Chapter 4 The Truth

It was indeed something that had to be thought over. Zach knew that before he could assume things he needed to make sure that it was true. Before the bell rang Zach went to his ELA teacher to ask about demons. When he did ask the teacher, she stood in shock. "I've never knew that you liked religious beliefs." She said as she grabbed a book. "Here I'll give you this, you can bring it back when marching band camp begins I'll be here." She handed the book to Zach. He studied it before putting it in his back pack. The title reads 'Heaven and Hell Beliefs' He noticed the hard cover book was made out of leather and it contained a bottle in the middle with something. "What is this Ms. Tayler?" He said pointing at the bottle that was stuck in between the book. She smiled and looked at it. "I'm not quiet sure, but it must be important for it to be there." Then the bell rang and the ecstatic teacher yelled "HAVE A GOOD SUMMER!!!" while everyone left the class room to go to the last period. For Zach, it was social studies with his crush Ella.

When he had arrived the teacher was not there as usual. Mr. Socra was the student teacher and he was always there. When Zach went to go sit down Ella was sitting by him at the table that he was at sleeping. It caught Zach off guard because Ella had never fell asleep in this class because besides band this was her favorite class. It was unusual, 'maybe she's tired from her last class.' Zach thought to himself as he grabbed the book and placed it in a table making a thud. Ella shot up from the sound from her slumber. It scared Zach when he saw her rise from her sleep. "What the hell was that?!" Ella said when she jumped. Zach put his hands up to show he did it. "I'm sorry El I didn't mean to wake you!" He said sympathetically. Ella glanced over at Zach. "It's ok you just startled me." He smiled at her and began to go through his book.

"What do you have there?"

"A book"

"Yeah I know that smart ass."

"I need to read for summer classes."

"Oh to get more credits?"

At this moment Zach didn't know how to answer Ella. When he had the guts earlier, he thought that he would tell her his feelings. But however he was 'too chicken' to say it too her. The two didn't talk until Brandon walked over asked if marcing band was a sport. In which both looked at him and began to questioned if that was true. Brandon was in marching band he was the trumpet's narcissitic sterotype. He only cared about himself and the way he was better than anyone at his instrument. Brandon had even compared himself to a colorguard kid which wasn't a smart idea. When he approached Zach and Ella he seemed worried out of anyone. "So." He said as sat down to the side of them. "What are your new freshman?" He said out of curiosity. Zach wanted to tell them that they were shy, but he decided not to, he might accidentally bring up about his encounter with Danny's dad. It wasn't common for Brandon not to brag about his freshman, the junior just can't somedays keep his mouth shut about them. But he looked worried about them when he talked about them. "Has anyone noticed that they all were mostly shy?" He said to Ella. She shrugged her shoulders. "Eh once they got use to us, they were fine." She said reading over Zach's shoulder. Zach went up to look at Ella and noticed how close she was. Her breathing caught him off guard she kept breathing in his ear. He closed the book and looked up at Brandon. "At least we get to see them tonight." Ella and Brandon looked puzzled. "Tonight?" They both asked Zach. He nodded. "There is a rehersal at six remember?" Brandon still had no idea what Zach was talking about. But that could be that Brandon lacks skill in smartness. Ella slapped Zach's shoulder, "How is our section never told this?" She said groaning from the frustation of it. "Because you clarinets don't listen all you care about is death and wanting to die." Brandon said snarkingly. This had set Ella off and it scared Zach to high heavens.

"What the hell do you know about the clarinets?" She said with an edge in her voice. Brandon shrugged his shoulders and smirked at the raging Ella. "Oh you guys are all the same." He put the back of his hand on his forehead to make a dramatic pose. He then looked back at her. "Squeaking after another one." Zach looked over at Ella. She had the look that could kill anyone. Zach tried to grab her shoulder but she moved to quickly and reached something else. He pulled his hand back quickly. But Ella didn't seem to have noticed on what just had happened, she was too into her argument with Brandon that she hadn't even noticed that Zach touched her chest. Zach looked at the time to see that it was about time to leave to go home. Well not for him anyways, like a good kid he was, he was going to stay after and practice his music in the storage room. He grabbed his book and shoved into his back pack. Without even a warning Zach hand was grabbed by Ella. "What are you doing?" She said angrily. Zach assumed that it finally clicked on what Zach had accidentally did. "I am sorry I didn't mean to do that I was trying to grab your shoulders and try to calm you down." Ella's facial expression softened. "Really? I'm sorry that I snapped." The the bell rang. Everyone jumped out of their seats so quickly that the USA Flag began to wave back and forth as the stampede of children ran to the buses.

Zach went the opposite direction to the band room to grab his trombone and practice. On his way everyone was bumping into him causing pain to his shoulders. When he manage to get to the band room doors his shoulders had refused to cooperate when opening the lever door handle. It had hurt so bad that Zach banged on the door until Ms. Yuri came to open the door. "What's wrong?" She said as she opened the door. He walked through. "My shoulders were all hit up as I was making my way here." Ms. Yuri grabbed his shoulders. Then the pain somehow desceased, Zach looked over at Ms.Yuri. "D-d-did you do that." He said making eye contact with her. She nodded "Yes I did." She didn't look too thrilled when she had said it. Zach moved away from from her grip.

