Twisted Symphony

The next morning is terribly atrocious. At least it’s Saturday. Johnnie didn’t leave for another two tedious hours. Well that’s what I was told. I fell asleep way before that. Don’t ask me how I fell asleep with Johnnie and Kayla doing whatever they do, but I did because jet lag can lead to desperate measures. Sun is beaming in through the blinds and the congestion of the city is invading my mind. I pull the covers over my head harder and groan.

“Gabby we need to talk.” I hear Kayla as she tugs on my blanket.

“It’s Gabrielle. Not Gabby. Nobody ever calls me Gabby and I don’t want to start now. So please. Second of all you should be disgusted with yourself Kayla.”

“I know it’s just..” She begins.

“No you don’t know. You don’t know at all. Thank god I didn’t tell you anything important or anything I’m ashamed of because it would have slipped right out when it comes to Johnnie. I feel for you I really do, but the way you diminish all your relationships with everyone else in the world for one asshole is disgusting. You’re jealously makes you someone you’re not and I can’t live with that person.”

“I’m sorry okay! I didn’t mean it.” Her words tumble out of her mouth desperately.

“Kayla don’t pretend. Last night you would’ve done anything to get Johnnie to look at me like I’m some ogre,” I’m sitting up in my bed now, waving my hands everywhere as I let out every frustration. “Don’t worry Kayla. I’ll get over it. I’m just requesting a roommate change and then you’ll never have to see me unless absolutely necessary.” My words are sharp and by the look on her face they’ve cut her like glass.

“No. Gabrielle I really like you I do. I just.. I don’t know. I have a problem okay? I don’t want you to leave. I don’t get along with girls easily and I like you. I just need reassurance or something,” she looks away from me and touches her arm as wisps of red hair fall in her face.

“Reassurance of what?”

I know her low self esteem is shining through. I know I shouldn’t feel for her. I really shouldn’t, but I do. She leaves herself so vulnerable and I can’t help it. I just sigh noisily.

“Can we just start over?” Something in her voice is really genuine and I know I seem like a complete sucker, but I have a heart and I’m sure she does too.

“This is it, Kayla. I need you to understand something.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“I promise that I will never, ever go out with, or hook-up with Johnnie in any way, shape, or
form,” I say it slowly. Breaking down each word little by little and extremely clear so she fully understands.

“You promise?”

“I swear.” I smile reassuringly.

“Thank you.” she hugs me and I hug back because a friend away from home seems like a pretty nice gesture.

“Johnnie is all yours, forever.” I laugh.

“He’ll never be all mine, but as long as he’s not yours I’m okay.”

See I know I should feel insulted, but I’m not. It’s actually a compliment. I know it’s going to sound so bitchy, but I make her so insecure about a guy I don’t even want. Imagine if I was trying. Imagine how the poor girl would be if I wanted Johnnie. She’s beautiful and she needs to know she can do so much better than Johnnie.

“Want to go get some breakfast?” She offers.

“Sounds good. What time is it?”

“Eleven thirty I think.”

I roll out of bed and shuffle towards my wardrobe. I put on a loose light brown top and a gold belt around my waist over the top of my blouse. I hold out my white short shorts in front of me and wiggle into my shorts so they fit the right way. And button them.

“I could watch that all day.” I turn to see Johnnie in our doorway.

“Johnnie, you’re a pig.” I narrow my eyes at him. This time I don’t get the death glare from Kayla and she can’t bring herself to glare at Johnnie like she should. He’s just got this smirk on his face.

“Johnnie you should learn to only stalk the girls that want you back.” I put my hands on my hips.

“Don’t flatter yourself I’m not here for you, but you keep pleasuring me with these interesting situations you get yourself into. I’m here for Kayla actually.” He turns to Kayla.

“You want to go out to eat, babe?” She looks at me as if asking for permission.

“Just go.” I roll my eyes and run a hand threw my hair.

“We can-,” She begins. My laptop pops up with a video chat request. It rings a few times and I answer.

