MICHAEL R. THOMAS
Chapter 1

 

Romantic Sex Story: Chapter 1 - My name is Michael Thomas, and have been raised by my mother, after my father died. I was five and will turn 18 on my next birthday. This is the story about what happens starting from the year I was entering 6th Grade...

Caution: This Romantic Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa   mt/ft   Ma/ft   mt/Fa   Fa/Fa   ft/ft   Teenagers   Romantic   Lesbian   BiSexual   Heterosexual   Celebrity   Humor   School   Sharing   Incest   Mother   Son   Daughter   Niece   Aunt   Nephew   InLaws   Orgy   Interracial   Black Male   Black Female   White Male   White Female   Oriental Female   Hispanic Female   White Couple   Anal Sex   Cream Pie   Double Penetration   Exhibitionism   First   Masturbation   Oral Sex   Petting   Pregnancy   Safe Sex   Sex Toys   Tit-Fucking   Voyeurism   Babysitter   Big Breasts   Size   Small Breasts   Teacher/Student  

Hey...

My name is Michael Robert Thomas.

I was born on June the Fourth, 1998. I was only about six or seven years old when IT began. My mother explained I had started doing it even younger ... possibly as young as four.

Every time any music came on, on the radio, or the TV, I seemed to be doing some form of movement. Apparently, my butt couldn’t stop moving regardless of the style or tempo involved.

The summer I turned ten years old (2008), my butt finally stopped, mostly. However, now my hands were following along with the music. I started enjoying the more orchestrated pieces of music.

My mother had been a professional singer before I had been born and stopped to raise me after my father passed away when I was about five years old. She taught me how to read music and things got easier from there.

It’s now 2011
I was rather small for my age and my mother, for whatever reason, held me back. Due to my early birthday, I turned thirteen the summer before sixth grade began. Since I wasn’t terribly tall, it was not as bad as it could have been.

I hoped I could make up for that sometime in the future. Mom promised me she wouldn’t make a big deal over this, telling me that it was possible for me to eventually catch up, as long as I applied myself.

Yeah ... right?

On my thirteenth birthday, my mother gave me a Mollard brand Conductor’s Baton, with a Zebrawood handle, and a white Birch Wood Shaft sixteen inches long. It arrived inside a walnut case. It was all so beautiful, and I gave her a big hug for it. That was longer than Harry Potter’s initial wand.

Now, I felt important! My mother let me get the sheet music to the songs I heard on the radio. I would listen and follow along.

Once I got the song understood, I would place the sheet music on my bed starting the song again and waving my baton just barely ahead of the beat like real conductors did. I found that out on the internet.

I had come to the realization that once I went through a number from start to finish, I didn’t need that sheet music anymore. It’s like it was saved on my brain’s hard drive. I only hoped I had the capacity to hold a lot of data.I read on the internet that the average brain’s capacity was like 2.5 petabytes. I had to look up what that meant, but if I were a compulsive book reader I could read and maintain over 4.7 millions books. The Library of Congress holds 22.3 million books, Wow!

Jackson Heights Elementary School (First thru eighth grade), the name of the school I attended, has a small band of only nine, but needed someone to keep them on the beat.

When I volunteered, I was laughed at, because no one outside of my own mother, had a clue that I ever did this.

There was a music stand, with the music to be played already on it. The classroom teacher to the band, Mr. Paul Planck, played the piano. I went into my backpack and got the case and took out my conductor’s baton.

The first number was “Moon River,” from BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (1961) and I raised my baton and noticed that they weren’t looking at me. I gently tapped the music stand in front of me, having seen that from watching Keith Lockhart (Boston Pops Orchestra Conductor).

That got their attention!

Now, I raised the baton and now their eyes were all on me. A slight shudder went down my back. The piano began this rendition, so I turned my baton hand (I am a lefty) slightly to Mr. Planck and gave him the downbeat. As he began, I moved to the rest of them and pointed at the guitarist. He joined in and then the rest of them did.

As the end of the song approached, I knew the piano made some nice musical chords, I pointed at Paul for each one, and four measures later the number was over. I gave the band my applause, and then turned and bowed to the classroom of about three dozen students.

Harold McGowan, the principal of JHES, stood up and applauded vigorously, and then the rest of them got up as well. What a thrilling feeling!

After a few seconds, now with a bit more confidence, I turned back around and asked the band, “How about another one?”

They seemed eager!

I moved “Moon River” over and underneath it was “I Dreamed a Dream.” (From LES MISÉRABLES - 1995) There was a note that an eighth-grade girl would be singing with them. I saw her. We made eye contact. Wow! She was nearly a foot taller than me. And pretty with long blonde hair!

This song also started with the piano. I raised my baton ... they looked right at me. I turned to Mr. Planck and gave him the downbeat. He played alone until the girl singer started, her name was Jenifer and then the rest of the band joined in.

I put down the baton deciding to use my hands and arms instead. After the piano had finished the melodic intro, I pointed to the young lady who had begun to sing, “I Dreamed a Dream.”

I smiled at her. She smiled back as I kept her on the beat as well. The rest of the band was watching as I brought them into the song, after she had sung the intro. They played with more energy and emotion than the first song.

Towards the end of the music, I brought everyone who was playing down in volume, so she could sing the end of this well-known piece of music with quiet accompaniment. Mr. Planck played the last eight measures as the class and the principal all stood up and applauded.

I took my baton and made a grand motion for my musicians to stand, and I turned around putting my hand out for the lovely young lady who sang. She came over, and I kissed her hand. She blushed and bowed and then I turned taking my bow.

That years of watching the Boston Pops and Lawrence Welk reruns as a little kid came to fruition! I motioned for them all to sit.

