyebrows at me, I huffed and crossed my arms self consciously over my chest. It had become increasingly uncomfortable to be around her in the past weeks, because she had been making these sorts of threats nearly every time she saw me. It had gotten to the point where I felt awkward whenever she even looked at me, because I was afraid that she might actually be "checking me out", despite the fact that common sense told me she wouldn't be.

And she never really did. I mean, she would make a show of pretending to look me over when she knew I was looking in her direction, but she would never actually do that under normal circumstances. It's all about the show for her, and the reaction she gets from me. She would make an excellent performer one day, maybe even the world famous DJ she dreams of being. Regardless, I would prefer that she refrain from turning her attention to me, no matter how obvious it is that she has feelings for Jay. Well, obvious to myself, anyway.

"Vinyl, no. I do not, nor will I ever have feelings for you. I prefer to be attracted to the opposite gender, though there is nothing wrong with same sex attraction, which you currently seem to be struggling with. Perhaps you should find someone more to your, ah, own kind to play these kinds of games with. I know a nice girl by the name of Lilyrose who would be most accommodating of your... advances. She's a pretty girl, and kind, I could set up something if you would like." Vinyl looked dumbstruck, and a blush colored her face in an instant. Sheepishly, she rubbed the back of her neck with a hand, and looked down at her boot-clad feet.

"Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about something like that. You see, I kinda have a crush on Jay. You know him, right? Wait, of course you do, duh. You're the one who was friends with him first." I smiled at her while still trying to feign mock surprise. I had already known, but I didn't want her to feel embarrassed that it was this obvious. Even Jay had figured it out; the two of us had had multiple conversations about the wild, blue haired girl we had come to know and love.

I feel that he would have been more than happy to date her, if not for the fact that he had told me in the past that he never really felt attracted to anyone. So, either Jay has never found someone truly worth the effort, or he's what is commonly referred to as asexual. I didn't want to crush the poor girl's heart, but I couldn't just let her chase after him foolishly.

"Vinyl, I knew. I could tell. But the problem is, I don't think Jay is interested. He hasn't ever really seemed to have feelings for anyone, and we both think that perhaps he can't. Jay and I have discussed this at length, as he trusts me above all else, and that's the best we have come up with so far. I'm sorry, but I don't think it will happen." Vinyl looked crestfallen, but hid it immediately behind her usual casual demeanor, and appeared to shrug off the surely upsetting news. I took a step toward her, intending to comfort her, but I thought better of it, and remained where I was. She surprised me again, though.

I felt myself wrapped in a crushing hug, suddenly, and I caught my breath. Panicked, I looked at Vinyl, hoping she would let go. That was when I noticed the single tear in her eye, and I relaxed. She really had loved him, hadn't she? How long had she felt this way? I felt my hands move of their own accord, and I found myself unconsciously rubbing her back and shushing her. This had hurt her deeper than I initially thought, and I felt a growing sense of deep admiration and respect for the girl who had moments ago seemed, to anyone on the outside of the joke, about to take my virginity for all intents and purposes. Vinyl frustrated me at times, more than at times, really, but she had a soft heart inside her joking and brash exterior. It felt as if something broke inside of me when I witnessed that tear she was trying so desperately to hide, and I couldn't understand why.

That's why I held on tighter, surprising even myself, when the hug ended as quickly as it began. For the briefest of moments, I had felt secure in a pair of arms that did not belong to a family member, and I found that I missed the comfort that offered me, even though I was supposed to be the one comforting. There came an odd feeling in my chest, a hollow yet full to bursting sensation that I couldn't for the life of me understand. What's happening here?

Brushing these silken spiderweb strands of embryonic thoughts away, I composed myself with a deep breath, and smiled at Vinyl. "Better now? I know it hurts, but you have to realize it's for the best. I couldn't have allowed you to hurt yourself like that by chasing after someone who believes, as well as I do, that he does not have the ability to return your feelings. It is better that you are hurt this little bit now, than that you be hurt ten times worse by allowing yourself to become so fixated on what would eventually lead to heartbreak and disappointment. It may sound cold, but there will always be other boys. You'll find one someday that will come and sweep you off your feet and never let you go." Vinyl nodded, and I still couldn't shake the alien presence in my chest. It felt wrong to be reassuring her of the certainty of a future boyfriend, and I could not fathom why I felt that way. Surely I should be happy for her?

