Chapter 9

Night of Chapter 8

Nick got home in a happy mood. Happy enough to cook dinner for his mother as well as practice for a little while. He jumped into bed and opened Instagram on his phone.

N: Hey!

L: What's up! You seem like you're in a good mood.

N: I am. I had a good day, that's all.

L: Ooo, care to enlighten me?

N: I would but it's a little private. Not for me but for someone else, you see.

L: That's fine. Hey, I'm tired asf. I'm heading to bed.

N: Sure that's fine. Night!

L: Night!

Friday (4 days before camp)

Nick woke up before his alarm and was ready for school in a matter of minutes. He stepped outside into the cool air, the grass covered in morning dew. He breathed out from his mouth and watched the warm air shoot out, visible in the morning temperature. He boarded the quiet bus and took his usual seat. He arrived at school and for once, today's home group was normal.

When Nick was grabbing his recess from his locker, he saw Alex walking down the hallway talking to his friend, Max. Nick nervously stepped towards Alex.

"H-Hey, Ale-" Alex shoved Nick into the lockers with one arm and continued walking and talking as if he didn't just do that. Nick's gaze trailed Alex as he kept walking and looked down at the ground, then to his locker.

"What was that?" Max asked as they kept walking.

"What do you mean? No one likes that kid and he was in my way," Alex replied.

"I mean I guess so." Max said with a shrug.

Nick shut his locker with a slam and stormed away to the library where he spent all his recesses and lunches.

After the lunch bell rang, he wandered to his locker and opened it. A note fell out.

Meet me at room 917 :)

~L

Nick smiled down as he shoved the note into his pocket and walked to 917 with a slight spring in his step. As he approached, his stomach gave a flutter, increasing as the distance between him and the room grew smaller. He reached for the doorknob, his heart pounding. He twisted it slowly, pushed the door open and entered. There before him was a grand piano in a large room. The window was open and caused the thin curtains to ripple in the breeze. Nick looked around the room nervously for L.

"H-Hello?" Nick called to receive no answer. When he realized he was alone, he sat down at the piano and lifted the lid. He ran his hands up and down the piano in arpeggios, smiling to himself at the surprisingly pleasant sound that came from it. He stopped.

He placed his hands softly on the keys and began playing one of his older pieces. Softly he played, ever so delicately pressing on the keys as if they were made of glass and could break at any moment. The sound was soft, but easily audible. He wasn't sure how a sound could be both loud and quiet at the same time. He proceeded playing, entering a slightly more difficult section, becoming slightly louder before pausing at the end. He smoothly and gracefully brought his hand down to the lowest E flats on the piano before playing them ever so softly before springing back up to the high end of the piano playing a large swell* before softening again. He played softly before increasing in intensity once more to a loud demanding sound before...

He slowed as he played a separated chord. Then another, and another, slowing down and becoming softer and softer. He lifted his hands in silence and brought them back down the to lower end of the piano where he began playing arpeggios up the piano with a defined melody in his right hand. The higher he went, the more intense the sound became, more and more until it slowed down once more, becoming softer and softer, slower and slower until the piece ended...

He heard a scramble of feet outside the room that immediately alerted Nick. He rushed to the door as fast as he could

It's gotta be L, right?

He opened the door in a hurry and looked down the hall in the direction he heard the footsteps going.

"L!!" Nick called down the hall just as he caught a glimpse of someone's hand disappear around the corner. He ran down the hall and stepped in the middle of where the two halls met at a T.

There was no one there. Nick slumped in place as the lunch bell rang once again, signalling him to go to his next class. He frowned as he felt the note in his pocket.

Who are you, L?

The rest of the day was normal, but Nick was antsy to get home and talk to L. He had some explaining to do...