Cindy at Music Camp By Teek © 2019 Chapter 06 The Decision

Summary: Both Marcus and Frank/Cindy have a decision to make. Jessica's dream is on the line. The youngest in the group, Samantha, pulls off a gutsy move, forcing Mr. Elks to make a hard decision himself.

“Cindy,” Mr. Elks knelt down to her level. “I want you to feel safe. I am not your parent. Like I said before, I have no say or control over what you choose to wear, within reason. I can however, try to set up an environment where you feel safe to be yourself. You and Marcus have the final say as to whether or not you each will play Jessica’s song up on stage. That decision has nothing however, to do with you choosing to dress as Cindy for the rest of Music Camp. If you want to be Cindy at camp, meet me after dinner. I will take you back to your dorm to get your stuff, and then over to my house. I live on campus in the music school’s teacher housing. After we drop your stuff off, you can go play with the other kids. If you don’t meet me, I will understand. The choice is yours.”

“Tough decision kid,” George said. “Think about it before answering.”

“Marcus,” Mr. Elks asked? “As I said to Cindy, no one can decide if you will play in this little orchestra but you. I hate to pressure you, but this group either needs to find a conductor or a piano player. They then only have 28 hours to work as a group and submit a recording to me for consideration. Cindy is in the group either as Cindy or Frank. You have a chance right now to be in or out. The composition needs a top level piano player. Whether you like it or not, you really are the best piano player at camp. I know you prefer your electric guitar, but this group needs your piano skills.”

Jessica turned to Marcus, “I would have preferred everyone dressed up as professional orchestra players like Cindy and Samantha here, but I will accept whatever crazy Rock’n Roll outfit you wear for your other performance.”

“Marcus,” George added. “We started at camp the same year. You were one of the reasons I have continued to come back year after year. When you, a Little, got the last performance of the concert that first year and showed up all those teenagers, I knew talent, not age, made a difference at this camp. If I worked hard on my french horn, I could be in that final performance too. I have been there, but this time it is different. It is the first time since your performance that more Littles have a chance of being on the stage than teenagers. You can again motivate the next generation. You switched instruments in a big way when you were young. I bet some of the Littles think about switching to something else but won’t because they are scared. Show them that they can do both. Keep playing what they are good at and try something new. Can you imagine how scared some of the parents at the concert are going to be that their little kid will now want to switch to an electric guitar?”

“Interesting point,” Marcus smiled.

“Well,” Jessica prodded. “What do you say? We have the five most talented performers at camp in this room right now. We have a composition written by four of us, and open to your input on changes. Mr. Elks has wanted, but has never gotten, all of the most talented performers up on stage at once. This is the closest we have ever been. We can put on a performance that this camp will talk about for years. A performance that everyone at camp will be jealous that they are not part of. To really pull this off though, we need you. Will you please do it?”

“I haven’t played the piano for years. There must be someone better than me that you could get?”

“No. The next best is Ariel.”

Marcus winced.

“I am NOT going to let her be part of this Orchestra,” Jessica firmly pronounced. “In fact, I will not let another teenager be in the group. The reason I am even considering you is because of how good you are. I never expected to hear you playing the piano better than me. If you do not accept the position, I either look for a kid who isn’t a teenager to take my place, or a kid who isn’t a teenager to conduct. Either way, we are going to do this performance and we will do a performance that will be talked about for years. People still talk about your performance, I just never knew it was you.”

“Okay, okay. I will do it. If, and only if, you get the coveted final spot, and I get to do a Rock’n Roll performance right before that.”

“It’s a deal,” George and Jessica said together.

“Wait a minute,” Mr. Elks said. “I believe, I am the only one that can promise him what he wants.”

George grinned, “Mr. Elks, you will do almost anything to get the five of us up on stage doing a performance together. You want this just as much as we want it.”

“Yeah, but . . .”

“Fine Mr. Elks,” Samantha interjected. “Say No. Then see what will happen.”

Everyone looked at Samantha who was standing right next to Cindy with the biggest smile on her face.

“Are you threatening me Samantha?”

“Who me? I am just a little seven year old,” Samantha tilted her head and blinked her eyes as she took Cindy’s hand and squeezed. “How could I threaten you? So what, if you have one less violin player performing in the final concert. No big deal.”

“And one less flute player,” Cindy added, squeezing Samantha’s hand back.

“If they aren’t playing, I certainly am not going to perform in the concert,” added Jessica as she walked over to Samantha and Cindy.

“Now wait a minute,” Mr. Elks complained.

“No, I agree with them Mr. Elks. Say No, and see what happens,” George added going over and standing next to Jessica, and behind Samantha and Cindy. “One less french horn player in the final concert wouldn’t mean anything. So, go ahead, and say no.”

