Delphinium Academy

You already hear it, don't you? Of course, you do.
Don't bother denying it, for I know you adore it.
No one can help but fall in love with this song.
After all, it is not just one song, but many…
All playing together in perfect harmony.

Bobbi's fingers tapped out an impatient rhythm on the steering wheel, and her right foot played the harmony on the brake pedal. She thought about hitting the horn, but she quickly took a sip from her vanilla coke instead. Caffeine tended to calm her nerves. Sometimes. "Hurry up!" she hissed to herself and changed the car radio to a hard rock station.

Finally, the passenger door opened, and Toby slid into the seat. "Sorry, it took so long. I was trying to hurry, but then my eyeliner smeared, so I had to take it off and start all over again. And my mascara was clumping and then…"

"Oh, shut up! You sound so freaking gay!" Bobbi cried. She threw the car into drive, and she was already speeding down the main road. "I swear, if you make me late for Chemistry again because of your new weird obsession-"

Toby laughed heartily. Like any normal brother, he had just been trying to get a reaction from her in the first place. "As far as my weird obsessions go, this one is a lot of fun. Have you noticed how I freak people out everywhere I go?" Toby checked himself in the car mirror, carefully examining his eyeliner. It was black, and it matched everything else he was wearing as well. Black baggy jeans, black T-shirt, black jacket, black belt, black sneakers.

"Who can blame them? I miss your nerdy kid stage. At least you were always on time back then," Bobbi grumbled. She swerved around a stop sign and sped up a little.

"Ah, the timid geek!" Toby exclaimed fondly. "Yes, that one was fun, but it was too much of an occupational hazard. I kept getting stuffed in trashcans and shoved in lockers. I find it very interesting how each new obsession brings about entirely different reactions."

Bobbi rolled her eyes. "What you'll do for a thrill…"

"It's not for thrills! What I do is an art!"

"They're weird obsessions."

"Well…yes," Toby admitted. "That, too."

Bobbi tried to hold it back, but resistance was futile. They both erupted into uncontrollable laughter, and Bobbi had screeched into the high school parking lot before either could manage to stop. "Damn you," she cursed between her snickers. Suddenly, Bobbi seemed to remember that she was in a hurry. She grabbed her textbooks and darted to the technology building where all the advanced classes were located, shooting Toby a quick wave goodbye as she hurried away.

Toby was still chuckling as he gathered his things together and locked the car behind him. Unlike Bobbi, he was in no rush to get to class. The only problem with his new obsession – 'stylish goth', he liked to call it - was that his grades had to drop a bit to stay in character. Luckily, he had been a studious geek for the first part of the school year, so this semester's dip didn't affect him too badly. He also went to detention a lot more, and though it was annoying, dedication is the key in any great performance.

With this thought in mind, Toby morphed his expression into one of bored indifference and lumbered off to his first period class.

XX

Amelie was seriously thinking about skipping school and going home. It was silly, for she had already made it through half her classes, but that didn't diminish how tempting the idea was. The useless chatter and oppressing schoolwork seemed to wear on her soul and weigh down her every thought.

Everything about Jamison High School made Amelie want to slit her wrists. The teachers, the students, the work… All of it was so tirelessly boring that Amelie felt as if she was eternally dead, and she could only be awakened from her comatose state when the final bell rang. That sacred era after the last bell was the only time she was truly happy.

Of course, that blissful moment couldn't be farther away, for it was Amelie's lunch period.

Amelie despised the cafeteria. It was crowded and loud, and the heavy aroma of food was both sickening and tantalizing. Amelie never bought a tray, choosing to bring her own lunch instead. There was no telling how many calories hid within the school's mystery meat while Amelie knew exactly what she was getting from the food she had in her purse: a bottle of green tea (five calories) and an apple (seventy calories). Amelie could burn those and more when she went to practice after school.

Still, it made her uncomfortable to be surrounded by so many boisterous teenagers, and even smelling the fried foods felt like a sin. She wished she didn't have to go within a thousand mile radius of the hellhole, but appearances were important. Normal people ate in the cafeteria.

Normal people also ate with other people, but Amelie supposed she couldn't have everything. She sat alone in a corner table, flipping through a magazine and nibbling on her apple. Normally, she would eat with her best friend, Claire Venae, but Claire had skipped school in favor of a haircut and manicure. Secretly, Amelie preferred days where she could spend her lunch in peaceful silence, but she also missed the security that Claire provided.

Claire was pretty in the classic popular girl sort of way – large breasts, tiny waist, generous hips, and glowing golden hair. Being with Claire was like a pass to be accepted anywhere. Still, Claire could be trying on Amelie's nerves, and she enjoyed days when she could be alone with her thoughts.

