Let Life Give You Wings

I don't own The Music Man, or any mentions of other books, movies, or songs.

Chapter 1

I woke up to the sound of an alarm clock beeping and my twin brother Chris yelling at me to turn it off. I groaned, rolled over, and pried open a bleary eye to see what time it was. 6:00 in the morning, I thought, great. I hate Mondays. "Especially first-day-of-school Monday's." I growled.

I then proceeded to walk to my desk, turn off my alarm, and yell at Chris to get his lazy butt out of bed.

I turned on the blinding light and fumbled around for the clothes I had laid out the night before. I managed to make it to the bathroom joining our rooms before Chris did, and I began my school morning routine. Shower, blow-dry hair, straiten, no makeup, clothes, breakfast, brush teeth, and leave for school in that exact order.

The hot water felt so soothing running down my back. It helped to wake me up. I washed my hair and body, and then let the water run a few more minutes before I stepped out. I dried off, and then put on my bathrobe because one of my major pet-peeves is when my wet hair gets the back of my shirt wet.

Just as I was finishing straitening my blond hair I heard a pounding on the bathroom door from my brother's side. "Will, come on hurry up!" he yelled at me.

A-tell him to buzz off, B-ignore him, or C-hurry up and get out of the bathroom, I thought. I chose A.

"Buzz off; I'll come out when I want to come out." I told him slipping on my skinny jeans. I took my time putting on my camisole, then my grey quarter length t-shirt, and my black low-top converse. I slipped on my watch and waited for it to turn 6:45. Then I unlocked and opened my door letting the steam out then I turned and unlocked and opened his. "All yours." I told him smiling sweetly at him shivering there in his pajama bottoms. He glared at me then went into the bathroom and locked both doors after I had gone in my room. I gathered all my school things and stuffed them unceremoniously into my backpack then went to see if Carol and Lisa, my little sisters, were up. Of course they would be. Lisa was extremely excited for 9th grade and my other sister Carol, whom we adopted, was ready for 8th grade.

I hurried down stairs and dropped a bagel in the toaster, while I waited for it to cook I thought about our names. I don't know why I just did. Guess I must have been more tired than I had thought. Chris's full name is James Christopher Morgan, but we call him Chris because he hates his first name. Lisa's is short for Elloise, and Carol's full name is Caroline. Me, I'm Will, Short for William, I'm sadly named after my father, but hey I can't complain too much. It's either Will or Ann. My parents had assumed I was going to be a boy (seeing as Chris is one), and well, it stuck. Both of my now divorced parents picked a name so my father picked William, after himself and his own father. Then there's Nickolas Millar, or Rex as we call him, short for T-Rex. He's been mine and Chris's best friend since pre-K. We call him Rex because whenever he smiled (which is rare even today) he looked like he had (what we thought when we were kids at least), were dinosaur fangs, and he had a strange love for them that to this day I still can't understand. That was before braces though. He just got his off while Chris and I are still stuck in them.

Rex. My thoughts turned to the dark haired boy who'd been my best friend for years. I'd fallen for him during our Freshman year of high school. I had thought it was a stupid crush or hormones, but I am now a Sophomore and my feelings have only gotten stronger. It's very distracting.

The toaster popped and I jumped. Then I took out my bagel and sat down at the counter to eat. I finished quickly then ran back up the stairs to my room so I could brush my teeth.

Of course Chris was still in there. I had once timed him in the morning before I had had a chance to get in the bathroom, and he took longer than I did. I voiced my thoughts while banging on the door, "I swear Chris, you take longer in the bathroom than I do!"

"Do not!" Chris replied.

"You better be dressed," I told him, "I'm coming in."

"Don't worry I'm not." He said, but I heard him zipping his pants while I picked the lock.

I opened the door and walked to the counter where Chris was standing. I ruffled his blond hair and began brushing my teeth. If I had been a boy Chris and I would be identical. We both had sun-bleached blond hair, blue eyes, and were fairly tall, although he was taller than I was. We also had the same slight build, and lightly tanned skin. I spat, rinsed my mouth out, and ignored Chris's glares then told him his hair was messed up and went into my room. I heard him hurriedly fix it and put on his shirt. Shaking my head, I grabbed my backpack, and ran down the stairs to find the key's to the used red car we shared before Chris did. The color was the only one both of us could decide on. I had wanted blue, but he had wanted orange. Honestly, who drives an orange car? Our birthday had been just a few days ago, and as we were officially sixteen, and had gotten our licenses, we were allowed to drive to school with Lisa. It still amazes me that he actually passed his test. I've decided that I'm going to try to drive to school as much as possible so we hopefully wouldn't die.