Principal McGowan came up and said, “Well done, Mr. Thomas -- this might be the beginning of a wonderful gift you have. These youngsters behind you never sounded better. Mr. Planck even stayed on the beat. I especially would like to thank our fourteen-year-old virtuosa, Miss Jennifer Guthrie. Well-done, young lady! I believe we need the whole school to hear our band with Mr. Thomas leading them, don’t you think?”

I stepped to him saying, “Sir, the piano is out of tune somewhere between middle C and D.”

Mr. Planck found the problem musically. The room busted up with kids laughing.

“You are all dismissed for lunch. Mr. Thomas and Miss Guthrie, stay behind for a moment, please?”

I took my baton and put it back in its case, putting it in my pack.

After the place was empty, he began, “Mr. Thomas, that was brilliant! Why didn’t I know beforehand that you could do that?”

“Sir, I have been ‘playing’ at conducting for as long as I can remember. This was the very first time I conducted with real live musicians. I didn’t want to be embarrassed, so I kept it to myself,” I explained.

“Miss Guthrie,” Principal McGowan said. “Why don’t the two of you come up with ... about ... a dozen pieces of music for a school-wide performance? Then, why don’t we plan this for just before school lets out in November? We can invite parents and family. How does that sound to you, Michael?”

“Wonderful, Sir. We have a Grand piano in our house. My mother could play whatever we find for ... Jennifer to sing?”

“Call me Jenn,” she said with a marvelous grin.

“Wonderful. You’re on a first-name basis already. You have three months to put this together,” Principal McGowan said leaving. He seemed so excited.

“Does Jackson Heights even have a choir?” I asked her.

“Yes, we do,” she answered. “That was fabulous the way you just took control like that. I knew the song, but your conducting was very helpful.”

“I have never heard a girl sing that song, or any song for that matter, so beautifully,” I said. “What do we choose, modern music or Broadway, or ... what?”

“If we have twelve or so songs, we can have a mix of each. I will sing a few. Maybe we could get the choir to sing one or two?” she said.

“We need at least one that is the band, the choir and you. You have such a lovely voice. I will probably go to sleep tonight thinking of you ... your voice,” I said, probably blushing.

She leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I smiled at her. A young lady came in and said, “Jenn ... we have a class. Come on.”

She left, and I watched her walk away. Oh, Wow!

The next day, I was thinking of music and Jenn. I may have been younger and a foot shorter than her, but she is so ... darn ... pretty!

I had an iPod Touch with 64GB of internal storage, with only a few hundred songs on it. I started to listen to music that would work all the rest of the day, every chance I could, between classes.

We had to include “I Dreamed a Dream,” she had sung it so very well. My mother, being a private music and singing instructor, could help her achieve those notes with even more confidence.

Our band of nine needed some help. Their small size caused the few missteps to be obvious. That started me walking up to kids I didn’t know and asked them to join the band. I felt a little like Professor Harold Hill from THE MUSIC MAN (1962).

Some of them said ‘Yes,’ and I directed them where to go. I found the School Chorister, who had seen our ‘Two song Concert,’ and she got excited about that. Her name is Miss Cece Crabtree, also blonde and quite pretty. Jenn is prettier!

“Principal McGowan told me about you, Michael,” she said to me. “Quite a talent!”

“Thank you, Miss Crabtree. Sometime later this week, I would like to sit in on your class, if that would be all right with you?”

“Certainly. How about Thursday, the day after tomorrow? Jennifer is my best student, but you likely know that already, don’t you?” she said to me.

“Yes Ma’am, I do. She is so very good. My mother is the former Janice Forrester, now a private teacher of voice and instrument. Would you mind if she were to help Jennifer?”

“No, not at all. I know of your mother by reputation. What I wouldn’t give if she could help our entire choir for even one day!”

“Let me ask her that, Ma’am. I have a way of getting her to help me out. At least, it works over half the time.”

That made her giggle a bit.

“See you on Thursday, Ma’am,” I said.

I turned and almost ran into Jennifer.

“Hi, Jennifer. How is your day going?”

“Fine. Were you just talking to Miss Crabtree?”

“Yes. I asked her if the choir was available and she said ‘Yes.’ I promised to ask my mother to see if she could help or not?”

“Who is your mother?” she asked me. What a beauty!

“Janice Forrester,” I answered.

“I have heard of her, why isn’t she a ‘Thomas?’”

“She kept her professional name after retiring. She sang for over ten years,” I said. “Forrester is her maiden name.”

“I can’t wait to meet her,” Jennifer said.

“What side of town do you live on Jenn — Jennifer?”

“It’s OK. You can call me Jenn ... can I call you Mike or Michael?”

“You can call me anything you want ... but, I prefer Michael, especially the way it sounds when you say it. My mother insists on calling me Michael, except when she gets upset at me. She is going to be surprised. I had not intended to do anything like this at all. I had been content to be invisible here.”

“Well, you aren’t anymore! I take the number eleven bus to go home, how about you?” she asked. Her shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes caught my attention.

“Oh, I take the eleven, sorry?”

“I just said that I took the eleven, are you OK?” she asked me with a giggle.

“Sorry, distracted, I guess. You don’t have a boyfriend who might just stuff me in a locker, do you?”

That was way too obvious.

“As a matter of fact, we broke up two weeks ago. I am all yours,” she said.

Could she possibly realize what she just said, I wondered to myself?

“I have one more class then I will meet you at the buses, OK?” I asked her.

“Sounds like a plan, see you later, Michael.”

“OK,” I responded. Damn, my name sounds great when she says it like that.

I looked at my watch and ran to my English class!

I met her at the buses, letting her get on first. We sat together. Everybody on the bus was looking at me. The third stop was hers. Mine was normally the sixth. I touched her arm when she got up for her stop. “Thank you, Michael, I forgot I was going to your house.”

The looks persisted, but it was mostly the girls giving me odd gazes. At my stop, I got up early and announced, “The band and the choir at Jackson Heights could use more people. Anybody who can sing or play an instrument is welcome.”

