Chloe sat looking around the room. The yellow- gold maple floors glistened from their oiled based polyurethaned shine and holographic snowflakes dotting here and there. The room’s magical feel continued with the white satin banners, tablecloths, and bunting. The lights on the ceilings shone through blue filters giving everything an ethereal glow. The people in the room wore two things. The girls wore long, flowing dresses in either white or pale blues, greens, or pinks. The boys wore dark suits in black or navy with crisp white shirts. Everything was picture perfect yet like all things in Connecticut it was simply a facade.

Two Hours Earlier

The van was pulling up to the building as the young band looked up at the sign with a squinted glance “Whitehall Christian Academy?” came the voice of the drummer as they all looked at each other. “I thought Nate said this was a club…” Chad said as the eyes of the band all turned around at Nate who could be seen taking a deep breath.

“I said it could lead to club gigs… look we are ages 16 to 18 here, i.e. we are young. Most clubs won’t touch us unless we can get some local New England following… how do you get following? You play crappy gigs like this. Time will come, but 30 Seconds To Vulcan can’t get anywhere without someone to give a crap about us!” Nate insisted as the young bassists sitting next to him, whom was sitting awfully close to him, nodded in agreement.

“Nate’s right, we all agreed we needed some gigs and this is one… so just get in there… be polite… play the songs they request, throw in a few of our own… and see where we can go.” Piper said as she wanted to get everyone on board with the plan, knowing they all needed to work together to get the gig.

“Of course you back him up, you’re sleeping with him… but if this goes bad then the band rep takes a hit too, it works both ways.” chimed in the rhythm guitarists John as he felt a need to voice what they all very much where aware of.

“That doesn’t matter John, they are both right… lets be honest we sometimes need some crappy gigs to get good ones.” Chad chimed in knowing that this was the best move, even if he felt hesitant.

“That settles it then, let’s get going.” Nate said as he opened the sliding door as the band began to pour out.

Present Time

The Whitehall Christian Academy’s annual Winter Masquerade Ball was the talk of the holiday season. Everyone wore a small mask to hide their features which to Chloe was ridiculous. They lied to each other’s faces the other three three hundred and sixty-four days of the year so why go through the hassle of using a mask tonight. The mask didn’t stop Chloe from recognizing her date kissing Kaitlyn Meyers in the locker room nor did it add sincerity when she found Chloe and professed it was just a one-time event. Kaitlyn Meyers spun the truth so much you had no idea what was real or not. The thing that surprised Chloe the most was Kaitlyn’s request that they work through this and try to be friends. When Chloe pointed out that Kaitlyn’s tongue down Jake’s throat did not bode well as the start to a friendship, Kaitlyn groaned loudly announcing how difficult Chloe often made things.

Jake for his part was giving the two women wide berth for the moment as he spiked the punch bowl. No one would ever believe anyone at the WCA could do this if caught. The blame would fall to some invisible party that had snuck in and tried to ruin the party. Accusing someone from Danbury of any wrongdoing, was like calling the Pope an atheist. It was just not done and yet here was Chloe, sitting in the corner of the gym because her date lip locked another classmate, with everyone smiling pretending everything as copasetic.

Well almost everyone. The band the committee had chosen was not the typical bubble gum pop act that graced most of their dances. The songs were clean and appropriate yet carried an edge to them. The base beats felt almost like they were being strangled back to fit in with the atmosphere and people. Chloe would have bet and won that the reason the band was still wearing their coats in the overheating gym was that tattoos graced their arms. Several of the member’s heads were covered by knit caps. This was probably due to a piercing somewhere which the chaperones and teaching staff would never approve of. Chloe mused at what each member of the band was really like but constantly kept looking at the lead singer. He had a piercing blue stare that felt like it reading your soul when it fell on you.

Shifting in her seat, Chloe glanced up at the clock wishing the hands of time moved faster. Her parents were chaperoning which meant she was stuck there until the last song played and the final student left the property. For Chloe, this could not happen fast enough.

