The Melody of Pip Winter

6: Waldszenen

The morning was brisk with an honest song. Pip had taken out his ear plugs when the playlist concluded. He was numb with joy if that could even occur. His hands were tremoring and his green eyes were glazed with something intangible. Warmth skittered on his toes and the evidence of the bountiful sounds whispered to his skin.

His ears thanked the creator. His chest warmed with the existence of such curiosity and truth and shivered with the electric sounds of each instrument.

He yearned to be able to create such honest tones but that would involve the past. Pip preferred to forget the torturing memories. Maybe that made him weak but weak was better than scared and numb was better than sad or prodded with pain.

Pip laid in the remanence of the wonderous melody and absorbed the songs that had past, the songs that had become a memory, a sweet and warped memory. He let the exhilarating words guide the sensations in his body.

His body didn't instantly move when his alarm burst through his ears. He had to force himself away from the place where he had listened to such beauty.

He tried to go on as usual but remembrance seared his lips in the form of a hum. Sometimes he would whistle the tune of the loudest song or walk to the beat of the quietest.

In lessons he would find himself scribbling the lyrics to a song he thought he had forgotten whilst he was supposed to be writing notes.

He had never been so distracted and it was becoming a problem. It must of been more noticeable then he though because Dianne called him in after class.

She wore a yellow shirt and black trousers with her blonde hair pulled into a structured bun. Her brown eyes were friendly.

"Are you alright Pip?" She asked.

Pip nodded and answered all the questions she came up with. When she finally let him go he adventured to the music room. It had been awhile since he had been there. When he entered he found a small girl in the corner fiddling with a guitar. He also spotted a boy playing the saxophone in the opposite corner. He walked up to the girl and gave a fake smile.

"Would you be my friend?" He asked.

The girl looked up at him with emotionless blue eyes no where near as lovely as Leo's. Her red hair trailed down her neck and she though for a moment.

"Sure." The girl answered reluctantly.

He gave her a nod and pulled the crinkled list from his pocket and scribbled. He walked to the other boy and admired his black eyes and black hair for a second.

"Can I be your friend?" Pip asked.

The boy didn't say anything but nodded in reply. Excitement lingered in his chest and he was extremely bright when the bell rung.

-

After his last class ended he walked at an unusually quick pace towards Leo's locker. The stumbling crowds of loud students passing by only slightly panged his ears. He trotted towards Leo who was plastered in an assortment of colours.

"Guess what!?" Pip quacked at him.

Leo looked stunned and look at him with marginal surprise. His lips rolled into one of his casual smiles.

"I can check off the first quest." Pip pulled the list from his pocket.

He made a dramatic deal of checking it off. Leo laughed sweetly and lifted his hand and Pip flinched rapidly which caused Leo to pull a strange look. After a while of Leo's worried glare he stole the list from Pip's grip.

"Join a club?" Leo said thinking.

Pip watched him as he cleared his locker and considered something. The boy grabbed his bag and an idea flashed through his eyes.

"You should come do art with me." Leo beamed.

Pip couldn't draw to save himself.

"My stick figures are a masterpiece." Pip offered.

Leo laughed amusedly.

"You do art?" Pip asked.

"You could say that." Leo smiled.

Something morphed in the pit of Pip's stomach he preferred to ignore it.

"You can join now and then you will be able to tick off something else." Leo suggested.

Pip nodded and was glad to have extra help with the list, maybe Leo was a terrible "smooth talker" but his company was refreshing. The pair walked to the art block and convinced the head teacher to let him join. Afterwards they walked back to the lockers and Leo managed to stay quiet for the two minutes it took for them to get there. Pip grabbed all of his stuff and packed it neatly into his bag. Leo got a phone call and bid him farewell with a nod and one of his signature smiles. Pip let his inquiries about the caller run before they began to waver.

He left the school building feeling strangely alone as if his traditions had faltered. He didn't want the feeling to continue so he fished for his ear plugs and jammed them into his ears, looking for any distractions. He didn't appreciate the the inquiries resurfacing on the caller and he didn't like the snippet of memories coming back. Worry possessed his chest and took over his thoughts like a ruthless conqueror. Bruises coated his skin in recollection. Pip pressed his eyes close tightly trying to press away the visions.

He walked home with the pressing of keys rumbling in his ears and torment radiating in his chest.

When he got home his mother was at the table. He tumbled up the stairs and sat at his keyboard before allowing his restless fingers to travel the keys. He let his hands go where his mind would never be allowed to go. His fingers tapped the keys with every memory shaking inside him.