I heard a faint human voice screeching in pain. I drew my flashlight and saw a boy perhaps my age or younger crying in pain on the ground. He had blonde hair.
Avril: Um, I am sorry for attacking you like that but you were acting creepy. I didn't even know if it was an animal or a human. You should've said something instead of just approaching me like that.
The boy: yeah, by the way, my fault but could you give me some water first, my eyes are stinging badly.
Avril: oh ok, here you go
The boy: Thanks, but this place has long been isolated. So, I was suspicious of you as well when I saw you first saw you.
Avril: you mean, you were here yesterday too?
The boy: yeah. By the way, I'm Aimé. Seeing you today, I realized you weren't a threat so I thought of introducing myself instead of well- as you said creeping around in the woods...
Avril: oh hahaha.
I'm Avril.
So... what do you do here...? since you seem to be here all the time...
Aimé: oh no, I'm not here all the time but when I am, I like watching the night sky and the city lights. Also, I like being by myself sometimes in tranquility. It is peaceful, isn't it?
Avril: yeah, it is indeed, so how long have you known about this place?
Aimé: Since 9th grade, I mean for almost 4 years now...
Avril: I wish I had known earlier about this place too.
Well, since it's getting late now I should leave.
Aimé: oh really? Well, see you around I guess. Do you need any help with your baskets?
Avril: oh no, I'm fine really. Thanks though.
Well, that was quite nerve-wracking and weird. So, he just happens to hang out in the woods all by himself with nothing to do for hours all these years... well I'm not one to judge but my secret heaven is not secret anymore :(
I reached home at around quarter to 18:00 then. Life at home was pretty much the same boring with the occasional fights between my parents to spice it up. After my mother interrogated me about what I had done and if I had been where I had told her I'd be, I went up to my room. Never had I had the time to gaze out of my balcony before when I realized that Alain lived just next door.
He was undressing, and since our houses were not that far I could see him. I just loved the way guys could roam around almost fully naked and it wouldn't be that abnormal nor would they be scolded by anyone or even have pictures of theirs taken to be uploaded on some shady website. In fact, I believe even if that were done they would be more proud of it than ashamed.
He was hot I must admit but unlike most proactive teenagers, I just wanted to stay out of trouble and live a peaceful life.
He glanced at me and then smirked and I just smiled back in return and started reading a book on the armchair on my balcony. Why should I be embarrassed or shy when he isn't? If he wants to be such an exhibitionist...be my guest.
After the sky had gone darker and I could no longer see the vermillion hues of the sun, I came back inside. Our dinner time was quite irregular, most of the time late. So, I would either catch some sleep or study. I decided to do neither and paint something. I thought for a long while but couldn't find any subject or object that interested me other than that boy on the hill. He was pretty, maybe prettier than me. I liked pretty things but only to view not to hold or caress. I started painting him or whatever of him that I recollected from our brief interaction in the dark. He had blonde hair for sure, some thin baby blush lips, and perhaps blue eyes or maybe they were green. I didn't know.
Just when I had finished painting his face my father barged into my room. He asked me what I was doing and then told me that the dinner was ready. I swiftly changed the page to one of my previous drawings. He looked at it for a while and then finally muttered under his breath that it was nice but a waste of time... that I should focus on learning life skills like hunting, camping, or cooking before going to college. Frankly, speaking I didn't even know if I was going to college. That just gave me the sudden panic attack of the day that I had been 'longing' for. I tried to calm myself down by drowning my face in the tub. It usually did the trick for me. Survival instincts are stronger than most people think. It jolted me out of my thought process and instead gave me an adrenaline rush.
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Tomorrow was an important day for my mother. It was the housewarming day. Since, my parents knew almost everyone in the city, my mom had invited more people than many would at one's wedding. I had to sit still and look pretty for tomorrow. My mom had ordered a modest gown for me to wear and it was PINK. Baby pink but pink nonetheless... I like pink don't get me wrong but for such formal occasions I would've preferred a darker color, especially the one that wouldn't make me stand out in a crowd.
I tied my hair up and put on some earrings. I wore the heels and went down to help my mother with the preparations. Dad was nowhere to be found like always. Before any occasion, he would disappear conveniently and arrive just before it ended. Well, it was good I guess, at least the incoming guests won't hear them fight.
