We're Here to Take Your Hearts
ELEVEN
"Well Miss Wentz, I see you're back. Have a seat." Clarissa's teacher said. Clarissa nodded and smiled. She sat down at her desk and began to work on her assignment. Frankie had dropped her off this morning at school along with Gerard, Bob, Mikey, and Ray.
She's come close to all of them, last night Mikey crept into her room with Skittles, Frankie and Ray are teaching her how to play the guitar, Bob plays the drums with her, and Gerard sings to her. She's never felt so loved.
"BBBBBRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGG" The bell sounded and she was off to her favorite class of the day, music. She walked into the class and everyone turned to look at her. They were all smiling and then out of no where they began to clap and cheer.
She walked to the teacher's desk.
"What's going on?" She asked the teacher.
"Clarissa, we have some good news for you! As you know we all voted for our Drumline Captain this year and it was a close call, but Clarissa Wentz, you are the Drumline Captain for the 2007 and 2008 school year." The band director smiled.
"I-I am?"
"Yeah! At the football game tomorrow there will be the ceremony for announcing section leaders and you'll be one of them! You can bring all the family you want." The teacher handed her a peice of paper. "You also have a drum solo. You need to memorize it by tomorrow, but I'm sure that won't be a problem form you." She smiled one last time before turning away to write something on the board.
Clarissa smiled and stood in her position with her snare already ready for playing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarissa slowly approached the door. She hasn't talked to him since the fight. Her cheek was still sore but hopefully her news would make everything better. But that only happens in fairytale right?
She knocked on the door.
"Come in." Pete said from the other side. She took a deep breath and opened the door. She walked in and Pete was smiling, his smile faded at the site of her. That, is how you break hearts.
"Pete?" She asked.
"Yes Clarissa?" Pete asked back.
"Um, I made Drumline Captain and their announcing it tomorrow at the game. Can you go?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'll go. Is that it?" He asked.
"Yeah, that's it." She stood there, hoping Pete would say sorry for hitting her and for yelling.
"Why are you still there? Go do your homework!" He said frustrated. Clarissa nodded and went back to her room. She shut the door and smiled. Pete would go to her game and everything will be okay.
Later on in her room, Bob came in. He set down a Mountain Dew and sat on her bed next to her.
"Whatch doin?" He asked.
"I'm learning this solo. Guess what kind of solo it is." She said.
"Hmm, I don't know."
"The solo only Drumline Captain gets to play at the big football game tomorrow"! She said excitedly.
"You mean?"
"Yeah!"
"That's awesome! This causes for a celebration!" He said handing her the Mountain Dew. She laughed and took a sip. Just then Frankie ran in and tackled Clarissa.
"What are you laughing about huh?" He asked, on top of her.
"I'm Drumline Captain! And I can't breath!" She yelled into his chest. He sat up quickly.
"You got Drumline Captain!? Awesome!" He picked up Clarissa and spun her around. Then he put her on his back and began to walk downstairs.
"FRANKIE! PUT ME DOWN!" She laughed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone sat at the table. Clarissa's game wasn't for another two or three hours.
"Pete, you're still coming to my game right?" Clarissa asked smiling.
"Huh? Yeah, Yeah I'll be there." He said, not looking up from his Sidekick he was texting on.
"I bet you'll do great!" Spencer said patting Clarissa's back.
"Too bad we leave tomorrow morning." Ray said.
"Yeah, but I'm going to the show in two months so I'll see you then." Clarissa said. The band smiled and nodded. They had become so close the the girl. Especially Frankie, who sat beside her at the table.
Clarissa looked at the time on her phone. "I have to go. I'll see you guys there!" She said, getting up from the table. Everyone waved goodbye as she pulled on her shoes. Frankie got up and grabbed his keys, since he was going to drop her off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarissa walked onto the field with her snare strapped firmly on her shoulders. She stood in front if the band waiting for cue. Her band director was talking into the mic.
"As some of you know, this is the night we announce who is our section leaders. But before we get to that we have a presentation from the band!" She said. Everyone clapped.
Clarissa searched frantically for her family, but before she could find them she had already started playing. She played like it was her last night on the field.
