Krayon trudged, making her way down the packed hall, clutching her books tightly to her chest. The steady onslaught of traffic seemed determined to push her back, but she struggled against the flow.
She gritted her teeth as all of the sudden, a wave hit her from the side, and pasted her to a wall of lockers. The sharp metallic locks dug into her back, and Kray grimaced. She knew she'd be very sore by the next day.
Peeling herself off the wall gingerly, she hurried into the rushing crowd once more, towards her English class. A ragged line had formed outside the classroom, and Kray quickened her step, almost hitting the person in front of her. Kray stumbled out of the sea of people, and fell into her customary place at the back of the line.
Aware that her books were slipping out of her grip, she shifted them, and looked up to the head of the line. The popular kids were horsing around. Kray could see Adam, the most sought-after guy in the school. He was the guy all the girls sighed about. His long blonde hair, beautiful, bright brown eyes, killer smile, and his tall, wiry frame. He was mocking a fight with his other friends (all just as popular), grinning and laughing.
Kray sighed, and looked away. There was no hope at all for her there.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mr. Felding, the English teacher, waddle up. He made a great fuss to break up the 'fight', and tried to straighten the line. When satisfied, he hauled open the door, and fell inside. The class jammed in after him into the classroom.
Kray walked in, and sat at her desk in the front row. She pulled her paper out, a pen, and was ready to work.
Mr. Oaring had to be the driest teacher in all of Wave Crest High School. He seemed to drone on and on and on. Even Kray, a studious pupil, found it hard to concentrate on him.
As Krayon was struggling to keep up with Mr. Boring, as she called him, she felt a sharp dig into her back where the lockers had bruised earlier. She turned to see the same popular kids at the back grinning, and trying to look contrite. Adam grinned at her, and waved. Kray glanced down to see on the floor lay a broken ruler.
She groaned inwardly. Not again, she thought. She turned back, facing ol' Boring, and was rewarded with another object hitting her in the head.
This was just a part of every day in Kray's school life.
During lunch, Kray huddled by herself in a corner, reading a book, and chewing on some plain old sandwich. She was heedless of the passing people, so engrossed was she by the tales of majical beings, far off times and places... She wished she could be abducted by a dragon, or saved by a prince. Anything but be here! she sighed, and buried herself in the majical splendor of her novel.
FLASH! A football landed not far from her feet, and she stared at it dumbly. A pair of legs came into her sight, and she looked up to find Adam grinning down at her. She squinted, the sun at his back.
"Why, hello!" he said, mocking her by exaggerating his mouth motions.
She smiled limply.
He waved, and continued grinning.
Kray sighed, and went back to her book. Suddenly, a large hand reached down, and pulled it from her grasp.
"A romance novel, eh?" he asked, flipping the pages, veiwing them from all angles.
Kray wanted to tell him that it was not a romance book, but she couldn't. Besides, any idiot could tell it was fantasy, not romance.
He squinted at it, and then shrugged, tossing it up in the air. Kray reddened, and could see over Adam's shoulder his comrades. They were yelling and hooting, egging him on.
He turned and grinned at his audience, holding the novel up as if he would a trophy. Adam swivelled back around, and looked at her intensely.
"I can give you more than this book can." he said, his face frighteningly serious. The moment broke when he grinned. "Just kidding," he said. "Who'd wanna mess with a handicapped dweeb?" he told her cruelly.
Kray felt the beginnings of tears sting her eyes, and turned away.
Kray unlocked the door of her house, and found her mother, Trace, napping on the couch. She woke up, and grinned sleepily at her daughter.
'How was your day, sweetie?' signed her mom.
'All right.' Kray signed back. She frowned as a wave of hurt and anger passed over her, and hurried up to her room, not wanting her mom to know what was going on in school.
She threw her books onto the bed, and looked around her room. She had once thought it was the norm for any teenager. But there was a heap of differences, she noticed, from all the 'norm' rooms.
For one, no stereo system sat on the bookshelf. Nor was there CD's, or tapes.
Music magazines, or just about any teen magazine couldn't be found in her room either.
