It was a warm sunny late afternoon and there was nowhere
Peter wanted to be more than outside enjoying the weather. Instead, he found
himself roaming the dreary empty school halls of Melode Private Academy for the
Musically Gifted. It was his own fault he was there of course. He had left his
cello in Music Room 3, for the fourth time that week, and if he didn’t fetch it
his mother would surely kill him. Still, Peter couldn’t help but sulk over his
unfortunate situation.
“No one should have to be here afterschool,” Peter
whispered to himself. “It’s mad eerie, and depressing too. These hallways are
usually crammed with students and buzzing with gossip, but now… now it’s just…
silent…”
Peter stopped in his tracks. Just as he had declared the
halls to be silent, he had been hit with the realization that they in fact
weren’t. There was a quiet melody echoing through the hallways. A soft and melancholy
sound, faint, feeble, yet beautiful. Peter frowned a bit, where could such
enchanting music be coming from?
Curious, Peter began to follow the sound to its source.
To his surprise, he found himself exactly where he had been heading to in the
first place: Music Room 3. Peter was perplexed, who would be here so late after
school? Sure he was still around, but he definitely didn’t want to be. Peter
carefully placed his hand on the door handle and turned it. He pushed the door
open slightly and peeked in.
Sitting on a black chair in the middle of the room was a
girl. She had long wavy light brown locks, which were held back by a grey bow, a
dainty figure and fair pale skin. She wore a gothic styled black dress with
grey lace and frills, as well as black knee high boots. Peter remarked to
himself that she looked like a fragile porcelain doll. He continued to observe
her and realized her eyes were closed and her lips stuck together in a slight
pout. In her hands, the girl held a violin which she played with a skill Peter
had never seen before.
Peter opened the door fully and took a loud step into the
room.
“Hello? Is someone there?” the girl gasped and carefully placed
her violin down on her lap. Peter thought this was quite an odd thing to say.
The girl’s eyes fluttered open, and Peter noticed they were an icy blue grey.
The girl turned in Peter’s direction but her gaze seemed to go right through
him.
“She can’t see me,” he realized. “She’s blind.”
“Hello? Hello?” the girl repeated, her voice shaking.
“Sorry for interrupting you…uh…Miss,” Peter answered. He
cringed slightly at the word ‘Miss’. It wasn’t the sort of thing he would
usually say, however, he felt like using any other word would surely break the
strange girl he saw in front of him. Peter smirked slightly at the idea of a
girl that could be physically hurt by words, it seemed silly… but then again
this girl looked so delicate it could be possible. “I just came to get my cello
that I left behind.”
“Oh,” was all the girl said in response.
“My name is Peter,” Peter said. With his usual confidence,
he walked closer to the girl. “What’s yours?”
The girl just glanced away blushing, she could sense him
standing right next to her and it made her nervous. Her delicate slender fingers
ran up and down the side of her violin.
“That was a beautiful piece you were playing,” Peter
said, hoping to get her to speak.
“Oh thank you,” she whispered finally, and a small smile
appeared on her face.
“Who’s the composer?” Peter asked, leaning in closer to
the girl.
“…I am…” the girl admitted, her face turning red.
Peter’s jaw dropped. He could not believe this fragile
looking girl had composed such a melancholy song. “That’s amazing,” he said.
“What’s it called?”
The girl froze for a moment. Her smile disappeared,
replaced by a sad and lonely expression. Concerned, Peter put his hand on hers
but she pushed it away and stood up abruptly.
“I have to go,” she declared and ran out the room
clutching her violin close to her chest, leaving behind a shocked Peter.
“What just happened?” Peter mumbled to himself, feeling
thoroughly confused. “Did I do something wrong?”
Peter waited a few minutes to see if the girl would come
back but she seemed to be gone for good. He fetched his cello and returned to
his mother who was waiting for him in the parking lot. During the ride home,
Peter’s mother questioned him relentlessly over why he took so long to get his
cello. However, Peter did not listen. His mind was focused on one particular blind
stranger and her sorrow-filled song.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day, Peter kept an eye out for the girl. He
thought she was interesting and wanted to know more about her. Peter searched
everywhere for the strange girl, in the hallways, in the classrooms, in the
cafeteria, but he could not find her. It was as if she were hiding from him,
lurking in the shadows, just out of his sight.
Since he was unable to find the girl himself, Peter
decided that he would make the girl come to him. After school, he returned to
Music Room 3. He guessed that there would be a good chance that the girl would
return to where he saw her last. Peter sat inconspicuously in the corner and
waited. And waited. And waited. Until, finally, he heard the quiet creak of the
door opening.
Peter watched as the girl came silently into the room.
Her black dress had been replaced by a grey one, and her hair bow was now
white. She moved gracefully to her chair, took her violin out from its case and
began to play. Peter recognized the song; it was the same one he had heard the
day before. He closed his eyes and let the music envelop him. The notes were
low and soft, and as delicate as the girl who was playing them. The song was
morose and haunting. It seemed to carry all the grief of the world in its
measures.
When the song ended, Peter opened his eyes, curious about
what the girl was going to do next. He observed her carefully, waiting for her
to play another song. The girl sighed heavily and rested her violin by her
side.