I took Jennifer by the hand, and we got off the bus together.

“That was a great idea, Michael. Maybe you should get on all the buses and make that same announcement?” she said. “The choir isn’t very big either.”

I had rather presumptuously taken her hand to help her get off the bus, so I dropped it right after we got off. After walking about one hundred feet, she took me by the hand. Cool!

Another block and a half, and we were walking up the steps to my home. I just walked in putting my hand on her back for just a moment. Mom was helping a young woman with her French horn. She waved to us, as I took Jennifer into the kitchen.

“Would you like something to drink?” I asked her.

“Only water, I need to keep my instrument moist,” she said.

I nearly broke up laughing, but I didn’t as we sat and had our drinks together. I heard the front door open and close. Mom came through the kitchen door. I stood up.

“I have been wondering when you might bring a girl home, Michael, but, I believe you are an eighth-grader, aren’t you, Dear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she said. “My name is Jennifer Guthrie. You might know my mother, Alice?”

“Oh --Yes, I do. She’s lovely and has a remarkable voice! Do you sing, Jennifer?”

“Like an angel, Mom,” I said.

Oh, I got it bad, don’t I?

They both smiled at me. “Sit down for a moment, Mother. I need to tell you about my day. It may shock you.”

It did, as I told her, all that had happened, bit by bit. She thought what we had planned sounded like a good idea. Jenn had taken me by the arm while I had done this.

“Jennifer dear, do you know your vocal range?” my mother asked her, as she stood to go back to the piano.

“I know the notes that I am the most comfortable singing, but I have never had my actual vocal range explained to me,” she said, as we followed her.

“Let’s find out,” my mother said. “Michael, you can stay, provided you can be quiet.”

“Yes, Ms. Forrester,” I answered. That made Jennifer giggle.

Mom just ‘harrumphed’ at me, as I sat down to listen.

They began with Jennifer warming up. I have heard most of those cute trills that singers warm up with. Mom tried them out on me before we had decided, years ago, that I should never become a singer.

I knew Jenn could sing relatively high notes, but her lower register really surprised me. Every AH-ah-ah-ah-AHHH-ah-ah-ah-ah was beautiful. The middle part of that is held for a count of four before you come back down to the note you started on.

I was smiling at Jenn, while she sang. She is so pretty, plus she sings with such a strong voice. She seems out of my league, but she took my arm, didn’t she?

She didn’t know I was thirteen and I was wondering when I would tell her the truth. I decided to wait until my next birthday, unless it blows up in my face before that, somehow.

They started the upper register next. Boy, Jenn hit those notes like an opera star or something. Mom was singing some of the notes with her occasionally patting her stomach explaining about her diaphragm.

Mom mentioned that she hadn’t heard such a clear mezzo soprano in many years. That got Jennifer excited. What came next got me excited.

“Do you have any time after school, to come over and work on your tone and breath control?” my mother asked her.

“I was planning to come over the next couple of days so Michael and I could find some music to include in the November program. Would that work?”

“Certainly, you can work with me for a half hour. Then, Michael and you can do whatever it is you need to do. We happen to have a large amount of sheet music the two of you could peruse if you would like?”

I got up and took Jenn by the hand and said, “Thank you, Mother. Jennifer, you have the prettiest voice I have ever heard, not counting my own mother, of course.”

“Thank you, Ms. Forrester,” Jenn said as I opened the file cabinet it was all in, starting to ‘peruse’ the enormous amount of sheet music we had (Two full four-drawer file cabinets). If it were anything else, we could be accused of hoarding.

“Michael, come here, please?” my mother said in a tone I recognized.

“Yes, Ms. Forrester,” I answered with coolness.

“She is a very nice girl and an excellent singer. I am surprised that you two are seemingly involved, I noticed you taking her by the hand just now. Be a gentleman, please? Find something to show off her voice. I can help get her ready if you would like?”

“That would be wonderful. Did I mention that we were going to include the Jackson Heights School Choir?”

“Yes, you did forget to mention that. Go ahead and give me your pitch on this. You have always been good at getting me to offer free training,” she said with a slight smirk on her face.

I brought Jenn back in, putting my arm around her waist. “You have taken this young lady, and in thirty short minutes, you have made her sound like the next Julie Andrews, Sarah Brightman, or even Jenny Lind. Just think what you could do with a handful of fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders. It would be the best thing since ... since, SISTER ACT 2 (1993)!”

I looked at Jenn, who had leaned into me a little. I saw mom rocking side to side a little. It’s something that she does whenever she is mulling over a decision.

I saw a smile come on her face, and she said, “All right ... do I need to go to the school, or could you bring them here?”

“I can find out tomorrow, but probably you would need to come to the school. I told them their Band room piano was out of tune, so let’s wait until it gets fixed.”

“All right dear. You got what you wanted out of me. Should I warn Jennifer of your persistence?”

“Janice!” She hated that!

We started to go through our abundance of sheet music. I would expect that we have some that isn’t even on the Internet. I hoped to find on iTunes whatever we find, so that I could listen to the song.

First thing we found was the Beatles single, “Across the Universe.”

Jenn said, “If your mother can do for the entire choir what she just did for me, this would be a very pretty song.”

She leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I said, “Thank you, Jennifer.”

“You’re welcome,” she said with a beautiful dimpled grin. It reminded me of Jennifer Garner, but with natural blonde hair to her shoulders. Plus, blue eyes!

“Here is a song for you to sing with just the piano, ‘Amazing Grace.’ Ask Janice to play it for you. She likes you -- I can tell.”

I continued pacing until it began. I heard mom start it, and then Jenn’s beautifully clear voice took over. I quietly walked back into the room to listen...