“Hey, baby.” I smile as I open up the chat and look for my shoe. Johnnie raises an eyebrow at the adorable guy with brown hair, hazel eyes, a baby face and an eyebrow piercing.

“Hey G, I miss you.”

“Aw I miss you too.” I laugh.

“He must be the reason you have no interest in Johnnie.” Kayla smiles.

“What?” Johnnie seems shocked and disappointed.

“His names Adam.” I glance back at the camera.

“Hey.” Adam waves.

“So I’ve been wasting my time on a girl who has a boyfriend?” Johnnie yells raising an
eyebrow. Kayla slaps his arm and he doesn’t even react. He’s waiting for an answer.

“You haven’t wasted your time. We're best friends. She doesn't play well with other ladies.” Adam laughs.

Kayla gets this sad look on her face and Johnnie gets this moment of relief. He’s terrible.

“Yes he has Adam, because he’s a jackass.” I snap.

“What are you talking about? Gabrielle you know he’s you type. ”

Adam moves his head a little to get a view of Johnnie behind me. “He looks like your last three boy toys looked just like him. You’re a sucker for blue eyes and you know it.” I’m going to shoot Adam.

He has no idea the sort of damage he’s done. He’s completely boosted up Johnnie’s confidence through the roof and shot Kayla’s way down.

“Goodbye, Adam.” I close the video chat window.

“He’s a liar.” I try to make my words sound reassuring for Kayla. Johnnie on the other hand.

There’s no stopping the grin that is consuming his face.



After the whole monstrosity with Johnnie and Adam they both said nothing and I told them to go eat without me. I wandered the building for a while after that and took nothing, but a cereal bar and my music journals with me. I actually found a practice room. Well a whole floor actually made for people who just want to practice. There’s even individual piano rooms. I found the most gorgeous baby grand piano I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’ve been in this practice room for three hours and it feels like five minutes. The cereal bar sits untouched on top of the piano and my music journal is laid out. I hold a pencil between my lips and touch the keys with my fingers. I’ve been on a role.

I hum out the notes and stop abruptly, I pick up my hair and put it in a messy bun. I’m not here to write songs or sing them. I’m here for piano. Just playing piano and as much as I love piano this is what I do from time to time just to make it my own. I write pieces on the piano, but that gets boring so when I’m feel spontaneous you’ll see lyrics among the scribbled mess of music notes in my many music journals.

“Do La So.” It’s my attempt at singing out the general notes I’m going for with the words.

“Is this where you’ve been hiding out?” I turn and stop what I’m doing to be faced with Johnnie.

“Johnnie can you please just…just leave me alone.” I turn back to the piano.

“That hurt.” He shuts the door behind him and take a seat in the single wooden chair in the room.

“Johnnie please. I’m just trying to escape a little.” I hold the pencil in my mouth and touch a key.

“Escape what?” He furrows his eyebrows.

“Take a guess.” I stick the pencil in my bun.

“This is what you’re here for then huh? You know I would’ve never taken you as the Beethoven type.”

“Johnnie. You don’t know me. You don’t know anything about me so technically you have no right to make any sort of assumptions now do you?” My answer is instantaneous.

“I’m not trying to fight you Gabrielle. I was just curious. I mean Kayla got boring after we went out to eat. I was looking for a friend, but instead I found you and I’m more than willing to settle,” he smiles.

“You’re sooo irritating.” I snap.

“Why do you hate me?”

“Why do you want me?” I retort.

“That’s a stupid question.” He laughs.

“No really Johnnie why? Why do you want a person that doesn’t want you? You’ve got Kayla. I haven’t known you long, but I have a feeling I could make quite a few assumptions about you,” I turn towards him, taking on a serious tone.

“I know I’m you’re type and I know that you’re hot.”

“God Johnnie! Is that all you care about? All you care about is that I’m pretty? I’ve never met anyone with any less substance than you Johnnie. Do you know that?”

“Substance? I’ve got plenty of substance. You have no idea what sort of guy I am.”