Chris and Lisa ran out the door just as I was unlocking the car. Mom would take Carol to school on her way to work. Chris got in the front seat of the used red Mustang we shared and Lisa in the back.

We arrived at school just as Rex and Hannah, Rex's girlfriend, were getting out of his black pick-up truck. I tried not to let it bother me while I searched for a parking place. Chris gave me a knowing glance as I parked the car. I nodded and got out. Lisa jumped out and ran over to a group of her friends. Chris looked at me, shook his head and we walked to the front doors where Rex and Hannah were already swapping spit. A stab of longing hit my heart and I looked towards the doors. I can understand wanting to kiss your other half, but in front of the school was definitely not the place to do it.

I sighed, "Come on lover boy. It's time for class now." Hannah glared at me as she and Rex broke apart. "What? We've got two minutes and our classes are on the other side of the building." I probably wouldn't have wanted to be rudely interrupted from a kiss like that, but it's one thing to be watching it and another to be involved.

"Whatever," she said taking Rex's hand and pulling him into the rush of student's. I rolled my eyes and Chris and I followed after them.

We reached our lockers which were right next to each other with Rex's on the other side of Chris's and Hannah's right next to mine. I groaned, "Why do they have to remind me everyday?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders and we headed to English. Chris and Rex had the exact same schedule and I had the same as them except for math. We were on the same level, Geometry, but we just had different teachers because Mrs. Bowery hates me. I swear that woman was trying to fail me!

We walked into class and took seats in the back next to Rex. I turned to him and whispered, "Heard the teacher broker her hip."

"What?" he asked.

"Mrs. Ricks, the old lady who gave us detention for 'talking to loud in the hallway', she broke her hip."

"Serves her right," he muttered in typical Rex-like behavior. I nodded.

The bell rang and a ditsy blonde came into the classroom and started writing her name on the blackboard. Miss Lockhart. I snickered at her name, I mean come on was anyone else thinking Harry Potter just then? Then I glanced over at Rex then at Chris. They were both grinning at me. This was going to be an interesting year.

Miss Lockhart turned to the class, "Alrighty then I'm Miss Lockhart. I will be subbing for Mrs. Ricks while she is out. She has given me a seating chart to put y'all in. So everybody come to the front and I'll put you in a seating chart!"She smiled and pulled out a clipboard and pen. "Carly Blackiter" she said pointing to the first seat. She called out a few more names then came, "Nick Miller," she called pointing to a seat in the middle of the room.

"Poor Rex," Chris said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because he's right behind Selena Lee."

"Ouch," I said to Chris who nodded. Selena has had a crush on Rex since the 4th grade.

"James Morgan" Miss Lockhart said pointing to the seat next to Rex's. He winked at me; I smiled back. Oh this is going to be an interesting year, I thought. "Will Morgan," she called. I started to walk to my seat, "I said Will Morgan," I nodded and continued to my seat, "Will is a boy's name."

"Your point?" I asked her getting irritated.

"Um you're kind of a girl." I nodded, Good job Captain Obvious. "Ok, I so know you're not Will Morgan. Something is going on between the two of you. I saw him wink at you."

"Yes I am. I'm William Ann Morgan, James's twin sister."

"Look we'll just finish up the seating chart and you better go to the right seat" she said. I shrugged my shoulders and when the last person was in his seat the only empty desk was the one behind Chris. "Is this some sort of joke?" Miss Lockhart asked with her hands on her hips.

"Um, no, my name is Will I swear." I told her my temper igniting.

"Principles office. Now." She said her face red with anger, pointing to the door. I sighed and headed for the door. I could already hear Chris and Rex sniggering behind me.

I entered the office with a bored expression on my face. The secretary nodded at the sight of me and waved me into the principles office Miss Lockhart right on my heels. "Here already Will?" Mr. Liles asked.

