Reunions

Stella woke up with a startle. She had been sleeping on the puffy green couch in the basement of the house. She was late to something, but she couldn't remember what. She looked around at the dingy cave and laid eyes on Al Bundy. He was heckling her while she slept.

"What time is it?" she asked him.

"Past time for you to get up! That couch is a kill, eh?" he shouted.

"You don't need to shout. I'm right here. I guess I'm going upstairs to get ready."

Stella grabbed the blankets and wrapped them around her shoulders. She couldn't remember what she had to do that evening that she might have been late for. But as she saw Hector's face she knew. The Orchestra Reunion Concert with Sluttrell! She couldn't miss that. Hector was loitering at the top of stairs and he had a large smirk on his face.

"Why are you still high?" he scoffed.

"I'm not, dumbass. I just woke up. Where is Regier? I told him I'd find him when I woke up."

"Well he's upstairs, but you'll only get high if you go up there."

"Hector, you don't know what you're talking about. Just shove it okay."

Stella's annoyance almost outweighed her excited about seeing Regier, but she quickly caught herself and happily bounded up the stairs. In the center of the room was a large group of them: Regier, Dallas, and other familiar faces. Regier ran to the top of the stairs to meet Stella and they hugged for several minutes. Too happy to do anything other than squeeze, squeal, and sway. After a long period, the words finally came.

"Stella! I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you so much."

"Me too, Regier. I've got to get changed for this concert tonight. Can you help me out?"

"Of course! What do you need?"

"Well. I need to find my clothes and a cello...." Stella said a little hesitantly.

"Yeah. No problem. Your clothes are hanging in the bathroom and I can get you a cello. Do you want to smoke a little?"

Stella could never resist Regier's offers. So the pair went into the bathroom and furiously sucked away at the side of the apple. "Thanks, Regier. You always know how to relax me. Now go find me a cello while I get dressed!"

He rushed off to find her an instrument. Stella looked at the clothes that were hanging in the bathroom. A silk, salmon colored tank top. With glitter. And long flowing black pants? She was really skeptical, but she put the clothes on anyway and ran out the bathroom, down the stairs and into the street....

As she reached the high school her heart was beating a thousand beats per minute. She counted each beat and thought she would die. The flood lights, the red carpet, the gowns, tuxes, and glamour were all too much. "Everybody is really going all out for this thing," Stella thought, "I wonder if anybody knows I'll be here."

She walked to the orchestra door and slowly pushed it open. It was a room full of men in tuxes, clutching their instruments as they chattered away. Sluttrell walked in the door, clapped his hands once and said "It's time to go." Stella pushed her way through the crowd toward him and his face lit up when he saw her. Stella had never been so happy. Sluttrell grabbed a cello and bow for her and began to walk out towards stage. She walked at his side and the papparazzi went wild. Stella smiled for all she was worth.

They were playing a simple song in 4/4 time. It was a jazzy tune and just ahead in the music were some quarternotes that started on the And of 1. The orchestra panic. Sluttrell tried to show them what to do, but he was conducting every one else. Orchestra members began to rise from their chairs and run into the audience. The MC got on the mic and tried to reassure the audience that the piece would go on as planned. Stella knew she couldn't mess this up. She confidently began clapping the notes. She could count music and she had never been so proud. It was then that she looked off the end of the stage to see a second orchestra of older professionals. In the second cello chair was her best friend, Alice. Alice smiled and gave Stella a thumbs up. Stella had never been more proud.