Silent Poison

Days went by and Autumn eluded Chris like a ghost. It worked with TJ too. She found new paths to classes and different ways that she could enjoy her meals without anybody pestering her. She spent most evenings after doing everyone else's bidding and getting a little extra cash out of it and after doing homework winding down in large auditorium with the black grand piano. Letting her fingers slide across the black and white keys made her voice sound even more radiant.

And I'd give up forever to touch you

'Cause I know that you feel me somehow

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be

And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment

And all I can breathe is your life

When sooner or later it's over

I just don't want to miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

Autumn sang light like a feather, the Goo Goo Dolls playing through her brain like a stereo. The soft keys blended sweetly into the words. She had her eyes closed. Her finger knew where to go. As the song reached her favorite part, she belted out the notes slamming her fingers on the keys.

"Dude, I don't know why-"

"Shh."

Chris put a finger to his lips hushing Ricky. He could hear a piano and it was coming from the main auditorium.

"Let's just go. We're missing dinner," Ricky whined.

The piano playing stopped. For a few mintues the two teenagers just stood there. Then they began to walk towards the exit closet to the dining hall. Chris quickly stopped and turned around abruptly as the playing started up again. It was a different tune. The name of it was on the tip of his tongue, but the name just wasn't coming to him. He walked slowly towards one of the double doors and opened it. Ricky followed quietly.

Love's the funeral of hearts
And an ode for cruelty
When angels cry blood
On flowers of evil in bloom

The funeral of hearts
And a plea for mercy
When love is a gun
Separating me from you

She was the sun
Shining upon
The tomb of your hopes and dreams so frail
He was the moon
Painting you
With it's glow so vulnerable and pale

Chris froze at seeing Autumn sway and sing to her heart's content. Her eyes were still closed.

"Funeral Of Hearts…that's depressing." Ricky murmured.

Chris glanced at him then back at Autumn. She looked like she was sad. Was she? How could she play this good, sing this good and nobody know about it?

Chris crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame letting her entrance him with her hidden talent. This must've been what she has been up to. Why nobody has seen her around. Not even her brother had been seeing her around outside of class.

"Let's go before she realizes we're here." Ricky whispered, tugging on Chris' arm.

Chris nodded and left reluctantly.

Feeling as there was somebody else in the room; Autumn opened her eyes letting the last few keys flow slowly. She looked out over the several rows of chairs. Nobody.

"Autumn."

She turned to see Angelo Parante come onto the stage.

"You finishing up? It's almost 7:30"

"Yes," she replied.

"Why don't you try to do this in life? You can get somewhere this. You're amazing. You might kick us of the rooster with that talent of yours"

Autumn didn't respond. Her lips pursed together as she pulled the cover over the piano keys. Angelo watched her get up gracefully and walked away. She paused right before stepping through the door leading off stage to a side hallway.

"I want use a guitar tomorrow…president."

Autumn left the building and left Angelo to close it up. She walked back to her room slowly. Snow would fall soon. The wind was already biting out. She held her jacket tightly around herself.

By the time she got back to her room it was raining outside. Autumn changed into purple and white plaid PJ shorts with a sky blue tank top to match then laid down on her bed. She took the black scrunchy from her hair releasing the long hair from its constraint. It fell around her face messily. Tucking the tendrils behind her ears, she grabbed her bag from the floor and pulled it up onto the bed. She pulled her laptop out and opened it. It sang, welcoming her back to the desktop.

Her fingers typed smoothly along the keyboard like they did on the grand piano. She had a few e-mails. One from her aunt and another from her mother. The house would empty again this weekend. This was the fourth week in a row. Autumn sighed. The thought of going home to spend time with the family was nice, but now it was no longer possible. The only person that would be there would be the caretaker, Demetri. He was a good man, mid-thirties. She could never figure out why he chose to be their caretaker for his life long career.

Autumn closed her e-mail and moved onto her more personal work. Another grade upgrade. Lord help these idiots when they jump into an Ivy League school and they don't have me around. Getting into the school's system, she stopped realizing that this person didn't put their records in the envelope.

"Shit head." She grumbled then got up and got dressed in jeans and pulled on her Converse quickly. Out of the top drawer of her desk, she pulled out a key ring with thirteen different keys on it. They opened up everything on campus. She grabbed her cell phone and room key of the top of her desk and left.