"Yes sir, but this time I actually did nothing wrong." I said with a smug smile on my face. The principle turned from his computer and noticed Miss Lockhart.

"What did she do this time?" he sighed, not believing me.

"She has lied about her name, was openly flirting, and disrupted my class." The blonde told Mr. Liles.

"What did she say her name was?"

"William Morgan and she was openly flirting with her supposed twin brother James Morgan." She said as I rolled my eyes and slumped down in the chair he had rightly named as mine. It seriously had my name tapped to the back of the chair. There were two others next to it with both my brother and Rex's names written on note cards tapped to the backs.

"That's her name Miss Lockhart. William Ann Morgan and yes, her brother's name is James or Chris as he goes by these days." Mr. Liles turned the computer so that he could show her my student profile. There was last year's school picture right next to my name and all my contact information.

"Oh, well…well I…I mean that is…uhhh." She stuttered, and I had to hold back my smirk.

"You may go back to class now Will. Miss Lockhart may I have a minute with you?"

I slipped out of the office, and back to the English room where the class was chatting. They fell silent when I entered. "What happened?" Jacob, one of the kids who sat at my lunch table, asked.

I smiled, "She made a total fool out of herself. Not to mention that she thought me and Chris were dating. Eww." Chris glared at me, "Sorry Chris. I love you, but no. That's called incest, oh and I'm not sure I'll be passing this class this year." A few students laughed as I finally reached my seat behind Chris.

"She thought we were dating?" he asked disgusted.

"Yes. She even brought it up with the principle." I laughed as I remembered Mr. Liles annoyed face as I left. The plump man who sat behind the desk had had an amused look in his eyes the moment he knew I was coming in. I could see the smirk on his face from a mile away. I remembered also coming into his office the first day of Freshman year.

"This is a new record for you Will." he had said to me. He used to also be our Junior High principle, but I guess he had to make sure the High school survived Mine, Chris, and Rex's wrath. We had sure made a memorable mark on Oak Middle School.

"Hah Mr. Liles? Man he sure must like you Will. I don't think any of us has gotten more than a detention since the sixth grade." He said impressed.

I shrugged, "It's not like I did anything wrong…this time." I added as an after thought. He laughed, and Rex smirked.

"What's the plan?" he asked just as Miss Lockhart entered the room red faced.

Later, I mouthed to him. He nodded, and turned to the front. On the way to her desk Miss Lockhart glared at me, and I smiled sweetly back. I couldn't wait for class to get out. The rest of the class time we listened to Miss Lockhart read off the rules, and watch her shoot glares in my general direction. Once the bell rang I was out the door and into the hallway before Rex and Chris had even gathered all their books.

I leaned up against the wall as I waited for them, and as soon as they were out we all busted out laughing. Well Rex's was more like a chuckle. Then we saw a flash of red hair and the laughter stopped. Hannah took Rex's hand and they walked down the hallway together leaving me and my brother trailing slowly behind them. Chris looked at me and I just shrugged my shoulders.

"I do know one thing," he said as we reached our lockers, "if she gets in the way of any of our plans I'll personally dump paint in her hair, and her little snot nosed white-haired Maltipo too!" I laughed and slammed my locker then looked at my schedule. First period was over, and I had no idea how I would ever make it through the rest of the day. How much longer until lunch?

oOoOoOo

I glanced at my watch for the fiftieth time during math. The clock was slowly torturing me second by second. Mr. Atherton kept droning on about the rules, and how he was going to run his classroom, bla bla bla. It's not like any of us actually cared anyways. I mean what's the point of us not looking at the clock because 'It's disrespectful' when half the class is texting right now. I looked back just to irritate him.

Only twenty seconds had passed since I last checked my watch. Who knew math class actually had so many rules? I knew that no one was listening so why did he keep talking? Did he honestly like the sound of his own voice that much?

Mr. Atherton was a tall twig like man. He seemed to have no muscle on his bones whatsoever. He also had a blonde hairy caterpillar sitting atop his upper lip while his hair seemed to be thinning on his head. Well, I know where all his hair's gone at least. I thought staring at his bushy mustache. "Ok class. I'm going to let you out a little early today because you've been so good today." He said in his raspy monotone voice. My ears perked up as he said this and I quickly gathered up my binder and the math book he had issued us.

