Color of Love [Gratsu] ♡ HIATUS

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

A/N: I apologize that the story is moving slowly at first. It will hopefully pick up in the next couple chapters!! Thanks for sticking with it so far. :)

When the bell rang, all the confusion and never-ceasing embarrassment melted away, like a thousand-pound weight had been lifted off Natsu's shoulders. He straightened immediately, tucking his new World History textbook into his backpack and scooting out of the aisle before taking off for the band room.

It wasn't long before he got lost, making a wrong turn somewhere along the way. He was walking along the language department hallway when he realized he was not in the right place.

Natsu had to interrupt a room full of kids chatting excitedly in French to ask for directions to the band room, which, unluckily, was in the exact opposite direction from the one he was heading in. With only two minutes until the late bell rang, Natsu heads up the stairwell the French professor directed him to and eventually found his way to the band room amidst the twists and turns.

It was nearly at the edge of the school, with a split path, one of them leading to his destination. Natsu figured he had a one in two shot, considering he couldn't remember where to go from here. Luckily, he saw a couple of girls headed down the left hallway, flute cases in their hands.

As he moved down the hallway, the cacophonous sound of instruments playing scales to warm up filled his ears. Following behind the girls quickly, he slipped into the band room just as the bell rang. The band director, an older brunette man in a bright yellow polo shirt, handed him a stapled pamphlet with a kind smile.

The two girls knew where to sit, and found their spots easily. Natsu, on the other hand, scoured the room for an empty chair. He felt everyone's eyes on him, staring him down like they were judging him for not having a seat already. Well excuse me, he thought sarcastically, It's not like I've ever been here before. How would I know where to sit?

As he found an unoccupied seat near the clarinets, he had to rush across the front. Natsu attempted to ignore the whispers of "Who is that?", "That pink hair, is it dyed?", and "Probably a punk phase," simultaneously trying not to roll his eyes at the last one. He found a spot near the back, sliding into a chair at the end and sighing in relief as he did so.

He quickly unpacked his clarinet and assembled it before setting it across his lap, listening attentively and keeping his eyes forward, so he didn't have to see the other classmates staring at him like a zoo exhibit.

"Alright, now that everyone seems to be here, welcome, students! It pleases me to see so many familiar faces in the seats," He ushers to the students. "And of course, some new ones as well," He added, smiling in Natsu's direction. "As some of you may know, my name is Mr. Clive, and I've been the band teacher here at MHS for over fifteen years. However each year is like my first; there's something so exciting about starting a new year fresh. Every band's sound is unique, and I have a good feeling this year, we will outshine our previous years."

Natsu heard a soft sigh of annoyance to his right. "He says this every day on the first day," A girl muttered under her breath next to him.

Natsu looked at her, surprised someone was talking to him. She was petite, with her white hair cut into a cropped bob, which made her cheekbones look higher and her grey eyes not as dull as usual. Natsu snorted at the band teacher's statement, and they shared an amused smile.

"I apologize, but first we have to take care of some housekeeping duties," Mr. Clive announced, grabbing another copy of the pamphlet and reading off the first few lines. He delved into discussion about the upcoming concert dates, and how attendance was mandatory as they would be the class' test grades. He then began to explain the requirement of marching band, which was a seasonal activity during football season.