Tommy angrily left Benjamin's dorm and gruffly walked through the school halls.
The rowdiness and noise had returned, and he rolled his eyes, lowering his head as the other kids began mocking him for being different.
"Looky what we got here. The freak show!" one kid jeered, causing laughter to ripple through the hallway.
"Hey, the black kid's, lost again?" another sneered, smirking.
"Hey, buddy, you look like a fish out of water!" another teased, grinning. "Better watch your step, or you'll stick out like a sore thumb around here!"
Keeping his head down, he trudged along, lost in thought, until he collided with someone.
Jolted out of his reverie, he swiftly lifted his gaze to see who had dared to breach his personal space. To his chagrin, he found himself face to face with Cedric, his student tutor and mentor.
"Oh, shit!" he muttered under his breath, his mind racing. He had completely forgotten about their scheduled meeting in the library.
Cedric's piercing eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of anger etched on his face.
"Follow me," Cedric said curtly, walking towards the music room. Tommy lazily followed, feeling drained by everything already! Boohoo!
Wasn't it all enough for one day? First, the devil's spawn, Benjamin, and now this. Was this how they chased other students away?
Cedric led Tommy into the music room and closed the door behind them. The room was quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. Cedric turned to Tommy, his expression serious.
"You missed our meeting, black boy," Cedric said, his voice firm but measured. "Well, I'm all ears! Let's hear this 'pretty good excuse' of why you didn't come."
He raised an eyebrow, his expression expectant. "You'd better have a darn good excuse, or you'll be in for a world of trouble with the whole gang of teachers!"
Tommy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Just a tough day, ya hear?" he muttered, not wanting to go into details.
Cedric raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Fine, I'll keep my nose out of it. Let's get moving, we've got a lot to catch up on and not much time to spare!"
Tommy nodded, grateful for the distraction.
As Cedric began explaining the day's lesson which was on the school's events and games and all, Tommy tried to push the events with Benjamin out of his mind. But it was easier said than done.
In fact, Cedric's words weren't distracting enough because it echoed in his mind like a cacophony of pain, refusing to be silenced.
Talking here and there about things that he and his friends back at home would mock and laugh at… like, what in heaven's name is 'Tea Time', and it's supposed to be an event?! Tch!!
Tommy moved his head randomly, trying to ease his mind then, his gaze fell upon the piano, and the worst vision ever hit him like a ton of bricks:
Benjamin's slender white fingers flying across the keys, the music swirling around him like a dark storm cloud.
Tommy's head spun, the image was so vivid, it seemed to pulse with a life of its own. Nah, bullocks! This can't be real!
He shook his head violently, as if to physically expel the memory, but it lingered, a constant reminder of the anguish that threatened to consume him.
"Yo! Black boy, what's on your mind?" Cedric's voice cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.
"Yeah, my bad. Sorry, man," he muttered, his eyes darting back to the piano. But every glance at the instrument conjured up the same haunting image:
Benjamin's piercing gaze, his chiseled features, and that infuriating smirk that seemed seared into Tommy's mind like a branding iron.
The vision was so vivid, so real, that Tommy's heart raced and his breath caught in his throat.
He forced himself to look away, but the image lingered, refusing to leave.
Cedric noticed Tommy's distraction and sighed. "Listen, if you've got something on your mind, just lay it out there. You're not gonna be able to focus worth beans if you're all uptight and preoccupied, you know?"
Tommy hesitated, then blurted out, "Benjamin's got me all confused, ya hear me? He's either helpin' me out or actin' like a real nutcase. And now I can't get him off my mind, man... He's got me all tied up in knots!"
Cedric looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Look, Benjamin's a tough nut to crack, man. He's got his own demons to deal with, and sometimes he takes it out on others. But you can't let him get under your skin, dig? Just focus on your own thing and don't let him bring you down."
Tommy nodded, appreciating Cedric's advice but still feeling the weight of his thoughts.
He glanced at the piano one last time, determined to push the image of Benjamin away and concentrate on the lesson at hand. He had to get through this, one way or another.
But as he attempted to shift his gaze away from the piano, a new image assaulted him: Benjamin's strong arms wrapping around him, lifting him up with ease, and placing him carefully on the piano bench.
The memory - or was it a fantasy? - was so visceral that Tommy's body tensed, his skin tingling as if Benjamin's hands still lingered on his hips.
The sensation was so hot it left Tommy breathless and his heart racing.
What was absurd was that, even though he was now gazing at Cedric, he was still seeing all these vivid images in his mind's eye - Benjamin's arms around him, the feel of his hands on his hips, the intensity in his eyes.
It was as if Cedric's eyes had become a screen projecting his own deepest fears or was it desires?
Ugh! It was frustrating for Tommy!
"Shit!" Tommy cursed under his breath as he spun back to the piano, desperate to escape the haunting vision, but it only seemed to envelop him the more.
This time around, the sensation was almost overwhelming - he could feel the phantom touch of Benjamin's hands, the gentle pressure of his fingers, and the warmth of his body radiating through his clothes.
"Mph!" Tommy's breath came in short gasps, his heart racing as if trying to outrun those visions.