The black limousine pulled to a halt, signaling my return to the Academy of Magic. Alan, as Professor Long asked me to now call him, and I walked through the gate and up the front steps, meeting suprisingly few people along the way.
"Hurry to your dormitory, Belerophon (unfortunately Alan wasn't picking up on my nickname), I believe the staff is currently announcing something you won't want to miss."


Even though I almost ran back to my dorm, I caught the Ranged Weapons instructor just as she walked out off the dormitory. She nodded at my slightly pleading look and gestured into the room. I opened the door to find the Common Parlor, or Common, as it is also known, full of people chatting amongst themselves. A few people from my classes waved as I walked by, but I kept walking until I saw George and Joshua sitting on one of the short couches on the western wall of the room.
"Hey guys, what's all the fuss about?"
Joshua answered first, nodding something to himself as he turned to my face.
"Music Week begins on Friday."
George followed him up with a bit more detail.
"Music Week is a student celebration week centered around music. There are activities, games, a few parties, and at the end of the week there is a large dance. You might want to start working on your abs now."
"Abs?"
"The King of the Music is the guy with the best musical performance in his category. If you enter in anything but Funk, you'll have to take your shirt off to win."
"I'll remember that."
"And also, be careful around campus this week."
"Why?"
"The Week of Music has an odd effect on the school," replied Joshua. "Since music has such strong reaction in the human body... well, haven't you ever gotten high on music?"
I'd never heard it phrased that way, but since I knew what he meant I answered honestly.
"Why yes, yes I have."
George leaned in again, a look that could only be described as glee covering his face.
"Imagine everyone in the school on a music-driven adrenaline rush!"
I thought the kid was going to jump right out of his seat.
After a few minutes of discussion on adrenaline as stimulant versus norepinephrine, we got around to discussing our favorite genres of music. I learned that Joshua was in to electronica and very surprisingly, rap. I said that I liked classical and rock. George shared my taste in classical music but said he prefers jazz to rock.
Just then Dvarek walked over to where the three of us were sitting. He was grinning, as usual, and was holding an acoustic guitar.
"Hey B. Josh. George."
"Hey Dvarek. What are you doing in our dorm?" I asked.
"Picking up the guitar I'm playing this week."
"This week?" Oops. I was going to have to dig deep to find my instruments.
"Anyone who's anyone plays an instrument all week."
"Any suggestions?"
He shot me a quizzical look. "How many do you play?"
"Electric guitar, sax, violin, piano, sitar, and the mandolin..."
I had noticed that George and Josh were now staring at me. Something seemed to nag at Josh.
"All saxes?"
"Yes."
"Electric bass, too?"
"Yes."
Josh nodded to himself again, something that was really starting to annoy me.
"Can't you do a mnemonic blink?"
"No, actually. It was something I was never able to grasp."
Dvarek turned back to me. "Started on your abs yet?"
"Nope. But I heard about that."
"Well, good luck."

That night I went ahead and started on my abs, pushing my endurance to the limit. Rather than foolishly concentrating on front abs, I also did obliques and back, along with pecks to even out my upper body. It was the first time in weeks that I was to tired to continue working.

I hope to sleep well.