“Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.” Minji said quickly batting her hands down on the wooden table as she said every syllable. “Stop.”

I brought my trumpet down from my mouth and took the mouth piece off from the instrument. I held it in my hand as she looked at the music sheet in front of me. She traced her index finger down the five-line stave I had just played.

“Look. This part is Allegro. Not Adagio.” I rolled my eyes at her as she poked my temple. “We’ll continue tomorrow. Try not to make it sound so depressing. It’s supposed to sound all happy and fun.”

She took the sheet off from the music stand and went to the corner to pack her things up. Man. It had already been three weeks and l was incredibly tired of her giving me a piece after piece. I mean, I would even go back home not wanting to play anything more. Not even my own personal selection of music. So far, she’s given me these really horrible pieces that vary from really up-beat (or as much as classical music can get) to really excruciatingly depressing. This one, was supposed to be all merry-go-around but I wasn’t up to it today.

Minji turned around before opening the practice room door. “¿Want me to give you a ride?”

Every single day since I’ve known her, except for the first one, she’s offered to take me back home. Also, ever since I had my first motorcycle ride ever, I’ve decided I’m never going on it ever again. Much less with this adrenaline freak right in front of me. Maybe she could fool other people with her looks and simply pulling out of the parking lot, but not me. No way was I going on that thing.

“No.” I said as I put my trumpet inside its case.

I took my time with the rest of the equipment trying to put everything in order. I glanced quickly up to the door still feeling Minji’s presence in the room. I think the fact she’s my age, she’s pretty, and has a really strange personality makes me feel really restless whenever we’re not interacting. It feels as if she’s trying to analyze me or something when she stares at me. Maybe that’s what I think, because that’s what I do. I find myself sometimes trying to understand, I don’t really know why, the way she thinks and does things. The reason I do that is mainly because, after giving it some thought, I don’t understand why she agreed to the Director’s offer. I’ve been trying to figure it out without asking her and every time I feel closer and closer but never quite just there yet.

I looked up after finally packing my things to see Minji standing at the doorway leaning her weight on one leg squinting at me. When she saw that l was looking at her, she open her eyes wide for a quick moment but then gave me one of her crooked smiles.

¿Did I mention already that I think she’s really strange? Well, she is. Her smiles always make me feel as if she’s hiding something and I hate that.

“So” She said while she pushed the door open. She was waiting for me even if she didn’t have to. “¿Are you going to Chris Walter’s party?”

I snapped my head at her. “Ew. No. That jock’s party plus those snobs are a ‘NO’ for me.” Minji lifted her hands up in defense, “Woah. Okay wait up. I was just asking.”

“Yeah, right” I said to her. “That’s a lie just as much as if I were to tell you I got invited.”

Of course. I wasn’t invited but pretty much anyone who was from school and put a lot of makeup on to disguise herself could go to one of those parties. I haven’t gone to a party in ages and I bet these are much more different than those ‘give us cake and then we leave’ ones. Now they’re all about drinking, , dirty dancing and sitting around being party-poopers.

Minji and I walked down the corridor for a few more seconds in silence until she started to speak again with that womanly voice she has. “Siyeon. I was thinking... So far I’ve gotten a few people for the new orchestra...but this plan won’t work at all if you don’t change a little.”

l frowned but didn’t say anything back. I had no idea where she was going so there was no point in asking. Yeah, it had been 3 weeks since we started with this and I knew she’d gotten some people together already but I hadn’t met them just yet for some reason. Not like I really did want to anyway I’d probably just find them annoying and ignore them. My anti-social skills are almost as high as ever...except when it comes to Minji. Having her next to me almost every single second of my days, except for most parts of the weekends, made me get used to having her around...her presence still bothers me but now I at least know not to try to ignore her as much as the first day in school. It’s useless. Every teacher knows anyone would like to work with her but pairs us up because they know I don’t want to. It’s really inconvenient, I hate it, but I at least know how to deal with her.

Except when she comes up with crazy ideas.

“We are gonna start cracking your egg shell.” She said.

***

“Okay. Let’s get rid of these for tonight.” I was sitting on my desk chair trying to break free from the handcuffs she had put on my wrists. I have no idea how she got them or how she even got me here in the first place but I guess that someone who does sports versus someone who doesn’t makes a big difference. Minji bend down by her half, getting really close to my face she took off my wire-frame circle glasses from my face. “Here. Contacts. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to see. Your mom gave me the details. Dude, you’re basically blind.”

“No I’m not.” I said. “¡Don’t even TRY to put those things in my eyes!”

“Aw. Come on. It’s not IN. It’s ON.” She said smiling at me. She held this little bend plastic looking thing on her index finger and started putting it down on my eye. “It’s safe. It’s just one night, ¿alright? Plus show off those light-brown eyes of yours.”

I stopped objecting after quickly figuring out that if I continued this process would hurt like hell. When she actually finished I felt like my eyelids were sliding over a weird smooth s