Status: I really shouldn't have made another story. It's going to be slow updates after the first chapter...
Loathing
She's a Rebel
The Stone household was silent around her, and Riley sighed. Tonight was a typical night when Stone Academy had a break - she sat at home alone, trying and failing to find ways to appease her boredom. They had everything that many of her classmates wanted, but nothing that she cared for. She played games on the gaming platforms more than your average girl, certainly, but when she wasn’t in the mood there was nothing they could do to for her.
Reading was another thing she tried, for the Stone Manse had a fairly large library, but she’d read most everything that she cared to from there, so she was quickly bored. Nothing interesting would be on the television - nothing interesting ever was. Her interest in television wasn’t very large in the first place. She allowed herself the guilty pleasure of watching American Idol, but that was pretty much it. She loved that show because it gave little-known people a chance to step forward and do what they loved. And even if only one could win, others could be discovered.
Riley drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair she sat in, and stood up decisively. She did like music, she had thought, and she had had piano lessons. It was time for her to put them to use! Riley didn’t like to play when someone else was near, so she never did when she came across an empty room with a piano at the academy, because even if she didn’t see anyone there would be someone in the building who would hear. She also didn’t like to play around her family, because her father had decided that piano was a waste of time. She’d also managed to get a few guitar lessons, but her father disregarded them much quicker than he had the piano. They had a grand piano just for show and Riley knew it wasn’t tuned, and they obviously didn’t have a guitar, so she was going to the music store.
“Father will love this,” she snorted softly, stepping into her room to change. She pulled out some red skinny jeans and a white band t-shirt. Her father really wouldn’t like that choice of clothes if he found out she left the house, but she didn’t really care at that point. He didn’t approve of her friends, he didn’t think her straight A’s were good enough, and he wouldn’t have approved of the boy she had fallen for, so why should she try for his approval? It always ended in disappointment.
The outfit was topped off with a black jean jacked, making her look more like a delinquent than she had thought possible. Strangely, the look suited her and also gave her a surge of rebelliousness. So what if her father didn’t like it? She was going to do as she pleased and have a bit of fun while doing it. She’d test out a guitar, play a few tunes, because even if it had been three years since she’d picked one up she had an excellent memory and still knew exactly what to do. After she played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, or something like that, she’d head over to the piano after finding a music book and she’d play something much more complicated. Piano, she remembered better. When she visited her grandmother, she played for the woman because she loved the sound and was so frail she could no longer play the instrument herself.
Standing outside with her keys in hand and her wallet and cell phone in her pockets, she looked from the garage to the streets a bit indecisively before choosing to walk. It would spite her father further, and she was really in the mood to show him that she was her own person and wouldn’t be controlled.
And so, one fifteen minute walk later, Riley pushed open the door to the music store. She grinned at the sounds of music throughout. All the guitars that they let people try were being used, so she stepped over to the piano, flipping pages in the book sitting with it. She found a remotely difficult piece and sat down, resting her fingers gently on the ivory keys. She closed her eyes and, without looking at the book, began playing from memory. The sounds emanating from the instrument were just as she had remembered, bell-like and clear, and it pleased her to know that she could still make the keys sing to her.
She realized then that, even if she didn’t like to play in front of people, what was she doing now? And then Riley told herself that she didn’t like to play at school because someone might mention it to her father, who thought it was a waste of time.
Maybe I’ll do it more often, she thought vindictively, play the piano. Since it annoys him so much.
The sounds of the keys faded as the piece ended and Riley slowly removedher fingers from them. She flipped a few pages of the book and started again, paying no mind to the clerk who just stood in one of the sheet music aisles and watched her play open-mouthed. When Riley glanced up to see the clerk, she was looking at her wide-eyed, but her mouth was closed. Riley smiled gently at her as nimble hands darted across the keys. She let the music take her to a happier place than the one in which she lived, dancing fingers creating a melody that provided the escape from reality.
Finally, Riley’s fingers left the keys again, and she stood from the piano and moved to another, with a slightly deeper sound. Without even bothering with the pretense of flipping pages in the book that wasn’t there, she started to play a slow, gentle melody that screamed of sadness and loneliness. It wasn’t that way on accident; Riley had written it. She meant it to reflect her feelings, but she hadn’t expected it to turn out so accurate. It was surprising that she even remembered it, as she had completed it over the summer at her grandmother’s home and had hardly had a chance to touch a piano since. The sheet music lay at home in a binder in her bag, tucked away from prying eyes.
Riley let out a trembling sigh, closing her eyes as the mournful tone rolled from her fingertips, from the keys she stroked with deft precision.
It was a good thing the piece was short, because at its conclusion Riley was close to letting herself cry, and quickly switched to a much faster, upbeat song that she knew well.
The clerk who had been watching, even after she switched pianos, wiped her eyes and turned to get back to work, respecting the watery eyed pianist enough to let her cry if she needed to without an audience.
