Overthinking

Jazz Squad

( Reese )

Andy and I made our way to jazz in agony and sadness. We weren't supposed to stay after school today. We were supposed to go watch all the Harry Potter movies tonight but instead we were going to jazz rehearsals.

"I can't believe Mr. Raymond is actually making us do this.", Andy mumbled, rolling her eyes. "And we're probably staying until night time.", I added, making Andy and I groan in unison. Jazz rehearsals after school really sucked.

When we entered hall, we immediately went for our instruments and set up. Andy went for her trombone and I went for my saxophone. Seeing everyone sitting down we immediately went to our section and got our music out. Today was going to be a rough day.

Jake and Jasper sat by my sides and I said hi to them quietly. I didn't mean to be rude or anything, I just didn't want to anger Mr. Raymond. And also, Jasper and I weren't really friends. Jake and I were though.

"Reese, your skirt's too short again.", Jake muttered, laughing a little at the end. "Kill yourself gnome, you can't even wear shorts without looking like a walking stick.", I sassed, hearing Jasper laugh next to me.

"Oh, Jake. Better watch out for the next two hours.", Jasper whispered, sticking his reed inside his mouth. "Two hours?!", I whispered-shouted at the boy, making him laugh at me once again.

"We're getting new music, right?", Jake mumbled through the piece of wood inside his mouth, making me nod in disbelief. "Can't believe he keeps on assigning us music every Friday, Andy and I were going to watch movies tonight.", I whispered, finally hooking my neck strap with my instrument and setting my reed between the mouth piece and ligature.

Jasper nudged me with his extremely pale elbow and played his tune note. "If anyone plays or speaks, I'm bending your instrument in half.", Mr. Raymond announced. Jasper and I's eyes' widened, and quickly silenced ourselves.

"Pull out.", I whispered in his ear, cupping my hands and scooping myself closer to him just so Mr. Raymond wouldn't kill me. It was that moment when Andy hit me with her trombone in the mouth and Jasper on his ear.

"What the hell?", I whispered at her, looking up at my best friend. "Four to six inches.", Andy muttered, hitting Jasper one more time on his head. "We sit next to each other!", I shouted quietly. "I don't care, I want the dry erase white board away from you. Now.", Andy muttered, making me roll my eyes and turn swiftly back to my music.

"Saxophones, pass down the music!", I heard someone yell, making me realize Jake had put a bunch of papers on my stand. And the best part was, it read Death OfA Bachelor on the very top.

I was ecstatic to actually play good music. We played old music that had a ton of jazz in it but this song had its own little part for saxophone, which was great.

Learning this for two hours didn't seem as bad anymore.

🎷 🎺

It was actually three hours. Three hours straight of playing the same music. I was extremely done with life and my lungs hurt when putting up my instrument. Jake and I would argue while I turned to my other side and got smacked by a trombone repeatedly or got to talk to an extremely pale boy.

So practice ended and we all talked outside of school for quite a while. Andy and I talked about Harry Potter and Jake and Jasper would make fun of us for it.

It was all going great until I sat down quickly and the skirt I was wearing went up. Jake and Andy gasped while Jasper's pale face went red. I laughed so hard I could hardly breathe.

"Do you guys wanna go to my house and watch Harry Potter?", Jake asked, making me look at him quizzically. "I thought you said you didn't like Harry Potter.", I said, looking down at the small boy. "Joseph likes Harry Potter.", he said quickly, making Andy and I laugh.

"Sure Jake, just Joseph.", Andy said with a laugh, gathering up her backpack to walk down to Jake's house. We all followed to the close house and politely said hi to Jake's mother.

"Where were all of you?", Mrs. Paige asked us. "Jazz.", we said in unison, climbing up to Jake's room. Mrs. Paige sighed yet let us go up to watch Harry Potter.

As the Jazz Squad watched Harry Potter, Jake and Andy argued on who was the best Gryffindor. "You're not even a Gryffindor!", Jake shouted at Andy, making my laugh. "You're a Hufflepuff, you gnome!", Andy said harshly, hitting Jake with a pillow.

I yawned and laid back on Jake's bed when I looked over and saw Jasper lying next to me. "Do you think we're sleeping over?", I whispered at him, making him shrug his shoulders against the mattress. "Jake, can we sleep over?", I asked. "Sure homie get yourself some basketball shorts.", Jake said calmly before going back to shouting at Andy for pretending to be in another house.

Jasper and I changed into some basketball shorts and we made fun of each other saying we looked like thugs.

As we lay back in bed and ignored how Andy was threatening to kill me and Jasper, everyone slowly fell asleep at around three in the morning.

I lay awake though, staring at Jasper in his sleep. I might not be much of his friend, but gosh he was cute. Yes, even though he was pale. He looked so calm and peaceful sleeping, with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips slightly ajar. He looked like an angel to me in those moments.

"Jasper, hey.", I whispered at him, shaking his shoulder just the slightest bit to wake him up. I saw him open his eyes and stare into mine that were just centimeters away. His pale features turned red again and I smiled at him.

"Is there a problem?", Jasper whispered at me, making me shake my head. "You're really cute, that's all.", I whispered once again. Jasper tried to cover his face with the covers but you could spot his red cheeks a mile away. I laughed quietly at him and smiled kindly, making him scoot to the edge of the bed touching the wall.

"You need to stop complimenting me.", the pale boy whispered. "Why?", I responded, scooting closer to hear Jasper better. "Because I like you, and you don't like me.", he said.

"How do you know I don't like you?", I told him. He shrugged his shoulders under the covers and I pressed myself against him. "Don't jump to conclusions.", I said.

"Andy hates me.", Jasper whispered out of nowhere. "Because she's my best friend. She thinks you're too pale.", I explained. "You're pale too though.", the boy mumbled. "I'm unhealthy pale, not naturally pale.", I responded.

"Why doesn't she hate Jake?", Jasper asked me. "Because Jake is a gnome, you need to be my height or taller for me to see you in a different light." "How is that supposed to make me feel?", the boy questioned, looking down at me in the dark blue covers that contrasted with the dark night around us.

"Honored because you're taller than me; by a lot I must add.", I said.

"Does that mean I have a chance?"

"Very well Jasper. A question for you to ask and also you to find out."

❤️️

( I'm gonna update like mad bc I haven't done that in a while sorry fellas :,). 

Sofie, one of my lovely friends told me a reader from NC reads my stories when I mentioned I hit 2K reads ( thanks thanks thankS SO MUCH 🙏🏽 ) and I am 95% sure she mistook my disgusting book for another one but you know what whatever shout out to you homie you're rad !! And all my homies in NC bc appreciation is lit !

Anyways sorry for being annoying, thanks for reading, have a good time.

Bye y'all :) )

- Ash xx