As soon as that door was open I was gone. Food was awaiting me in my locker, and the farther away I got from that classroom the better. I threw my books in my locker and grabbed my lunch. The bell rang just as I entered the cafeteria and I had first choice on where we would be sitting today. I quickly took a seat at one of the tables near a window and began to unpack the life sustaining calories that would keep me awake and keep my stomach from growling during the last half of my classes.

I was halfway through my sandwich before Chris and Rex sat down, Rex across from me and Chris on my right. I looked up with my mouth full, "Mwahy guhies." I said with my mouth full. They gave me a strange look. "Hey guys." I tried again after swallowing.

"Hungry, Will?" asked Hannah as she sat her tray down beside me. I nodded and took another huge bite as Jacob and Ben joined us.

"Food is good." I said between bites. She smiled and took a tiny forkful of salad. "Did you get the stuff?" I asked Rex.

He tried to answer me with his mouth full of food, but ended up spraying Hannah with sandwich. "EWW!" she screeched as she stood up and wiped a bit of spittle and jelly off her face. "Nick that's disgusting!" she left the table taking her purse and lunch with her. Not that we minded much. Well, Rex might have, but the other four of us didn't.

Chris was laughing so hard he started to choke on his spit which made Rex grin and me laugh harder. When Chris finally calmed himself he asked, "So we decided what the plan was?"

"Yeah, during study hall Rex is going to ask to 'use the restroom' and set out the Kool-aid tubs and turn off the water. Then you and I are going to ask to 'get some things from our lockers' after Rex comes back, and dump the Kool-aid in the water supply. Then we'll dispose of the evidence in the dumpster behind the school."

"Sounds good," he said and continued to eat. We finished, said goodbye to our friends, and threw our trash away once the bell rang and headed off to our next class which just happened to be study hall.

I smiled as I grabbed the little bit of homework that Chemistry had given me. About twenty minutes into class I gave Rex the signal and he went up to the teacher to get his pass. He came back within ten minutes, and Chris and I started our part of the plan. I grabbed my Chemistry book and binder then asked the teacher to get something from my locker. Chris followed not far behind me. We met up at our lockers and then quickly took to our halves of the school.

I got to the nearest water fountain and checked for teachers or students who would rat on me. Once I was sure no one was coming I quickly undid the front part of the water fountain and found the Kool-aid Rex had stashed there. I checked first to make sure Rex had turned off the water. Nothing came out. I dumped the Kool-aid into the fountains system then took the tub with me to the next fountain after I placed the front back on it.

I quickly did the rest of the fountains and took the tubs with me back to my locker. Chris arrived just as I did and handed me his tubs. I ran off with them to the dumpster behind the school while Chris went to turn the water back on. We had tested this already with a water fountain in the park. Once the water turned back on it was supposed to start circulating which would stir the Kool-aid to where it would come out all smooth and liquidy. Once I was back inside the school I grabbed the book, and returned to class with my deed done.

I winked at Rex as I sat down behind him. He leaned back in his seat, and I leaned forward pretending to stick my nose in a book. "The Kool-aid should be in the system for days." I whispered in his ear. I saw him nod his head and return back to his normal position. Chris came in seconds later, books in hand and sat down beside Rex and gave him a knuckle touch.

Once the bell rang we stationed ourselves near a water fountain and began talking since we had already gotten what we need for our next class. A small Freshman girl came up to the water fountain we were standing by, and glanced at us before taking a sip. She was surprised to find that it wasn't water that came out of the fountain but a red liquid that tasted like cherries. She smiled and took another gulp before dashing off to her next class.

"Success," Rex said and began walking to Drama. We followed him through the halls, and entered the auditorium. Rex and I went to sit in the middle section while Chris was directed to the section on our left because he was taking Tech Theater.

The TT teacher took his group to a different room to discuss what they would be doing for the year. Mr. Thorton our drama teacher began with the class rules mostly for the benefit of the Fish, seeing as there were only a handful of them the rules went by quickly.