She walked sideways as the band moved to the same pace. Her eyes fell upon Frankie giving her a thumbs up from the crowd. She smiled and noticed everyone there...wait...that's not correct. Almost everyone there. Pete was no where to be seen. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she prepped for her solo. She approached the front of the band. Soon they were silent, all you could hear was the complex tapping of Clarissa's sticks against the snare.
The band finished and they walked to the stands. They sat down and Clarissa wiped her eyes. Everyone was being called down to be announce section leader.
"And last but not least! Our Drumline Captain this year will be....CLARISSA WENTZ!" Everyone cheered as she walked down the stands to the band director. She gave Clarissa a medal and her new Gold Drumsticks. Clarissa waved at the crowd and walked into the locker rooms since the game had ended.
In the locker room Clarissa pulled on her jeans and shirt. She brushed her hair out and grabbed her bag. She walked to the front of the school and there was her group of people waiting there for her. Frankie stood in the front with his arms open. She ran into them.
"Congratulations!" He whispered in her ear. He set her down. She searched the group of people, everyones smiles faded when they figured who she was looking for.
"Wait...Whe-Where's Pete?" She asked.
"He said he was going to finish up some work then meet us here. He never showed up. I'm sorry Clarissa." Ryan said softly.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized things would never be okay. She knew that Pete never loved her as a daughter. She knew she would be stuck in this situation until she moved out, or until he finally got sick of her and returned her to the orphanage.
"C'mon, let's go home." Frankie said wrapping an arm around her. He turned back to the others. "We'll walk home, it's not far. So she can calm down." Frankie said. Everyone nodded and headed to the parking lot.
Frankie kept his arm around Clarissa as they walked out of the school on their way home.
"I'm sorry Pete didn't show." Frankie said.
"It's not your fault. You shouldn't be sorry." She mumbled.
"Hopefully things will get better. You never know." He said.
"I've been hoping that since the day I got here, and that all went away tonight. Things will never get better."
Frankie stopped and reached into his pocket.
"I don't want you to forget me Clarissa. You say you won't now, but you never know. Here." He said. He handed out a necklace with a guitarpick on it. She took it and examined the pick. It said F. Iero on the back in cursive. "It was my first guitar pick, I kept it for memories. I want you to have it."
"Frankie, I can't..."
"You can, and you will." He said. He put it around her neck and fastened it. He kissed her forehead and they began to walk again. The house was in view now.
She's come close to all of them, last night Mikey crept into her room with Skittles, Frankie and Ray are teaching her how to play the guitar, Bob plays the drums with her, and Gerard sings to her. She's never felt so loved.
"BBBBBRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGG" The bell sounded and she was off to her favorite class of the day, music. She walked into the class and everyone turned to look at her. They were all smiling and then out of no where they began to clap and cheer.
She walked to the teacher's desk.
"What's going on?" She asked the teacher.
"Clarissa, we have some good news for you! As you know we all voted for our Drumline Captain this year and it was a close call, but Clarissa Wentz, you are the Drumline Captain for the 2007 and 2008 school year." The band director smiled.
"I-I am?"
"Yeah! At the football game tomorrow there will be the ceremony for announcing section leaders and you'll be one of them! You can bring all the family you want." The teacher handed her a peice of paper. "You also have a drum solo. You need to memorize it by tomorrow, but I'm sure that won't be a problem form you." She smiled one last time before turning away to write something on the board.
Clarissa smiled and stood in her position with her snare already ready for playing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarissa slowly approached the door. She hasn't talked to him since the fight. Her cheek was still sore but hopefully her news would make everything better. But that only happens in fairytale right?
She knocked on the door.
"Come in." Pete said from the other side. She took a deep breath and opened the door. She walked in and Pete was smiling, his smile faded at the site of her. That, is how you break hearts.
"Pete?" She asked.
"Yes Clarissa?" Pete asked back.
"Um, I made Drumline Captain and their announcing it tomorrow at the game. Can you go?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'll go. Is that it?" He asked.
"Yeah, that's it." She stood there, hoping Pete would say sorry for hitting her and for yelling.
"Why are you still there? Go do your homework!" He said frustrated. Clarissa nodded and went back to her room. She shut the door and smiled. Pete would go to her game and everything will be okay.
Later on in her room, Bob came in. He set down a Mountain Dew and sat on her bed next to her.
"Whatch doin?" He asked.