Chloe Harland

Chloe listened to the band keenly aware that the song currently playing was original works and not on the approved list. It was a Christmas carol in the sense it involved Santa, snow and mentioned the twenty-fifth, however, that is where all comparisons ended. What was more interesting was the way the lead singer was checking out Aimee Quark. The mousey little student vice president was eating up the attention of the smoldering blue gaze focused on her as the lyrics floated about the room. Chloe rolled her eyes and shifted in her chair watching the display. The lead singer was not her type. If there was any hope to the Christmas season at least he wouldn’t be her type.

Fluffing her skirt slightly to remove a nonexistent wrinkle, Chloe noticed something else going on with the band. Only a woman would notice a love triangle in the making. Men were always blind to them because they either were a dog and knew they were participating in one or too focused on the F-Box playing games to notice a girl was playing both ends of a candle. Not that this was an actual triangle but the bleached blonde rocker type bassist with blue highlights in her hair did not seem thrilled the lead singer was crooning to Aimee.

Settling back Chloe listened to the songs and watched with mild interest as the events played out.

“Screw you Piper! Just cause I play to the audience doesn’t mean I am banging every girl I see.” Nathan shouted as he threw the guitar across the room as it smashed a large glass case as the young Nate came rushing off the stage.

Chloe sat up shocked. This was definitely going to be the most talked-about event at WCA hands down. Glass peppered the area around the broken case. Chloe smiled not at the destruction but at the image of the scattered half hanging trophies. The coveted second-place trophy clung to the shelf by one hooked claw of the brass statue much like the players did during that game. Losing to Martha’s Vineyard Academy wasn’t just a loss. It was a massacre with Dandury’s finest being trounced by beach boys of New England. The Connecticut papers heralded the game as a nail bitter. The only real action however was counting off the WCA egos that were bruised during that game. “Still trying to hang on there buddy,” Chloe said to the statue before it slipped from its precarious position shattering more glass. “And nope,” she added seeing on the ground. “The PTA is going to have a blip fit about that.” Even though she was talking to no one, talking did pass the time.

The commotion was the most excitement anyone had heard in the ball as Nathan made it through the crowd as the security at the doors began to quickly talk into their mics as the room seemed to not know what to do. Few moments later, as the principle seemed to be encouraging the rest of the band continue, music once again resumed only with no voice back up.

Nathan was dressed much like others in the ball, a suit with dark tones and a very black mask that covered his face per the regulations of the ball. He looked like a stark contrast though the the more wintery color schemes all around him as he sat down on the wall, a few seats separating him and Chole as he began running his hand through his hair with a frustrated sigh.

Chloe studied the man now sitting in exile with her. “So is the mask part of a cult recruitment thing or,” she let her voice trail off not needing to finish her comment to get the point across. The black mask the lead singer wore had a sinister quality to it. While it was a masquerade ball, no one but the band had the goth adjacent feel to their facial wear. “Ms. Archibald warned us that if anyone left the gym with you guys we would be suspended. Mr. Frasier is off in the corner hastily plugging away at the morality sermon for the assembly on Monday. The gray-haired woman is Sallie Buxton, our principal,” Chloe added for clarification, “told my mother that she firmly felt there was some kahootzing a foot and we should give you wide berth.” Chloe let her conversation sink in eager to hear his response. She hoped it wouldn’t be some upper crust drivel or feigned hostility over being a rebellious youth.

Looking over he could see Chloe had a very nervous movement to her as he sat down, which brought him to smile at the young girl to try and reassure her. “I don’t bite… much… that’s…” he said as he moved his hand gingerly to the stage.

“That’s reassuring. If you did though,” she turned her legs to face him directly, “bite me I mean would I wake up tomorrow, shave half of my head and dye the rest of my hair green? If I did just know they might send me to public school Such a tragedy<’ Chloe tsked and held out her wrist in his general direction.