"Welcome back other students!" He said clapping loudly to gather our attention. "I'm sure you're all excited about this year, and I'm also sure you're very eager to find out what play or musical we shall be doing this year." He smiled warmly as he paced in front of the class. We waited in suspense as he paced. Finally he stopped and turned back to us, "As you know we switch out every year on whether we will be doing a play or musical, and for the returning students you know that we did our annual play last year. So this year the musical will be…" he stopped for dramatic pause, "The Music Man!"

Mr. Thorton was bombarded with silence. "I'm sure you've seen the Disney version of the musical, but there is also a Broadway show, and an older making of the movie. The musical is set back in the early nineteen hundreds in Iowa, and is about a con man named Harold Hill. Of course there is a love interest." He said pointedly to the girls. "Her name is Marian Paroo. She is a librarian, and a music teacher. When Harold comes into her life with a false scheme of trying to organize a boys marching band she wants nothing to do with him. Marian isn't sure that he is actually who he says he is, and starts searching, but then she sees how happy her little brother is and begins to trust him." I had seen this musical once before, and I was sure that once we got the script more of us would begin to recall bits and pieces of it.

"What happens to him?" a Junior girl asked.

Mr. Thorton smiled and shook his head, "I will pass out the scripts tomorrow so that you may begin to study parts for auditions, until then class." He finished with a bow just as the bell rang.

"How does he do that?" I asked Rex as we headed to the gym for P.E.

Rex shrugged his shoulders, "I guess he just has impeccable timing."

"I guess." I muttered as we entered. I froze at a sight of nothing but high school boys sitting in the bleachers of the gym. I quickly went to join Rex, and ignored the stares that they were giving me. Chris ran in as the bell rang and managed to sit down before the coach came out of his office.

"Settle down, settle down." He said holding up his clipboard and clicking a pen. He began to call role. I suddenly felt nervous as he called out Chris's name. What would happen when he found out I was a girl in an all boy's gym class? I was starting to loath the person who had arranged the schedules this year. It must have been that new vice principle. "Will Morgan." The coach called not bothering to look up.

"Here" I called. The coach looked up at the sound of my voice. I do admit that my voice is probably higher than the average high school male, but that was to be expected. He didn't have to do a double take at the sight of my face though. I supposed that was to be expected.

"You're Will Morgan?" he asked uncertain.

I nodded remembering this morning's encounter with a certain English sub. "Looks like I'll be making another trip to the office." I whispered as he finished role.

"Come with me Will. We'll get this whole mess sorted out."

I entered the office for the second time that day. I think it should be put on record that while I have entered the domain many times in one day this is the first and probably the last time I would enter it twice as an innocent person on the same day. "Good afternoon Coach Dobbs." Mr. Liles said sighing. "Please tell me why you're in here again Will."

"I'm in an all boys P.E. class." I said with a vacant expression.

This seemed to throw the poor man for a loop as he was expecting a confession. Then he laughed, "Let this day be known as the fist day William Morgan has ever entered this office twice in one day innocently." I smiled thinking of the water fountains he hadn't discovered yet. "Well let's look at your schedule then Will." he studied his computer screen for a moment, "We can change it, but your entire schedule would be changed around, and you may not be able to continue drama if you switched."

"I like my schedule this year, and I don't want to drop out of drama. Please, there must be something you can do."

"The only alternative is for you to continue with the boy's class. If you wanted to go out for any sports the tryouts are going to be held after school so that wouldn't change anything."

I looked at Coach Dobbs, "If it's all the same to you I'd like to just stay in the boy's class."

"It makes no difference to me what you do. Just know that I won't be going easy on you just because you are a girl. I will also instruct my boy's to do no different."

"That's fine. I can keep up." The Coach gave me a wary look, and nodded to Mr. Liles.

"Now that that's settled go back to class Will." I smiled and left the room with the Coach following close behind me.

"I'll open up the girl's locker room for you to change tomorrow, and assign you a locker." I nodded my thanks and returned to my seat by my brother and best friend. The bell rang soon after Coach finished all the rules and had assigned lockers. Finally the school day was over.

Now how were we going to find Lisa in this huge crowd?

Hello! So this is my first original chapter story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter =) Please let me know what you think! And if you have any questions I will always answer them. =) Thanks for reading!

~chocoyum4~