Page XXIX - Fall

"Nothing. Just a chip on my shoulder." Theodore replied.

"I see." Celaine then began to think of other ways to continue the conversation. "I- I heard that the music club will be performing on the academy anniversary event?

"Seems like it."

"Will you be performing?"

"Yeah. I was forced to play since that's part of our deal or something."

"Deal?"

"In exchange for me to use their clubroom for my personal needs, I'm to participate in everything the music club joins. Its... burdensome."

"Oh! Will you sing? Or will you play an instrument?"

"Piano."

"Woah... I didn't know you can play piano... Then, can you play me something?" With a smile on her face she just realized what she just asked. She swallowed her dry saliva and looked at Theodore with a broken smile.

Theodore looked at her intently which caused her to jolt and look down. "Fine." He then closed his book which echoed throughout the entire place. "I guess I've got some time to kill." Theodore was about to stand up but he realized, "I don't want to go back to the music club and I'm pretty sure they're still there."

"Ah, if you're talking about where you're going to play there's a music room at the back."

"There's a music room here also..?"

"Its m- mostly used for studying instruments and people making one. This a- academy is really diverse." The both of them then went on to the room that Celaine was talking about.

"Looks uncomfortable." The room was just a second library inside of a library.

None of the wall could be seen as its covered by the towering bookshelves attached to it. But they're all neatly divided into several parts. Vinyl, cassette tapes, CDs, sheet music and so much more that are all around in the room. "T- this isn't really a place to play music."

"I can see that. Placing soundproof walls are impossible on how cluttered this room is with the books on the walls."

"Y- yeah." Celaine then began to open the air conditioning.

Theodore was looking around and was looking at the books on the bookshelves. Autobiography, documentary, and everything that was all about music. Well kept too. "Now that I think about it, the library... from the first floor to the very top, its incredibly clean. Not to mention the sorting of the books. I got to give it to them... Seems like a lot of work."

"A- ahmm... thanks..." Celaine answered as she was fidgeting around the air conditioning trying to turn it on.

"You're the one organizing these things?"

"Mhm. I was organizing them before I even got here. My sister always left me here so I just enjoyed fixing most of the thin-" Due to the unstable platform she stepped on, it was pretty shaky. "Ah-"

"Sh-" Theodore immediately jumped to her aid but he wasn't fast enough. So he slid down like he was tackling. It generated enough speed and enough control to get where he was supposed to go, under Celaine and to be stopped by the bookshelf she fell on.

Theodore felt the sharp intense pain on his stomach as her elbow slams on his stomach. But it was enough of a protection to shield Celaine from any harm or concussion.

But it wasn't enough. Theodore's tackle was strong enough to break the bookshelf where she stood upon causing it to fall upon them. Theodore held her tightly with his one hand and covered her head with his own arm as the books and the bookshelf fell upon the both of them.

A mud thick and sticky liquid fell down on Celaine's cheeks. As soon as she opened her eyes, she wiped it of from her cheeks and looked at it. "B... blood?"

Theodore's shaking hands were visibly seen as he was trying to prevent the bookshelf from falling on them. With a smirk on his face, "Pretty... damn... cliche don't you think?"