"May I ask you something Zach." Ms.Yuri said peering at Zach as he went to the back of the room as she leaned all the wall by the band office. "How come you weren't frightened of me?" Zach looked over his shoulder. "Well you didn't eat me." He said grabbing the door handle to the storage room. "Who said I eat humans?" She said tilting her head to one side while her eyes changed colors. "Well I don't know. But you still are killing me with what you aren't telling me." Zach said chuckling. Ms. Yuri shifted her stance. "So I've heard, I also know that you weren't really paying attention either, more over, distracted with you phone." She said smiling. Zach stood confused as she handed him a stack of music. "How do you even know that?" He said tilting his head like a confused puppy. When she didn't answer he looked down at the music she had handed to him. "You are retiring 'Headless Horseman'?" He said sadly. Ms. Yuri walked over to him to see what he was talking about. She sighed "Well it's not new to kids anymore, so it needs to rest for awhile for a new batch of freshman to play it." She said walking over to the shelf and grabbing the stack of music from Zach. "And speaking of music, you need to practice Zach that is what you came here to do is it not?"

Zach nodded and made his way to the storage room. When he got there he noticed two things wrong while he was there. A, all of the school owned instruments were gone except the ones that are being used for marching band. B, the room was very spacious. Zach shook his head when he saw his case not in the right spot like it was suppose to be. Instead it was moved to the ground below his cubby hole. He picked up his sad excuse for a trombone, the poor instrument was used and it was all bent up from the previous owner and was very hard to tune. when he unclipped the latches on his case he noticed that his slide oil was missing and he was desperate for it as well. Zach went back out to see Ms.Yuri grabbing the chairs and throwing them on chair racks. "Ms. Yuri, do you have extra valve oil?" He asked. She looked over at him as she grabbed the last chair in the back row. "Always, why you need some?" He nodded. "Alright, let me put the last chair on the rack and I'll grab some." She said as she carried it over to the rack. Zach's thoughts on her being a possible demon was fading. He couldn't tell if it was just the way she acted or if it was how kind she always was to people. His teacher went to the band office and grabbed one for Zach. "Keep it, I've been noticing someone stealing alot recently." Zach looked unsure while he grabbed it. "I'll pay you back somehow." She leaned closer to him. "You can pay me by practicing your music." She said as she pointed towards the storage room.

Zach laughed and began to retrace his steps back to the storage room with his desired item. He went and opened then turned around to look at Ms. Yuri. "I think I know what you are now." The director tilited her head. "Oh really? Tell me after you practice." She said as she went to the office and closed the door. Zach returned to his spot in the storage room. He opened the bottle of slide oil and with an up down motion on the slide so he could lather it so it was easier to play. when he put the slide on the rest of the trombone he then grabbed his mouthpiece, put it in the trombone and played his Eb scale. When he finished, Ms. Yuri came in. She looked like she just heard a cat screeching in her ear. "...Tune it....Now!" She growled. Zach began to sweat, "I-i can't... The tuning slide is b-bent" He stuttered. Without warning, Ms.Yuri snatched his trombone and ripped out the tuning slide and grabbed the slide oil and lathered it. "Now after you are done and your mother comes and picks you up, give your old friend a bath, it needs it." She said putting it back together and handing the fragile creature to Zach. He nodded as she left for the door. "Thank you Ms. Yuri." He said sounding scared. She ignored it. "Just tune it, I better not hear that sound ever again!" She hissed as she walked back out. Zach hesitated to play, so for safety reasons he grabbed his phone from his pocket and pulled out the tuner app. When he played Bb, the tuner read tuned. It was odd, Ms. Yuri had tuned it without even playing the it.

Zach pulled out the music for the show and started to practice. I don't want to go to in depth on how it was, it seems out of place when you first get a piece you have never seen before and begin to practice it for the first time but that's ok, practice more you'll get there. (Inspirational speech by yours truly) He practice for what felt like only 5 minutes turned into an hour. The only way he knew this is when Ms. Yuri came into the storage and pointed at her wrist. He quickly realized the time and packed up. "So your practice is done... and now I'm curious what you think I am so enlighten me please." She said leaning on the door. Zach had forgotten that he had said that. "Yeah about that... I think you are..." Ms. Yuri tilted her head. "Go on I'm listening as always." She said calmly. Zach hesitated for the longest time, not because that he may be right , it's if he had assumed that she was one. But either answer he had given he was still scared that both maybe true and the consequences that follow. "I think... that you are a" she leaned in closer because he had gotten quieter. "I think... your a demon..." He said quietly.

Ms. Yuri stood taller she looked at the boy, her eyes changed color as she peered at her student. Zach didn't know what she was going to answer but the beads of sweat came rolling down his chin. She shrugged her shoulders "you seem very scared on answering may I ask why?" Zach was confused by the question. "Well, if you said no you were going to be mad on how I assumed you were...and if you said yes, I don't know." Ms.Yuri crossed her arms and thought for a minute. "I understand that it would be scary either way." She closed her eyes. "But no matter what one is the truth, but I don't know how you will handle the truth, so I ask, will you be terrified and frighten to beyond belief if I say yes?" Zach didn't know how to answer that. "I don't know...I don't know how I will react." He said wiping away the sweat. She looked down upon the boy "are you sure?" He looked at her with wide eyes.

"What?"

"I'm asking are you sure."

"I guess I'm ready for your answer."

She made her way towards him, she kneeled down beside the chair. She looked up at him and gestured for him to get down lower. The one word that shocked him to the point where his heart had skipped a beat. What she whispered in his ear had traveled with him. When he had left the band room at three p.m it was there, when he got into his mother's car, it was there. When he traveled home it was there. The one word that now taunts him. "Yes"