Kelso nodded. “I’m up for that. Just as friends, though.”
“That’s how things usually go with her. Friends first. But, I haven’t told her the history of your past.”
“That’s okay. I’ll leave that up to me. Actually, I usually tell people what they’re getting into before anything happens.”
“Okay, then. Well, when do you want to meet her?”
“Tonight’s fine. Just give me a time and a place.”
“I’ll talk to her and let you know. Have a phone I can reach you at?”
“Yeah.” Kelso wrote down his phone number and handed to J.T.
“All right. I’ll talk to you later. I gotta get to class.” J.T. rushed out of the theater and stood at the corner trying to hail a cab. Five minutes later, a cab rolled up and J.T. got in. He was on his way to seal his fate as a Juliardite.
***
“Good morning, everyone,” a tall blondish dark skinned man greeted in an Australian accent. “My name is Darren Wise, you can call me Darren or D, but never Professor or Mister. Welcome to my improv class. Let me make sure everyone is here that is supposed to be and find out who is not.”
Darren went through role call. Court, Brady, Sam, Parker and J.T. were in the same class, but the girls were nowhere to be found in the room. They weren’t even on the role call.
J.T. leaned over to Brady. “Where are the girls? I thought they had this class.”
“You’d know better than I would, J.T. You’ve got connections with their leader,” Brady said.
J.T. rolled his eyes.
“They might have left town before they got sentenced,” Court joined in the conversation.
“Good call,” Sam remarked.
“Guys, be quiet or we’re going to get in trouble,” Parker said.
The guys went “ooh” and showed their hands shaking.
Darren cleared his throat and walked over to the five guys. “It seems we have our first volunteers for our first improv,” Darren said. “Your names are--?”
The guys introduced themselves when they were pointed out.
“Go on up and pull out your fate from the box.”
J.T. went up to the front of the room and pulled out a slip of paper from the box of improvisation ideas. He smiled when he saw what he and his friends had to act out.
“In the dean’s office for violating curfew.”
Court, Sam, Parker and Brady covered their mouths so no one could see them holding back their laughter.
“Talk about a quick rehearsal,” Brady remarked.
“Mmm hmm,” Sam said.
They walked up to the stage and took their places. Court was going to play the dean while the other guys were going to prove their case. Court played the dean to a T, with his walk and imitation of her voice. The class broke out in fits of laughter.
“Well, this wonderful quintet just kept their A,” Darren graded.
***
“Maybe we should have stayed in the improv class,” Heidi wondered aloud.
“Why?” Freedom asked. “I didn’t like the looks of that guy teaching the class. He seemed kind of creepy.”
“Well, looks aren’t everything,” Dashelle said. “I agree with Heidi.”
Their dance instructor cleared her throat. “Good morning, newbies. My name is Carlotta Rischkev. You will call me Madame Rischkev. I have been teaching dance for over 20 years and if you have a problem with my style, then you know how you got here and you know how to get out of here. Let’s go ahead and do some stretching before we get started.”
The students in the class stood next to the pointe bar and started going through ballet positions. When they finished stretching, Madame Rischkev asked for volunteers to begin her rigorous dance testing.
The girls sat in the back corner making conversation. Heidi’s eyes bulged out of her head when she saw what they were going to be tested on. “I can’t do that!” she exclaimed, covering her mouth and realizing her voice was too loud.
“SHH!” Dashelle warned. “She’ll make you go next.”
“Well, it would be better than sitting here watching these girls go through all that pain. She expects us to do a back bend and spring into splits?! She’s gone off her rocker.”
“Don’t sweat it, Heidi. You’re a natural dancer. You can do this stuff,” Ashleigh remarked.
“Hope we’re not graded on this,” Heidi remarked.
“Guess I’ll be the first to find out,” Freedom said. She cleared her throat and noticed that Madame Rischkev was looking for her next victim.
“I’ll go next, Madame Rischkev,” Freedom volunteered.