JENNIFER
Amazing Grace,
how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but
now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
T’was Grace that taught
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did
that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers,
toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that brought
me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has
promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield
and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh
and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
Yes, when this flesh
and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall profess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

It went on to the end. Janices’ playing was even sounding better than usual. My eyes had no chance ... I started crying like a baby. I began to conduct as the second chorus began. I swear I could hear a full symphony orchestra and an enormous choir enveloping her as I deeply felt every note of this.

Mom was adding to it carefully, but beautifully. Jenn would add a vocal run as she felt this music like we all did.

When it was over, forgetting my mother was in the room for a minute, I walked over and gave Jennifer a kiss, but not on the cheek. My arms wrapped themselves around her, and hers were around me as well.

After a moment of looking at each other, my mother cleared her throat.

“Jennifer,” she said, “That was, in a word, Amazing! Once you have graduated from high school, I would love you to come over and record that. Then, you could send it to every college that offers a degree in voice. You could even possibly get into Juilliard. That’s how good I believe you can become.”

“You have the potential to be the next Julie Andrews, Sarah Brightman, or Jenny Lind, as this brash young man so aptly said earlier. I will give you voice lessons for as long as you would like, for free. That is how much confidence, I have in you.”

They gave one another a nice hug, something my mother doesn’t usually do with a student, especially a brand new one.

We had only found six songs when Jenn looked at her cell phone and remarked, “Ms. Forrester, could I please get a ride home? I only live about a mile from here,” she asked.

“Can I go with?” I asked.

“Like I could stop you, Michael,” mom said.

Jenn’s phone rang, “I know I am late, Mother. I had the chance to work with Janice Forrester. I just lost track of time. Yes, she is giving me a ride home. I will be home before you know it, bye.”

“She’s not mad. I just forgot to text her,” Jenn said as we got in the back seat together.

“I would like to come in and say hello to her. Would she mind that?” Mom asked her.

“I am certain she would love that. Thank you for the ride. I am so anxious to be old enough to drive. Then Michael and I can drive to your place together,” Jenn said.

“Won’t you need a parent or guardian during daylight hours?” I asked.

“Darn. You’re right, Michael. The last two days have been remarkable, first you direct the orchestra wonderfully, and then I got nearly an hour with the most prestigious music teacher in all of Indiana. We should have all the music we want by Friday; don’t you think?”

I gave her a peck on the cheek, then said, “I think we can. As long as my talented mother doesn’t mind driving you home each day.”

“Don’t push it, Michael,” came from the front seat. “Which house is it, Jennifer?”

“The pink one, 11709, to be exact.”

She pulled up. I helped them both out.

“At least he still has the good manners his father had taught him before he passed,” my mother said.

“I will tell you all about that tomorrow,” I said to Jenn as we all went up to the front door.

Jennifer opened it up with her key saying, “Mother ... we have guests.”

I heard bare feet coming into the room. The moment her mom saw my mom -- it was phenomenal. They hugged like old friends, which it turned out they were. They sat down and started reminiscing about something or other.

Her mother looked over at us holding hands and asked, “This ... is little Mikey?”

I was gritting my teeth over being called that for the umpteenth time. I am only 4ft9 to Jennifer’s 5ft8. I hope I get taller quickly.

I said, “I am hoping to get at least tall enough to take Jennifer out to dance somewhere before we both graduate from high school!”

Her mother laughed and said, “Michael, she has this big shit-hea ... doofus for a boyfriend. He would swallow you up and spit you out.”

“Mother, we broke up over two weeks ago! Michael and I are a couple now, live with it.”

Jenn pulled me into the hallway as I said, “Nice to meet you, Ma’am.”

Jennifer took me to see her room, which was so much nicer, and cleaner, than mine, with a light fragrance to it. She had a queen-sized bed and a walk-in closet. I saw more pairs of shoes than you could count.

She sat on the edge of her bed saying, “I told her at least twice, that I had broken up with Billy Chapman. She never listens to me. Your mother is so nice.”

“Well, while they are getting caught up, what would you like to do?” I asked her, as I sat down right beside her on her bed.

She pulled me to her, and we had an open-mouthed kiss. At first, her tongue barged its way into my mouth. I hadn’t done this before, but it sure felt nice. She rolled over on top of me, causing this to get very ‘Up Close and Personal.’

Suddenly, I felt her being pulled off me. “That’s enough of that! How dare you treat my daughter like this!”

My mom had walked into the room as well, as Alice said, “Your son was making out with my daughter on her bed, Jan. Teach him some responsibility, please?”

I saw mom rearing up, ready to tear this ‘old friend’ a new ear, but I pulled her back, “Let’s go, Mom.”

“See you at school, Jenn.”

We had a very quiet drive home. She had tried to start a conversation a couple of times, but nothing came of it.

As we were getting out of the car, she asked, “Who really initiated that kiss?”

“She did, but I let it happen. Isn’t that just as bad?”

“Michael! You must truly care about her, don’t you?”

“I don’t know. I had no idea who she was until ten am this morning. If somebody hadn’t come in, I am not sure what might have happened between us, Mom.”

“Well, it didn’t. That was very old-fashioned of you to take the hit,” she responded. “Don’t worry. Alice always was high-strung. Her husband went on a business trip ... eight years ago and never returned. He just vanished. She even hired a private detective. No one knows where he went, or if he is still alive or not.”

“That’s so sad,” I said. “That’s why she was so protective of her daughter, wasn’t it?”

“Understanding that will help you get to know her better, honey. I see how you look at Jennifer. I also see how she looks at you. Be careful.”

“I sure will, Mom. I am sorry that I was rude earlier to you. You deserve being treated like a princess.”

“That’s sweet, Michael. Let’s go out for dinner. I don’t feel like cooking tonight.”

The next day at school, I was asked to report to Principal McGowan’s office. I had no clue what this might be about.

I walked into the office and told to sit down. After a few moments, Jennifer walked in. I stood up and sat after she had.

“What’s going on, Michael?” she asked me.