"You know, you're right, Octy. The whole thing was silly, anyway. Who needs love when you have friends? Especially sexy, bootylicious friends like yourself, girl." My face flushed at her comments, and for the first time in many years, I stammered and stuttered and generally failed to find my next response. She had rendered me speechless with two words. Two little words. Why could I not respond? I had countless times before when Vinyl would taunt me. Why would my words fail me now? So many puzzling little mysteries today... Eventually, though, I found my voice.

"Oh, absolutely, Vinyl. Except for the very last sentence. Sexy and 'bootylicious', am I? Hardly. I am a refined, cultured, lady musician who belongs in places far above the reach of common mortals like yourself. You should feel incalculably lucky that I even deign to allow you to near me, let alone attempt to grope and fondle me as you have just done not minutes ago." Vinyl smiled at me again, another lazy grin to top off the morning's quota.

"You know, if I understood half those words, I'd probably be insulted. But I did understand the words grope, fondle, and you. Sorry, but my shift's up for the day. Maybe you should go talk to that Lilyrose chick if you want some more of that." I blushed again, my accursed face betraying me for the umpteenth time that morning. Why do I let her get to me in this way? She is nothing more than an overly sexual nuisance that I am forced to put up with six days of the week.

"Vinyl, I do not wish for anything of the sort. This morning was more than enough to last me for a very long time. Most likely a lifetime. So, if you would kindly refrain from such behavior in the future, I would be very pleased." The words felt like a lie as they left my lips, and they stuck to the roof of my mouth as if they did not want to leave their shelter. Why was I behaving in such a strange manner?

"Oh, so I was that good, huh? Man, I didn't even take any clothes off or anything. But here you are saying you're good for another sixty years, practically. Wow, you got really into that, didn't you? Dang, girl, you surprise me sometimes." Winking at me, Vinyl brushed past me to open the door and leave. Flustered, I chased her into the band room and spun her around by a shoulder.

"Listen here, Vinyl. I did not like your little display in there, nor do I ever wish for a repeat. It is not because you were 'good', as you so crudely put it, it is because I. Am. Straight!" I happened at that precise moment to look past Vinyl to see that we had a small audience for our little spat. I immediately felt the slight weight of my undone bowtie, and I could feel little bits of my hair sticking up from their normally sleek and sophisticated curtain. Flushing bright red clear down into my neck, I hurriedly retied my bowtie, and ran my hands through my hair to straighten it out.

I realized exactly what this looked like. Vinyl and I walk out from a closed room, and I'm fairly disheveled from my norm. My white dress shirt was rumpled, and luckily I had chosen to wear black skinny jeans today, or my pants would have likely been a mess, too. Vinyl fared only slightly better herself; her tee was stretched out at the neck where I had grabbed at it to try to escape, her pants were covered in a fine layer of dirt and shoeprints, and one of her boots had come untied. For all our little gaggle of onlookers knew, Vinyl had actually done something with me in there, instead of what had actually happened. Clearing my throat rather quietly, I attempted to repair the damage I could feel attaching itself to my reputation.

"You see, Vinyl and I were in the closet to straighten up some instrument lockers and clear up some of the garbage the brass students feel is so necessary to strew everywhere. Nothing more went on, and I would hope you would not believe such a thing about two innocent people." Some of the brass students in question were in the little group of about twelve people, and they looked down in shame when I mentioned the filth in their closet. Everyone else still watched us with suspicion. Luckily, Vinyl stepped up and came to our rescue.

"Alright, everybody. Here's the deal. What Octy just said is true. And while we did just come out of the closet, we didn't 'come out of the closet', if you catch my drift. I am most definitely straighter than a lot of the people we see in band every day, and you know that's a fact. I'm kinda ashamed of all of you, for thinking that we would do something like that. I mean, give me some credit. There are way classier places to hook up than a brass closet. I would've at least taken a girl this fine to the uniform closet if there was anything serious gonna happen." I winced at Vinyl's peculiar way of explaining the situation, but it did seem to calm the small gathering in front of us. Many of them began nodding along with what she said, and a few chuckled at her coming out joke.

In a few seconds, they dispersed, leaving me with a triumphant Vinyl and a shaky sense of how close I had come to being ruined. Luckily, not in the sense that Vinyl would have taken that last bit. Oh dear Luna, did I just make some sort of sexual pun? I did, didn't I? What is happening to me? I think I've spent too much time with Vinyl. She's rubbing off on me. I don't like the results.