“She is not my doing… I… don’t know where the yellow came from. I more prefer people who can be themselves… or at least convincedly pretend to be themselves.” Nathan said as he leaned back and took a deep sigh.

“That was fate inevitable. Never work with someone you are dating… or form a band. It’s never going to work… least that’s what my Uncle tells me, but he’s on his fourth marriage so I am not sure how much I should take from him.” he said with light-hearted laugh.

Harland, Doctor

Chloe looked at him and then back to the stage where the music was wafting again as students danced patrolled by the chaperones with twelve inch rulers. “You need to change the lyrics in the last stanza before the chorus. I like the beat but the rhyming and word choice make it feel off. Maybe try something deeper like When Santa comes in the backdoor, You’d better be in bed, When Santa comes in the back door, You’d better do what he said. I don’t know..something different than just repeating the same sentence over and over. You’re definitely more creative than that. It would also allow you to drift off into the angry music genre which would allow you to attack helpless curio cabinets or if you are lucky a beverage cart.”

Chloe Kendrick

Nathan couldn’t help be laugh a little as he shook his head. “That wasn’t my lyrics, no we don’t sing much of what I write…Piper writes the stuff, I just sit on stage and try and look pretty… or so they tell me.” Nathan said with a small shrug as he reached into his coat and took out a flask as he opened it and began to drink as he offered it the Chloe. The look she gave couldn’t help but make him smirk widely.

Chloe’s face held shock and her mouth opened slightly looking to the left and then right. “No thank you. I don’t drink,” she whispered as if they were old friends. “Well at school I don’t drink but I have had a few beers under the bleachers at a football game only that is not like drinking drinking,” she moved her hands about as she talked motioning from the guy next to her to put the flask away. “You shouldn’t drink that here but....what are you actually drinking what you shouldn’t be drinking?” Chloe knew she was rambling. She often did that when she was nervous and how could she not be nervous with the guy next to her.

“It’s just pomegranate 7 up.”

“Likely story,” Chloe rubbed her arms feeling a draft come out of nowhere as if the gym doors had been thrown open a summer day. “I won’t push but you don’t seem like the healthy type to avoid caffeine.” Her comment allowed her to scrutinize the singer without looking like she wanted to drink up every detail. Even though his body was hidden behind a long sleeve shirt, vest, and formal jacket, it was easy to see he had an athletic build. A small part of Chloe was also disappointed that the man next to her wasn’t drinking real alcohol out of a real flask. It would have completed her perfect man trifecta for the bad boy rocker one too home to meet mom and dad just to peeve them off.

I swear… I may look the part but I don’t break all the rules… though it does give an image I know, I just hate school punch it’s always the same flavor, red.” he said as he took off the jacket he had before sliding next to Chloe. He could tell she was shivering each time the door opened, her dress leaving her shoulders exposed as he wrapped the coat around her shoulders.

Chloe sat stiff as a board as he set his coat around her shoulders. It was very thin material but the rush of adrenaline from the act of him doing it raised her internal thermometer several degrees. She took a long second inhaling deeply. The coat smelled like him with a hint of sandlewood, pine, and rosewood. It felt familiar somehow even though the guy next to her was a stranger. “Thank you,” she replied with a smile.

“And pomegranate soda isn’t red,” she teased looking down at her dress. His gaze was penetrating like it could see into your soul reading all your secret inner thoughts. It would be the one thing she remembered most about this evening. Clearing her throat, Chloe began a new topic.

“So where are you trying to escape from with your gig here because you definitely aren’t from Connecticut,” she looked up tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

“You know, I am not sure why I came back here… I am trying to leave New England and I find myself taking gigs before I graduate like somehow this is really going anywhere… I maybe young but… come on this.” he said as he gestured up and down himself. “This isn’t going to take off. I have to be kidding myself, my dad said there wasn’t a snowball chance and hell and I just hate it when he’s right.”