Heaps of books were scattered around the room. There were all kinds. Fiction, non-fiction, biographies, fantasy tales, sci-fi novels, and so on. To Kray's estimation, this was more than any kid should have in their room.
Kray stared around, disgusted, her lip curled.
She slumped to the floor, and rested her head against the door, sighing. Why can't I just be normal? she cried out silently, grasping her head as she felt a migraine coming on. Why?
The torment in school got worse as Adam seemed to delight in picking on her.
Kray only made it through the day with the thought of her safe haven at home with her family. But, sometimes, family can't help...
One day, as she got home, she spotted her brother's tape player on the coffee table. Hesitating slightly, she reached out and carefully picked the small contraption up, holding it carefully, as if it may break. Headphones were plugged into the thing, and Kray fingered the ear pads. Reverently, she pulled the headphones over her head, and with shaking fingers, pressed the play button.
Nothing happened. Kray could feel the gentle buzz the machine made as it turned the tape, but she could hear no sound.
As she fiddled with the volume control, almost desperately, her mother walked in, unnoticed.
Kray cried out, startled, as her mom tapped her shoulder. She spun around, throwing the headphones off as if they were hot.
'Kray...' her mom signed hesitantly.
Kray's eyes filled, and she pushed past her mother, and ran to her room. Her haven.
If she had stayed, she would've seen her mother say 'Don't torture yourself like this...'
But she didn't...
'Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Kray-on, Happy Birthday to you!'
Kray smiled happily at her relatives around her, singing and signing the song. She turned 17 on this day, and almost every family member nearby turned up for this event.
'Blow out the candles.' Greg, her brother, signed.
Kray took a deep breath and blew out the candles on her rich chocolate cake.
'Did you make a wish?' Trace asked, smiling out from under her silly party hat.
'Yes.' Kray signed.
"What was it?" her cousin, Alex yelled. Kray couldn't hear it, but from the expressions on everyone else's face, they could.
'Not telling!' she replied, smiling secretively.
After the great cake was devoured, the presents came. Aunt Philys and Uncle Toby gave her heaps of clothes, her mother and father got her some gift vouchers, and a ruby ring. Greg got her a box of chocolates that she noticed was missing a few choice chocolates.
'I had to make sure they were just right for my little sis!' Greg shrugged, grinning.
Next came Alex's gift. She handed Kray a slim packet. In fact, it was her birthday card. But why had Alex left it till last?
Kray turned the packet over, and tore open the seal. She pulled out the card, and read it. "Happi Birfday to the world's dummest couzin!" it said. Kray grimaced.
Alex smiled. "Joking!"
Kray was about to put the slightly offending card away, when something else slipped out of the envelope. She leaned over to pick up the orange slip, when her mother grabbed it. Krayon watched, curious, as her mother's eyes widened, and then pulled Alex aside, speaking animatedly.
They returned, and Kray signed: 'What was all that about?'
Her mom, with a red face, signed rapidly: 'Nothing.'
"Yeah, I, uh, put that in there by accident." Alex explained, cautiously looking at her parents. Uncle Toby looked angry, and Aunt Philys looked ashamed.
'You're lying. What was it?' Kray asked, getting a bit angry. Why are they keeping this from me? she wondered.
"Never mind." her mother waved it away, and continued on with the party, as if nothing happened.
Kray played her part, but continued to think of the orange paper...
Later that night, as Kray was preparing for bed, her mom tip toed in.
'Nite, sweetie.' her mom whispered, kissing her daughter on the cheek, and tucking her in, as if she were still a child.
Kray playfully pushed her mom away, and signed:
'Enough of the
cloak and dagger. What was that orange paper?' Trace paused, and
straightened stiffly.
'I'm off to bed.' she said, and left the room.
Kray stared at the closed door in disbelief, and sighed loudly.
Only later did Kray find out what her mother was hiding.
Trace rushed in, putting a pair of pearl earrings on. "Kray?" she asked. "Could you feed yourself, hon? I'm late for my appointment as it is, and I don't know when Dad or Greg gets home."
