Life is unfair.
It favours some people and laughs in the face of others. But I guess life never promised to be fair, just kind of offhandedly mentioned that it was a possibility. Still, if life decides to laugh in your face while giving out natural...
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"Alright, everybody shut up!"
Everybody shuts up and looks at Ms. Vaken.
"The band trip is next week. If you don't have your form in by now, you're not coming. I'm going to email you all a bunch of stuff that you do actually need to read." She throws a pack of sticky notes at a kid in the first row, closest to her. "Pass those around. Rooming assignments will be four people to a room, and no, you don't get to choose who you room with. If you're uncomfortable rooming with someone, tell me privately. If you have a medical thing that I need to know about, tell me privately. I do need a note from either your parents or a doctor as well, because I don't completely trust all of you not to make something up to get into a room with all of your friends. Does everybody have a sticky note?"
Naturally, half of the class does not yet have a sticky note, because the pack stopped travelling somewhere. Ms. Vaken sorts it out with minimal patience, then gets back to yelling at us.
"Write the names of two people who you would like to room with. Yes, they have to be the same sex as you. If you're not cisgender and do not feel comfortable being grouped as such, come see me after practice and we'll work it out. I promise I'll have coffee by then."
I always hate having to write two names. Cody isn't in band, which leaves me with one whole male friend. I glance around the room, trying to decide on someone who will undoubtedly not write my name, who I wouldn't absolutely despise being roomed with. I choose one of the quiet nerd kids who has a friend group of four, who I'm ninety-nine percent sure have some system figured out to make sure they all get in the same room.
I write down that name, then glance up at Axel, almost by accident. He's already looking at me, giving me a slight smile. I press my lips together and look down.
Ms. Vaken collects our sticky notes, then has us warm up while she goes to get her coffee.
After rehearsal, Axel finds me in the hallway on my way to my first class. "Hey."
I can't help but smile at him. "Hi."
"Who'd you put?"
"You and Lewis."
"Lewis?"
"I'm pretty sure his friend group has some system worked out to make sure they all get put together, so." I shrug.
"Ah, so you're making sure you get put with me."
I flush a little. "You're the only guy friend I have in band. Do you mind?"
"Not at all."
"Who'd you put?"
"You and Peyton."
"Is he that blond trumpet?"
He lets out a cute snicker. "That's a fun mental image. But yes."
