The Melody of Pip Winter

5: Fantasie

Pip had sunk further into the floor. For him study meant ruthless hours of harsh concentration. It meant sweat leaking from his forehead and countless cups of tea. It meant his studying playlsit marginally easing the stress and his mother calling from the kitchen insisting he take a break. What Pip realised after only a few minutes after their arrival was to them study was the opposite. It was constant food breaks and long discussions about Disney princesses. It was Annie stealing copious amounts of pencils from Leo's massive stash of stationary and giving him tattoo's with permanent marker. The only ritual they had in common was the music, but that also started an argument about who got to control it.

They ended up in a battle of scissors, paper, rock. Pip was the first to lose but he didn't mind because his music was just for him, no one else. He hadn't even show his playlists to his mother. Leo ended up winning which resulted in him bragging about it every five seconds.

Leo grabbed his phone from his pocket and scrolled and tapped on it. It took a while for him to actually decide on a list of songs, but eventually he set his phone down and smooth tones started to radiate off his phone. The sounds were almost calming until the beat became rough and loud and conflicted. Drums bashed through his ears and electric guitar blasted though the room along with the instruments the singers voice came through with pain bleeding off his words.

Pip had always let words conquer the seams in his skin and never spoke them but the song played at a volume that started to melt his ear drums and the singer left nothing unsaid. Echoes of truth reverberated off the walls and he wondered how someone could live without lying to themselves.

Pip would never lie to another but he didn't have the same courtesy for himself. Lies were kind weren't they? Lies were a a way to escape. It didn't have to be painful it could be nothing at all and that was comforting.

But Pip listened. Enraptured by the sound of truth he let his focus falter and sacrificed it to the singer. He wondered how one could live with them self if they let it be real, if they let the real version of the past in.

"Thom Yorke's sick right." Leo interrupted Pips thoughts.

Pip awoke from the raging tornado in his brain and tried to focus on what was happening.

"What?" Pip asked.

Leo lit a cigarette.

"Radiohead. You know?" Leo said between drags of smoke.

Pip gave a perplexed look and waited for one of the pair to explain the conversation.

"The song your listening to. Thank me and Radiohead." Leo explained.

Pip snatched Leo's phone and peered at the song. 'Nice Dream'. He let the weight of the song sink in before fully attempting to reach life.

"Ha!" Leo suddenly blurted.

Pip reached his radiant eyes and presented a face of obvious confusion.

"That's why you should give me your number! So I can send you my playlist!" Leo called excitedly.

Leo let the cigarette burn out and stubbed it into the nearest piece of paper he could find. Pip hated Leo for finding the perfect bargaining chip.

"So Fish, what's your number?" Leo asked.

Fish. Pip played the word over a million times in his head. Leo threw him his phone and waited for Pip to type in his phone number.

"Don't call me Fish." Pip warned and tossed him back his phone.

Leo hugged his phone dramatically.

Pip stared for too long then continued his studies. Countless songs played and they all received a standing ovation from Pips heart.

-

Murphy ended up getting drunk and kicked them out. Leo bids them farewell and Annie and Pip walk out together. They trudge together until they have to scale different directions. Yet to receive a message from Leo Pip played his usual music. He walked carelessly with apathy pattering in his tightly laced shoes.

-

It was 3:32 when Pip's phone beeped. He was extremely exhausted and glossed with joy when he heard the sound that saved him from the dreams. Pip was sat at his keyboard without the sounds of the instrument to comfort. He prodded his password into the device and opened his messages. Pip clicked on the playlist that was titled 'The Bomb 🐝'. Pip jumped sleepily to his rickety feet and searched restlessly for his earplugs.

He fished through his blankets and under his bed. He ransacked his cupboard and checked every crack and crevasse. His hands swam through his pockets in search of the handy device.

After searching his room and then cleaning it again because the mess stressed him out too much he pranced quietly down the stairs.

He searched the kitchen and found the earplugs next to the kettle. Relief surfaced on his skin. He charged soundlessly upstairs. He would hate to wake his mother who would be setting off to the bakery very soon.

He set himself down on his newly made bed and pushed the buds into his ears, the wires connected to his phone. He pressed shuffle on the playlist and the sounds of Leo Miller began to play.

Moments of reality seeping through a soft exterior. Loud shrill guitars layered in thick drum riffs. Voices pleading with the listener and loud truths hidden in quiet lies. This to Pip was Leo Miller.