"So, Octy. How about that uniform closet, huh? I could go for a bit of roleplay. You could be the drum major, and I could be the naughty freshman that you're going to discipline. I always had a thing for whistles and authority figures." This was met with a loud thump as I backhanded Vinyl in the side of the head. She winced and covered the spot while grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Oh, I was going to get that girl good someday. And when I do, she's not going to like it.

"Vinyl, no. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go finish stacking helmets, and then I am leaving. I will be back here later tonight for the game. You should go somewhere and see if anyone else needs help with preparations. Goodbye." I said this as if it were the end of the discussion, and there would be no more questions, but Vinyl took it another way.

"So, I'll come help you. It'll get done twice as fast that way. Plus, I get to watch you bend over. I always did like a nice chunk of ass." I scowled fiercely at her, and stalked off to the helmets under that shelf.

"Vinyl, if you don't stop saying things like that, a chunk is all you'll have left of yours from where I kicked it so hard." Unperturbed, Vinyl soon joined me, being sure to trail a hand along my lower back up to my shoulders. I shivered, and I could hear her stifled laughter.

"You know, Octy, I always did like it rough. Maybe I wouldn't mind if you hit me that hard. Maybe I'd actually like it, but only if it was you." I turned my head to glare at her, and tossed her a helmet that belonged on her side of the stack.

"Vinyl, for the last time, no. Secondly, that's disturbing. You ought to get a mental evaluation sometime, because I'm fairly certain masochism is not normal." She smirked at me, and leaned over to pick up another helmet. She got close enough that her breath tickled the skin on my neck as she answered.

"Nothing is normal about you, babe. You're much hotter than the usual girls. If I could just get you out of those stuffy, fussy old clothes, I'm sure you'd be even hotter." I shivered again at the feeling of her warm breath, and I blushed as she chuckled deeply. How does she do that to me?

"Vinyl, no. My clothes stay on until I get home and change. And, before you ask, no, you may not help me and/or be present in any way. My body is for my eyes only, end of story. Even if we were dating for some ludicrous reason, you would not have access to what's on the inside of my clothing. No." Vinyl stared at me with puppydog eyes, and I found myself stuck on the idea of what reason it would take for two straight girls to date each other. Specifically the thought of the two of us together. We were perfectly incompatible, right? Even if she were of the opposite gender. She's far too different from me for anything to ever work out, even if it were Vincent instead of Vinyl.

Yet I still couldn't shake the idea, and it gnawed at me as we finished stacking the helmets in a silence unbroken save for Vinyl's constant sexual threats. Why would I become so fixated on that concept? It's not like I had feelings for this rude and unmannerly girl. She's a female, for goodness sake. I am also a female. That would never work.

So why do I get the odd feeling that it might?

Author's Note

Dun dun dunnnnnnn! Cliffhanger! Suspense! Other literary terms meaning anticipation for events!

Guys, it's Octy's turn under the mental microscope. She seems to be having a hard time handling Vinyl. Poor girl. I think she's having some problems with a runaway brain on top of the daily stress from good ol' Vinny. What will she do next?

For that matter, what will Vinyl do to Octy next? More closet time? Or will it be the bus? Nobody knows! Not even myself, and I'm the bumbling author of this story.

(Un)expected Emotions

Vinyl

So, a couple weeks ago things got a little awkward between Octy and I. I'm still not quite sure why I took the joke so far, but I can't change it now. Ever since, Octy has been acting funny, and I can't understand why. Did I upset her, and she just won't tell me? I can't shake the feeling that it's something more, though. Oh Luna, what have I done?

Well, pacing the carpet into submission won't help. Shaking my head to get rid of the scary thoughts, I moved away from the clarinet lockers and decided to wait for Octy to come to me instead of waiting for her there. I plopped down on the purple and gray speckled carpet next to the folder cabinet, and waited for Octy to show. In the meantime, I laid back on the ground and closed my eyes. I intended to just rest them, maybe have some complex thoughts about the universe, but I fell asleep instead. I'll chalk it up to losing a lot of sleep over the past couple of days, from being worried about Octy.

A bit later, somebody decided to wake me up by poking me kinda hard in the ribs. That could only be one person. Well, it could be somebody else, but nobody else could get away with abusing me like that. Cracking my right eyelid, I saw black hair and some purple something. Most definitely Octy. Opening my eyes the rest of the way, I saw that my guess was correct. I glared at her and rubbed my side. She sure knows how to hurt a girl. In return, I grabbed her hand and twined my fingers with hers for a few seconds to make her squirm. That'll teach her to be so rude.