“They have a lot of guts Mr. Elks,” Marcus added. “They are going to do what they want. You have the best talent at camp in this room, and it appears, as though, they are threatening you with a walk out if you say, No. All started by what, the second youngest here.”

“No, I am the youngest,” Samantha proudly proclaimed. “I am seven, and Cindy is nine.”

Marcus laughed, “Yup, a seven year old has just threatened to take the best talent at camp, out of your final concert. And, she has the power to do it too. I think, I will join this walk out. I might even be able to convince a few other top talent to not perform.”

“You all know I could just say, NO, and put on the concert without you.”

“You could,” Samantha replied. “But, what would all the mommies and daddies think when they find out the top talent at camp refused to play in the final concert. Especially, when we tell them that we wanted to play a small orchestra piece together, with no vocalist, but you wouldn’t let us play the piece.”

“Now wait a minute.”

“She has a point Mr. Elks,” Marcus grinned. “If my mom found out I was willing to play a classical music piece, but you wouldn’t let us, she would be complaining to every parent that would listen. She has been trying for years to get me back into classical music. She has made enough friends with other parents at this point, that one phone call home would cause the news to spread like wild fire.”

“Okay, I get the point. Either, I take Marcus’ conditions, or I . . .” Mr. Elks paused looking down at Samantha and Cindy.

“Am in big doo doo,” Samantha finished his sentence.

Samantha and Cindy looked very serious, but everyone else in the room just started laughing.

“I will go along with all of this, including a promise that the five of you will be the final performance of the concert, if all five of you are working together. Marcus, this is Jessica’s baby. She has control and will be in charge. I will accept minor changes to what she currently has composed, but only minor changes. As for your Rock’n Roll performance, it will need my approval just like any other person or group performing in the final concert. I guarantee you the position right before Jessica’s composition, if you can come up with something I approve of. Same rules as previous years. Whatever you do, has to be appropriate for six year olds. No inappropriate language, gestures, or wardrobe malfunctions allowed. Understood?”

“Yes sir,” Marcus said with a smile.

“Oh, thank you Samantha,” Jessica hugged Samantha tight. “My composition is going to be the final performance of the concert. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“It is three o’clock. The Littles are to take the next two hours off. No playing music or being in a music room. Jessica, I suggest you do the same, but I am not going to force you. Everyone, Marcus being part of this group is to stay a secret. In fact, no one is to give any indication of what type of music you are going to be performing. If anyone sees Marcus coming in here to practice with all of you, I don’t want them knowing what you are going to perform. Marcus, I recommend you practice on the piano for at least an hour before dinner. I will set up a two-hour slot in the morning, and this, one to three, slot in the afternoon for the five of you to work together tomorrow. I still need your recorded entry tomorrow before bed. Then for the rest of the week, you will all have just this slot to practice during. You all still have classes to take, and I will not tolerate any of you missing a class. The littles are never allowed to practice for more than an hour without a break, and after two hours they must have at least two hours off.”

The kids all looked at each other and nodded. To make sure at least part of his directions were followed, he left the room with Cindy and Samantha. Mr. Elks went off to his office, and the little kids went back to the living room for a quick change.

With Frank back, Samantha and Cindy went to their rooms to drop off their instruments. Frank, alone in his room, started to pack up all of his stuff. He didn’t think he was really up to doing this. He looked around at the other kids’ stuff. Three kids to each room. He really hated sharing a room with boys, but everyone shared rooms. Frank came to camp, so he had boy roommates.

Frank and/or Cindy viewed boys as gross. He hated being in the boy’s dorm. It was a constant reminder that a stupid thing hidden in his underwear made everyone believe he was a boy, even though they never saw the ridiculous thing. At times he considered cutting the terrible thing off and then no one would ever call him Frank again. The painful memories of getting shots always convinced him that he would not withstand the pain of cutting it off. Frank was, unfortunately, around for a while. He thought about how, here at camp, he was switching back and forth between Cindy and Frank, but no one saw the other. Was it really that simple? Could wearing the right clothes, really be all that was needed for people to see Cindy all the time?

Once everything was packed, his laundry bag and his suitcase sat on his bed, “I am Cindy, not Frank.” Grabbing the suitcase and leaving the laundry bag, Cindy dressed as Frank, returned to the living room. Taking the backpack Samantha had brought, Frank went to change back into Cindy. He found the dress Samantha’s Grandma had made. With a quick change back to Cindy, she sat down next to Samantha to finish watching the Vampirina episode that was on Disney Junior. At the end of the episode, the two of them headed off to Samantha’s room.

“Cindy, let’s see what you have to trade with,” Samantha said as Cindy put her suitcase down on Samantha’s bed.

