Full Circle

Chapter 4. TASTING SILVER

IT WAS WHILE sitting outside Music Room 2 in the main Music Block corridor that Jenny grew immensely fidgety and nervous. She had made her appointment, but now that she had to actually participate in it...

Jenny's anxiety did not escape the attention of the stereotypical blue-eyed blonde Alison Thompson, who was sitting beside her, as both of them were scheduled as two of three girls to be examined before the morning break. Sabrina Schumacher was in the room, playing a reasonable rendition of Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E Flat.

"Not nervous are you, Jenny?" asked Alison. "You're in there next. They're doing it alphabetically, you know. Today's the last day of these music practical exams. It's surnames from S to Z. And as far as music practical exams go for this year, that'll be our lot."

"Yes, I know that. I might not be the brightest star in the night sky, but I'm not that stupid."

"Dullest moon in the night sky, more like," said Alison sarcastically, turning her face away from Jenny.

Jenny looked sourly at Alison. She was an excellent musician and she knew it, and she wanted everyone else to know it. Jenny knew that Alison hated her because of her popularity with the boys from the nearby mixed intake sixth form college, Shard College. Everybody knew that Jenny would sneak out of the school on many occasions to visit her boyfriend Peter Salazar. Of course, no one would ever dream of reporting her as many of the girls would also sneak out of the school. Alison Thompson would love to have reported her even though she never sneaked out of school herself, not having much success with boys, despite her every effort.

"I'm Grade VIII on the piano now," said Alison, turning her head back to Jenny and looking at her down her nose.

"Bully for you," said Jenny sarcastically. "It's such a shame that as I'm to be examined next, I won't get to hear your magnificent piano playing through the door."

"Yes, and it's such a shame that I'll get to hear your pathetic piano playing attempts and get to see you leave the room a complete and utter embarrassing dismal failure. How is your so-called pop group these days? I don't know how Peter, Sanjay and Mike put up with your silly synthesiser efforts. You couldn't even play a version of Chinese Chopsticks that an industrial robot could dance to."

"You seem to know an awful lot about my band, don't you?"

"Helen Murgatroyd told me all about it. Peter, on the rhythm guitar; Sanjay, on the bass guitar; and last and least, that male monstrosity Mike, the one with a hairstyle more becoming of a mop, on drums."

Despite Alison's putdown attempts, Jenny knew exactly how to irritate her, even though she was easily a good 20% less intelligent than her.

"As it happens, I failed my Grade III piano yet again, just last week. I guess I've been spending too much time with Peter...but it's all been very much worth it. Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more? And as for my band, we've written quite a few songs lately, which is great fun, though I don't think they're that good. But who cares, if you're having such fun? I mean, you're a blonde, Alison. And they do say, blondes have more fun. Don't you agree?"

Alison did not answer. Instead, she turned her head away again from Jenny and let out a sneering hiss, as if she were a snake that had been insulted by her snake charmer. Blondes might have more fun, but not if they have a face that appeared to have literally launched a thousand ships.

And so an uncomfortable silence ensued, with only the noise within the music room trumpeting its way through the music room's door to make it bearable.

In the relative silence, Jenny grew so nervous she decided to give herself something to do while waiting. What better to do than to consume a silver coloured banana, a reputedly magical banana?