"I'm learning this solo. Guess what kind of solo it is." She said.
"Hmm, I don't know."
"The solo only Drumline Captain gets to play at the big football game tomorrow"! She said excitedly.
"You mean?"
"Yeah!"
"That's awesome! This causes for a celebration!" He said handing her the Mountain Dew. She laughed and took a sip. Just then Frankie ran in and tackled Clarissa.
"What are you laughing about huh?" He asked, on top of her.
"I'm Drumline Captain! And I can't breath!" She yelled into his chest. He sat up quickly.
"You got Drumline Captain!? Awesome!" He picked up Clarissa and spun her around. Then he put her on his back and began to walk downstairs.
"FRANKIE! PUT ME DOWN!" She laughed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone sat at the table. Clarissa's game wasn't for another two or three hours.
"Pete, you're still coming to my game right?" Clarissa asked smiling.
"Huh? Yeah, Yeah I'll be there." He said, not looking up from his Sidekick he was texting on.
"I bet you'll do great!" Spencer said patting Clarissa's back.
"Too bad we leave tomorrow morning." Ray said.
"Yeah, but I'm going to the show in two months so I'll see you then." Clarissa said. The band smiled and nodded. They had become so close the the girl. Especially Frankie, who sat beside her at the table.
Clarissa looked at the time on her phone. "I have to go. I'll see you guys there!" She said, getting up from the table. Everyone waved goodbye as she pulled on her shoes. Frankie got up and grabbed his keys, since he was going to drop her off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarissa walked onto the field with her snare strapped firmly on her shoulders. She stood in front if the band waiting for cue. Her band director was talking into the mic.
"As some of you know, this is the night we announce who is our section leaders. But before we get to that we have a presentation from the band!" She said. Everyone clapped.
Clarissa searched frantically for her family, but before she could find them she had already started playing. She played like it was her last night on the field.
She walked sideways as the band moved to the same pace. Her eyes fell upon Frankie giving her a thumbs up from the crowd. She smiled and noticed everyone there...wait...that's not correct. Almost everyone there. Pete was no where to be seen. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she prepped for her solo. She approached the front of the band. Soon they were silent, all you could hear was the complex tapping of Clarissa's sticks against the snare.
The band finished and they walked to the stands. They sat down and Clarissa wiped her eyes. Everyone was being called down to be announce section leader.
"And last but not least! Our Drumline Captain this year will be....CLARISSA WENTZ!" Everyone cheered as she walked down the stands to the band director. She gave Clarissa a medal and her new Gold Drumsticks. Clarissa waved at the crowd and walked into the locker rooms since the game had ended.
In the locker room Clarissa pulled on her jeans and shirt. She brushed her hair out and grabbed her bag. She walked to the front of the school and there was her group of people waiting there for her. Frankie stood in the front with his arms open. She ran into them.
"Congratulations!" He whispered in her ear. He set her down. She searched the group of people, everyones smiles faded when they figured who she was looking for.
"Wait...Whe-Where's Pete?" She asked.
"He said he was going to finish up some work then meet us here. He never showed up. I'm sorry Clarissa." Ryan said softly.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized things would never be okay. She knew that Pete never loved her as a daughter. She knew she would be stuck in this situation until she moved out, or until he finally got sick of her and returned her to the orphanage.
"C'mon, let's go home." Frankie said wrapping an arm around her. He turned back to the others. "We'll walk home, it's not far. So she can calm down." Frankie said. Everyone nodded and headed to the parking lot.
Frankie kept his arm around Clarissa as they walked out of the school on their way home.
"I'm sorry Pete didn't show." Frankie said.
"It's not your fault. You shouldn't be sorry." She mumbled.
"Hopefully things will get better. You never know." He said.
"I've been hoping that since the day I got here, and that all went away tonight. Things will never get better."
Frankie stopped and reached into his pocket.
"I don't want you to forget me Clarissa. You say you won't now, but you never know. Here." He said. He handed out a necklace with a guitarpick on it. She took it and examined the pick. It said F. Iero on the back in cursive. "It was my first guitar pick, I kept it for memories. I want you to have it."
"Frankie, I can't..."
"You can, and you will." He said. He put it around her neck and fastened it. He kissed her forehead and they began to walk again. The house was in view now.