A commotion sounded from another table, and Amelie wasn't surprised to see Bobbi Jackson in the middle of it. All of her odd little friends were shouting and laughing obnoxiously while Bobbi beamed triumphantly from the center. Amelie had no idea what they were so excited about and she didn't particularly care to.

Bobbi was a bit of an entity at the school. She was short and spunky with messily cropped bleach blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She wore colorful skinny jeans, leather jackets, artistic hats, and just about anything that no one else would dare wear. While most teenagers worried about reputations and fitting in, Bobbi Lynn Jackson didn't give a damn. For such a small girl, she had a huge attitude.

Half the school loved her and admired her originality. The other half despised her. Amelie was undeniably in the latter.

Distinctly annoyed, Amelie tried to focus on an article about the new genre of modern dance, but she couldn't concentrate with Bobbi and her followers guffawing and snorting like they were. She wanted to jump up and scream at them, and for the first time all day, Amelie wished Claire was there just so they could talk about what a freak Bobbi was.

Finally, Amelie couldn't take it anymore. She stuffed the magazine in her purse, threw the apple core away, grabbed her bottle of green tea, and left for the door. She could not stand another minute in the awful cafeteria.

XX

"I'm here without you, baby…but you're still on my lonely mind. I'm here without y-"

Seth shook his head and began scrolling through his songs again. It was a game he played. Whenever he had a bit of free time, Seth would take out his iPod and find the perfect song for whatever situation he was in at the moment. Right now, he was sitting in his car, waiting in the school parking lot for his two little sisters to come out.

Suddenly, a song struck his mind. With quick fingers, he found the tune and played it.

"Sittin' on a bench at West Town Mall. He sat down in his overalls and asked me, 'You waitin' on a woman?' I nodded yeah and said…"

No, that wasn't right at all. Seth silently scolded himself, but another melody soon flitted through his brain, and he scrolled through his songs once again. He knew he was running short on time, so he skipped to the part that he wanted.

"…I've been waiting for you, and you've been coming to me…for such a long time now…"

Now that Seth listened to the lyrics accompanied with the music, it really wasn't quite the perfect song for the moment, but he didn't have time to think of another one. Audrey and Lilith were prancing up to the car, curls bouncing and smiles beaming. Seth unlocked the doors, and the twins climbed in.

"Hey girls! Did you guys have a great day?" Seth greeted.

Audrey cried, "Yes!" just as Lilith grumbled, "No." Seth almost laughed. Even though the girls shared a birthday, they seemed to be determined to be as different as possible.

Like the compassionate and responsible big brother he was, Seth listened to Audrey gush to him about drawing a ballerina in art class and Lilith complain that the schoolwork was too easy and boring. The two sisters talked the entire ride home, their chatter bouncing back and forth almost too quickly to follow. Finally, Seth reached their modest apartment, and the girls grew solemn.

"Do you have to go, Seth? Why can't you stay and play with us?" Audrey whined.

"You haven't played with us in a long time," Lilith agreed.

Seth smiled regretfully. "I'm sorry, girls. I really am, but you know how it is. I promise I'll be home before dark tonight, okay?"

The girls were less than comforted. Seth walked them to the apartment, unlocked the door, and coaxed them both inside. "You two be good for your mama, and I'll come back as soon as possible. Do your homework and take your baths. And if your room is clean when I get home, I'll tell you a bedtime story. Does that sound good?"

Lilith nodded, and Audrey shook her head.

Seth gave them both a kiss on the forehead, and then he returned to his car and drove away.

He hated leaving his sisters. He loved them both so much, yet he hardly ever had any spare time for them. There was just so much to do, and Seth had to make choices based on what was best for the family. There was simply no other way.

Still, Seth couldn't deny that he was already feeling the familiar surge of pleasure that leaving brought him, and guilt squeezed his heart. How could he be happy while his sisters were left behind? Then again, was it so wrong to enjoy what he did?

After all, he was going to the only place on Earth where he felt that he truly belonged. It was a sacred place, one of elegance and beauty and so much more.

Delphinium.

a.n. Music is a major theme in this story, so I'll be making several song references throughout the writing. For formality's sake, I'll mention now that I don't own any of these songs, and I'll list every song quoted at the end of each chapter. Here's the list for this one:

"Here Without You" by Three Doors Down
"Waitin' on a Woman" by Brad Paisley
"I've Been Waiting for You" by David Bowie

One more thing! Each chapter title will be the name of a song. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the story!