She walked fast towards the admissions building. The doors clicked with an echo letting her in. she tucked the keys into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone from her back pocket. It was nearly midnight. Sighing, she slipped it back into her back pocket and made her way down the hall to the records room. Unlocking that door only led to a staircase that spiraled down. The records room was beneath the entire administration building. The records dated back to when the academy opened.

Autumn thought about the first time she came down here. She'd gotten lost and it took a half an hour to find her way out. Now, she could find everything she needed down there from transcripts to medical records.

After finding what she was looking for, she walked back towards the dorms.

"Sneaking around?"

Autumn stopped in her silent tracks. She closed her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek. I do not have time for this. She spun around to see Chris leaning against one of the pillars that lined the sidewalk, leading from one building to another. It was more decorative that anything and made this place look even more Gothic He wasn't in uniform, but his usual attire, jeans, a black Misfits t-shirt with a black zip up hoodie. He had his arms crossed over his chest and for what she could see, he was possibly smirking.

"I could ask the same thing," Autumn replied.

She turned and went into the dorm building. Chris followed her, letting his hands fall to his sides. Their footsteps echoed in the empty halls.

"I was coming back from Andy Gavin's and saw you walking. What can I say? You have me intrigued. Where have you been anyway? You avoiding everybody?"

"Yes." The answer was short and blunt. No need to hide that. Autumn hoped the answer would get him to go away.

"Auty!"

"Fuck." Chris and Autumn said simultaneously under their breaths.

Both of them swerved around to see TJ storming down the halls, staggering a little as well. Great, he's drunk.

"Where the fuck have you been? With him? I won—won't have it Autumn!" TJ barked, slurring some.

"Talk a little louder asswipe. I don't think the people that are sleeping can hear you." Chris said, his tone snarky.

"Fuck off Cerulli. Get away from my sister."

Autumn looked between the two.

"You two go ahead and have a pissing contest because it's not for my virtue. Neither of you really interest me and I'm tired."

Autumn waved them off and continued walking towards her room. She was so happy to have a single. She never had to deal with a roommate and their pesky questions.

"Don't walk away!" TJ pushed past Chris and grabbed Autumn's arm, spinning her to face him. she quickly yanked her arm free.

"You're drunk. Go to bed."

"Why are you such a bitch!?"

Christopher watched the exchange. He could see flickers of something in Autumn's eyes as TJ continued to criticize her. He wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't familiar. Maybe a sadness, he wasn't sure. In the end, Autumn shoved TJ back giving him a warning. He went straight to bed muttering the whole way.

For several moments she stood there, taking in everything TJ said. Alcohol sure had its way of making everybody tell the truth.

"Are yo-" Chris began, but Autumn cut him off.

"Why won't you just leave me alone. Things have been worse between me and him since you had to make yourself known. Do us all a favor and drop whatever the hell it is you're doing."

"Okay, did you not see how your brother was treating you?"

"And you think that you can make it go away?" she scoffed.

"I think I can help."

"You can't. TJ is an asshole and always will be. You're just giving him reasons to be an even bigger asshole and bringing me into it."

"You fucking started it!"

Autumn held her tongue and kept her ground in the heat of his glare.

"You're so good at dropping girls that I didn't think you'd be dumb enough to keep it up."

"Yeah? Well guess what? You're stuck with me."

"Fuck if I am. You're stuck with yourself. You want to do this to piss my brother off and you've done enough so goodnight."

Autumn stormed for her room. Chris grabbed her and stopped her, but quickly let go at seeing her hand tightening into a fist.

"Just hear me out."

"I don't want to! You're a moron!" she screamed not caring if she woke up her neighbors.

"Oh right. You're so superior. You don't need anybody."

"I don't especially the likes of you."

Autumn's heart raced in her chest as the adrenaline rushed through her veins. She'd never felt so furious with rage with anybody, not even TJ. It was invigorating.

"You let me know when you want TJ off your back. I'm not usually charitable, but I do take pity on the lonely."

"Oh, go fuck yourself. I can handle myself."

"Good luck with that," Chris laughed sarcastically.