One after the other the guests kept coming and my mom kept them company for a while before moving on to the next batch. It was the same old repetition of boring and annoying questions. How the house was built, how much did that cost, which foreign furniture was used, what college I was going to, and what was my GPA, some wouldn't even bother asking about us but would start boasting about their kids or houses. I didn't know how Mom could handle every remark, critique, and praise with such elegance. I had never seen her fumble even once at any social event. My dad on the other hand could make a blunder out of a simple straightforward conversation. I leaned more towards his side in terms of eloquence but at least I knew when to shut up.
My dad as predicted showed up late in the evening and that's when my mom went senile and told everyone how good I was with musical instruments. Our newly bought grand piano was just lying in the corner looking at me. I had not once touched it after it had been purchased let alone practiced my keyboard skills on it. A grand piano and a keyboard were quite different for musicians. The piano was more traditional and had more keys than a typical keyboard while the sounds produced were a bit harder to amplify on a piano than a keyboard. Also, when you haven't practiced in that long you are bound to make a mistake somewhere or the other. I couldn't just cut off all my fingers instead of playing the piano (because that would be too gore and graphic) so I just had to sit and play the best I could.
I decided to play the solo piece: Je te veux by Erik Satie (1897)
It was the only piece my instructor had poured his heart and soul into teaching me. I could've even played it blindfolded back then but now, I was not quite so sure.
I started by warming up my fingers to the different sounds of each key on the piano. I got a hang of it. This song was suited for a grand piano, it also had lyrics and probably was a love song after all the title meant 'I want you.'
But that didn't matter to me, all I wanted was to finish this piece smoothly in the first go without embarrassing myself in front of the whole town.
I glitched in between a couple of times but most of the uncultured swines wouldn't have noticed that. I finished the piece without pausing or making it sound like an absolute disaster so that was enough for me.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
All the adults had started gathering at the bar and many others were leaving one after the other. I too excused myself from the chaos and retired for the night at one of the balconies. Alain joined me for some reason.
Alain: oh sorry, I didn't know anyone was here.
But I must say the way you played the piano was pretty impressive. Everyone was just talking about how you are not just pretty, and intelligent but multi-talented too.
Avril: Ah, that was nothing. If everyone spent their early childhood like I did, one was bound to at least be able to play a small piece like that on the piano.
Why are you here though? To tell me how pretty I looked tonight or what? Because I'm not buying the lie "I didn't know anyone was here" while the curtains are drawn. Nor do I have a clue where Lawrence is so...
Alain: No, I'm not looking for Lawrence....I just came to talk to you...I realized how inconsiderate we were pooling to gather in the car to make you chauffeur us around throughout the summer.
Avril: well glad at least someone's aware but why the sudden realization? I don't mind though...in the end, I did better my driving skills by taking y'all to all kinds of weird places all the time.
Alain: oh well that day when I saw you down there smiling all alone ... I felt sad ...like you were just unwillingly hanging out by yourself ... also soon after, you were late; so, we thought you had gotten angry and left with someone or something.
Avril: Not really, If I had seriously gotten angry though, I would've driven straight back home and then made y'all hitchhike or call a real cab or something. Now that I think about it, it is a pretty good idea ;)
Alain: chuckles Well next time you try to do that call me so that you don't get pulled over for driving without a license.
Avril: are you trying to give me your number? Because until yesterday we didn't even know each other's names
Alain: well, I can give it to you if you want but I won't lie I knew you even before I got to know Lawrence.
Don't you remember meeting me the first time you shifted here, along with your mother?
Avril: oh, that must've slipped out of my mind. I was under a lot of stress due to the sudden shift in houses and my exams were also right around the corner. Well, then Alain which college are you in?
Alain: hmm, I'm in XYZ law school.
Yeah, it's pretty boring there.
Avril: Wow, Ivy League huh? It's not like other professional colleges are any exciting.
Well then, I think I'd like to go now. These heels are wearing me out.
Here's my number though. Let's stay in touch, bye!
Alain: oh thanks, by then
{Ugh it was already tiring enough to put up with all the guests all evening, play the piano, and then talk to Alain. I'm a big introvert for real. Let's just sleep in, the snacks are still floating in my stomach anyway.}