Sorting everything out on the bed, Samantha put all the non-tradable items back in the suitcase which was eventually stashed under the bed. Samantha then went through the dorm letting anyone there know that a trading session was starting in her room. A few of the girls followed her back to her room.

“Okay everyone,” Samantha announced once they were in. “Cindy here needs to trade a bunch of stuff for more girl clothes. Dresses, skorts, pink shorts, t-shirts, and even shoes. She even needs socks and underwear. She’s a size two shoe, and size seven/eight in clothes. She needs this stuff, and I know we all have “extra stuff” our moms packed for us. Some of you have more dresses than you want, and others feel some of their clothes are too babyish. Cindy here will consider anything you have.”

“That’s a cool t-shirt.”

“You mean I could get rid of those awful pink shorts?”

“Ooooo, a Star Wars t-shirt. My mom wouldn’t buy that one for me because it was in the boys department.”

The girls were considering options, and a few ran off to their rooms to get stuff to trade. Samantha was amazing. With every girl she traded with, she tried to include something extra. A hair accessory was automatically included with every deal. She also tried to include in each trade a pair of panties and/or a pair of socks. By dinner, Cindy had two dresses, two skorts, two girly t-shirts, three panties, two pairs of socks, and one pair of leggins. Her blue crocks were traded for pink ones. Just before leaving for dinner, Samantha went into her own suitcase and pulled out a nighty with Vampirina on it. She added it to Cindy’s new clothes. Cindy gave Samantha a hug and then put the new clothes into her suitcase. Samantha assured Cindy that they would get more after dinner.

Cindy was petrified as she walked into the cafeteria for dinner. There were assigned tables that kids had to sit at. There was no hiding now. She would need to explain why she was now Cindy. Holding tight onto the Molly doll, Cindy parted with Samantha as they headed to their designated tables. Cindy slowly went over to her table and sat down next to the teacher.

“Hi there,” Mrs. Sterling said looking down at the little girl who had just sat down next to her. “I haven’t seen you before. What’s your name?”

“My name is Cindy Mrs. Sterling. I have been sitting at this table since camp started,” taking a deep breath and hugging Molly tight, she moved her finger signaling for Mrs. Sterling to come down to her level. Then, very softly Cindy said into her ear, “You have been calling me Frank.”

Mrs. Sterling quickly sat straight up and looked down at Cindy. She looked around at the boys that were at the table, and those just about to sit down. Then, she looked back at Cindy. She looked around the room, and seeing Mr. Elks walking by, she called him over.

Seeing Cindy, Mr. Elks addressed her first, “Hi, Cindy. Glad to see that you made it to dinner tonight. Meet me after the meal at my table.”

“You know Cindy,” Mrs. Sterling asked, very confused?

“Yeah, she is going to be staying at my house for the rest of camp. Look after her, she is an upcoming star. She is one of the top three performers here at camp this summer, maybe even the best. Just wait until you hear her play the flute.”

“O-Okay,” Mrs. Sterling stuttered.

All the other kids at the table, and a few at the table next to them were looking back and forth between Mr. Elks and Cindy. When Mr. Elks left, Cindy heard some teenagers at the next table say, “Did you hear that, Mr. Elks thinks that Little may be the best performer at camp this summer. Who is she? Have you seen her before? How could a kid so young be the best performer? Have you heard her play?”

Before everyone was quieted for announcements, Jessica arranged for a distraction that she thought would help Cindy get through the meal.

Samantha approached Cindy's table, “Cindy, after meeting with Mr. Elks meet me in my room.”

George was next, “Cindy, practice tomorrow will start at one. It will be in the same room as today.”

When George left, the teens at the other table were all in a buzz about the Little that was practicing with George. They were all questioning if it really could be true that Cindy was one of the top three performers at camp. No matter who was making the list, everyone knew Samantha and George were definitely in the top ten. Most put the two of them in the top five. When Jessica showed up next, people around the cafeteria were now all whispering to each other and looking over at Cindy.

“Cindy,” Jessica commented. “That was an amazing performance this afternoon. Thanks for your help.”

Three of the top performers had just interacted with a little girl none of them recognized. When Marcus was spotted heading towards this part of the cafeteria, all eyes were on the Rock’n Roll star. Some wondered if he also knew this Little, but most believed that there was no way he knew this little kid. Some of the teenagers were betting candy bars on whether he would stop or not.

“Cindy, the others are right. The three of us are the best at camp this summer. I still think I am better than the two of you, but I look forward over the next week figuring out which of us is the top performer at camp. See you tomorrow,” Marcus walked off without waiting for a response.

“You know Marcus,” the other Littles at the table asked?

“Marcus, Samantha, George, and Jessica,” Evan questioned? “They are the top performers. And . . . And you might be better than all of them? That’s like really Cool!”

Just then, Mr. Elks rang the bell to get everyone’s attention for the day’s announcements.