Autumn watched him walk towards the stairs to the second floor, where the larger rooms were. Autumn contemplated getting a large room a few times, but in the end never understood why she'd need a big room. Chris didn't look back over his shoulder at her. He had his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets, clenched in fists. Fucking kidding me? Try to be nice, try to be helpful and she goes and acts like a raging bitch.

---------------------------------------------

Avoiding any of them was now pointless. Autumn went back to her usual route through the school. The other paths were, but longer. TJ stuck to her like glue, walking her to classes and lunch. Peace and quiet wasn't easily achieved. He even went as far as to walk her to her room and visit every other hour. It made things difficult for her.

"You can get off my ass now and jump back on your girlfriend's."

Autumn was sure that she'd said this to him at least twice a day since he'd started this.

"Auty, I am not letting you out of my sight."

They walked into the dining hall. She spun to face him.

"Are you so worried that that Christopher will take my virtue?"

TJ laughed hysterically at that. people walking in stared at the two of them.

"You? Have virtue? Not likely."

Autumn's hand balled up into a fist and before she realized it, she swung at TJ and hit him square across his cheek bone and temple. Her hand stung and throbbed right after. There were cheers and jeers all around them.

"I can't believe I'm related to you," she grounded out ignoring everyone around her.

She walked out of the large room, her appetite having disappeared. TJ heldthe side of his face. The Lost Boys as did several others as they whispered about the latest gossip. He glared at them, Chris in particular. This was his fault. He was turning Autumn into something else. Why the hell did she have to go near him? TJ's cheek was reddened.

Angelo stood and walked down the aisle past TJ as if he wasn't even there. He made his way towards the theatrical arts building and went towards the music rooms at the back of the building. She wasn't in the grand auditorium with the grand piano. He could hear a piano though. In the back, a piano played Chopin. One of his nocturne pieces. Angelo couldn't quite place which one. He stopped outside the door, his hand on the door knob. The music changed to something more modern…Miley Cyrus, When I Look at You. She didn't sing, but he could see her move to the music as she mouthed the words. He walked in and stood in the doorway. Autumn made no movement that suggested he was there. The sound was beautiful.

Angelo noted the purplish-black bruising that was already showing on the knuckles of her hand.

"Can I help you?" she asked curtly.

"You okay?"

"Perfectly. You can leave now and tell Chris that I said so."

"Chris? I came here as a concerned friend."

"I don't have friends Angelo. I have clients. You know that better than anybody Mr. President."

"Stop letting your brother dictate you."

"Oh I've tried. Chris isn't helping though."

"You shouldn't have led him on then."

"Possibly." Autumn stopped playing and let her fingers relax on the keys. "But, maybe he'll be useful."

"Geez you two act so alike, thinking people are just useful and nothing more."

Autumn giggled at the statement.

"I disagree. I don't fuck people and describe them useful."

"No, you just blackmail and do favors expecting money out of it."

"It's just business." She puts simply.

Her thoughts wonder about another business deal. She stood and brushed past the tall, dark haired, broad shouldered teenager.

"Just…let me deal TJ." She said, "I need to go talk to somebody about a proposition now."

"Are you involving Chris because I disagree with this."

"Chris is a big boy. Plus," she turned to look at him, her hair swishing back over her shoulder, "he's the one who wanted to do this anyway."

"Autumn, you both will go through hell."

"His choice, I'm just going to accept the offer and set a few guidelines."

She turned to walk then stopped and looked back up at him.

"Do anything foolish and I'll fuck you over starting with your presidency, you know, the one I got for you and then I'll move onto to your precious girlfriend."

The threat was far from empty. Angelo's brow furrowed into a glare.

"Are we clear?"

"Clear." The word was cold.

"Good."

She smiled.

"You honestly think that TJ will be okay at the sight of you two?"

"I think it'll be a very entertaining show for everyone."

"Do not do to Chris what you did to the last guy you were with."

"Oh Ange. You don't get it do you? I'm not dating Chris, I'm 'dating' him. Neither of us are really that interested in each other. We're interested in TJ."

Angelo didn't like this. Even more, he couldn't do anything about it. a small 5'2'', 113 lbs. girl had him by the throat. The ending of this would be bad, real bad.