Part 3 - They Meet
The scream involuntarily escaped from her mouth as her kohl-lined eyes surveyed the cramped room.
First of all, it was pink, pink for goodness' sake. How was she going to be able to survive in this girly prison?
Secondly, this demure looking Asian American girl was staring at her as if she were an alien from Mars.
The worst was yet to come. She winced as the nauseating reek of moldy cheese bombarded her square in the face.
Worst of all, the freak had tripped over Zephyr's most prized possession, her Gibson Electric Guitar lying innocently on the carpet, sending unpleasant notes reverberating through the air.
"S..sorry, I didn't mean it." Ruefully, Epiphany bowed her head, her raven black tresses cascading down her face like a shiny black waterfall.
With a permeating icy glare, Zephyr shot down her harmless intentions to mere atoms of nothingness. The blush on her pale face deepened even more.
"What a klutz." Those three sarcastic words summed up her frosty indifference, and mounted the tension that had already existed between the two girls.
Almost ironically, Zephyr gingerly extracted her guitar from the ground, clasping it in her arms as if it were her baby. She stroked it as if it were a Persian cat, examining the sleek surface for scratches.
As far as she knew, the only being that understood her was her beloved cat, Loki. The very reason that she had given him that name was because it suited both their personalities. Loki understood her passion for good music and playing the guitar.
It served as an essential outlet for her vent-up anger at the world.
She was one of those rebels who violently objected to "faux music". According to Epiphany, this encompassed commercialized music, which foolish teenagers grooved to.
Sure, MTV had the hottest music videos, but what was so appealing about half-naked people prancing around in hot pants?
It completely defied any semblance of innovativeness these youngsters possessed. Most of all , though, she despised the corrupt "perfect" image these celebrities exuded. As if being a size zero was all there was to life.
She was not purposely trying to stand out, she was just reluctant to fit in. It had nothing to do with the "teenage rebellion phase", as her parents wished to believe.
It was more of her disapproval for things. She was contented to be her own individual.
Plugging in her guitar to the amplifier, she strummed the opening lines to the classic, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, her all-time favourite band.
Inadvertently, Epiphany winced and covered her ears. She abhorred rock music; to her, it was noisy garbage. Either Zephyr was completely oblivious to her musical preference or she wanted to get back at her. Somehow, the latter seemed more credible.
Despite Epiphany's outward demureness, she was not willing to give up without at least putting up a fight.
With a sardonic smile, she shed the velvet lining of her harp case. Her fingers swept gracefully over the strings, creating a lilting tune that momentarily entranced Zephyr.
Of course, Zephyr was not about to show her appreciation. Instead, she pretended that she hated it, faking puking gestures.
And so, the hitherto tranquility of Astoria Academy of Arts was shattered by the unique but painful concert from the 2 gifted musicians.
All both girls knew for sure, however, was that this school term was going to be an arduous one.