Madame Rischkev smiled and asked her to come forward. “Name, please?”
“Freedom Strong. My parent’s were big into the Sixties.”
Madame Rischkev nodded. “How long have you been dancing. You look very toned.”
“Since I was five.”
“Very nice, dear.” Madame Rischkev circled Freedom and examined the muscles in her body with her eyes.
“Um, Madame Rischkev, are we getting graded on this test? I mean is it going to be a permanent record?”
“Oh, no,” Madame Rischkev laughed. “I just want to see what kind of skills my students have, that’s all. Now, let’s get started.”
Madame Rischkev asked Freedom to do several moves to show her flexibility and abilities. When she was finished, she joined her friends.
“Well, you’re definitely going to get an A,” Heidi remarked.
Freedom held up her right hand and blew on her nails and then balled up a fist and rubbed her hand on her breastbone, like she was polishing an apple. “Y’know, I do what I can.”
An hour later, Brady, Sam, J.T., Parker, Court, Heidi, Freedom, Dashelle, and Ashleigh met up in the hall and headed toward their fate like it was Armageddon.
The gang dubbed J.T. as the spokesperson for them all when they walked into the lobby. They said he could talk for them since he had been in the Dean’s office earlier and had a bone to pick with her anyway.
J.T. strutted up to Burnetta and told her that his friends and he were here to see the dean. He tapped the face of his watch with his finger. “And let her know we’re on time.” His watch read 11 o’clock.
“Have a seat, Mr. Sumtrane. I’ll let Dean Harlow know that her violators are here,” Burnetta said without looking up. She hit a button on her phone and let her boss know that she had visitors.
“We got this covered, ladies. Fortunately, our improv class let us practice our buttering up skills in class,” Court said.
“You mean, you guys are all ready known as the trouble makers?” Heidi asked.
“No, just luck of the draw,” J.T. said. A smile widened across his face, but faded when Dean Harlow’s door widened and she leaned in the door frame with her arms crossed.
“I’m ready to see this group of misfits now,” Dean Harlow remarked.
“Oh, no she didn’t,” Dashelle whispered to Ashleigh. “She better check herself before she starts talking to me like that.”
Dean Harlow cleared her throat and threw daggers with her eyes at Ashleigh and Dashelle for speaking. “Please come in.”
The nine students went into the Dean’s office like lambs knowing they were about to be slaughtered. No one sat down until Ms. Harlow asked them to.
“You’ve been charged with violating curfew. Fortunately, we have not had this happen before on the first day before classes, so I would like to know what possessed the nine of you to start breaking Julliard guidelines on the night before starting classes. Would anyone like to tell me why this happened?” Dean Harlow scanned the group.
J.T. decided to say something. “Dean Harlow, you never told me that there was a curfew, let alone any explanation as to what would happen if I did happen to break the rules. So, I think that I should be left out of this trial, but I would like to defend my friends,” J.T. pleaded.
“That
is no excuse, Mr. Sumtrane. I gave you a handbook for you to review,” Dean Harlow remarked.
“I’m sorry to say, but the only thing you gave me when I came in to talk to you yesterday was my room assignment, schedule, and the third degree,” J.T. said.
“Do not talk to me like that, Mr. Sumtrane. I clearly remember giving you a room assignment, schedule, and student handbook,” Dean Harlow repeated.
“Don’t you record your conversations? I did not get a handbook, Dean Harlow. I don’t want to argue that point anymore. You brought us here because we violated an outrageous curfew for nine twenty somethings. Ten o’clock is not feasible in our brains. We like the night life, we’re grown up, and we can make our own decisions.”
“Mr. Sumtrane, I do not want to hear another peep out of you or I will write you up for insubordination and you will be on an even more strict schedule than you all ready are. Is that understood?”
J.T. nodded his head, taking the “another peep” comment to the fullest extent.
“Is there anyone else that would like to tell me what went on and where you were last night when the resident directors did bed check?”