After yanking her fingers from my grip, Octy's face flushed red, and she stared daggers at me. I grinned and sat up quickly. A little too quickly, as it seems, because I spent the next thirty seconds groaning and cradling my swimming head. I hate being dizzy. Octy stood up and held out a hand to help me. I took it and hopped to my feet, revisiting my dizziness again. I leaned over and put my hands on my knees to get my balance back.

A few seconds later, I waved Octy off and stood up straight. Running a hand through my already messy hair, I ended up causing it to stick out in probably a billion directions. I think I heard Octy say something about porcupines under her breath, but I could just be hearing things. Probably not, though, knowing Octy.

I wrapped my arms around my raven haired friend and squeezed tightly while she squirmed. I'm a hugger, and I'm just generally really friendly when I'm groggy. I let go when Octy threatened to bite me, and jammed my hands into my pockets, nearly pulling the already low hanging waistband down past my butt. I really need a tighter belt.

"Hey, Octy. 'Bout time you showed up. I was waiting for a half hour before I gave up and fell asleep. How long was I out?" I readjusted my waistband, and slouched back into a tired stance while waiting for Octy to gather herself and respond. She was a little busy looking at... something. I waved my hand in front of her face, and as her eyes focused on my face, she turned red.

"Whatcha lookin' at, Octypus? Something interesting?" She started sputtering, and apparently she was speechless. Well that's weird.

"I... um... it was nothing. Nothing at all. What were you asking me?" I knew it wasn't the truth, but I wasn't gonna bug her. I could've sworn she was looking at my... Nah, she wouldn't be interested in that old tattoo. That's not her style. She'd tell me if it was important. Least I hope she would.

"I complained about how you took so long to get here, and then I asked you how long I was out. Course, you wouldn't really know, would you? Unless you were watching me sleep. That could be a little creepy." Octy sighed and shook her head, used to my usual nonsense.

"You're right, I have no idea. I got here and put my clarinet away, and then I woke you up. Maybe you should check the clock."

"But, I don't know what time I fell asleep. There's no clock in here, and I didn't look at my phone."

"Well, I can't help you. Was there any particular reason you were waiting for me?" It was my turn to be speechless. Why had I waited for her? I can't really think of a particular reason. Well, better make one up real quick.

"I dunno. I was bored, and you're fun to hang out with. I was waiting for you to show up and give me some entertainment." Which wasn't untrue. It was just... not the whole reason. But I didn't want to sound sappy. I couldn't just tell her that she was my best friend, and I was lonely when she wasn't around. I scuffed my shoe against the ground and watched some really interesting dust motes float up out of the carpet. We need to vacuum the room again, looks like.

"Oh, well, if that's all. I'm here now, Vinyl, so I suppose that means you'll be entertained. Couldn't you have simply found someone else to spend time with, though? I'm not your only friend, and I'm sure that Lyra or some other girl would have found your company to be amusing." She peered at me with slight suspicion, and I returned her steady gaze. I waved my hand around the room in a gesture that said 'look around and there's nobody here but us.' I decided a bit of redundancy was in order so that Octy would understand what I meant.

"Octy, in case you haven't previously noticed, there's nobody here. It's too early for anyone to be in the band room aside from the drum majors and the director. We're here just a bit too soon for the swarm. That's why I was sleeping. I've been here since five am, because mom had to work this weekend, and she had to drop me off. So chill out and stop getting your panties in a wad. If I want to wait for you so I can spend all my time with you, I will damn well wait for you. And there's nothing you can do to stop it. You're stuck with me." Having been nodding along at my explanation of why nobody was here, Octy suddenly stopped and stared at me for the last few sentences. Her eyes widened, and I wondered what was wrong. I took a step toward her, closing the distance between us to half a foot.

"Octy, what's wrong? You look funny. What did I say? I'm sorry, whatever it is. Please talk to me." She reanimated from her statuesque state at this last prompting, and placed a hand softly on my shoulder. Gripping me lightly, she stared at me with barely concealed watering eyes. I felt my heart lurch. Why was she acting so funny? Why did I feel funny at the sight of her?

"Vinyl, did you really mean it? You want to spend all your time with me? Why would you do that? Why are you so clingy?" I put my hand on her other shoulder, locking us in a sort of awkward stance and holding her in place.