But Riley wouldn’t cry.
Reading was another thing she tried, for the Stone Manse had a fairly large library, but she’d read most everything that she cared to from there, so she was quickly bored. Nothing interesting would be on the television - nothing interesting ever was. Her interest in television wasn’t very large in the first place. She allowed herself the guilty pleasure of watching American Idol, but that was pretty much it. She loved that show because it gave little-known people a chance to step forward and do what they loved. And even if only one could win, others could be discovered.
Riley drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair she sat in, and stood up decisively. She did like music, she had thought, and she had had piano lessons. It was time for her to put them to use! Riley didn’t like to play when someone else was near, so she never did when she came across an empty room with a piano at the academy, because even if she didn’t see anyone there would be someone in the building who would hear. She also didn’t like to play around her family, because her father had decided that piano was a waste of time. She’d also managed to get a few guitar lessons, but her father disregarded them much quicker than he had the piano. They had a grand piano just for show and Riley knew it wasn’t tuned, and they obviously didn’t have a guitar, so she was going to the music store.
“Father will love this,” she snorted softly, stepping into her room to change. She pulled out some red skinny jeans and a white band t-shirt. Her father really wouldn’t like that choice of clothes if he found out she left the house, but she didn’t really care at that point. He didn’t approve of her friends, he didn’t think her straight A’s were good enough, and he wouldn’t have approved of the boy she had fallen for, so why should she try for his approval? It always ended in disappointment.
The outfit was topped off with a black jean jacked, making her look more like a delinquent than she had thought possible. Strangely, the look suited her and also gave her a surge of rebelliousness. So what if her father didn’t like it? She was going to do as she pleased and have a bit of fun while doing it. She’d test out a guitar, play a few tunes, because even if it had been three years since she’d picked one up she had an excellent memory and still knew exactly what to do. After she played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, or something like that, she’d head over to the piano after finding a music book and she’d play something much more complicated. Piano, she remembered better. When she visited her grandmother, she played for the woman because she loved the sound and was so frail she could no longer play the instrument herself.
Standing outside with her keys in hand and her wallet and cell phone in her pockets, she looked from the garage to the streets a bit indecisively before choosing to walk. It would spite her father further, and she was really in the mood to show him that she was her own person and wouldn’t be controlled.
And so, one fifteen minute walk later, Riley pushed open the door to the music store. She grinned at the sounds of music throughout. All the guitars that they let people try were being used, so she stepped over to the piano, flipping pages in the book sitting with it. She found a remotely difficult piece and sat down, resting her fingers gently on the ivory keys. She closed her eyes and, without looking at the book, began playing from memory. The sounds emanating from the instrument were just as she had remembered, bell-like and clear, and it pleased her to know that she could still make the keys sing to her.
She realized then that, even if she didn’t like to play in front of people, what was she doing now? And then Riley told herself that she didn’t like to play at school because someone might mention it to her father, who thought it was a waste of time.
Maybe I’ll do it more often, she thought vindictively, play the piano. Since it annoys him so much.
The sounds of the keys faded as the piece ended and Riley slowly removedher fingers from them. She flipped a few pages of the book and started again, paying no mind to the clerk who just stood in one of the sheet music aisles and watched her play open-mouthed. When Riley glanced up to see the clerk, she was looking at her wide-eyed, but her mouth was closed. Riley smiled gently at her as nimble hands darted across the keys. She let the music take her to a happier place than the one in which she lived, dancing fingers creating a melody that provided the escape from reality.
Finally, Riley’s fingers left the keys again, and she stood from the piano and moved to another, with a slightly deeper sound. Without even bothering with the pretense of flipping pages in the book that wasn’t there, she started to play a slow, gentle melody that screamed of sadness and loneliness. It wasn’t that way on accident; Riley had written it. She meant it to reflect her feelings, but she hadn’t expected it to turn out so accurate. It was surprising that she even remembered it, as she had completed it over the summer at her grandmother’s home and had hardly had a chance to touch a piano since. The sheet music lay at home in a binder in her bag, tucked away from prying eyes.
Riley let out a trembling sigh, closing her eyes as the mournful tone rolled from her fingertips, from the keys she stroked with deft precision.
It was a good thing the piece was short, because at its conclusion Riley was close to letting herself cry, and quickly switched to a much faster, upbeat song that she knew well.
The clerk who had been watching, even after she switched pianos, wiped her eyes and turned to get back to work, respecting the watery eyed pianist enough to let her cry if she needed to without an audience.
But Riley wouldn’t cry.
♠ ♠ ♠
Just a quick update, probably typed in literally fifteen or twenty minutes. I hope it satisfies!This time it's all Riley. Next time should be Eric.
I hope you guys like it - sorry if the chapter is crap, but it's kind of a filler so I can get wherever I need to be in the story, you know?
Patience is a virtue :)
Sorry if the next chapter is longer in coming.
<333 Amanda