The Throw-Aways

I scurried my way down the rapidly filling corridors until I found the History room. Thankfully, no one noticed me out of their little cliques. Sure, we were a tiny school with barely fifty students, but I could still disappear.

I was one of the first ones into the classroom. People might call me a teacher’s pet, but at least I had better grades than them! The older woman at the front of the classroom stood proudly at the chalkboard. The white stick scrawled out swooping letters as she wrote the times for the periods today. It was an odd schedule with all the tests going on.

The other students filed in after I sat down and pulled out my pencil. The clock overhanging on the wall ticked by slowly as our elder started to drone on about the rules of the final. Thank goodness it was the last day with her dull voice! She might have been nice and friendly, but her voice could make a mosh pit fall asleep.

Now that was saying something!

The paper in front of me opened up a library of questions. Each inked sentenced forced the gears on my mind to turn and twist. My memories had to be collected from the beginning of the year thinking about the French Revolution to last week when we finished up our Crusades unit.

By the end of the long hour, I felt confident turning in my test. History wasn’t easy, but an exciting part of my day. Some people hated it, and I could see why, but I actually enjoyed learning about people’s lives and how they made a difference in the world!

As I sat back down, waiting for a blonde haired Jock to start actually answering the final questions to the test, I let my brain wander.

“Austin, Alan, Phil, Tino, Aaron, R-Girl!” The crowd chanted in time for each of our names. The band bounced up and down, getting their blood pumping. It was almost time to play Warped Tour yet again! At the stage hand’s cue, we all ran onto stage and an explosion of excitement bloomed from the excited fans.

Tino clicked his sticks for us to start The Depths. I was behind my nice Roland/Yamaha keyboard. The laptops were set on either side with the sounds set up in playlists like I had organized them.

The guitars started with the hi-hats and I bounced along with the crowd, getting ready for Austin to come in.

“COME OOOONNNNNN!” Austin screamed at the front of the stage. I started playing a few keys, adding my left hand chords in. Alan bounced around and came up next to me, glancing over with an energetic laugh. I laughed as he spun his guitar and started up again. The notes came to me like opening my eyes. It was natural and automatic. The lyrics seemed to flow through my head with each single note.

“BING BING BING!” Austin screamed.

Wait, what?

I snapped out of my little daydream as the bell rang overhead. Anxious kids had already rushed to the door and were blocking the small opening. Oh no! I’d have to be stuck at rush hour in the halls! I swung my backpack over my shoulders and started towards the door but was blocked in the hallway by a group of “popular” kids, or the local in-crowd. Could this day get any worse?!

I had to get to choir quickly, but I would have to push through this crowd first. Sighing, I ducked my head and started quietly murmuring apologizes as I pushed past them.

“Look, it’s the freak.” A girl whispered to the boy on her arm. I had to ignore them, just block them out. It’s too late to get out my headphones and shut out the world now.

“Why don’t you play us a pretty tune, black bird?” A boy pushed me as I passed him. Regaining my footing, I kept on walking through the hallways. I could almost hear the comments the group of kids were making about my shirt.

What’s with the Mexicans?

Ewww….can she NOT wear ALL black ALL the time?

Freak show. She just wants attention.

Do you remember two years ago? Ugh, what an idiot.

She shamed herself in front of the entire town! Why is she even showing her face here?

They may not have said the words aloud, but they had before. Each of these comments had been repeated many times so that they were burned into my head. See? This is why I don’t play piano for anyone anymore! This is why I don’t want to show my face in front of these people! This is why I can’t sing in public! Their words slammed into my like a face full of bricks.

Just as I was about to break through the barricade of hate, a girl stepped in time with me. I didn’t have to look at her face to know who she was. The expensive footwear and high-and-mighty attitude said it all.

“Hello, Jay.” I grumbled to her and turned my attention to the band hallways. I loved choir and I loved everyone in there-except Jay.

“Are you going to hide behind everyone else today? Maybe Mr. P will make you sing solo. Now everyone will really know what a terrible musician you are.” Jay spat at me. I sighed and sped up my walk. She thought she was the best singer out of anyone in Colorado.

I swore softly to myself as I let the words hurt me even more. Everyone loved Jay and wouldn’t believe she had this seed of evil in her heart.