Court stood up from his seat and leaned on the Dean’s desk in front of him. “We were out. What we do on our own time is none of your concern as long as it does not affect our academics. If you will notice, all of us had classes this morning and we were all there on time. You can even ask our professors who took their first role call this morning. In fact, Brady, Sam, J.T., Parker and I even participated in a group improv.”
“Sit down, Mr. Ashton. If you would like to say something, you can say it from your seat.”
“I will not sit down. I am twenty-one years old and if I want to stand, I am going to stand. I am not a child who can be punished for not doing what I’m told.”
“Mr. Ashton, I am asking you to sit down, please. I would like to hear someone else tell me what went on last night.”
Court threw his hands up in the air. “You ask us what went on and I told you what went on. Ten o’clock is a ridiculous time for anyone to be home in New York, for Pete’s sake!”
Dean Harlow stood up behind her desk and slammed the palms of her hands on her desk. “Mr. Ashton, keep your voice down. Now, please, sit so I can hear from someone else what went on or I’m going to have to expel you for insubordination.”
Court plopped down in his chair. “That’s your favorite word, isn’t it?”
“Mr. Ashton, one more time and you’re out.”
Court took a deep breath and thought about giving Dean Harlow a Nazi salute, but he held back. He did not want to ruin his chances of being discovered at Julliard.
Dean Harlow sat in her chair and folded her hands on her desk. She peered over her glasses and looked at the four girls. “Ladies, do you have anything to add to your friends’ statements?”
Heidi started to mumble something.
“I’m sorry; I can’t hear you, Miss Wiers. Please speak up.”
“I said if you weren’t so single minded, I’d say something. But, you don’t want to hear our side to your ridiculous rules, so I’ll be quiet, so I won’t get insubordination thrown in my face, too.”
“I’ll listen, Miss Wiers. Why was your little gang out past ten when I remember in my speech at orientation that I told you the consequences for violating the rules of Julliard. And if you have any doubts, I have the notes from my speech right here.” Dean Harlow shoved a manila file folder across the desk. Heidi shoved it back.
“I don’t need proof. I would like to know how long you have had this curfew,” Heidi said.
“The curfew has been in place for over twenty years. I find no reason to change it.”
“Well, we do,” Ashleigh added. “We are a group of people who feel that we need to help this school make some changes. So, we would like to make a proposal. We’ve thought about this and discussed it. If we can get 75% of the student body to sign a petition that says that the curfew needs to be changed to accommodate the changing times of our lives. In return, we will keep the ten o’clock curfew until changes are made and do anything else that is required for us to stay off probation,” Ashleigh said.
“Does this include the entire group sitting in front of me?”
Everyone of the group nodded their head.
“What would you like the curfew changed to?”
“No curfew,” Court said. “The student body is old enough to take care of themselves.”
“That is not acceptable, Mr. Ashton. We need to do some bargaining.”
“Fine. We will ask the student body to choose between three times. Midnight, one, or two in the morning.”
“That seems feasible. Remember, for now, you need to be in at 10 p.m., no excuses. We will be doing a room check each night for each one of you until I see this petition that you seem so adamant about, Miss Downing.”
“That will be fine,” Ashleigh remarked.
Heidi looked over at J.T. whose face was fuming. “May we leave now before J.T. blows up?”
“Yes, you may. I want that petition by the end of next week,” Dean Harlow remarked.
“Oh, you’ll get it sooner than that, if I have anything to say about it,” J.T. said as he walked out with the rest of the group.
When the door was shut behind them, J.T. let out a guttural growl. “Get me out of here! That woman is going to make me crazy!”
“SHH!” Heidi warned. “She can hear you, ya know.”
“Good. Maybe she’ll hear this. If her head wasn’t shoved so far into her behind, she might see that everyone is different and she can’t control us all like a bunch of puppets. She’ll get hers, sooner or later. I have to go.”
J.T. stomped out of the room and the rest of the group followed behind.
