Angel of Music

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The drive was absolutely magical. The private school was next to the river, ten minutes from the house. Everyone had their lights and decorations up. Some of them rather terrifying, some of them adorable. Kids ran around in fluffy costumes that fit over their jackets and gloves, running through the streets.

“We’re going to be late!” Dre cried.

“Do you want us to hit the children?”

“Hang the children!”

“Dre. You’re too uptight. We’re going to be just fine. Relax.”

When the school was in view, Dre pulled his seatbelt off, and was out of the car one second after they were stopped. He ran into the doors, his cape flying as he went.

Lanie watched in perplexed amusement. “I didn’t know he had such a volunteer spirit. I should bring him onto the Foundation.”

“Do we have to go in?” Ben asked. “This car has a very spacious back seat.”

“We have to go in. We’re chaperones.”

“We can chaperone ourselves.” He nibbled on her ear. “Why did you sign us up, anyway? This doesn’t seem like your thing.”

“I’m watching Dre. This is his first dance.”

She was lying. Again. He sighed, pulling back from her. “Alright. We better watch them, then. Come on.”

The school was beautiful. Modern architecture and flawless engineering. Had his company done this one during one of his trips? He tried to remember, but couldn’t.

Lanie fidgeted with the edge of her cloak as they checked in and made their way to the gym, with the vaulted skylights and built-in bleachers. The room was nearly completed. They looked around, trying to spot Dre. And then they heard him.

“Fletcher said it has to be done like this, Jaylin!” He pulled a streamer from the other boy’s hand, and then carefully folded it into an orange pinwheel. “See? The creases need to go on the inside.”

“Dre, you’re neurotic,” Jaylin complained, his skinny face screwed up in disgust. “And a brown-noser. Why do you care?”

“Why don’t you? Don’t you want to help his band make it to the top?”

Ben and Lanie raised their eyebrows at each other, then moved closer. “Dre? Are you okay?’

He barely looked at them. “Fine. Can you make these flower things? Jaylin is bombing it. Jay, go make sure the snack table looks decent.”

Shoving the rosette at Ben and muttering some very bad words, Jaylin stomped off.

Ben had never seen Dre so wired up. He wondered whether all of this wasn’t too much pressure for a ten-year-old. When he saw Fletcher setting up cables on the stage that had been erected under the basketball hoop, he strode over.

“Fletch, can I talk to you for a sec?”

The boy looked up, his goofy smile on his face. He was a sweet summer child, who belonged on a beach in LA more than this icebox of a county. He was dressed as the Mad Hatter, with a purple fedora and orange-striped knee socks. He pulled it off amazingly well.

“Sure, Dr. G! Thanks again for coming. Your costume is great! I was super excited when Mrs. G suggested our youth club offer our services to the Oakbay committee. I’ve been meeting so many cool people! And I really hope that everyone likes our songs.” He frowned. “I wasn’t sure about the ‘Monster Mash,’ though. I don’t know if it’s the same if I can’t roll my r’s. Do you know how? Can you teach me? You know, I was thinking, you should come and talk to our youth group one of these days. Everyone thinks your so cool.”

Ben’s head spun at the barrage of words and blinding smile. “Ummm…”

“So? What do you think?”

His head spun, the beginning of a headache making itself known. “About?”

“Speaking at our club. Lots of kids are interested in saving the environment. And I think you – ”

Ben held up a hand, and the boy’s face fell. “Just…wait a second, okay. I want to talk to you about Dre.”

“Oh? Is everything okay? Does he need help?” Fletcher peered around Ben, with a concern that made Ben’s heart twinge. This boy should never have to worry about anything. “Renee! Go see how the kids are doing.”

Fletcher’s younger sister, who had just turned fourteen, didn’t even argue. She dropped her cables and rushed off. “Dr. G, do you know anything about XLR cables? I know you used to be on the worship team, like me. You’re like, a legend. I have a picture of you up on my wall!”

“Um…”

“Not in a creepy way. It was from the cover an architectural magazine, like ten years ago. It was a good picture. I liked your ascot. I asked my dad for one just like it.”

And before Ben knew it, he had all the cables set up, all of the inputs patched into the soundboard, and was equalizing the audio while the band did a soundcheck.

“Alright!” The gym was filling up just as they finished, and Fletcher had his band warmed up and ready to go. He was guileless and unselfconscious as he smiled at everyone. “Thanks for coming to Oakbay Academy’s fifth annual Halloween bash! Don’t forget to drop off your food bank donations at the Haunted House of Cans, and it will be ready by the end of the night. Give your song requests to my mom, Ruth, down there, and we’ll work in what we can. Grab a snack, and let’s get started!”

Everyone cheered at the opening beats of “Thriller.”

Fletcher grinned. “Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this song in no way endorses my belief in the occult.”

From his spot against the wall, Ben had a good view of Dre as he stood with Grace O’Malley, Jaylin, and some other kids. Jaylin tried to show Dre the “Thriller Dance,” but quickly gave up the third time that Dre stumbled.

He looked around for Lanie. Was she still one of Fletcher’s second-degree lackeys, even now that Dre was having fun? At last, he saw her, standing by the door and looking annoyed.

“Hey,” he said, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her close. “Watcha doing?”

“I was just looking for a bathroom and got lost. Had to deal with a very rude janitor.”

She looked like she wanted to murder someone. Her expression reminded him so much of Dre that he laughed. “Hey, it’s okay. Relax, baby. Come look at your son. He’s having so much fun with his friends.”

Reluctantly, she followed him, looking around nervously. He felt bad for her. He knew that she wasn’t usually one for crowds. Or children. Of which there were many, bumping into them as they passed. Suddenly, she stopped.

“You know what I need?” The huskiness of her voice and the way that she brushed a hand over her bare shoulder left nothing to his imagination. His blood stirred.

“What? Now? What about our duties?”

“I’ll be able to concentrate a lot better…” she sing-songed, looping her hands around the waist band of his trousers.

“Dre is going to kill us.”

“Ooooh, I’m so scared. I could really use an adrenaline rush. It makes me feel…tingly.”

He bit his lip, trying to avoid giving in. “We made a commitment. And there are rules.”

“Rules were meant to be broken. Don’t you remember our Qalcad days? I want to do something bad.”

The way her blood-red lips formed around the word made his heart pound. “Sneaking out would be…pretty bad.”

“Just because we’re married parents now, doesn’t mean we can’t have fun anymore. It’s Halloween. Get into the spirit.”

“But where could we even…?”

She walked her fingers up his chest, looking up at him through her lashes. “All we have to do is borrow a security card.”

His interest piqued. “Borrow?”

“And wouldn’t it be so fun, if we borrowed it, from…oh, I don’t know…” her eyes roamed around the room, and then a slow, seductive smile played over her lips. “Him.”

Thanks for Stopping by!

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