She was the school’s sweetheart. Everyone loved her and thought she was everything in the world. Sometimes, it seemed like the entire school revolved around her. Although she hid her true nature well, she managed to sweetly convince most kids in the school to turn against the few of us that were different. We were called the outcasts, the emos, the Goths, the scenes, the trash.

We were the Throw-Aways. Don’t worry-I was among them.

What classified someone as a Throw-Away? If you ever dyed your hair a bright color, didn’t listen to pop music like Iggy, Beyonce, Drake, or any other popular artist, and if you wore band shirts, then you were considered a Throw-Away. There weren’t many of us in the school. In fact, I can name them all right now as I walked into the choir room and took my seat in the far side of the room. It was Kylar, me, Skars, Nico, and Dante. Why were they the Throw-Aways? Kylar had bright hair, Skars had her name that made her different and liked to listen to death metal, Nico was dating Skars and had jet black hair, and Dante usually wore chains, dark colors, and eyeliner. Was the school stereotypical and cruel? Yes. Did they care? No.

There really weren’t that many of us outcasts, but it was enough for most of the school to be against us.

There was only one so called “Throw-Away” that was popular. This girl listened to Of Mice and Men, called herself a fan of theirs, and bashed others who actually listened to their music. She was the last girl you would ever expect, but she had the mastery of manipulating people so that she could be the only one that could listen to the “emo” music and be cool.

That’s right. It was Jay.

So I glared at her from across the room, watching her chat it up with her clique of friends. Skars sat next to me. The red dye in her hair made the blonde blend in nicely. I envied how her hair could always be perfect.

“Are you ready for our last day in Choir?” Skars asked me. The late bell was about to ring in two minutes, so we had a moment to talk and catch up before our teacher would arrive.

“I’m going to miss Mr. P, but I won’t miss Jay.” I sneered at her name. She was talking loudly over in the corner. Skars and I stopped our conversation for a moment to listen in.

“Oh Jay, what are you doing over the summer?” A brunette asked the popular girl. The evil blue eyes twinkled happily.

“My daddy is going to take me to Warped Tour in the end of July! We’re going to get special VIP passes to go back and meet Of Mice and Men!” She squealed. I brooded silently in my chair.

It was no fair! She always claimed to be a big fan of the band, but I doubt she even knew Austin’s last name! Now she gets to go backstage and meet my hero and she’ll rub it in my face as soon as she sees me after the concert!

It wasn’t her that had kept up with the updates of the band, it was Kye, Skars, Dante, Nico, and I! Now that rich girl gets to go to a concert just because she knows the name of the musical group.

It made me beyond angry.

“Raven, Rae, R-Girl, yoo-hoo!” Skars waved her hand in front of my face. I snapped out my anger mode and went back to my friend.

“Sorry. I was just thinking about Warped.” I sighed. My dad and I have been struggling with money recently. Owning a restaurant in a fairly small town wasn’t easy on the bills. This meant no traveling, no signings, no Warped.

“Hey, don’t worry about it! Next year, we’ll all be going to college so we can meet up and go!” The girl with the bright red in her hair tried to cheer me up. I nodded and smiled weakly. The bald man at the front of the room raised his hands for silence.

“So as you know, it’s the last day I will see some of you. Before we all head off to our own vacations, we’ll be singing a little bit and whatever time we have left can just be your free time.” He announced. Our small class clapped happily.

Free time! That meant I could use the piano in the back room! It was sound proof and designed that way so the musicians could play in peace! Thank goodness our teacher was so cool.

So for the first thirty minutes, we warmed up our vocal chords and started to sing. I knew each note by heart and felt the energy fill my veins. Skars nudged me happily after we finished our last song.

“Dude, you sound amazing, as usual. I don’t know why you don’t go into a career for being a musician.” She laughed. The teacher dismissed us and went into his office. For the last hour we could hang in the room.

“Oh, I’ve got other plans.” I responded with my usual lie. Did I have other plans? Sure. I wanted to go and get a degree in music, but for working at a record label. I might not have the confidence to actually sing or perform in front of thousands, but I could at least help from the sidelines!