"I could ask you the same thing, Octy. You've been a lot more touchy-feely lately. Just look at where your hand is." She glanced at the hand that was still on my shoulder. Blushing, she yanked it back.

"Nice try, that's not the one I meant." Her gaze slowly traveled to her left hand, and she found that was clutching the hand that I had placed on her shoulder.

"That's new, Octy. Since when did you hold hands?" She dropped her hand immediately, and went to go hide somewhere and escape. I caught her left arm as she brushed past me, and spun her around to face me. She dropped her head, eyes downcast, and I knew something was up. I felt that awkward pain in my chest again, and I closed the inches between us to wrap her in a soft hug. She snuggled her head into my neck, and I felt something wet begin soaking into the neckline of my shirt through my black pullover. Octy was crying? What the hell? I need to fix this. And I've gotta help her save face. I know it would suck if anyone we knew caught her breaking down in public.

"Hey, shh, it's alright. Octy, why don't we go for a walk in the courtyard? I think maybe we should go find a quiet place out there while you calm down. Okay?" She mumbled her assent into my shoulder, and I grimaced when she clenched my hand tighter. I made it through the initial pain of her joint-grinding grip, and I tugged her along as I made my way through the band room garage door and out to the courtyard. We got a few stares, and Jay looked concerned when he saw Octy leaning on me, but I waved him off and took her out to my usual hiding spot. Crouching down behind the short wall separating us from the view of the world, I helped Octy sit and lean back against the rough red bricks.

"Hey, Octy. Why are you crying? Is it shark week or something? I know girls get kinda moody sometimes during that. Sucks, doesn't it?" She smiled very slightly at my joke, a quick tugging at the corner of her soft mouth, and it was over.

"Octy, will you tell me what's wrong? I can help you. I'm a good listener." She sighed, and leaned her head over to rest on my shoulder. I felt a shiver run through me at the contact, but it might have just been from the crisp October air around us.

"It's not something I should burden you with. It's my problem, and my problem alone. You don't need the sadness." I frowned at her, but she didn't see because her eyes were closed. She shuddered a little, and I managed to slide my arm around behind her and pull her closer to me to share body heat. I leaned my head over and nuzzled hers softly in a sort of calming gesture. This silly girl gets on my nerves sometimes with how bullheaded she is.

"Octy, tell me. I promise you won't hurt me in any way with whatever it is that's bothering you. I promise that I will be here for you no matter what." She whimpered a little and clenched her fists into tiny balls of rigid tendons and thinly flesh covered bones. Her hands were shaking.

"I just can't handle it anymore. I can't lose, not this time. I swear, something always happens just when things start looking up." I soaked in her seemingly nonsensical words, and waited for her to actually tell me. She sucked in a shaky breath of the chill air and curled in tighter on herself. I was near tears myself, seeing my best friend in this state.

"I... Vinyl, my dad has lung cancer. They don't know if they'll be able to cure him or not, because it was already in stage two when they found it. It's been so hard these last few months, not knowing if he'll ever get better. Right now, he's out of the hospital, but he's still got weekly chemo treatments, and I swear it's killing him quicker than the cancer. I just can't... I can't take it anymore." I blinked as the realization of what she had said sunk in, chilling me to the core. No wonder she was always so distant. She was constantly dying inside at the knowledge that her father could be in a casket in a week.

"I... Octy..." Lost for words, I just hugged her tightly while she clenched her hands around fistfuls of my jacket and cried into my shoulder. The bitter breeze wrapping around us only served to deepen the chill inside me. I held her tightly, determined more than ever to never let her be alone again. No matter what, I would stick with her until death would part us.

"Octy, I had no idea you were dealing with this all by yourself. No matter what happens, I'll be here. Don't ever forget that. And don't you ever try to go it alone like this again. We'll get through this together, like best friends should. It'll all be okay, just watch." She sobbed into my jacket, and I held her until she finally stopped several minutes later. Looking up at me with teary, puffy, and bloodshot eyes, Octy was still beautiful. I don't know why I thought so, I just did. But nothing could bother me in this moment, because I was too focused on keeping her together.