“Oh please. It’s obvious the sort of guy you are. You’re the sort of guy that thinks he can have everything. The kind of guy that thinks that he can have anyone. You can’t. It doesn’t work that way. You’re a repulsive excuse for a spoiled player of a guy. You think just because you can strum a guitar and sing some pretty songs the world is at your fingertips, but it’s not.”

“Gabrielle listen…”

“No you listen. You’re pathetic. You get whatever you want from Kayla. She would give you a kidney if you needed it. I can see that and I barley know you people. She loves you Johnnie do you understand? She will be in love with you for the rest of her life and you will always see her as a booty call, a hook up buddy. You don’t get it,” I move my hands. “You don’t deserve her. You don’t deserve anyone because it’s guys like you that make me want to stay single.”

“No. You think I don’t know that? I know that. Kayla isn’t…Kayla isn’t. I don’t know exactly to be honest, but I know I deserve someone, because guess what Gabrielle? Everybody deserves someone. I just have a problem settling with only one.” He smirks.

“Get out.” I yell.

“Serenade me first.” Is he joking?

“I can’t sing.” I shake my head.

“What if we’re friends. Can we do that? Just be friends?” Johnnie raises.

“Me and you can never be friends, because I don’t need those sort of friends.” He just laughs
because he knows what I mean. He flips around the chair so he’s sitting on it backwards and leaning on the chair with his arms folded.

“Seriously. I want to hear. What have you been doing here for three hours. I mean you haven’t even eaten.” He glances at the cereal bar.

“If I play for you will you leave me alone?”

“If you play for me I’ll do whatever you want Beethoven.”

“Alright. What do you want to hear? A classical piece?”

“I want to hear whatever you’ve been working so diligently on.” He smiles.

“It’s not ready. Besides that would require singing and that’s something I can’t do.” I erase a music note in my journal and push the shavings away before sticking the pencil back into my messy bun.

“Show me what cha got. I could be your voice coach.”

“Johnnie..” I warn.

“No. I’m serious. I can help you. I’m partially here for vocals. Just sing. I’m sure it’s not so bad.”

“No. I have… stage fright.” My attempt at avoiding singing.

“We’re not on a stage.”

“I have people fright.” I add.

“People fright?” he laughs.

“Shut up!'

“The goddess has a complex? Impossible. I’m sure your voice is beautiful.”

“Did you just use a non degrading word to describe a person of the female gender?” I tilt my head to the side and exaggerate my words.

“Yes. I know how to do that. You’ve just never seen it. How do you think I always get what I want?” For a second I thought he was genuine, but he’s ruined that as he should.

“How about I start out playing for you and we’ll work up to the singing thing.”

“Fine. It’s a deal, but it will happen. I’ll hear your voice.” He winks. Yuck.

I sigh and begin to glide my fingers across the keys to an old tune I wrote three months ago. I’ve played it so much I know it by heart so I let the music play itself and I feel like I’m just the tool to the piano. I get lost in my music sometimes and it just takes over. Every note rings in my ear until the songs over. And I move my fingers away. I look at Johnnie. He’s clapping for me.

“That was amazing. I say we forget Beethoven and go straight for Bach,” He nods his head upward in approval and for once I don’t want to slap him across the face.

“Thanks.” I smile.

“Did you just smile or is it the apocalypse?” He cocks his head to the side and continues his tone.

“Shut up!”

“You’re a vicious one huh?” Please tell me he’s not flirting.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” My tone drops.

“That’s sort of Kinky don’t you think.”

“You’re sort of a disgusting perv.” I snatch my cereal bar off the top of the piano and grab my
music journal.

“You’re so uptight.” he follows me out of the practice room and to the elevator.

“Let me save you the trouble, Johnnie I’m not worth the fight.” I hit the one as the elevator door stalls.

“You’re worth my fight.”

“Thank you William Shakespeare.” I pull the elastic out of my hair and stuff the pencil in the bind of my journal.

“Anytime. You’re worth it.” He glances at me and then the doors to the elevator ding open.

And then that moment disappears; lost in the next two weeks of havoc that he brings by simply being himself. .