“Don’t have a clue,” I answered.

The principal came out and motioned us in. In his office were Mr. Planck, the Band/Orchestra teacher, and Miss Crabtree, who teaches Choir.

“Go ahead, Paul,” Principal McGowan said to Mr. Planck.

Without standing, he turned and asked, “Michael, I was wondering why you recruited more people into the band?”

I stood up to answer, “As good as the nine existing members are, I would presume that getting some more people could only make your task easier, Sir. Exactly how many additional students have shown interest?”

“Fourteen, so far,” he said. “We don’t have the means for adding so many people at once.”

“How about a Fund Drive throughout the school, Sir. Every student tries to find $50 in funding, wouldn’t something like that help?” I suggested.

“Paul,” Principal McGowan said leaning back in his chair, “That’s not a bad idea. Not every student could do that, but with having over one thousand students here, we could potentially raise up to...”

“That’s $50,000, Sir,” I said. “Would that be enough for the new students, Mr. Planck?”

“Yes, it would be, more than enough,” he said, backing down a bit and breaking into a smile.

“Then, couldn’t the leftover money help the JHES choir as well?” I remarked.

“I was waiting for my turn, Mr. Thomas,” Miss Crabtree said. “I had sixteen new students wanting to join, as well. While I don’t need $50,000, at least, $5,000 would go a long way.”

I had one more point to make. So, I stood up and said, “I only spoke to a single busload of students, imagine if I got on the other buses over the next couple of days. I could significantly increase the numbers of students in the band and choir? We couldn’t have that, could we?”

I hoped they appreciated my sarcasm.

I started up again, “Imagine ... turning pupils away from something they want to do. We could end up with a nice orchestra of possibly thirty or more, plus a choir of as many, if not more.”

“How could we possibly reject this chance to make our students, their parents, and the whole community, proud of Jackson Heights Elementary School?”

I felt Jenn’s hand take mine tightly, telling me to get off my soapbox. She sat me down. They all listened to me. However, I don’t know if they heard me or not?

“Do you have anything to add to this, Ms. Guthrie?” the principal asked.

She stood up and began, “Yesterday was a perfect example of what the students can do, when asked. Michael risked condemnation until he started the music. I see a profound problem here if all you see are what things cost. I had a marvelous personal experience, as did the entire band. I also agree with everything that Mr. Thomas just said.”

She sat down.

“Could you two please step outside for a moment?” Principal McGowan requested.

We got up, took each other by the hand and left. I know that he wanted us to go back to where we were sitting, but I suggested we went to our classrooms instead. The adults needed to hash this out.

This school has many students of well-to-do parents. I stopped and asked many of them if they could come up with $50 for the school. Some offered to give me the money right then and there.

“Will Michael Thomas and Jennifer Guthrie please return to administration?”

I saw her walking towards me. She took my hand and together, we went straight into his office. She sat down, but I stood and said, “Just now, in the less than ten minutes I was just outside, I asked several students if they could get $50 together to give to the school. None of them even asked what it was for? All of them said it was ‘No Problem!’

“Has this school ever asked the parents to do anything? I have never heard of any ‘Money’ or ‘Budget’ problems. Excuse me for saying this, but the administration of this school needs to get out of its own way, create, and post a flyer that asks for money. All they can do ... is not give it!”

I sat down. Boy, I sensed that I stepped into it big-time just now. I suspect that I will be expelled any moment for my outburst!

I took Jenn’s hand, and we tightly interlaced fingers.

“Damnittohell!” Principal McGowan said. “I couldn’t have said that any better myself. Let’s make a flyer, designed by these two students, to be ready by the end of business tomorrow to go on every bus and handed to every student. Everybody leave please, except Michael and Jennifer.”

The two teachers got up and left.

“Michael, I do appreciate your strong opinions, and I need to remind you, that you are welcome anytime to tell me of any issues the students have. Jennifer, I understand you are a graphic artist of sorts. Is that correct?”

“Yes sir, I dabble a little. I had hopes for a school newspaper, but it never got any traction.”

“Put something together by tomorrow morning please, regarding the flyer? It seems that you two may have become the ‘Power Couple’ at this school. You might as well use it. However, I don’t want you to go on any more buses. This idea will either get us the money, or it won’t?”

As Jenn and I met at the buses, I asked, “Is your mom OK with you coming over the next couple of days?”

“Yes. I told her the truth that I initiated the kiss. She didn’t like that much better, but she realized that you were trying to save me from getting into trouble. She might not invite you over for a while, but she was better this morning.”

“Here is our bus, Milady!”

She just smiled as we got on the bus. “Have you thought of the design of a flyer?” I asked her.

“Yes, I did during lunch, look?” she took a drawing pad from her backpack and opened it to show me.

“Wow. Beautiful, sings like a Disney princess, and she draws. What is that font you used?”

“It’s called Brush Script on a computer. I just took the word ‘Music’ and wrapped it with flourishes.”

“That is great for hand drawn. What do you think you may be majoring in while at college?” I asked this blonde beauty who really seems interested in me.

“I want to work on a newspaper. And, maybe join the choir as well. Maybe ... Jacob’s School of Music? It’s in Bloomington, just two hours away, by car.”

I asked her, “Do they have a Degree or a Minor in conducting there?”

“I don’t know. You’re only in sixth-grade Michael. You have a longer wait than I do until you have to make any decisions about college,” she said to me as I took her by the hand.

I wanted to tell her right then and there how old I really am, but my mom had drilled into my head keeping that to myself until after high school. Damn!

“I know, but if you went there, and if I went there, I don’t know ... these last couple of days, with you around me has gotten me thinking about my future,” I said.

“Here’s our stop,” I said. I got up, and then she did, and we walked to the front of the bus saying goodbye to our driver.

We walked in, as my mom was finishing a lesson with a piano student. She had to be only seven or eight years old. We walked into the kitchen, and I got us some bottled water from the fridge.

