A Musicians Geek

Poetry and Chemistry

Mr. Fox's sophomore English class. Now that wasn't a COMPLETE bore to Skaiylee. Knowing rules to language and rules to words and things like that only truly helped her lyrics. English was a form of language ARTS after all. In this class, for the most part, she paid attention. She just didn't do the work in class or the homework for outside of class. Her priorities were on her music and her performances overall. If they were learning about grammar or whatever, she took the principles being taught and applied them to her personal tasks. The second month of school when they were focused on Shakespeare's poetry, she wrote a song for their band with language and mannerisms from that era. She paid attention. She was learning. She just wasn't getting the grades to show for it because she didn't turn in assigned classwork. Besides her music teacher, Ms. Elliot, her English teacher Mr. Fox hated her the least. He tolerated her not turning in assignments for the most part because he knew that she WAS paying attention. She had proven that she paid attention when her song about Romeo and Juliet was performed at the last rally only a week after their unit study concluded. He knew she was retaining the material, and because of it, he only gave a hard time here and there. Every other teacher gave her grief for it often and didn't realize that they were only making it that much worse. In the last parent teacher conference, Mr. Fox even passed her with a C- for effort, which Skai wasn't sure she deserved. He had taken her shakespeare-like performance at the rally as a B- grade for the whole Shakespeare unit, and she hadn't even known anything about it. That had brought her quarter grade to passing, albeit barely, but still. It was something.

That was another reason she paid attention in his class. She liked the teacher and had respected him. Her science teacher Mr. Chock? She had nearly no respect for him at all. He seemed to enjoy embarrassing her any chance he got. She should've passed science first quarter too because of Collin alone and being lab partners. Whether Collin had done next to ALL of the work for their projects, was irrelevant. Her name being on the partnered projects should've given her at least A COUPLE of A's she thought. But she still had a D- for the class.

She didn't try in most classes because she didn't care. She liked English since it served a purpose for her and music class brought her joy.

Today though, Skai was a bit more distracted than usual in English class. Something about her last class period with Collin had her mind reeling. She had talked to Collin from time to time and he'd even helped her with things here and there. But for whatever reason today, it just seemed different. She was always friendly with him despite the constant dull frustration with his lack of words spoken back to her. He'd even watched her performances on campus before just being in the quad at random, though he usually WASNT in the crowd. But when he was, he seemed to enjoy her music. At least she hoped he did. He did smile when she sang. He did almost kind of flirt around her sometimes… maybe…. Or maybe she just wanted his quiet half smiles to mean he liked her…… But he clapped at her performances…. Though that could just be just common courtesy. But he gave tips on lyrics while she wrote them..... Though he never showed any expressed interest aloud to see her perform….. So why would he be so lax and nonchalant about being asked too….? Maybe it wasnt his thing?

It made her wonder what a guy like Collin was into personally. Maybe he was just being nice by saying yes but was secretly dreading the performance?

"Hey, So Skai. Are you doing alright this morning?"

Skai snapped out of her whirlwind of doubt to see Mr. Fox knelt down beside her desk.

She shook her thoughts clear before responding. "Sorry! What?"

Fox gave a forced half smile. "I don't know if you were listening to the intro Skai, but this next unit is on Poetry."

Skaiylee sat straighter in her chair and listened more closely, as the rest of the class was bustling having already gotten started on their assignments she assumed. Was she that distracted?

Mr. Fox continued now grabbing his students full attention. "So, alot of the assignments for this unit consist of submitting your own original written work and I know how talented you are with lyrics. Poems aren't very far off and I know you can get an easy A here, Skai."

The teen thought she could be on board. She'd always wanted her music to get her success and this DID sound like an easy A after all.

"Okay. What do i have to do?" She asked.

"Well, this unit is 4 weeks long. So you have to turn in your work this whole month. There are several different types of poetry and you'll need to submit several entries of each literary interpretation to make a poetry book full. It will be a lot of work overall but what most students find the hardest part, the actual words, I believe comes very naturally to you as a lyricist. So are you up for it??"

Skaiylee did hesitate for a minute. She didn't want to agree to participate and then ruin her rapport with Mr. Fox by not actually doing it for the next 4 weeks. But it sounded like a cake walk for her since poetry and lyrics were so easy for her. It's what she KNEW she was good at.

"K sure." she replied softly. "I'll try. Let's do it."

