Yoko
Discovery.
Tre strode down the hallway, his heels clicking briskly against the tile.
"Of all the places for an interview..." he muttered, slipping into Studio 3A.
But there was no reporter, only Chiyo, seated at her piano, playing something beautiful and complicated.
Tre watched her, notcing the small smile that sneaked across her face. She'd noticed him.
Her fingers danced lazily across the keys, eliciting an etheral melody. It seemed to take years for the song to end, although it was merely a few minutes. She looked up at him and chuckled.
"You're late. The reporter left to get some coffee from Dunkin Donuts."
"Nevermind him. What were you just playing?"
"It's called "Into The West" by Annie Lennox and a few other composers."
"Yeah? It's beautiful."
"It was inspired by the Lord Of The Rings movies...I admit, I was skeptical of it, but look at these melodies..."
Her voice trailed off as she fingered the edge of her sheet music.
"Are you happy, Tre?" she asked abruptly.
His brow furrowed and he looked down. Lately, he'd been anything but happy. Jorah, beautiful as she was, had turned cold, and he had a suspicion that she was sneaking around with someone else. It worried him that he really didn't care.
He realized Chiyo expected an honest answer, so he sank down on the piano bench next to her and answered, "No. I don't think so."
"I didn't think so either," she replied. "Your girlfriend...Tre, I don't...Now, don't get angry with me..."
Tre had never seen Chiyo so flustered.
"I...I think you two are all wrong for each other."
"Well, that makes two of us," Tre said softly.
Chiyo looked shocked.
"Then...why?"
"I don't really know myself. I think I'm just scared of being alone."
The little pianist picked at the hem of her shirt.
"I'm not happy with Jason."
"What?!"
"I know he treats me so well, and when we fuck it's always great. But...I can't shake the feeling that there's something more. Like, I want something more."
Tre was silent for a moment.
"You need to tell Jason this."
"I couldn't."
"It's not fair to him. He thinks he's in a great relationship with someone who feels the same about him. If that's not true, he deserves to know."
Chiyo sighed, still fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
"I guess I'm going to have to," she said, and a tear slipped down her cheek.
"Don't cry," Tre said, alarmed.
Without thinking, he reached over and took her face in his hands, wiping the tears away, his fingers gently caressing her cheeks. She didn't pull away.
"It'll all work out, Chiyo. I promise."
"Thank you," she said.
They stayed like that for another brief moment, then she pulled away, gathered her sheet music, and vanished out of the studio.
***
The interview could have gone worse, Tre thought, considering he'd been distant and distracted the entire time.
He fumbled with his keys, about to unlock the door when he heard raised voices from within.
"I'm not doing this anymore, Jorah! I can't keep doing this to Tre!"
"You weren't fucking complaining when I was blowing you in the shower!"
"I didn't want any of this! I never wanted it! You're the little slut who got me drunk and then took advantage of me!"
"Listen to yourself! You sound like a poor little girl!"
"I don't care! I'm not going to keep screwing my best friend's girlfriend! This is over!"
Tre dropped his keys.
Mike was screwing Jorah. Jorah had been sneaking around with Mike. The realization chased circles around Tre's head.
Then he kicked the door down.
***
Mike was laying on the couch, struggling to shove her off without hurting her. Jorah had him straddled, her fingers working his belt as they shouted at each other.
"YOU LITTLE SLUT!" he screamed at Jorah.
Her mouth dropped. She instantly snatched her hands away from Mike's belt and climbed off of him.
"Tre! I...he made me! He came in here and-"
"Just shut up, Jorah. And get out."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Tre, think about what you're doing."
"I'm done thinking. Just get your stuff, and get out of my apartment."
She stalked off to the bedroom, returned a moment later with a bulging suitcase. And somehow, she still looked absolutely gorgeous. Suddenly, Tre wasn't so sure he wanted her out.
His thoughts showed on his face, apparently, because Jorah slipped close to him, wound her fingers through his hair and kissed him.
It was a moment of bliss, then Tre shoved her back. Hard. She stumbled, nearly fell. Then she righted herself and picked up her suitcase.
"You're going to regret this." She snapped, then walked proudly out the door.
Mike and Tre watched her leave, then looked at each other.
"Tre...I..."
Tre sighed, and offered Mike a hand, pulling him up off the couch.
"I'm so sorry," Mike said, fastening his belt.
"Yeah...yeah..." Then Tre punched him hard in the face, sending Mike tumbling back onto the couch.
Tre laughed at his friend's shocked expression, and sat down next to him.
"We're even now, Mikey. In fact, I'd like to thank you for giving me an excuse to get rid of her."
Mike chuckled, and rubbed his bruised cheek.
"Wanna go get a beer or something?" Tre asked.