After taking a long drink, Jenn asked, “What have we got so far, sheet-music wise?”

“Let me see,” I said pulling a new folder from my backpack. “Here we are, ‘Skyfall,’ I thought this would be the band, piano and you. Maybe add the chorus?”

“That sounds good. You do have an ear for music, don’t you?” Jennifer said.

“My mother thinks I have perfect pitch, but I think that’s something that someone my age couldn’t possibly have.”

From the other side of the door, I heard a single key pressed. I got up and opened the door saying, “D-sharp below middle C.”

“Very good, Michael. Bring in Jennifer, please? Do you have something for her to sing today?”

“Don’t you need to warm her up first?” I asked impertinently.

“Don’t be snippy, Michael ... do you, or don’t you?”

“Yes, I found this at school today. They let me ‘peruse’ their sheet music inventory. Theirs is systematized ... mother!”

I took it out and put it on her piano...

“Oh, I have heard this,” my mom said. “This should be wonderful for your lower register, Jennifer. Do you need to warm up? What do you propose to do with this number, Michael?”

“Just Jennifer and the choir. They are all that I want to be heard. The choir may end up three times larger than I first mentioned. We are actively trying to add to both it and the band for a broader sound to get more overall tone color to get behind when Jenn sings.”

“Excellent Michael, we may make a professional conductor out of you yet. I got you a few books about it. They are on your bed for later.”

“Ladies, are you ready to perform? I will only use my hands and arms for now. Chin up, Jennifer. The world will love you, so you need to love the world.”

I put my hands in the starting position. I gave Janice the tempo I wanted with my left hand. At the correct moment, I brought Jennifer in with my right...

JENNIFER
This is the end
Hold your breath
and count to ten
Feel the earth
move and then
Hear my heart
burst again.
For this is the end
I’ve drowned and
dreamt this moment
So overdue I owe them
Swept away, I’m stolen
Let the sky fall
when it crumbles
we will stand tall
Face it all together

I made the motion for Janice to play softer. I brought her back up at the final transition. I stopped her completely as Jenn tried a run, not unlike Adele.

“Wonderful, simply fabulous,” I said to them both.

“Michael, you certainly do have the feel of a conductor,” my mother said. “I felt it when you directed me just now. Did you know you could get a Bachelor of Music from Jacob’s School of Music? Then, you could find a university to get a Masters in Conducting.”

“Did Michael put you up to that, Ms. Forrester?” Jennifer remarked.

“Up to what?” she asked.

“Nothing, I guess. What do you think, a BA in Music from Jacob’s? Exactly, the same college I was planning to go for a Degree in Voice?”

“That’s where your mother and I went, Jennifer,” my mom said to her. “It’s where I met Michael’s father, as well. I got some good from the school at least.”

We all laughed at that.

“Do you have any other music for us to listen to?” she asked.

I took down “Skyfall” and put up, “In the Wee Small Hours of The Morning” on the piano.

“I don’t know this song, Michael,” Jenn said.

“I will play it and try to sing it for you,” my mom said. “It’s from SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993), sung by Carly Simon.”

Wow, I haven’t heard mom sing in a while!

She started to play it, then added her voice after two eight counts...

JANICE
When the sun is high
in the afternoon sky
You can always
find something to do
But from dusk till dawn
as the clock ticks on
Something ... happens to you
In the wee small
hours of the morning,
While the whole
world is fast asleep

(Jenn stood behind her, and they sang it together)

JENNIFER & JANICE
You lie awake and
think about the boy
and never ever
think of counting sheep

(Mom dropped into harmony mode)

When your lonely heart
has learned its lesson
You’d be his if only
he ... would call
In the wee small
hours of the morning
That’s the time you
miss him most of all

(Four more eight-counts of just the piano)

When your lonely heart
has learned, it’s lesson
You’d be his if
only he would call
In the wee small
hours of the morning
That’s the time...
you miss him most of all

Jenn went to that lower register again, while mom dropped out, letting Jenn finish it by herself.

My mother gave Jennifer a nice hug, and then I did too!

While they were both dabbing at their eyes, I told the ladies about all the music I found both at home and at school along with who I thought should perform it:

“The Story of Us”
Jennifer/band/choir

“Skyfall”
Jennifer/choir

“Since U Been Gone”
Choir/band

“Remember When”
Jennifer/band/piano

“Little Bit”
Piano/drummer/choir

“In The Wee Small Hours of The Morning”
Jennifer/choir

“I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”
Choir/band

“I Dreamed a Dream”
Jennifer/band/piano

“Hey Jude”
Choir

“God Bless The USA”
Choir

“Do You Hear the People Sing?”
Piano/choir

“Amazing Grace”
Jenn/piano

“Across the Universe”
Choir/band

Mom and Jennifer looked through the bunch. Mom took “The Story of Us” and put it on the piano and started to plunk it out, saying, “This should be played by an organ, instead of a piano, if at all possible.”

“I will see if Mr. Planck has one to use or not,” I said. “Could you slow it down to a ballad, please?”

“I could try that?” she said.

Suddenly, the brash song was beautiful and now sounded as if it had been written in the fifties.

On our way to Jenn’s house, Mom suggested that I not go in, just in case Alice was still ‘On the warpath.’ I gave Jenn a kiss in the car and then watched her and Janice go to the front door. I was a bit despondent.

I watched the door open, and Ms. Guthrie’s head came out. Jenn walked in, as did mom. Back out the door came Ms. Guthrie motioning me to roll down the window.

“Yes ma’am?”

“Come on in, I won’t bite.”

“I think I saw fangs yesterday, Ma’am!”

“Stop calling me that? My name is Alice, or Ally. Come on in, Michael. The look on my daughter’s face isn’t nearly as pathetic as the one on yours. I overreacted, and I’m sorry.”

