He announces, "Remember to buy your V-Ball tickets; there is only a few left over."
The hall groans, and then the band leaves the stage accompanied by loud cheering and clapping, while I think to myself disheartened, that now, besides having to convince my parents I needed a new dress, I would also have to persuade them to buy me a ticket to the V-Ball. Maybe I should just not go, but then again, there is such a build-up around the whole affair and I could not help myself, I look forward to also go.
At lunch break, I ask Anne, "Who was that band playing in the hall this morning?"
" Oh, that's Vincent. It's his band, and they call it ÉLastique. That's French for an elastic band, but I'm sure you know what it means."
I grimace on the inside, but outwardly, I smile and say, "They're very good. That song they sang has been stuck in my head since this morning."
Anne smiles distracted, "They signed a record deal near the end of last year with a big producer and they spend all their free time in the Music Centre. I hear they will be releasing their first single in July this year."
" It all sounds so exciting." I heave a sigh.
Unexpectedly, she says, "Come," and starts to stand up. I get up and follow her, blissfully aware of Johnathan who is staring at me.
She leads me down a long, badly lit corridor, an old, medieval-looking part of school I had not been in before. I start getting flashing images in my mind of witch coven initiations, candles, and big shiny knives. I start to feel apprehensive and am indecisive whether I should make up a lame excuse and run as fast as I can in the opposite direction.
Just as we turn a corner and I open my mouth to make an apology, that I need to be somewhere else, I see, feeling slightly mortified at my silliness, a big sign and read the words, Music Centre, above a large archway.
We walk through under the archway and then through a doorway, into the Music Centre.
There in front of me is the entire four-member band from this morning, they are huddled around a piano and the lead singer jokingly bumps the drummer, saying laughingly, "How can you not hear the rhythm in that piece, and might I add without drums?"
The drummer is about to retaliate when Anne clears her throat and they look up as one.
" Hi, boys," she smiles coyly.
" Hi, Anne," they say together as if in chorus, and start laughing.