"So you wish to know of Erik. Very well, I shall tell you how I came to know him." She pauses and you can hear her take a breath. "You may not believe what I am about to tell you, but listen, and know anyway. it was about two years ago.....my first year in college... Things were going badly. But let me start about 5 days before i first saw Erik...."
Julie slammed the door to her room shut and threw her sheet music book against the far wall. Then she whirled back to the door and slammed her hand flat against it. She swore and jerked her hand away. "Shit! That fucking hurt!" Furious she grabbed the telephone and dialed her best friend, Patrick's room. It rang four times then the voice mail picked up. She hung up and thought for a moment.
Letting the flute bag ease off her shoulder she grabbed her backpack and threw in a couple of books. Phantom by Susuan Kay and her honors handbook. Julie opened her desk drawer and fished out a meal ticket to use at the grill later that night. She slipped it into her pocket and zipped up her bag.
She left the room quickly, locking it up behind her. Her roommate Brandi didn't seem to mind, of course, she was never there. Julie stormed down the hallway, not paying attention to anyone else. But they never bothered with her anyway. Julie usually stayed in her room or out of the dorms completely. She flew down the stairs and out the door.
The afternoon was cold and she pulled her jacket tighter around her. Patrick was probably in his dorm lobby playing Bond on the N64, or checking his email. So she hurried to the guys dorms and walked into the lobby. She was greeted by almost everyone int he lobby. Brent walked over and hugged her.
"Hey girl, what's up?" he asked.
"Is Patrick in his room?" she asked looking around and not finding him.
Brent nodded. "He just went up a few minutes ago. Do you want me to sign you in?"
"Yeah, just do it under his name."
Brent signed her in and together they walked up the stairs to their floor. Julie ran to Patrick's door and walked inside without knocking. brent went ot his room across the hall.
"This has been the worst day of my life!."
Patrick looked up from Tim's computer. "What's the matter, Jules?"
She sat down on his bed and sighed. "Everything. Martin made me feel like a beginer again today."
"Ouch. That's rightm today's Thursday, private lessons. Were you prepared?"
"No! but what does it matter? He'd still treat me like this. He doesn't want to help me, he just expects me to know how to play. And all I hear about is how the other flutes are doing so well." She laid down looked over at Patrick. "And I'm not going to English anymore."
"What happened there?"
"Barnes didn't like my writing style...and I can't write those expository essays," Julie complained. "So I'm just gonna quit going."
Patrick put his hands up. "Hey babes, it's your choice." He leaned back in his chair. "What re you doing tonight?" he asked.
"Oh, I don't know, I thought I'd commit suicide by jumping off the music building."
"That wouldn't kill you....paralyze you, but not kill you."
"You're right. With my luck I'd land in a bush." She laughed and he smiled.
"Well, since option A is out of the question, do you want to go with to Nashville tonight?"
"Who's driving?"
Patrick looked at her. "Dan, who else?"
She smiled. "Yeah, what was I thinking?" With a groan she sat up. "Sure, I'd love to go. Let me go grab Jeremy and then we'll go to the grill. After Daniel gets out of class we'll go. Okay?"
"Sure," he said. He stood and walked ot the be to lend her a hand. She pulled herself standing and they walked out the door and down the hall to Jeremy's room.