BLEAK

Chapter Four

4

"Right, can you guys pull out Night on Bare Mountain, please." It was phrased like a question but was really a command. There was an all round shuffling of paper before everyone had gotten the music and placed it on their stands.

"Um, Mr Router?" A young Clarinettist asked from the back of our section. Everyone, apart from me, swivelled round to find out who had spoken.

"Yes?" Mr Router - or Gareth - asked.

"We don't have it." The boy concluded.

"It's Night on Bald Mountain, Jake." Elliot laughed at his old friend. Elliot was a Second and his friend a Third.

Gareth smiled. "Sorry Jake. I forgot that it was titled different."

Kira nudged me in the side. "Lauren, are you okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah." I replied, putting the two halves of my clarinet together and giving it a quick run up scale to make sure it was working.

Kira sighed and repositioned her reed. Even at fifteen, we were on the first row due to lots of olders leaving and us being the new generation. I was sat on the end, and performed any solos the clarinets have. I had been playing since year four, six years, and really enjoyed it. I had just been at Jazz Orchestra and now was playing the clarinet in Concert Band.

Cayden hadn't said anything today, Tuesday, but made sure he always had an arm around my waist whenever we went past Holly. The look on her face was priceless. Though, all her four squad members shot me the dirtiest looks on this planet, making me want to shrink and hide in the hole I had fashioned myself three years ago.

"Lauren? Would you kindly pick up your instrument so it looks like you're ready to play?" Gareth commented, a smile on his round face.

"Sorry, I was away with the fairies," I replied.

"Cayden fairies," Elliot whispered in my ear from the second row. I shot him an evil glare before busting out Night On Bare Mountain the best I could with the nagging thoughts in my head.

-

"Oh my God!" I whispered, staring down at my phone screen in horror.

Cayden had been trying to text me, which was normal-ish now. But what scared me the most was how many Ask.Fm questions I had. It was more than ever, I'm surprised my phone hadn't blown up.

Fourty Questions, all under Anonymous, all asking practically the same thing:

What's with you and Cayden?

"Lozza?" Nicole asked, turning away from her music boyfriend, Peter, and looking at me.

"Hmm?" I replied, scrolling through the however many questions I had, but would ignore.

"Are you okay?" Nicole asked again.

"Yes, yes I'm fine." I confirmed it with a smile.

Then I moved on to Cayden's messages.

Caaaaaydeeen: DO NOT CHECK ASK.FM!
Caaaaaydeeen: SERIOUSLY LOZZA!
Caaaaaydeeen: I'M GOING TO FIND OUT WHO DID THIS, SWEAR DOWN.
Caaaaaydeeen: DON'T REPLY TO ANY OF THEM, JUST DELETE THEM.
Caaaaaydeeen: Please, Lauren...

LaurenGreene: It's okay. You've been getting hate too, it's only fair. I'm alright, don't worry x
Caaaaaydeeen: Are you sure? I'm going to kill the person that did this.
LaurenGreene: It's okay, Cayden. Calm down. Don't panic. I don't care x
Caaaaaydeeen: I do though x

"Aw, you and Cayden are so cute!" Abigail commented, reading my messages.

I snatched my phone away. "Personal. Nose out."

"Finally, you've got another boyfriend after Toby."

"Shut up. He's not my boyfriend."

"What? Lozza has a boyfriend?" Kira joined in.

"No, I don't."

"Um, yeah." Abigail counteracted.

"Lozza? Really?" Joe asked, not even looking up from the phone stuck to his hands.

"No. He's not my boyfriend!" I exclaimed.

"Oh really?" Joe said, turning his phone to me. It was Cayden's Ask.Fm. "Then why has he answered that?"

Q: What's the deal with you and Lauren?

A: Why does it bother you? It's our business and I don't care what you think. Lauren is mine.

"Fucking idiot!" I cursed. "Hold on," I put my hand up and dragged Cayden's profile and clicked Call.

"Yo, Lozza!" Cayden's voice came from the other line. I heard a flump, he had obviously fallen onto his bed.

"What is with you?! Your Ask?! Why did you say that?! I'm going to die, Cayden!" I exclaimed, for all the people still in the hall to hear.

"It's true though, I was just reiterating it for everyone." Cayden's reply was cold.

"I'm not yours! I'm doing you a favour!"

"Does it matter, Lozza? This is what we're doing for a while, then we'll break up. It's fine. I've got it planned." He sounded so confident.

"Hell-Doll's squad are going to kill me..."

"I'll protect you, baby."

I rolled my eyes for Joe, Nicole, Kira and Abigail to see. Elliot was off with some of his other friends. "Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow." I hung up without even waiting for a reply.

Caaaaaydeeen: I'm sorry, Lozza x

Author'sNote:

Kay, this chapter was short and weird. I understand. It was more of a filler because Lauren's musical side hadn't been put across very well (oops...). Not sure if I even like this one, but hey-ho, it was written so I needed to publish it or some things probably wouldn't make any sense.
But anyway!
VOTE, COMMENT AND WHATEVER ELSE!
-H