"Thank you, Vinyl. I've never met someone quite like you. You act like a jerk half the time, but you've got a good heart. I needed that in my life. I'll stick with you until forever, if you'll have me." And then, she sealed her promise with a kiss. I felt secure the moment her smooth, warm lips met mine, in a way I've never felt before. I knew I should be feeling something wrong about this, but it just felt so right. Her slight weight pressed against me, and I hugged her fiercely, enjoying the smell of her silky hair. Her lips held a hint of peppermint that belied the small piece of chewing gum that was everpresent in her mouth. Octy had a thing about bad breath.

I held her tightly against me for a few seconds more, holding her soft cheek in my hand, and then I pulled back, in depserate need of air. I rubbed her cheekbone with my thumb, and I held her with my other arm. So encapsulated in our own little world, I only came back to the world with the sounds of jeering and catcalls from some of our fellow bandmates. Luckily enough for us, the climate in our band was relatively homosexual friendly, seeing as our director was gay. His boyfriend is really something, let me tell you. I flipped them the bird and went back to gazing at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. The adrenaline rushing through my system must have been distorting reality, because I swear she was glowing like some sort of angel.

Octy shivered again, and I realized that she hadn't had a jacket on the whole time we were out here. I hurriedly yanked mine off, to the amusement and strip club noises coming from across the courtyard, and made her put it on. Standing up quickly, I held out my hand for her to grasp and pulled her up to stand against the world with me. Armed with only a thin blue cotton shirt and the strength of the love from my best friend, I jogged along the cement pathway through the frigid air to reach the warmth of the band room.

Jay caught sight of our intertwined fingers, and flashed a smile and a thumbs up in our direction. My good friend Tenant nodded knowingly in our direction; he had a knack for knowing things would happen before they did. This newfound relationship would be no surprise to him. Our director Mr. Sharp heard the noise following us from our rowdy bandmates, and looked up in time to smile at us as we walked past to grab our instruments from our lockers. Parting our locked hands only to go to our respective section lockers, we began assembling our instruments and music to start the day.

The Seed of Doubt

Author's Note

Hey there guys.

I know, sorry, long time no publish. But... Here it is! The chapter I know you all have been waiting for. I would like to apologize for my long absence, and I won't go into details here, but suffice to say, I've been very busy, and I lost my inspiration for a long time.

Luckily, I've found my Muse again, so no worries. Hopefully we can all get back to the regular old once-a-month updating schedule. Won't that be nice?

If you all have any questions for me, or suggestions, feel free to PM me. A lot of times I have a hard time opening comments, so if you have something important relating to the story, might be best to tell me directly.

Anyway, I love all of you who have supported me thus far and continue to read my little scribbles. You all are wonderful. I really don't deserve the fans I have, few of you there may be,

In addition, here is the music I listened to while writing this chapter. It's rather inspirational, and fitting, since these guys are the two most adorable musicians ever. Or at least the most adorable musician couple.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3-1PjFDDJ4

(I think I'll come up with a new band for every chapter from now on. Something to listen to while reading.)
P.S.- There are songs which absolutely fit into the story's current dynamics

Examples are:
King and Lionheart-Octavia's fear over how the world will view them, and Vinyl's reassurance. (i.e. Vinyl's her Lionheart.)
Mountain Sound-The 'scars and scratches' are the remnants of whatever has been holding Vinyl back from feeling freely for Octavia
Slow and Steady- The thoughts in Vinyl's head as she copes with whatever her past "monsters" are
Yellow Light- "Everything is different", and Octavia is "looking for a place to start." And Vinyl is draped in warning signs to her cautious eyes.

Or feel free to find your own interpretation. Music is a powerful thing.

The Seed of Doubt

Octavia

I still have no idea why I kissed Vinyl that day. And I don’t quite know how to handle it, either. Vinyl seems to believe this automatically makes us a couple. But I’m not sure that’s what I want. I honestly don’t know how I feel about… lesbian relationships. Goodness, I’ve never even had feelings for a man, let alone a woman.

Maybe that’s just because I’ve never met anyone quite like Vinyl. She’s rude, crass, intimidating, loud, and quite frankly, obnoxious. She constantly makes crude sexual remarks toward and about me. She lacks refinement in every way. She never ceases to step on every last bit of my patience and grind it beneath those ridiculous combat boots of hers. I quite honestly can’t stand her penchant for crude language and invectives. She obviously does not understand manners or class.