Kray nodded, and pulled a frozen pizza out of the freezer.
'Lord, girl! You could eat like a pig, and not get fat! How do you do it?' her mom signed.
Kray only grinned.
As she was setting the oven on, her mom tapped her shoulder, and mouthed: "I'm going. Any money, for more of your junk food, can be found in my regular purse."
Her mom kissed her cheek. "Bye, sweetie." and she left.
Kray loafed around, and her eye landed on a magazine. Not one of those 'Good Houskeeping' or 'Woman's Day' magazines. It was a teen mag. She picked it up, and opened the cover.
It must be a magazine that Alex left behind from the party Kray thought. She had never really thought of reading such a magazine, but the push of discovering what normal people did was too great. She reverently turned the glossy pages, and her eyes filled with worlds she never knew existed.
She saw all kinds of people she didn't even know existed. There was even a group called Garbage. She laughed.
What a name! she thought, grinning at the pages.
The pizza seemed done, according to her smell. She pulled the warm food out of the oven, and ate while reading the mag. In five minutes flat, she devoured the whole thing, and yet her stomach grumbled for more.
Sighing, and mentally patronising her stomach, she looked in the fridge for more food. Kray suddenly remembered the extra money in her mom's everyday purse, and started to ransack it. She didn't get far.
As if she touched something vile, Kray withdrew her hand from the inside of the purse, and stared into the interior. There, nestled between a fold of money and a packet of bills, was the orange slip.
Cautiously, she looked at the paper, and then looked around, guiltily. Taking a deep breath, as if about to dive under water, Kray reached in, and pulled the orange paper out...
A ticket! That's all, just a ticket. No different from a bus ticket, or one to the movies, she thought. Though it is a bit larger. She released her breath in a rush. She had expected some horrid letter declaring her a test subject, or something. But that was silly, for why would her cousin give her such a document?!
Kray turned the ticket over, and studied the signia faded in the background.
I recognise this from somewhere, she thought. Kray looked at the teen magazine on the table, and it clicked. Rushing over, she flipped a few pages back... and there! There it was!
"Hanson?!" she said aloud.
Alex was over again, and as soon as she could, Kray pulled her aside to ask about Hanson.
'Who is Hanson?' she asked.
Alex grew uncomfortable. "Oh, no one."
'Oh, don't give me that. Tell me!' Kray signed angrily.
Alex deflated. "Hanson is a new pop trio. From Oklahoma. They're the hottest thing around. Don't worry about it."
But Kray did worry. 'So? Why can't I go?' she asked.
"In case you haven't noticed, Kray, you're deaf. They sing. Got it?" said Alex, a bit savage.
'I know that! You don't have to treat me like I'm a child, Alex!'
"Then understand that it's a waste to go." Alex said.
'Why did you give me the tickets, anyway?' signed Kray angrily.
"Because I'd thought you'd want to go, but it was a mistake. Just forget it, okay?!" Alex yelled, and spun around, slamming the door behind her.
Kray's mother came from around the door, and looked at her. 'Don't go, Krayon.' she signed.
'I want to go!' Kray signed rapidly. 'Let me go. This will be my first concert. Mother...' she pleaded.
Trace stiffened. "I don't think you should."
'Why not?'
"Because..."
Kray tapped her foot impatiently. 'I'm going.' she finalised.
And with that, Kray was on her way to going to the Hanson concert. The torture at school continued, but she ignored it as she thought of the concert she'd be going to. Kray kept pictures of the Hansons in her bag, and constantly read any snippet she could find on them.
Kray was in line at the cafeteria when, lo and behold, Adam stumbled and knocked her over.
"I'm so sorry." he said, standing above her. He took his time, looking apreciatively down at her legs, which were shown quite nicely, since her skirt hiked up.
'Sleaze!' she signed angrily, and struggled up, her face aflame. She could feel the whole school watching. She leaned down to pick up her purse, when Adam spotted something.
"Hanson?" he said aloud, bending down to pick up a picture scattered on the floor from her purse. Kray's face got redder. "You, girl, have no taste what-so-ever!" he said to her.
