Kidnap My Affection

Lunch ended with the chiming of the school bell and I was still stuck standing in front of the door to the music room, the door to the music room where the beautiful cello piece had now stopped playing. I was supposed to be in my own music room right now with Mr. Cottrell and Stefan.

“What is it with you and blocking doorways? Especially mine?” an irritated voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I starred down at where it had come from.

“I heard a hideous sound and thought I should check it out,” I lied with a shrug, “it sounded like something was dying.

“Move, I have English now, and I don’t want to be late,” she retorted. Her deep brown eyes shot daggers and me.

“No one in this school talks back to me,” I found myself explaining to her. Why on Earth was this girl acting so… so… far out of the norm? She wasn’t beautiful, nor had anyone had heard of her talent, she had no right to behave like this!

“Whatever, could you move now? I’m already late, and I still have no idea where my classroom is,” she pushed her magnifying spectacles up the bridge of her nose. I put my hand on the doorframe leaning my weight on it.

“What if I don’t want to?” I asked in a seductive voice. She let out an exasperated sigh and ducked under my arm, hurrying off down the corridor. What the bloody Hell?!

That was not what was supposed to happen. I huffed and stalked in the other direction towards Music Room 1.

“You’re late Mr. Tannes,” Mr. Cottrell said stiffly. I did not reply, just slid into my seat at the upright Steinway, the black leather cool under my thighs. I began to play a new favorite piece, Rachmaninov’s 3rd Piano Concerto. It was one of the most intricate pieces I had ever learned to play on my own. Mr. Cottrell and Stefan watched quietly while I played and when I finished they clapped. Stefan watching me in utter adoration, Mr. Cottrell pleased with my performance.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully and when I got back to my dormitory I was right flustered. Today had to be the worst possible day in my life. It was only six in the evening but after a long hot shower I immediately fell into a deep sleep.

I floated down through blackness, the empty space echoing in my mind and there she stood, the new girl, her face scrunched up in displeasure. She was sneering at me! Just as she opened her mouth to say something I jolted awake, sitting upright in my bed.

My alarm clicked off. 5 a.m. I carried out my morning routine, slipping on a white track-suit, musical masterpieces of the Baroque era tangled into my senses as I set out for my morning jog. How else did you think I kept this perfect shape?

I ran through the quad, passing the girls dormitories. Spotting several faces staring at me through their windows, I smiled and waved. I laughed to myself watching their reactions. I turned backwards still waving at the girls in the windows, suddenly crashing into someone causing her to yelp and tumble to the ground. I turned and looked down at my feet, it was her again, squinting up at me, her spectacles had been knocked off her face.

“Ugh! You again!” she cried pointing at me when she had righted her specs. “What the heck is your problem huh!?”

“My problem?” I snapped irritably, “you were standing right in my path!”

“Well I’m sorry Mr. I’m-so-goddamn-perfect-you-all-have-to-kiss-the-ground-I-walk-on, but in America, we run in the direction we’re facing so that you can, oh I don’t know… SEE WHERE YOU ARE GOING!?” she shrugged, practically shouting that last sentence. Scooping up a plastic music folder into her hands she stalked off mutter something that sounded awfully mean. I ignored that and jogged back to my own dormitory to start my late-morning routine.