Perhaps… perhaps that’s really just it, though. There’s something charming about the way she acts. She’s incredibly rude, but she has a certain heart. Something in the way she lights up a room with her humor, ill-advised though it may be. She’s always cheerful and vibrant. She has this giant, cheesy smile that takes up half her face and never ceases to make everyone smile. I would be lying if I said I didn’t admire her seemingly boundless energy. Her flagrantly electric blue hair may be a bit much, but really, the color is in perfect accord with the rest of her personality. She’s incredibly flamboyant. I enjoy the spark of life she brings into everything. And I’d rather use my beloved instruments as kindling than admit that Vinyl is… possibly very attractive. She’s rather… lithe. And those eyes are quite magnificent. Sort of a carmine shade. Very stunning. Certainly not something one sees often. Almost vampiric. But it suits her. And she has very long legs… It feels like close to a mile long when I’ve admired them…

Not that I would do any such thing. I would never stoop so low as to spend time admiring Vinyl’s physique. I just catch a casual glance here and there. There’s nothing wrong with that. Why, she does the same to me all the time.

Maybe there is more to this than I previously thought? Obviously she and I have had some sort of repressed attraction for one another for a while. Perhaps since the day we met. She certainly has spent a great deal of time flirting with me since we met. And… I miss her when she’s not around. It’s like she makes everything in the world brighter, happier. I really wish she would be around more often.

There’s one way to make that happen. I can… court her. I have no idea how anyone would react to this development. Least of all, my parents. I suppose my father wouldn’t mind, but I really would not want to make his life any harder right now. And as mother so frequently states, she despises homosexuality… This situation could easily become complicated rather quickly. Or, as Vinyl would say, “Shit’s about to go down.” While vulgar, it is an apt summation.

Speaking of the blue-haired devil, she has just traipsed into the courtyard. I pray that she doesn’t spot me, but my luck must have run out. Vinyl spots some part of me tucked away under the large oak in the far corner of the yard, and trots over to join me. Sighing not quite so inwardly, I brace myself for whatever is sure to spew from her mouth in excitement.

I find myself immensely surprised when Vinyl merely takes a seat on the white cement bench next to me, and stays silent. I wait nearly five minutes for her to make some sort of comment or motion, but she remains as silent and unmoving as ever. I breathe out slowly, and turn to face her. She is leaning back against the tree, eyes closed, with a slight smile on her face. Seemingly noticing the scrutiny she is under, her eyelids flutter open. She smiles widely at me.

“Afternoon, Octy! Like what you see?” She smirks cheekily, and I scoff.

“Hardly. I was just curious as to why you had come looking for me.” Her face falls a bit with my first statement, and I worry that I have hurt her. Stupid. It was a stupid thing to say. She was merely flirting.

“I just thought you’d like to spend some time together, you know? Since we’re… dating? Are we? We never really said anything out loud. We just kinda made out and held hands. I mean, I’m cool if we don’t, I just thought…” She trails off at the end, apparently unsure of what to say, possibly nervous, because she had begun to ramble. What were we, indeed? Perhaps, we could be more than friends. She was leaving it wide open to me. My choice. I could begin or end this. Perhaps sensing my inner deliberation, she looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes, and reached out to grasp my left hand loosely in hers. Just a slight touch, nothing more, but when I didn’t pull away, she smiled slightly.

What should I say? I’ve never been in a relationship before. But that doesn’t make this any less valid. Perhaps we could be happy. Maybe this one choice could change my future. And just maybe, it would be worth it. As I look into her mesmerizing, hopeful, crimson irises, my decision comes to me. Not from my mind, but from my heart.

“Vinyl, I don’t know if we should.” As I see the hope in her eyes drain away to be replaced by fear, I scramble to fix it, to explain myself.

“It’s just; think of all the things that could go wrong. And maybe we’re just not right for each other. We’re nearly complete opposites. I just don’t know if we’d be able to get along very well. We can hardly spend an hour in each other’s company without you doing something that upsets me. Yes, you’re a wonderful person, and I love you. But as a friend, most likely. That would be the safe choice. That would be the responsib-“My nervous and rushed exposition is cut short by a pair of soft, warm lips pressing into mine. Just a gentle peck, nothing more, the barest brush of feather-soft skin.

But it left me wanting more. So much more. I had never felt this way before. Not once in my whole short lifespan of seventeen years had someone left me wanting. Never had someone instilled such desire with a touch. Disregarding all previous thought, I rushed in to kiss Vinyl again, only to be stopped by a hand gently pressing against my shoulder, preventing me from moving farther. I heard a noise of complaint and disappointment rise from my chest, and I gazed pitiably into scarlet eyes. Eyes full of amusement, and doubt. Restraint.

