Turtle

I stood up, setting my trombone down and straightening my jeans and t-shirt. I had big things to do today and it all started in the tuba section, I strolled over casually and took a seat next to 2nd chair tuba, Stacy.
“Hey Stacy” she pulled the mouth piece away and smiled at me, I turned back to the trombone section for reassurance. Eve was just staring at me, I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks. My head flew back to Stacy, my hair spreading and flying in the wind.

“So…Trevor?”
“Well, uh…I just want to-” My words came out jumbled and slurred. She giggled a little and so did Allen. That dude just irked my nerves; he wanted to be a part of everything. I gave him my best squinty eye which wasn’t hard considering my eyes were naturally like that.
“Fields! Back to your seat” Mr. Taylor, the head band teacher called out to me. I shuffled back to my seat a little disappointed, and then I heard the tuba section erupt in laughter. Knowing that it was definitely about me didn’t help either; I could hear them clearly saying my name.
“It’s okay Trevor, try again next time” Eve patted my back
“Yeah whatever Turtle”
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"Don't forget to practice the new piece, class dismissed!" Mr. Taylor clapped his hands and walked over to his tiny office. He brushed his hand over his shiny head and looked around, his black framed glasses distracting from the bald spot dead center.
I shut my case, locked it, picked it up and shoved it in my cubby. Then headed back to my seat to grab all my folders and papers. Wut waved goodbye to me and I walked over to Mr. Taylor’s office.
"Knock, knock" I stood in the entry to his office.
"You need a pass again?" he swiveled around in his chair already with the pink pass in his hands. I nodded even though he already knew the answer; he scribbled his signature and held it out to me.

"Thanks Mr. T"
"Fields!" he called as I was leaving, "I can't do this all year".

I'd known all along this wouldn't work for me everyday but in my mind I was just going to take it one day at a time. Nodding at me in understanding I headed towards the hallway that led to the auditorium.

There was little to no one there, good I would be safe. I cruised down the hallways easily and let my mind wander. Why had Eve been nice to me? She’d just been crying yesterday because of me. She shouldn’t even care. I was trying to use her to get to her sister, why wouldn’t she just freak out on me? Why couldn’t I get her to hate me?
If she hated me I had power, it’d make me feel bigger even if I never physically would be. I yearned for the feeling of control. That emotion didn’t even work on my brother Tori. I was just wishing for once I wasn’t…me.