“Solitude. It’s
called Solitude,” the girl said
suddenly. Peter’s eyes widened in surprise. He wondered if the girl was talking
to him but how did she know he was there?
“The name of the piece I just played is Solitude. Last time, you asked what it
was called, didn’t you?” the girl turned her head in Peter’s direction. He was
certain now that she knew he was in the room, but before he could answer, the
girl picked up her violin once more. The song she played was new. It began like
the end of Solitude, and then changed
gradually. The sullen low notes from the previous song became mixed with
lighter happier notes. The new melody was a motley of grief and joy and it was
just as beautiful as the first melody. It seemed like the song was about to
become happier when the girl stopped abruptly.
“Why did you stop?” Peter asked. The girl turned away
from him.
“I don’t know how it ends…” she whispered. “My Solitude is changing. I have no idea
what’s coming next.”
Peter smiled and
approached the girl. He grabbed a chair and sat next to her. “Well I have to
confess I like the change. I was worried when I heard Solitude. It’s such a sad song…I never thought a pretty girl like
you would be able to write something so gloomy.”
“What’s
that supposed to mean?” the girl pouted and crossed her arms to look offended,
but Peter could see her blushing. “I can write whatever I want.”
“Oh I didn’t mean it that way!” Peter laughed. “It’s just
that I could tell that you put a lot of emotion in to your work, and it saddens
me to think that someone could feel so much sorrow and loneliness.”
“Well… it’s none of your business how I feel,” the girl
retorted and stood up to leave. “You don’t know me! You’re just some stranger
that won’t leave me alone.”
The girl reached down for her violin but Peter moved
faster and snatched it up.
“You
know something? You’re right I don’t know you,” Peter said with a grin and held
the violin behind his back. “And I’d like to change that.”
“What are you talking about? Why did you take my violin!”
the girl exclaimed and reached out at Peter trying to grab her violin. “Just give it back! Please!”
“Okay,”
Peter said but he still kept the violin out of her reach. “But first, I have
two requests.”
“What?” the girl said and scowled in frustration.
“First, I would like to know your name,” Peter leaned in
close to her and whispered in her ear.
The girl was silent, and her face reddened which just
made Peter’s grin grow wider.
“It’s Emy, my name is Emy.” she said at last.
“Nice to meet you Emy,” Peter said. “My second request is
that you let me be your friend.”
“My friend? Why?” Emy asked.
“Because you are a very talented composer and I think
you’re cute,” he smiled. “It’s every guy’s dream to have a cute girl be his
friend.”
Emy scowled but then nodded. “Okay. Now give me my
violin!”
“I’m hoping we can be good friends, Emy,” Peter said.
Then he placed Emy’s violin in her hands, and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, keep working on that song!”
Then he quickly ran off, leaving behind a shocked Emy
with her hand pressed to her cheek. Emy sat back down in her chair. She felt
confused. For years she had been alone, staying away from others, immersing
herself in her music. But now, she was alone as usual, but she did not feel
lonely. Where there had once been only Solitude,
something new was growing. So Emy did the only thing she knew. She picked up
her violin and began to play. She began to play something new.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Emy waited anxiously
for Peter in Music Room 3, as had become her habit. Two weeks had passed since
that first day she and Peter met and the day had come for her to finally show
Peter her masterpiece. He was late. Emy sat down on her chair and propped up
her violin on her lap.
“Sorry I’m late,” Peter barged in. He put down his cello
by a corner and sat down in his chair next to Emy. He took a moment to admire
the girl. Emy was wearing a white dress and a small pink bow in her hair. Peter
smiled. He liked the way lighter colors looked on her. “You look really nice
today.”
Emy said nothing and instead just began to play. Peter
listened silently as the now familiar notes of Solitude filled the air. When Peter recognized the subtle notes
that signified Solitude’s change into
something else, he grinned. This was the reason he was there now, to find out
what that something else was.
Like before, the melancholy notes of Solitude slowly turned more cheerful. But this time, when Emy got
to the part where she had stopped previously, she continued instead. The song
picked up pace and the notes got higher and the melody became lighter. The song
of sadness transformed into one of happiness.
Emy finished the song and put down her violin. There was slight
smile on her face, something Peter rarely saw. Emy waited patiently for Peter’s
reaction.
“What is that last part called?” Peter asked.
“Friendship,”
Emy answered. “The whole piece is called From
Solitude to Friendship… So, what do you think?”
Peter smiled and leaned in close to Emy.
“I love it,” he whispered and then kissed her on the lips.
Peter jumped out of his seat and grabbed his cello. “Teach it to me?”
Emy laughed and nodded in agreement.
~~~~~~~~~~~
It
was a warm sunny late afternoon and there was nowhere Peter wanted to be least
than outside enjoying the weather. Thankfully, he found himself in the merry empty
school halls of Melode Private Academy for the Musically Gifted. It was by his
own desire he was there of course. He ran to Music Room 3 with his cello in
hand, for the fourth time that week, for if he wasn’t on time Emy would surely
kill him. Peter couldn’t help but smile over his fortunate situation.