"I'd be delighted," Mike said as he followed his friend out the door.
"Of all the places for an interview..." he muttered, slipping into Studio 3A.
But there was no reporter, only Chiyo, seated at her piano, playing something beautiful and complicated.
Tre watched her, notcing the small smile that sneaked across her face. She'd noticed him.
Her fingers danced lazily across the keys, eliciting an etheral melody. It seemed to take years for the song to end, although it was merely a few minutes. She looked up at him and chuckled.
"You're late. The reporter left to get some coffee from Dunkin Donuts."
"Nevermind him. What were you just playing?"
"It's called "Into The West" by Annie Lennox and a few other composers."
"Yeah? It's beautiful."
"It was inspired by the Lord Of The Rings movies...I admit, I was skeptical of it, but look at these melodies..."
Her voice trailed off as she fingered the edge of her sheet music.
"Are you happy, Tre?" she asked abruptly.
His brow furrowed and he looked down. Lately, he'd been anything but happy. Jorah, beautiful as she was, had turned cold, and he had a suspicion that she was sneaking around with someone else. It worried him that he really didn't care.
He realized Chiyo expected an honest answer, so he sank down on the piano bench next to her and answered, "No. I don't think so."
"I didn't think so either," she replied. "Your girlfriend...Tre, I don't...Now, don't get angry with me..."
Tre had never seen Chiyo so flustered.
"I...I think you two are all wrong for each other."
"Well, that makes two of us," Tre said softly.
Chiyo looked shocked.
"Then...why?"
"I don't really know myself. I think I'm just scared of being alone."
The little pianist picked at the hem of her shirt.
"I'm not happy with Jason."
"What?!"
"I know he treats me so well, and when we fuck it's always great. But...I can't shake the feeling that there's something more. Like, I want something more."
Tre was silent for a moment.
"You need to tell Jason this."
"I couldn't."
"It's not fair to him. He thinks he's in a great relationship with someone who feels the same about him. If that's not true, he deserves to know."
Chiyo sighed, still fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
"I guess I'm going to have to," she said, and a tear slipped down her cheek.
"Don't cry," Tre said, alarmed.
Without thinking, he reached over and took her face in his hands, wiping the tears away, his fingers gently caressing her cheeks. She didn't pull away.
"It'll all work out, Chiyo. I promise."
"Thank you," she said.
They stayed like that for another brief moment, then she pulled away, gathered her sheet music, and vanished out of the studio.
***
The interview could have gone worse, Tre thought, considering he'd been distant and distracted the entire time.
He fumbled with his keys, about to unlock the door when he heard raised voices from within.
"I'm not doing this anymore, Jorah! I can't keep doing this to Tre!"
"You weren't fucking complaining when I was blowing you in the shower!"
"I didn't want any of this! I never wanted it! You're the little slut who got me drunk and then took advantage of me!"
"Listen to yourself! You sound like a poor little girl!"
"I don't care! I'm not going to keep screwing my best friend's girlfriend! This is over!"
Tre dropped his keys.
Mike was screwing Jorah. Jorah had been sneaking around with Mike. The realization chased circles around Tre's head.
Then he kicked the door down.
***
Mike was laying on the couch, struggling to shove her off without hurting her. Jorah had him straddled, her fingers working his belt as they shouted at each other.
"YOU LITTLE SLUT!" he screamed at Jorah.
Her mouth dropped. She instantly snatched her hands away from Mike's belt and climbed off of him.
"Tre! I...he made me! He came in here and-"
"Just shut up, Jorah. And get out."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Tre, think about what you're doing."
"I'm done thinking. Just get your stuff, and get out of my apartment."
She stalked off to the bedroom, returned a moment later with a bulging suitcase. And somehow, she still looked absolutely gorgeous. Suddenly, Tre wasn't so sure he wanted her out.
His thoughts showed on his face, apparently, because Jorah slipped close to him, wound her fingers through his hair and kissed him.
It was a moment of bliss, then Tre shoved her back. Hard. She stumbled, nearly fell. Then she righted herself and picked up her suitcase.
"You're going to regret this." She snapped, then walked proudly out the door.
Mike and Tre watched her leave, then looked at each other.
"Tre...I..."
Tre sighed, and offered Mike a hand, pulling him up off the couch.
"I'm so sorry," Mike said, fastening his belt.
"Yeah...yeah..." Then Tre punched him hard in the face, sending Mike tumbling back onto the couch.
Tre laughed at his friend's shocked expression, and sat down next to him.
"We're even now, Mikey. In fact, I'd like to thank you for giving me an excuse to get rid of her."
Mike chuckled, and rubbed his bruised cheek.
"Wanna go get a beer or something?" Tre asked.
"I'd be delighted," Mike said as he followed his friend out the door.