“Okay, as long as it is in music!” She chuckled. I nodded and headed off towards Mr. P’s office. I knocked and asked to use the practice room. He smiled and let me in.

As soon as the door was shut and I clicked the lock, I went to the piano in the corner. I was finally in my element at the keys. The piano was well kept and it seemed like I was the only one who used it. I barely touched these keys during the day.

I had another piano I went to.

But for now, this beautiful Grinnell Brothers piano was my instrument. My fingers lightly touched the keys to warm up in a scale. As soon as I was done with a quick run through of the scales, I adjusted the bench and started to really play.

The hammers under the hood of the acoustic piano stuck each string to create a beautiful melody. I was thankful that Mr. P made us warm up our vocal chords earlier today so that I didn’t have to do it myself. I knew the keys, where my fingers went, and where the words would join in.

It was the song I wrote, so I should have this down to muscle memory.

“Wake me up when the terror ends
Tell my family, tell my friends
‘Cause my throat is in dire pain
Burning from this eternal flame.

Let them remember my final words,
But who’s left to read them out?
Let them sing to my standing grave
But who would come to
Match the silent melody?
So I’ll sleep?

Let them sing, let them sing,
Ring in the bells and let them ring.
Let them sings, let them sing,
Take my dying breath and
Let it ring.

Let them remember my final words,
But who’s left to read them out?
Let them sing to my standing grave
But who would come to
Match the silent melody?
So I’ll sleep?

I’ve got no hope or faith to spare
As I fall right through your arms
My last grace, you let me crash
Into the flame again!
I fell right through.

Let them remember my final words,
But who’s left to read them out?
Let them sing to my standing grave
But who would come to
Match the silent melody?
So I’ll sleep?

Wake me up when the terror ends
Tell my family, tell my friends
‘Cause my throat’s in dire pain
Burning from this eternal flame.
Your arms couldn’t catch me,
So I’ll tumble down.

Sing for me, sing for me,
So I can soar through Heaven,
To be let free.” I repeated these last three lines loudly, trusting in the soundproof walls to protect me. How embarrassing would it be to have Jay walk in? Pushing all thoughts aside, I let the graceful notes that wove the sad tale linger a moment more before I quietly pushed down a last chord.

“Sing for me, sing for me.” This line I repeated four times, getting softer and softer each time. I could feel tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I had written the lyrics after my mom had died. It was about her, for her, dedicated in her memory. Every time I sang the words, I felt as if she was sitting on the bench next to me. Whenever I was little, she would do that and help guide my fingers over the piano keys. I was on my own from now on, but her presence still lingered.

Who was I kidding? That song SUCKED! If I EVER showed anybody that, then I would have to hide my face for the rest of eternity. I thought again to myself. With a sigh, I put the memories away.

Wiping away any remnants of sadness, I focused on the good. Now that I was done with the first song, I could move onto more fast paced pieces. Today felt like a Bring Me the Horizon type of day, so that’s just what I’ll play.

I went through Can You Feel My Heart, Sleepwalking, and at last And the Snakes Start To Sing before the bell rang. I quickly shut the piano lid and went out the door, thanking my teacher for letting me use the room for the last time.

I would miss the nice little piano in the tucked away room.

Now that I was done with choir, I had one more period to go and then to lunch where I would meet my friends. Maybe today would go quicker than I thought.

All through my next period, which happened to be Science, we quickly went through our final and then watched MythBusters blow stuff up. Our teacher was typically pretty cool about what we did after our tests, so before we started watching the science geeks explode various objects, I turned on my phone and saw a text from Kk.

Kylar (Group MSG): Meet up in the band hall today for lunch. Special surprises from your fave girl, Kye. :D
Dante (Group MSG): I wanna know!!!! O>O
Kye (Group MSG): You’ll find out at lunch, Danny! O_o

I smiled and put my phone back in pack just as the series started. Time to kick back and relax until lunch!

Notes

Sooooo, sorry that the song in this chapter suck. :( That's an original ballad type piece I wrote a while ago and I'm looking at it and it's stupid, but ooooh well!

So, I hope you're liking the chapters so far! Please don't forget to leave a comment on what you liked! I hope I can get to talk to some of you!

Stay beautiful!