Lost in the Rhythm

The Banshee Big Band

"I saw you talking to the new kid today."

"Oh?" Amity didn't look up from her carton of milk. She stirred it absentmindedly with her straw, avoiding Boscha's eyes. The last thing she needed was an interrogation about the weird girl who'd butted into the Banshee Orchestra like she'd been there all her life and who'd clung to her like a burr to a cat's pelt. What had that girl's problem been? Didn't she want to respect the natural social hierarchy that Amity had worked tirelessly to build over the past two years?

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why were you talking to her?"

"I didn't want to," Amity said defensively. She glanced up at Skara, who shrugged. She sighed in exasperation. "She was new and the receptionist in Student Services wanted me to show her to the band room."

"Really?" Boscha gave a snort of laughter. Amity felt heat rise in her face. What did it matter? She'd parted ways with Luz now. They didn't ever have to speak again. They may have both been woodwinds, but their sections didn't usually mix. Out of sight, out of mind.

And she definitely wanted to get that annoying saxophonist out of her mind.

"You seemed to be getting pretty buddy-buddy with her this morning," Boscha said.

"She was in the flute section. I didn't know how to tell her to leave."

"You looked about ready to punch her, though."

"Yeah." She took a sip and said nothing else. Maybe being curt as possible would dissuade Boscha from talking about their infuriatingly cheeky new classmate any more.

It didn't, though, and Boscha's next question made her nearly do a spit take. "Do you think she's hot?"

She choked, grabbing a napkin to wipe at her mouth as she stumbled for words. "What- uh, pardon?" she sputtered.

Boscha shrugged. "I mean, she's a total loser, but I don't think she's bad-looking by any stretch of the imagination."

"You only think that because you didn't have to put up with her not shutting up for the entire class period."

"So you do think she's hot," Skara butted in.

"I don't! I think she's annoying!"

"Mm-hm." Boscha stuffed a limp french fry into her mouth, watching Amity with a half-lidded gaze. "Annoying. So how long 'til you get caught making out in a practice room? My bet's on a week. At most."

Amity growled, unable to suppress the blush crawling up her neck. She hoped Boscha didn't think she was lying. She really did think Luz was annoying, even after the little interaction they'd had. She was just embarrassed that her best friend would think such a thing.

"Hey, isn't that her over there?" Skara said. Boscha gave up her teasing and spun around to look where Skara was pointing. Amity tried to look too, but she did her best to remain inconspicuous. If Luz caught her staring, she'd surely die of embarrassment.

Surely enough, Hexside's newest student was sitting a few tables away, alone, picking at a cheeseburger. Her deep brown eyes met Amity's and she smirked. The heat in her face spreading, Amity flipped her off in response.

"Woooow," Boscha snickered. "That was pretty harsh, Ami."

Luz's eyes widened in pretend surprise.

"She can't bug me all morning and then look at me like that," snapped Amity. "It's her fault I-" Couldn't talk to the counselor, she finished silently. But she couldn't tell Boscha that. Boscha was the reason she'd been at the counselor's office anyway. Talking to Bump hadn't worked, so she'd moved to the higher-ups to solve her problem.