CHAPTER 7
“EEEEEEEE,” Ashleigh squealed. “I get to meet Roger!” she exclaimed while jumping up into the air numerous times.
Heidi put a hand on her friend’s shoulder to calm her down. “Ok, in English, what did you just say?”
“I, Ashleigh Dawn Downing, get to meet Roger one on one, thanks to your boyfriend.”
“How the heck did you get that arranged?” Dashelle asked. She was putting her belongings up on the shelves in her room.
“J.T. talked to him this morning when he was at rehearsal. I’m going out with him tonight. Ohmigosh, what should I wear?”
“Clothes would be a nice touch,” Heidi remarked.
Ashleigh rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Duh!”
“So, what is Roger’s real name?” Dashelle asked.
“Kelso—Kelso Stark. Isn’t that dreamy?” Ashleigh gazed into the air.
“Oh boy, I think we’ve lost her,” Freedom said. She was on the top bunk making her bed.
“Honey, she was lost the second she saw that guy in the theater,” Dashelle said.
“Seriously, girls, what should I wear?” She went across the hall to her room and opened up the closest. She pulled out a stack of clothes and threw them on her bed. “I don’t want to look to desperate, but I want him to be begging for my number.”
“Can’t you just go out with someone without falling head over heels for them the minute you see them?” Heidi asked.
“Did you not see this guy? He is incredibly gorgeous!”
“He looks like Court on a good day, for goodness sake,” Heidi remarked.
Dashelle made a sizzling sound. “Talk about a big time burn. But, yeah, he does look like Court, so why aren’t you going out with him?”
“I don’t want, Court. I want Kelso. If I could just look into his eyes and see that he feels the same way I do, then I know that we were meant to be.”
“You are a hopeless romantic,” Freedom remarked. She rummaged through the outfits that were lying on Ashleigh’s bed.
“More like hopeless, without the romantic,” Heidi said.
“Why can’t you be happy for me?”
Ashleigh asked her friend.
“Just trying to keep your feet on the ground, that’s all.”
Freedom held up a red spaghetti strap shirt with a slanted hem and a pair of black tight pants. “How bout this?”
Ashleigh grabbed the clothes out of Freedom’s hands. “Perfect! Now, I’d love to sit and chat, but I have a date to get ready for, so I will talk to you later and tell you how it goes. Get those petitions ready.”
“Be back by ten o’clock or we’re in big trouble,” Heidi said.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Bye, bye.” Ashleigh herded everyone out of the room and shut the door behind them.
***
Heidi’s phone chirped.
“Swiss Miss Central, Heidi speaking.”
J.T. guffawed at his girlfriend. “What are you doing tonight?”
“Oh, I thought I’d print off about 1,000 petitions and spend the evening shoving them under doors. You?”
“I thought we could go out dancing, but get back by 10 for lock down.”
“Where were you planning to take me?”
“The same place Kelso is taking Ashleigh.”
“About that, you have created a monster and her former name is Ashleigh.”
“Huh?”
“Come over to my place and I’ll tell you all about it. We can get this petition thing started and then go out. I’ll see you soon, k?”
“Okay. Bye.”
“Bye.”
***
Ashleigh sat at a table in one of the finest restaurants she had even been in. The lighting was set in a romantic mood and the menu items were more expensive than she had anticipated. She sat with her chin resting on her hand. With the other hand, she twirled a thornless rose with her fingers. This was her sign that she was Ashleigh looking for Kelso.
Finally, he walked in. He was wearing a dinner jacket with a white shirt and tie. He seemed very classy as he walked towards the girl with the rose and gorgeous smile.
Kelso extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Kelso.”
Ashleigh tried to say hello, but her mouth opened and no words came out.
“You must be Ashleigh.”
She nodded.
“Y’know, if you don’t say a word, that would be nice, but I’d really like to get to know you.”
Ashleigh tried to say something, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a squeak. She covered her face with her hands, so Kelso couldn’t see her face reddening.