Merula 4:1

Chapter 4:1 -Odd occurrences

I was late for my piano lesson. I run around the last corner and immediately backed around it again. I don’t know how I succeeded to run into Rogan again. What was he doing outside the piano room this time of the day? The last few weeks had been nothing but endless fights and quarrels with Rogan. After a day in school my head ached terribly and not even after school could I avoid the cause of my headache. Nowadays not even a good night's sleep could rid me of this throbbing headache. I was tired. The two things that kept me going was Morgan's smile that never seemed to end and playing the piano. Last week miss Helen had given me a beautiful piece that I'd almost mastered after a lot of alone practice during breaks. Every time I played it I imagined three little girls dancing ballet around me and the black piano. They were smiling brightly and laughing while doing their pirouettes. For the moment playing the piano was the only thing that made me really happy.

I peeked around the corner. Nope, Rogan was still there and it didn’t look like he was going to move. Oh well I couldn’t hide forever and I was already late for my lesson. As boldly as I could I stepped out from my hiding place and with my head held high I ignored Rogan and walked into the piano room. I would have succeeded except… Rogan grabbed my wrist and with a firm grip that I knew would leave tiny bruises he kept me from entering the room.

-What are you doing here? He asked coldly.

-I have a lesson, miss Helen is expecting me.

-You play?

He sounded honestly surprised.

-Yeah, I answered and hoped that I sounded at least a tenth unaffected by his question as I wished I was. But in reality I was burning with curiosity and anger. Why did he bother to know if I played piano or not? What did it matter to him?

-Which days do you play?

-Why do you wonder? I glared at him.

His grip got firmer as a result.

-Tell me, he said through his teeth.

-Let me go first, I said, I wasn't going to let him win.

For a moment I didn't think he would release me but he did. Instead of holding me back he blocked the entrance of the room. He wouldn't let me escape that easy.

-I play Tuesdays and Thursdays, I said and tried to enter the room. I must have been stupid to really believe that he would let it go that easily.

-Mornings or afternoons? Rogan asked.

-What time is it now, Rogan? I crooked one eyebrow.

He ignored the sarcasm and kept asking questions.

-Are both lessons in the morning?

-Yes.

Where were he going with these questions?

-And those are the only times you play the piano?

What did he mean? What did he want to know?

I sighed.

-What are you doing Rogan? Figuring out a stalking scheme?

-You are so full of yourself. I want to know when you are here so I don't happen trip over you in surprise.

I wrinkled my forehead. What did he mean?

-I also play piano, he said unaffected.

-No way, I said less unaffected.

My eyes must have been wide as the sky with surprise.

-When do you play? I haven't seen you here at all.

That wasn't true, I had seen him repeatedly the last few days hanging around the piano room but he had never been inside.

-Afternoons, Fridays.

So what was he doing here all the other times?

-So there is no way we could run into each other then, I stated.

-But you only play during those times, Rogan asked again. -No other times?

I suppose I had to tell him if it was avoiding me he wanted to do. Ouch, that hurt.

-No.

This time it was Rogan's chocolate brown eyes that widened in surprise.

-No?

-No. I'm allowed to play here whenever the room is empty. Miss Helen even gave me a key if the room would be closed.

It must have been first time Rogan didn't have anything to respond.

-Jealous? I teased him.

Before he could defend himself miss Helen turned up in the hallway.

-Oh Edi, you're here now. I was just grabbing some coffee, she said and held up her cup. -Oh, Rogan, what are you doing here?

Miss Helen threw her blond hair dramatically over her shoulder.

-We're playing I Giorni by Einaudi Ludovico. Do you want to play together, you two?

-What?! I probably jumped in surprise but how could miss Helen even suggest it?

-Oh, I've heard the rumours of you two, always fighting whenever you get the chance. Everybody else thinks you two hate each other but I think it's the opposite.

-It's not the opposite! I protested . -I actually hate him!

-Oh, ok then, miss Helen shrugged her shoulders. -My fault. Should we start? See you on Friday, Rogan.

Miss Helen walked into the classroom leaving me and Rogan alone. He still didn't say anything. What was he thinking?

-Well, now you know. So just avoid me, will you, I said and closed the door with a flare of drama.

-How's your head? Morgan asked and knocked gently on my forehead as I sat down beside him.

It was the first lesson of the day, biology, and the teacher was late as always. Morgan had already prepared himself for a long nap. He had built a small hill of biology books which he'd covered with his jacket. Had this been front row the teacher would have sent him to the headmaster before he'd even laid down his head on his home made cushion. But as always we were seated in the far back and the biology teacher had bad eyesight so Morgan wouldn't get caught. I still couldn't understand what he was doing in this class. Hadn't the teachers noticed that he didn't really follow the speed the rest of the class was rushing off in.

-It hurts, thank you very much, I said sarcastic and then smiled at him.

-Oh, it'll pass.

-You think? I've had this one for at least a month now.

Morgan wrinkled his forehead and observed me.

-That long, huh? Maybe you should stop quarrelling with your boyfriend, Morgan teased me.

Morgan was very well aware of the situation between me and Rogan. He actually knew most of my secrets already. It was as if I had been waiting my whole life for a friend like this and then handed him the thick book that my imaginary diary was. The worst part is that I never thought twice before revealing every little detail of my life. I sort of naïvely trusted him not to pass on my secrets to anyone. So far he hadn't told a single soul.

-You know, I actually think he's stalking me just so he can fight with me.

-Based on what?

-I run into him this morning, a long time before the school starts, outside the piano room. For a first, what did he do there at that time? Secondly, he kept asking me questions about when I play and so on. And as an explanation he tells me he plays piano as well!

-You play piano?

-What? Haven't I told you that?

How many surprises did I have to take this morning?

-Maybe I wasn't listening, Morgan smiled playfully.

-You never do, I smiled back at him.

The teacher finally arrived and the lesson could begin. Biology was one of my favourite subjects, it was easy which made it fun. Unlike chemistry that I had to struggle to understand at all. The downside of the biology lessons was that the teacher had bad eyesight which practically made me invisible seated in the back as I was. So no matter how long I held up my hand the teacher couldn't see me. He did see Rogan, who was seated up in the front. Rogan was practically answering the questions before the teacher even asked them. It was silly, I know, but that was the sort of thing I got jealous of. Today especially since I'd been studying real hard for the upcoming test and I had prepared questions about this topic. I didn't want to wait until the lesson ended to be able to ask my questions just because Rogan was monopolizing the teacher. I stretched my arm a bit further, waving it discreetly from side to side, hoping that the teacher would notice the motion. But no.

Frustrated I tried to hold back, I didn't want to yell across the classroom. The fluorescent lamp hanging just above me begun to flicker. It always begun to flicker around this time, it was old and needed to be replaced. The teacher laughed, probably because of something Rogan said. I gritted my teeth. Then it happened. All of the lamps in the classroom begun to flicker. The students wake up from their half coma distracted by the flickering lights.

-Oh, these damn old lamps, the teacher cursed making the class laugh.

-I'll turn them off, Rogan said and walked to the switch.

But before he could turn them off on of the lamps exploded and the students screeched.

-Ah, we better end this lesson, the teacher said and the students rushed out of the classroom.

It was only me and Morgan left in the classroom.

-Are you alright? Morgan asked me.

He didn't seem disturbed by the flickering lights or that lamp just exploded out of nowhere.

-I'm fine, I said weakly, I couldn't grip the reality.

-Let's get out then, it'd be strange if we were the only ones left.

To be continued...

By J.L.Frick