I got out and walked inside. She took my arm, just like Jenn does. That’s interesting.

“Here he is,” Ally said.

Jenn ran to over to me, giving me a hug. I gave her one back.

We all sat down in the living room and talked. It was the slightest bit awkward as I noticed the living room Baby grand piano I hadn’t before.

“Do you play the piano, Ally?” I asked.

She got up and walked over to it, cracked her knuckles first and started playing. I think it was something called “Polonesia?” Something like that!

She stopped after only forty measures or so. “That’s Chopin, ‘Polonaise Heroica Opus 53 In A Flat Major.’ That’s all I can play from anamnesis. Now your mother, she could always play anything you put in front of her. I remember at a party somebody for a laugh put “Rubber Ducky” on the piano. She walked over and created, on the spot ‘The Bert and Ernie Operetta,’ with the element of “Rubber Ducky” solidly entrenched. Do you remember any of that Janice?”

“Good lord, No!” she quickly replied.

“Come on Mom, play it, please?” I asked.

“No! I will not,” she said again.

“I would love to hear it,” Jenn added. Good girl.

“Really?”

“Please, Mom?”

“The last time I played this, I was very drunk, if you remember Alice,” she said as she went over to the piano.

“Do you remember what key I played this in Alice?” she asked looking down at the keyboard in front of her.

“B flat ... isn’t everything always better when played in B flat?” Ms. Guthrie said.

“Shut-up, Ally,” mom said.

She put her hands on the keys and began a beautiful arpeggio. She broke into a piece of music that only Beethoven could have written. That’s when you hear the distinct melody of: ‘Rubber Ducky ... you’re the one. You make bath time - Lots of fun,’ and she transitioned back into this “Ode to Joy” moment. It was dazzling!

When she was finished, we all applauded. It was marvelous.

She got up and bowed to us all. “I didn’t think I could remember that after all these years.”

Alice said, “She was always the most talented one at school, even at luring other girl’s boyfriends away from them.”

“That’s not the ... complete story,” Janice said. “To be fair, we would have to tell these two youngsters the unabridged story.”

“Go ahead,” Jennifer said. “They could stay for dinner, Mother. That way, you could tell this story from the old days when you were our age.”

“Please stay. I am so sorry about the other day. I guess that you are never ready to see your only child growing up, kissing boys,” Ms. Guthrie said giving me a look.

Since she was still at the piano, mom began playing a light melody as she began this story. She calls me dramatic!

“I guess it was 1980, when we were both still teenagers. We were 18, high school seniors, Jennifer. Ally and I took the same bus to school, getting there early. We weren’t best friends yet.”

I motioned Jennifer to come sit closer to me. She let me take her hand as we listened to this insight into our mothers.

“Anyway, the next bus to arrive was for Jacobs school, just to the east of us. The first person off the bus was this gorgeous blond boy. We didn’t know his name, but we both thought he was ‘pretty.’”

Alice jumped in, “He was really pretty, imagine a blond 6ft3 inch tall twenty-year-old version of Tom Cruise.”

“Yeah,” Mom said. “That’s a good description. He was looking around for something or somebody, when he saw me in my blue dress. Alice was in her yellow dress, weren’t you?”

“That’s right. It was pale yellow. He stepped down and started walking towards us. I don’t know about Jan, but my heart was fluttering. As he got closer he broke into a smile that just about melted my heart. We both imagined this was a dream of some kind, until a girl who must have been behind us walked into his arms, and they kissed quite romantically as if nobody was around.”

“That was some kiss,” Janice added. “They were ‘swapping spit,’ as the expression used to be. They walked into Jacobs together, and he excused himself from her and she left.

“We had followed them in, and he walked over to Alice and took her hand asking, ‘What’s your name, Beautiful?’”

“I said, it was Alice Waters, and he said, ‘Hello Alice Waters. That’s a very pretty name. Who is this next to you?’”

Going on in this tag-team approach, Mom recalled, “I said, ‘My name is Janice Forrester. What’s your name?’ I couldn’t believe he was talking to us! He answered by saying, ‘My name is Tagg. That’s short for a long Swedish name I have got. I haven’t seen either of you before. I make sure I know all the pretty girls in the schools I attend.’”

“I came so close to fucking that all up for us,” Alice said.

Mom glared at her for the obscene language, but went on to say, “That was when I told the first big lie in my entire life. I told him that we were freshman at Jacobs. It was our first day. We needed someone to show us around.”

“Tagg said, ‘Let me be your guide. I will be happy to show you the school. Where are your books?’”

“I panicked a little, but Alice came through by saying, ‘We hadn’t gotten any books yet, Tagg. We don’t start for a few weeks, but we sure would like that tour you mentioned.’ My knees were so close to buckling under me.”

“Mine too,” Alice said. “All that had to happen was for us to be confronted by a teacher who asked us who we were? Anyway, we blew off part of our first period of twelfth grade to let this Tagg fellow show us the high school layout.

“We knew the school front and back. We hung on his arms as he took the time to show and explain everything. It was at that point that I saw a teacher in the hallway and slipped into a nearby bathroom.”

“I did a remarkably impulsive thing at that point,” my mother said. “I leaned up and into him, and we kissed. Oh, my goodness, what a kiss! I felt his tongue up against my lips. On some kind of basic instinct, I let it in. Ooh, my god! It got me so worked up. That’s when Alice came out of the bathroom asking, ‘Is he gone?’”

“I asked, ‘Is who gone?’ as I was looking up into those deep-set Scandinavian blue eyes of his. That’s when Alice grabbed me by the hand, and we left to get to our own class, in our own school,” Janice said.

“That was the day we became best friends,” Ms. Guthrie remarked. “The following year we started at Jacobs School of Music.”

“More of that some other time. Come help me in the kitchen. Let’s give our kids some quiet time together,” my mother said.