Harland, CNS

“Okay take a piece of advice from a stranger and remember Dad’s are the greatest person in the world but also your harshest critic. They build up this image of who you are and when that image is not the real you it can suck.” Part of Chloe was talking to the man next to her but the other part was just talking out loud. “My dad wants me to go into finance or economics because that is what he did. He keeps pushing me to look at business schools after high school. I don’t know what I want to be but I know I sure don’t want to be a banker. As to you,” tugged the coat closed to stay warm in the draft gym, “don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. What do they know? It’s not like my dad was a nurse before he became a financial analyst. If you entertain the idea you aren’t going to succeed at that,” she pointed to the stage,”then you won’t. I think you were amazing up there. If you asked me I would say do what you feel a passion for because you are going to be doing that job for a long time ,” Chloe shrugged after speaking.

Chloe

“I don’t know if I have a career in this hand anymore… and just being the singer slash guitarists isn’t… really what I want. They don’t seem to like my songs… I think that was more of the boiling point her thinking I am always trying to hook up with the girls in the front row…” he said as he took a deep breath as he couldn’t help but starting laughing as he was certain Chloe thought him to be an insane person.

“I don’t know if you do or don’t but at least this time you can prove her wrong because right now you are talking to the one person that is the farthest from the front row as possible. Remember that point when you are duking it out on the ride home.” Chloe’s tone was matter of fact as she played with the embroidery on her skirt. She wasn’t coming onto him with her comment just pointing out the obvious with a bit of snark that until now had been held back.

“As to your career in music that is up to you. I liked your song so what if these people didn’t.” She shrugged off her statement like it was a trivial thought. “Find a group that does like your singing. Don’t just give up.” Chloe felt a bit more brave talking about this topic rather than the merits of embracing a rebellious youth. For all, she knew the crooner was like any other guy and trying to find an in to just schmooze a girl up. She had given up on the idea that this dark clothed man was a hoodlum. His manners were too polite to be a thug or being goth adjacent.

“I’m sorry… it’s just I mean mainly cause this is our first official real gig that didn’t have our family in front, and Grandma Patty might have been a looker back in the day but I am not trying to go hook up with her. Piper…” Nathan shrugged a bit as he wondered how to put it. “She isn’t really the best girlfriend… I am not sure why I put up with it, if someone talks to me she freaks out… but she can make out with Lenny after prom and oh that’s fine she was just drunk… kinda feels ass backwards ya know?” Nathan said as he thought on something else Chloe said as he wondered about the idea of doing what you love.

“Bassakwards is life.” The play on words was something Chloe always used to describe the event Nathan mentioned. “Things always are different than you you know or perceive. Take this place. It looks like a posh, upscale high school were white shirts and red and black plaids are the standard uniforms. Those are reality but the upstanding lets make the world a better place because we have the opportunities to do it is in short supply. It is just a lot of gum flapping. People only want to make a difference with their words and not actions yet Danbury High has half the money and a quarter of the resources but do all sorts of fun projects and things. I would love to get away from here and try school there.”

“What I love… is to get away from here… I graduate early in the spring, I am from Martha’s Vineyard… I want to be away from pretentiousness, Boston is about the only people I think this far north of Philly, but New England… it’s old and dying. I want to do something that is my choice, so I am thinking Starfleet… half way across the continent … try to do something good. I would go to Oxford first though, which fits into the get away from the family, then finish it in San Francisco…” Nathan paused, feeling like perhaps he was rambling a bit too much, as he paused a bit as he looked over at Chloe.

“Look, you want to not be like your father… Starfleet is a helluva way to go. Or Paris, Milan, Vienna … anywhere but Coniticituct. Even the air feels judgmental here.”

Harland, CNS

“No that is just the HVAC system,” she shoved his shoulder playfully. After a long pause, she looked up at him. “Starfleet? You want to join the military? What are you going to study at Oxford that will help you be a soldier?” The idea was exciting but it was also permanent. It wasn’t like a normal job where one just up and quit. Joining them was a commitment.

Chloe Kendrick