Out of Step

five || original

                                                                "Where words fail,

                                                                    Music speaks."

                                                           Hans Christian Anderson  

"So when do you not have band?" Someone said slamming a tray down next to Alana. She looked up from her packed lunch to see Emmett sitting down at the empty table. Everybody else was in line getting their lunches; she was the only one who had packed today.

"I pretty much have it all the time," she said as she ripped a piece of her sandwich off and stared down at the table top. "And even when I don't I'll be busy. I have to get a Spanish tutor."

"Well, what if I tutor you then?" He said and she looked up in surprise to see him grinning. "We can have tutor dates."

"I think that could work," Alana said with a grin. She looked up and saw Laila standing slightly behind Emmett with a frown and a tray full of cheesy dippers. Giving a small shake of her head, she turned her attention back to Emmett.

"Would today after school work?" He asked and she bit her lip.

"I have band till five today. Um, tomorrow after school would work much better," she said and he nodded.

"Tomorrow it is then," he said grinning at her. She grinned up, but her grin faltered when he stood up and picked up his tray. "I've got to go. See ya tomorrow."

"Bye."

She gave a small wave as he left the junior commons and only dropped her arm when Laila, Alex, and Owen dropped their trays onto the table.

"What was that about?" Laila spat. Owen was glaring down at his tray as he angrily ate his carrots, not that Alana noticed.

"Nothing," she said smiling down at her packed lunch. She had spread it out in front of her and was now study it all, so she would not have to look up at her unhappy friends. She had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a juice box, a banana, and a pudding cup, which her brother had already stolen.

"Alex," she hissed snatching her half-eaten pudding back. He shrugged and started eating his own lunch, which contained the school made cheesy dippers. "If you wanted pudding, than you should have packed your own."

"Now why would I do that when I know you're gonna pack one?"

"Maybe because you want to be a nice brother."

"Now why would I ever want to do a thing like that my dearest sister?"

"Asshole."

"Dumbass."

"Buttass."

"A-wait what?"

"I dunno. I tried to say butthead and ass monkey at the same time," Alana said groaning and letting her head fall into her hand.

...

"Hey," Alana said as she entered the almost empty band room. "Sorry about that. I wasn't supposed to have practice today."

"It's all good," Emmett said looking up from his phone and pushing away from the wall. He shoved his phone into his pocket and followed her into the band locker room, leaning against the wall of metal lockers as Alana bent down to put her instrument away. She was in the bottom locker, which could be quite annoying when everyone was pushing and shoving to put their instruments away in the small locker room. Thank god, it was just the two of them and a group of freshman sitting on the other side who went silent when they walked in (and were now staring at them with creepy wide eyes).