“Vinyl, why would you stop me? I-“She silences me with a knowing, thoughtful look.

“That was just a test, Octy. I figured you were attracted to me, but I had to know. My problem is, are you going to let your head rule over your body? Or will you let your heart decide this one? I don’t want to just be some plaything you use to satisfy some urge. I’ve never been big on relationships. I never wanted to be hurt. But after all this time we spent together, I thought maybe you were the one. The first one I’d risk my heart again for. I’ve been hurt badly before, Octy. Very recently. Sixteen might seem young to have experienced true heartbreak, but I’ve been through things people twice my age haven’t. Maybe I’ll tell you about it someday. But until then, I’ve gotta know. Are you going to use me and leave me, or are you ready to actually put all of yourself into this. Because earlier, you didn’t sound so sure. And then I kissed you, and suddenly you were Sexy Octy, trying to throw yourself at me. Is it love to you? Or is it just lust?” I saw the hurt deep in her level gaze. She had been hurt badly by someone before. She wasn’t lying. Suddenly, I found myself wanting to track them down and hurt them like they had hurt her. I wanted to protect her with everything in me. Is this love? Yes, I believe it is, my dear Vinyl. Or it could be, eventually.

“Vinyl, I… I’m sorry. I’m just scared of what could happen, what people might think. I’m sorry. It’s wrong of me to care more for public opinion than for the beautiful girl that’s been right in front of me all along. You have always cared for me, and I could never see that. I’m sorry. Yes, I do believe I would like to try to make this work. It’s worth a try, at the very least. Please, believe me.” Vinyl smiled at me, and drew her hand back from my shoulder to draw me into a tight hug. I relaxed in her embrace, finding the same safety and comfort in her arms that I have before. Perhaps I was correct earlier in supposing that we had secretly harbored this kind of affection for one another all along. Perhaps this could work out.

As I nuzzled my head into her neck and simply breathed in the warm smell of her skin, Vinyl laughed, and drew back for a moment. I felt disappointed that the hug was over, but surely there would be many to come.

“So, Octy. Now that we’re a thing, can I have a congratulations kiss? Lyra already promised me one if you and I hooked up, but I didn’t know how you’d feel about that. Threesomes can be hot, I guess.” Of course she was back to her usual self. Vulgar and unabashedly sexual. I thumped her chest playfully, and smiled at her.

“That is not okay to say. That is crude and disturbing. And no, I will not participate in one. Ever. You may have a ‘congratulations kiss’, though.” She pumped her fist in the air, and leaned in close. I dropped a peck on her lips, a chaste kiss, and drew her in for another hug. Despite being younger than myself, she was a good deal taller than me. She could nearly tuck my head under her chin when we hugged. It was an odd adjustment, but it made me feel strangely safe. I felt like her long arms and tall body just completely insulated me from the world. She gives quite possibly the best hugs I’ve ever received, except those of my father.

As we stayed locked in our embrace under the shade of that old oak tree, I shifted around to lean against her chest, resting my head against her shoulder while she leaned with her always surprising grace against the tree trunk and wrapped her arms loosely around my stomach. I could feel the gentle rise and fall of her chest underneath my left shoulder, and I just relaxed and simply let myself... Be. Just like Vinyl always tells me to. This moment was perfect in it's own right, and I didn't want to ruin it.

Perhaps we were taking things a tad too fast. Perhaps we were already considering ourselves a couple before we ever actually went on a date, or slowed down for a minute to actually process what we were heading into. Perhaps that was foolish.

Perhaps not. Because all I could feel was the intense magnetism in the girl beneath me, the breathtaking physique, and all of the attraction I had been subconsciously denying myself all along. This is what it means to fall completely and utterly for someone. There's no timeline or suggested pacing for natural attraction. It takes you by storm in the dead of night and whisks you away without a second glance. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

After all the struggle I've been through with my father's diagnosis, I've been afraid to get close to people. I've become withdrawn and shy, and I know this. Only Jay and Lyra noticed, or even cared why. And now Vinyl knows about my father. I never wanted to burden her with that knowledge, but perhaps it is for the best. Perhaps if there are no secrets between us, we can forge a stronger bond. That's what I wish for, deep in my heart. I can dare hope that this budding relationship will last into the foreseeable future.

Perhaps beyond.