Unsung [Marco]

[PAMELA ELISE PARTON]

When Pamela's classroom was occupied during her break period, there was an abundance of places she liked to venture to. Sometimes, she grabbed a coffee and sat down to grade papers among the bustle of the non-stop students, or she would head off in her car to a nearby deli and meet up with an old friend for a bite and quick catch-up, but more than anything, she liked to be inside the theatre. The open warmth of the place completely drew her in and she felt like it wrapped her up like a child inside a cozy embrace. She didn't even like to climb up onto the bare stage or sit down in the comfortable cushioned seats. Pamela was happy to occupy the lighting booth and go over ideas for the next songs she would give to her choir class to tackle.

Her red hair rushing down her back, falling between her shoulders in places, and running over the back of the chair she was leaning back in, Pamela held up her feet on the chair across from her, and mindfully read over the sheet music in her hand while nibbling on one nail. On the ground, right by her make shift foot rest was a whole stack of songbooks and sheet music, some she had tackled before and many brand new. Even in the silence of the painfully bright room, Pamela felt that she could imagine what the songs sounded like enough to make a decision.

The thin heels of her shoes tapped out to the rhythm of the one song as she hummed along, her lips buzzing quietly as they vibrated together. It was her first year of teaching, so she still had yet to really get to know the other people on staff well, and Pamela absorbed the vibe that a lot of the teachers thought she was too young to be there or that she served more as eye candy to the male students, but the little Austrian took it in stride, making herself at home in the lighting booth.

None of the other teachers had ever been cruel to her, they nodded 'hello' when passing by in the halls, they were pleasant and tolerant in staff meetings, and every time she would run into them outside of Emerson, they would make very small talk with her, but the disconnection was still more than evident to Pam.

[MARCO ANDRE DE LUCA]

Marco was on a mission. It was actually a really important mission. He needed to find Pamela. While the school year had only just started, Marco had found that he’d bonded with the young teacher rather quickly. They had become fast friends, and he was quick to defend her when other teachers said she was too young and too inexperienced to teach at Emerson. Or that she got by on her looks. Sure, he wasn’t about to debate that she was a beauty, but he knew she had more merit than that. Some people were just nasty, really. Looking for anything they could to bring other people down. Marco hated people like that. Besides, how was any new teacher supposed to get experience if no one would hire them because they were too young and too inexperienced? The only way to get experience was to work.

However, that was all a side-bar to the mission at hand. He needed to find her for completely separate reasons- not to discuss what others thought of her. No, it was something much more exciting. Well, Marco thought it was exciting. He hadn’t exactly spoken to Pam yet to know if she felt the same way about his news, but he really hoped she did. Because if she wasn’t as excited, and if she said no.. Well then that would be the end of it for Marco. The whole thing was reliant on her involvement. Without someone with ‘more formal experience’ he wouldn’t be allowed to do it on his own. Allowed what? Well. Run the school’s Glee Club of course. The extracurricular group of high school and college students was one of the more popular clubs on campus, and the long running teacher who ran the group had retired at the end of last year, leaving an opening.

Of course, the man had applied for the spot as soon as he’d heard, however it had only been a half hour ago that he’d been told of the decision. He could run the Glee Club if he found someone with more experience to run it with him. At first he had been somewhat devastated. Thinking this was the polite way of telling him no. However he had quickly gotten over that when it hit him that he knew the perfect person. A cute little choir teacher. Who else would be better? It actually sounded like a fairly awesome premise for a movie or tv show. The rock-star and the choir teacher run the show choir. Oh it was perfect on so many levels. Now all he needed to do was find Pamela and convince her that she needed to do this with him. Shouldn’t be too hard though, once he turned his charm on.

The first place Marco had tried was her class-room, then her office. Both completely empty of the person he was after. Which was a shame, because he wasn’t really sure where to look after that.. Unless. Well there was one place he did remember her mentioning she liked to go. Making his way through the school, Marco moved at a quick pace. Excitement fuelling him. If she wasn’t in the theatre, he really would be out of ideas. Crossing his fingers in childish hope. Once at the theatre, instead of making his way into the auditorium fully, Marco ducked up the stairs and into the lighting box. A large grin tugging at his lips as he reached the top of the stairs. “You’re here!”

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[PAMELA ELISE PARTON]

She was in the midst of writing notes between the bars of a certain song, one she worried might not be entirely appropriate for the freshman choir students. Pamela had never had a run-in with the administration before, though she assumed many teachers would be thrilled if she did, so she tried earnestly to stay on their good side and not push the envelope.

It was a trying task, though, both writing between music bars and playing it safe. Her penmanship had always been curly and oversized, almost bubble letters, and students didn't want another mundane piece to sing in harmony to, that would put an audience to asleep, or that had been sung millions of years before they tried to tackle it. They liked to sing the songs that they were growing up with, put a new spin on already popular hits on the radio, or try songs that other choirs hadn't.

That was then the door swung open and after she heard a huge breath, she spotted one of the high school math professors, Mr. De Luca in the doorway, smiling at her, addressing her.

Her eyes beamed widely, as she was thrilled to see one of the few teachers who didn't despise the ground her heels click-clacked over, and then grew in surprise as she hadn't expected the company.

"Were we playing hide and seek?" To many, it probably seemed like a ridiculous question, but Pamela's voice hinted that she was being very serious. Marco, as great looking as he was, seemed like he had searched far and wide for her.

Pamela realized how she was sprawled over two chairs, slouching and lounging in a position that she had to nag the students to never put themselves in. Smiling up at him like a child who had been caught breaking the rules, she slithered out of her position, tugging on her sweater with one hand and fixing her red hair with the other, and sat upright. Once her knees were together and her feet were on the floor, Pamela adjusted her tight fitted pencil skirt to remove all the creases and faced Marco, wondering why he had been trying to find her in the first place.

"Why were you looking for little ol' me, Mr. De Luca?" She started, deeply interested. Pamela hoped she could comply to whatever he needed her for and not just because she found him to be a foxy older man, but because he had always been very nice to her when it would have been easy for him to follow the crowd and treat her like she shouldn't be there in the first place. "Am I in trouble?" Pamela mused, slyly smiling and even giggling at her own comment before letting her fingers pulled at the ends of her locks.