Mr. Fox gave her a big, but not over the top smile. He thought if he startled her away now he might ruin a VERY good thing. Fox pulled out the poetry unit packet from the Ground beside him and put it in front of the now anxious student, and repeated the unit introduction that had just been given to the class again for his student one on one.

~~~~~~

Skai had no trouble at all getting started in her poetry assignment and had 3 1st draft poems completed by the classes end. Haiku, Sonnet, and free verse. This assignment was proving a walk in the park. After third period English, Skai headed out to the main quad to meet up with her bandmates, Coby and Jeb.

Coby Austin was Skais best friend and had held that title for 4 years straight. He was truly as gay as they come, wasn't afraid to be proud of it, and could rock out like no other on the guitar for hours on end. He also sang so flawlessly that his voice almost made Skaiylee sound like an amateur. Almost.

Coby and Skai were what folks in foster care call "the system" friends. Friends in foster care sometimes are considered friends for life. System kids all tend to bond over mutual trauma of having either shitty parents or no parents. Skai had no parents and Coby had s**t ones. They bonded instantly at a youth event filled with group get togethers and coping skill seminars and junk. They'd been besties ever since.

And Jebediah Singh. Jeb was Oakwood high Schools hotshot drummer three years running, and everyone knew he would be for another three years. Most of the student body knew there was no way he'd be among those in his graduating class. Jeb wasn't the type in any way to care about school. He and Skaiylee were both notorious for having no positive regard for their education, but Jebediah's thoughts toward it were amplified a whole hell of a lot more. He was a full on troublemaker who spent more time in the dean's office than he did in class, whereas Skai kept up a very moderate disregard for the rules without actually getting into punishable trouble. If he didn't have a parent on the board of education, he'd have far surpassed his limit on second chances.

Jeb and Skai were a little more than good friends. But they were definitely NOT dating. Not even close. Some would have called them friends with benefits a time or two in their past, but they make it quite clear that they're not and have never been an item, really. Jeb was just the keeper of Skais virginity in a way and she wasn't really too upset with that. In her mind, at least it happened with friends rather than some douche that'd never see or call her again. And if she was being super honest, she couldn't 100% say she remembered who'd been the one to actually break her hymen; Jeb or Coby. Coby was involved in her first s*x as well. Coby was the first to be attached to her s*x to s*x actually…. But he couldnt break it because it was hurting her to even have his erection inside her.. So Jeb came in and got the hymen broken without the fear. And he felt amazing doing it. Both boys got a chance to FINISH of course, and then they each took a part of the girls body in their hands or mouths.and helped her have an orgasm… Sortof. At least she pretended to. The three music mates had a plan to be each others first if they hadn't quote unquote, "lost the big V" by the start of sophomore year. So they all had s*x together. Jeb was Bi. Coby was sure he was gay, but in a moment of doubt, he wanted to be extra sure, and Skai was okay helping him to compare. They were all best friends and they took care of each other so she felt very content with the situation.

Coby had found a guy of his own to date not long after sophomore year started, Gayge Piers and out of some jealousy once or twice, Skai and Jeb let themselves get busy together just because, why not.

That had only happened a couple of times though, Skaiylee putting a complete stop to it when Jeb started to sleep around with other gals. There was zero jealousy involved since they had never been into each other like that or dated at all, but Skai had a blatant disinterest in sleeping with the whole school. And the gals that Jeb was getting around with, were also getting around with others. She liked having a clean s*x bill of health and she definitely prefferred to keep it that way. Thankfully, their friendship never suffered a single bit. They were all really close.

Coby was sort of the white to Jebs Black and Skaiylees Gray. The three way had a tight blending hue in friendship and it was a truly tough bond to sever, and anyone could see it with the way that they performed on stage.

"We all good J?" Skai heard Coby call from his mic on stage.

"Go ahead and test it Cobe. Sing a note." Jeb called from behind his drum set.

"Check. Testing one two, check check." Coby said in a moderate voice before singing out, "Skaiyleeeee Farriiiissssss. Our vocals and lyric Goddess is on the staaaaeeeaaaggggah!"

Skai rolled her eyes as she made it to the foot of the stage steps, and laughed at her goofy friend.

Skai put her bag down with her friends' and leaned in to kiss Coby on his cheek.

"You ready to rock this hall baby girl?!" Jeb called coming out to join his friends at center stage.

"Always ready J." Skaiylee said as she bumped Jebb's waiting fist following it with their added backhand smack to conclude their 'BandShake'.

Skaiylee gave the newest of the sheet music to her buds and they all made their final scan, and discussed any specific thoughts, and performance ideas necessary. As the cafeteria and room around them bustled and generated a performance buzz, the group grounded themselves.

Stage fright was a long forgotten feeling after doing this for so long now, but Skaiylee thought she would be lying if there was zero nerves about this particular performance. This new song she wrote had very obvious hints about wanting to be noticed by a certain quiet somebody. A somebody she may or may not have asked to come and watch the show today.

This was the point in time that she would truly afterwards know if Collin shared interest in her as a girlfriend. This was it.....

She only hoped that her efforts for the performance hadn't been all for nothing.....

She really wanted Collin as her boyfriend.