18. Harlowe
The only music student I’d met so far were Orion and Isobel. I’d learned a little about the school, though. It was nothing surprising. Everything was by audition, so if I was in orchestra next year, it would be because I earned it.
I practiced my violin for a bit and did a tour of the campus. A very phallic centered artist had done graffiti and sculptures all over campus. I liked their style.
I didn’t do the dining hall for lunch. I had the makings for grilled cheese sandwiches, so I did that. I usually made my grilled cheese the cheap way, but bougie grilled cheese was nice too. Luca got me truffle butter, and I was a big fan.
Dr Faustus had also given me a debit card while I was in his office.
Apparently, I had a stipend in addition to the large tip that was left for my performance in the subway.
I wasn’t planning on being greedy. My dorm room was stocked.
I placed an online order for some snacks I liked and I saw a cat colony behind one of the buildings. I bought food for them too.
I found the same group of dancers stretching in the common room again. It was Cullen, and about three people I didn’t really know yet. I stopped to say hi because they’d been nice to me.
“Hey, why do you warm up here instead of with the other dancers?”
They all exchanged looks, but it was Cullen who spoke. I liked him. He’d always tell me what was on his mind.
“We’re the outcasts. We got good parts in The Nutcracker and we haven’t been here as long as some of the other students.
Rue is the Sugar Plum Fairy and I’m her Cavalier.
Alexa is Clara because just look at her.
Of course, she’s Clara. Paige is dancing one of the Harlequin Dolls and Mia got Arabian because her extension is insane.
Some of the seniors didn’t even get a solo and are stuck in the corps.
And some of them got really shit parts.”
“It’s not unheard of for important people in the ballet world to come see our shows. It’s actually a given. If they notice you, it can lead to guest solos or even spots in companies,” Mia said.
“The seniors who didn’t get any solos didn’t get them because they showed up to auditions like they were guaranteed them. Casting isn’t done by seniority. If you slack ass in auditions, you don’t get the part you want. You get back row in the corps.”
Ah. So these dancers were nice to me because they kind of got it.
It wasn’t just because I wasn’t a threat.
I was here because I impressed someone. They were weird, seemed to have a fuck ton of money, and I wanted their brother as far away from me as possible, but I knew better than anyone every time I picked up my violin, it was a possible audition.
Anyone could walk by, hear me, and offer me an audition or job.
Someone noticed them at an actual audition.
“So, I got loads of tips on managing Klaus. Anything else I need to know?”
“Have you met Azriel Ivy yet?” Alexa asked.
“No, but I know who he is.”
“Yes, well, he’s not a ballet dancer. He’s never set foot in ballet class in his life, but he’s dating Misha and fiercely protective of him.
Azriel crashed Nutcracker auditions. There’s no rule saying he can’t and some of the party guests get played by people in the theatre program sometimes.
He was an absolute menace, but the board watching auditions thought he’d make a perfect Mother Ginger,” Rue said.
“He is,” Cullen laughed. “He’s having the time of his life out there, which is exactly what you want in your Mother Ginger.
He’s flamboyant and utterly distracting.
The first time we practiced with the orchestra, the tambourine player was watching him and missed their cue.
Klaus threw his baton and hit an oboe player who’d done nothing wrong.
“Azriel does the choreography he was given, but he was given free rein to improvise and does so frequently. Mother Ginger’s children are usually played by actual children, but not in our performance.
Even those dancers don’t know what he’s going to do because he never does the same thing twice.
Whatever Azriel Ivy gets up to on stage, if it affects the music in a way Klaus can’t adjust to, he’s going to pitch a fit and disrupt rehearsal. I’m sure that goes for assistants too.”
That was wild, and I was dying to know what Azriel Ivy got up to on stage.
It was our job as musicians to follow the conductor, but it was the conductor’s job to follow the performer.
If they were rushing, we adjusted. If they wanted to draw something out, we made it happen.
It was kind of a nightmare when I had to accompany a singer who spent the whole song making one note into six note vocal runs, but we always managed.
“I see that look,” Cullen said. “I had a torrid affair with a bassoon player last year. That boy could do amazing things with his tongue. Klaus can guide the orchestra through anything. He still has a job here because he’s good.
It’s when the orchestra pays more attention to the dancers instead of the conductor. ”
“Is he that ridiculous? We’ve been playing long enough to know better.”
“One time, Mother Ginger decided to knock all her children over with her stilts. Like, they went flying. Belinda has a massive crush on Misha and there’s a rumor she cornered him and tried to ask him out right before Mother Ginger went bowling with her children.
Misha is gorgeous, nice, and he’s a beautiful dancer, but Azriel and Orion are possessive of him, so don’t even think about it,” Mia said.
“Klaus will probably ignore you unless he needs coffee. He might be a dick about getting an assistant. He probably will be.”
Awesome. It was time to leave, and I always tried to be early for everything.