Story, An Untitled

Copyright Julia Bydulia

Part IX of an unfinished story.

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It felt like a month had passed by the time Mr. James handed out schedules for rehearsals. Michelle was sitting in chorus class, making small talk with Kayla, Petunia, and Elena. Mr. James smacked a stack of calendars down on a desk in the corner of the room and leaned on the desk. "First rehearsal is next week," he announced in a booming voice without looking at anyone in particular. "Schedules are here," he added, tapping the papers before he ran back to his office and shut himself in.

Elena and Michelle both jumped up and headed toward to desk to grab their own schedules. "Practices on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays," Michelle muttered to herself as she flipped the page to find the schedule for the next month as well.

"How many times do you think he'll change it?" Kayla asked, randomly popping up behind them and peeking at Michelle's schedule over her shoulder.

Michelle laughed awkwardly and nodded. "I know, right?" Immediately, she felt stupid. That's all you can think of to say? I know, right? SERIOUSLY? She shouted at herself as she pretended to examine the schedule, her eyes unfocused and a small, fake smile on her face.

When she looked up, the first thing she saw were the windows above the doors that lead outdoors. The sky was bleak and gray with a few stringy looking clouds drifting slowly across it. They looked like a lot of kites torn by tree branches. Michelle watched them mindlessly for a few seconds, keeping her eyes glaze over and pretending that the trees she could see were really giants' fingers.

"Michelle?" Elena waved a hand in front of Michelle's face. She and Petunia were both laughing at here.

"What? Huh?" Michelle blinked a few times and started blushing.

"Class is over," Elena informed her.

"The bell rang, honey," Petunia added.

"I didn't even hear it," Michelle whispered as she turned around and blinked at the clock. Elena and Petunia both laughed again and Petunia patted her shoulder.

As Michelle walked out the doors that lead out into the school, she swore she could hear a giant's throaty voice. "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishmen." Regardless of whether it was just her imagination running away without her, Michelle's heart rate sped up. "Be he alive, or be he dead, I'll have his bones to grind my bread!" She ran through the cafeteria, ahead of Kayla, Elena, and Petunia, to get as far away from the leafy fingered giants as she could.