'So?' she asked, shaking with rage.
"You can't hear, retard!" he snarled. "They sound like crap, anyways."
'I don't care.' she bit out. And with all the dignity she could muster, she stood, and walked out of the cafeteria, for once thankful she can't hear the cruel laughter of her peers...
Kray jumped up and down, nervous. Giddy. She was in the car with Alex and her mom on the way to the Hanson concert. It was finally here!!
Kray was a bundle of energy, and Alex had to punch her numerous times to get her to calm down. Kray's mother would look into the overhead mirror, and shake her head, still thinking this was not a good idea.
Krayon caught sight of the large crowd waiting outside of the music hall, and squealed.
'I'm here!' she signed over and over again.
"Yeah, I know.", Alex replied, grinning, catching onto her cousin's enthusiasm.
Once Kray and Alex jumped out of the car onto the crowded walk, promising to be ready to be picked up at 10, they darted off. Waiting anxiously outside the doors with the rest of the crowd, Kray beamed.
I'm at a concert, I'm at a concert, I'm at a concert, she chanted over and over in her head.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of bright blonde hair. Turning to look, she couldn't find the flash of gold, and sighed.
Soon, the wide doors opened, and the crowd of girls surged forward into the dark interior.
Kray followed the mass into the building, flashing her ticket to a guard, and he let her through a large door into yet another large crowd. Kray almost stopped dead, her ears registering a faint buzzing noise. The screaming must have been tremendous for her to hear it.
There were girls everywhere with 'Ike' 'Tay' and 'Zac' written on their faces in permanent marker. There were huge signs of 'MARRY ME TAYLOR!!!' and 'HANSON ARE SOOOO SEXY' being waved towards the stage.
Kray faced the stage, and looked carefully. A drum set sat near the back, backlit by red lights. An acoustic guitar stood in its holder, ready to play. A keyboard (no, two, Kray noted) stood off to the side, a small flower srtuck there.
Ooof! Kray gasped as she was hit from behind. She turned angrily, and saw the same bright, blonde hair, long to the shoulder, and bright brown eyes.
"Leave me alone!" she cried at the boy.
"What if I don't wanna, retard?" he retorted.
Kray's face reddened, but was saved from anything further as Adam was pulled by the human mass away from her.
Suddenly, the dull buzzing grew louder, if that was possible. Kray turned to the stage, spotting three young boys run onto the stage spraying Silly String.
The girls went wild, and surged towards the stage. Kray was nearly pushed off her feet, but managed to keep her balance. The pushing never seemed to stop, and suddenly, the stage flew at her, hitting her square in the chest. She had been pushed right up to the stage!
Suddenly panicking from the pressure from behind, Kray tried to look around, to find Alex, but only succeeded in getting her face hit by frantic arms trying to get a piece of Hanson.
She wanted to cry. She was alone. Kray braced her hands against the stage floor, and tried to keep from getting cut in half by the edge. She ignored the three boys, and pushed back with all her might.
"Alex..." she cried, calling in vain for her cousin, but then stopped. Her hands tingled. They vibrated as if alive.
Kray's head whipped up, and she saw that the three boys had started playing. She stared in wonder, almost awestruck as she felt the music through her hands. Every beat, every note. She stared hard at her hands, almost disbelieving what she knew.
She could feel the music!!
Kray spent the rest of the night, her eyes riveted to the boys, hands resting on the stage, not missing a beat. Everything else was forgotten. No shame from her school peers, or the frustration of communication. It all melted away with Hanson's music.
Later, in the car, after a rushed search for Alex, Kray could not keep from smiling.
'So, how'd it go?' her mom asked.
'They had beautiful music', Kray replied.
Alex and her mom looked at her with strange faces.
She smiled even more, and burrowed into her coat, grinning enigmatically. She had felt the music...
And that was that. No romance, just a little insight into how much Hanson could affect the course of another's life through their music...
hits since october 7th, 1998.
Do you like 'To Feel The Music'? Then go vote for it in the Hanson Top 50 Stories.