J A S P E R
"Dude, you've seriously got to shut up about music. My ears are gonna end up bleeding if you don't quit talking about it."
I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Denny, you know I don't care what people think about me. I love music, and I will not hesitate to shout it to the whole damn world. You should know that by now," I stated, crossing my arms over my chest and jutting my hip out dramatically.
My best friend threw his arms in the air in surrender. "Alright, Jass. I get it. I know music means a lot to you, and I respect that," he finished with a smirk. He brushed his straight hair back, grinning in amusement. He then turned to grab his books before closing his locker.
"Now," he started, throwing out his arm and pointing down the hall. "To Hell!"
I rolled my eyes again. "Alright, see you later."
He muttered under his breath something sounding suspiciously like 'alligator' and started walking quickly to his class. I, on the other hand, turned and made my way to my favourite subject of the day.
As I approached the room, I heard the sound of a piano playing through what I assumed to be an astounding speaker system. I felt like closing my eyes and just listening, it was so beautiful.
Instead, I entered through the open doorway to find a room filled with a dozen students and even more instruments of all different sizes. I couldn't help but smile.
I startled when I saw the source of the music; it wasn't a recording, but a small girl sitting at a grand black piano in the far corner, her back to the class, seemingly in her own world.
The girl was sitting on a red velvet bench, her fingers flying over the keys, creating a melody I found familiar, but couldn't place. Her body swaying, she seemed completely enthralled with what she was doing.
Beautiful.
I turned to the middle of the room where everyone else was sitting on the floor in a circle. I walked over, found a place, and sat down.
"Alright class, we'll be starting soon, finish up what you're doing," the teacher spoke, startling me since he was standing right next to me.
I hesitated a second before standing up. "Do you want me to go tell the girl on the piano? It seems she didn't hear you."
He glanced over at her, a small proud smile forming at the corners of his mouth. "Ah yes, Ms. Rosewood. One of my best students. No one can lose themselves in music quite like she can. Yes, please do."
I nodded and got up, walking over towards the corner of the room, where lay the piano.
I watched her play for a few seconds, not saying a word, nearly losing myself in the music. It was incredible. She didn't miss a key, she didn't skip a beat.
As she slowly stopped, the song finished, I rested my hand softly on her shoulder, trying to get her attention before she started a new song. Her shoulders stiffened and I quickly lifted my hand and spoke up, stumbling over my words. "Hey, sorry, but we're starting lessons."
She turned around to face me, and I couldn't help but stare at her. She was very cute, her short dark brown hair accenting her face perfectly, but she also looked thin, sick almost. But that wasn't what caught my attention. What caught my attention was the fact that her brown doe eyes looked dull.
As if she had already given up on living. Like she decided there was no point in fighting.
And man, I knew how that felt. So I smiled at her anyway. "Class is starting soon, you should come sit... And by the way, you play very beautiful, that was beautiful. I mean, your talent is beautiful."
Oh my god, I'm begging you, stop.
But hell, it was incredible. Magical. Unbelievable. Fucking stupefying. I smiled to hide my internal pain.
She nodded and blushed slightly, but didn't smile back.
I held my hand out. "Anyway, my name is Jasper, it's nice to meet you." She shook my hand, but still, didn't say a word.
I frowned in confusion, but when she touched her fingers to her throat, I assumed she either had a sore throat or was giving her vocal cords a break.
Did she sing, too?
I raised an eyebrow. "You can't talk?" Once she nodded, I continued. "Alright, but class is starting. We should go sit down."
She nodded once more but as I went to sit down, expecting her to follow, she walked off to sit in the corner instead.
And I couldn't help but watch her walk away.
Once class was over, I walked out the door and headed towards my locker.
Gorden was already there, fiddling with a cigarette, his bag already hanging off one shoulder. Before he could say anything, I blurted out the question I had been dying to ask him. "Do you know anything about this girl who's last name is Rosewood? Short-ish dark brown hair?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think I know who you're talking about. Caroline Rosewood. She hasn't spoken a word in three years. She used to have a lot of friends but doesn't anymore. Everyone calls her mute, or a freak." He paused. "But, like, don't do that."
I rolled my eyes. "As if."
Now it was clear why she wouldn't speak.
He coughed into his arm, smirking. "Why'd you ask, anyway?"
I shrugged. "She's in my music class, was just wondering."
He nodded again. "She used to be friends with Aimée, and she lost her father three years ago, too. I'm assuming that's a reason she stopped talking. There might be others. Also, people say she's a spoiled brat, treated like royalty at home, presumably by her mother. And that she sleeps around. And that she's technically an alien. Everyone 'knows' something about her. But I don't know, don't believe everything you hear."
I was bewildered. "How had I possibly missed all that!?"
He shrugged. "'Cause you live in a state of denial of what's around you."
Ignoring his comment, I turned to my locker and realized I had forgotten my music book in the classroom I had just left.
"Crap."
"What?"
"I forgot my book in class."
He laughed, then punched me lightly in the arm. "I'll go get it for you, I've already got my stuff. You get your shit together."
I nodded and thanked him.
G O R D E N
Man, it was hilarious how often he forgot things.
I paused when I arrived in the doorway of the classroom when I saw a girl sitting at the piano in the corner, her back to the rest of the room. She was playing with the fabric of the bench, but just as I was about to speak up, she lifted her hands to the keys and started to play.
I closed my eyes, letting myself enjoy the tune a bit, but snapped them open when she started singing.
Oh, damn.
She had a very nice voice; not too sweet, not too rough. And she sang with so much emotion. I felt like I was intruding, but couldn't will myself to cut her off.
I had never heard someone sing with such emotion. She sang with hatred and disappointment, then sorrow, and finished with hope.
Her fingers masterfully flew over the keys as she continued to surprise me. I didn't even know who she was.
She then started singing and playing with even more emotion, and I felt a lump in my throat.
Christ, this girl is something else.
Her fingers sped up, then slowed down, as she sang with a broken, hoarse voice. It made me feel like my heart was being squeezed inside a fist.
She whispered the last few words of the song, and I couldn't get over it. I just stood there in the doorway, completely stunned.
She let go of the piano, looked down at the fabric of the bench, and let out a quiet sob.
I inhaled deeply before speaking up. "Hey, are you okay?"
I saw her tense, but just as I started to think it had been a mistake to speak up, she turned towards me, her walls immediately back up.
Christ, her eyes are dull.
She nodded, but I frowned, still.
"You don't look it."
She shrugged. I felt the urge to keep talking.
"You sing very well," I murmured. Her eyes widened in response, clearly surprised that I had heard her. She looked down at the bench, not saying a word.
I walked up to her slowly, not wanting to startle her. "Do you want a hug?"
I fully expected her to say no, but instead, she surprised me by nodding slightly.
I slowly sat down next to her and moved in, wrapping my arms around her tightly. It took her a moment, but she hugged me back.
After a few seconds, she started to pull away, but I held her tighter, suddenly reminded of my strong dislike for quick hugs.
We sat there like that for a few minutes before I realized that Jason was probably waiting for me. I pulled away.
She wiped a few tears away with her hand and whispered, "thank you, I needed that."
I smiled and grabbed the book I found on one of the three desks in the room. "Everyone needs a hug sometimes. I gotta go, but I hope you have an okay day from here on out. Go home and get some rest, maybe."
She frowned but looked away quickly enough that I almost missed it. She didn't say anything, so I only hesitated a second before turning and walking out the door.
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