They left us alone. Jennifer laid her head on my lap. I went in close and asked, “Did that turn you on, Jenn? It did me.”

She pulled my head from behind and our lips connected, much like Tagg and my mom’s must have. This is the kiss we had started in her room only now it was moving forward.

I had no idea what to do with my hands. I casually put my right hand on the flat part of her stomach, and my left hand moved to the side of her face.

I knew what was happening to me, I read books and the boys had a special class to explain about girls. I was indeed, sporting an erection, my first ever, but I didn’t want to spoil this magnificent kiss we were having.

My older friend Charles Napier, told me that you need to learn to breathe through your nose when you kiss a girl. Now ... I understand why?

We finally broke apart. Her eyes were glistening. I fumbled it a little, but I asked her, “J-Jennifer, will you be my girlfriend?”

“I thought you would never ask,” she grinned. She pulled me back to her, and we had another kiss just like before.

“We need you two to set the table please?” It was my mother. “I hope I haven’t interrupted anything, kids?”

Jenn got up off my lap, gave me a brief, but intense kiss on the lips saying plenty loud, “I would love to be your girlfriend, Michael.”

Mom had put everything out on the table, but we needed to set the table. After I got up, I turned away and tried to disavow my erection.

I had Dockers on, so nothing was visible. Jenn took my hand, and we went to the table and took care of the settings.

“This plate-ware looks very mature,” I noticed.

“It is,” my girlfriend responded. “I think it goes back to the First World War. It was salvaged from a home in France.”

“It’s almost as lovely as you are,” I remarked.

“Are you sure that you are only twelve years old? You have a lofty confidence inside you, Michael,” my blonde-haired blue-eyed fourteen-year-old girlfriend said.

Was she on to my lie?

“Yep, I am. Even so, with what we have talked about, we might still end up at the same college together, just like our mothers, can’t we?”

“That all seems so far away, but it also sounds like a good plan. Let’s just not tell our mothers about any of this until we are older, OK?”

I answered “OK,” then gave her another kiss.

We were sitting and eating a marvelous dinner of oven-fried chicken, marinated with yogurt. Along with that, were mashed potatoes and green beans. Jennifer mentioned that it was a favorite meal of theirs. All through the meal, Jenn and I were whispering to each other.

“It appears that we may be having many meals together,” Alice said to Janice. “From the looks on their faces, I see us all eating with one another for the near future at least.”

“Ms. Guthrie,” I said between bites. “I have asked Jennifer to be my girlfriend ... and she said ‘Yes.’ Getting your approval is very important to me.”

She put her fork and knife down and took a good long look at both of our faces.

“I approve. Young men like you don’t come along very often. Treat my Jennifer well. She is all I have. And please, call me Alice. It makes me feel younger, Michael.”

“Thank you, Alice. I plan to treat her well for the rest of our lives. We have already talked about colleges.”

“Is that so, Jennifer?” her mother remarked.

My mom looked over at me. I took a deep breath, “After high school, we both plan to attend Jacob’s School of Music. It’s in Bloomington, only a 75 mile drive from Vincennes.”

Mom broke into a smile saying, “They have a wonderful program for voice, and a program that leads to a Master’s in Conducting. But Michael, first you must finish sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, and high school, don’t you?”

“I understand that. I am near the top of my class. On top of that I have the prettiest girl in the school as my girlfriend.”

That seemed so cheesy to say.

“Well said,” Alice remarked. “I would love to see you conduct something, if that’s at all possible?”

“I expected that request, Alice. I would need the help of my mother and my girl,” I said, glancing at each of them.

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” my mother said.

Dinner was over, and the table was cleared. I volunteered to wash the dishes. Jennifer volunteered to dry them alongside me. That was fun, especially with a girl close to my own age. I have been washing dishes with my mother for a long time.

I carry my backpack with me everywhere, so I got out the sheet music, handing it to mom. It was “I Dreamed a Dream.” I asked Alice to sit on the sofa to be the audience.

This was a small venue, so I used only my hands and arms.

I raised my arms; both were watching me, and I gave the downbeat. Jennifer began this most beautiful song. I kept the beat up. Mom started singing counterpoint, then harmony. I imagined this with a full symphony orchestra and huge choir someday.

The end was pianissimo (Very softly), and Jennifer was finished.

I had them bow, and then I did.

Applauding loudly, Alice said, “I already knew that Janice was an incredible pianist, and my daughter is simply the best singer I have heard in my lifetime. Michael, where did you learn such emotional movements, for a twelve-year-old?”

“I have been watching my mother both sing and play piano my whole life. I began enjoying music a very long time ago. I believe I have also watched every conductor on TV and video I could find. Lawrence Welk, George Cates, Arthur Fiedler, John Williams, Keith Lockhart, Leonard Bernstein, and Leopold Stokowski, who appeared in person in the Walt Disney Classic FANTASIA (1940)!”

“That, along with meeting someone like Jennifer, makes it very easy to emote,” I added.

“Tomorrow is a school day,” Janice said, “So, we had better get going. We don’t want the next Zubin Mehta not to get enough sleep.”

“The same could be said for the next Katherine Ciesinki,” Alice said.

“I believe with the proper training, Jennifer is more of a Full Lyric Soprano, someone who could sing the role of Las Contessa in THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO or Hanna in the MERRY WIDOW,” my mother said. “Someone like Anna Netrebko or even Elisabete Matos!”

“Did you hear that Jennifer ... you could be a Full Lyric Soprano if you work at it?” her mother said.

“Say goodnight kids,” Janice said, giving Alice, then Jennifer a nice hug. I kissed Alice’s hand and Jennifer very chastely on the lips.

I asked Jenn, “Is that what you want to become?”

“As long as you are part of it, I can be anything. Goodnight, Michael.”

“Goodnight, Jennifer, until tomorrow at school.”

There was a final kiss between us ... and we left.

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