Dark Wolfe

34- I'm in my bad bitch era

(Song of the chapter: People You Know - Selena Gomez)

I was floating in a song fortress being carried by the clouds. It was impervious to whispers and gossip, which fractured and fell apart inches from my safe haven. I hummed away happily, short, simple tunes that defused any incoming projectiles of self-doubt. There was no room for any of that anymore.

Chopin's piece kept playing over and over in my mind. I'd listened to it all day yesterday till I fell asleep, and left my room this morning with it still nipping at my heels.

Life had sharply divided into two parts: life before Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op.23, and life after it. Nothing looked quite like what I was used to anymore. Words hung solidly in the air, jumbled up, then flew away with wings. Inanimate objects seemed infused with life and limbs and kept beckoning me over. Everywhere I looked my world had turned into a surrealist painting. I stared fascinatedly ahead, wondering if the new lightness in my body meant I could step into the wall and merge with it.

I was abruptly halted by Sophie, the arm she looped through mine a physical anchor.

I blinked as she steered us away from the wall I'd nearly face-planted with.

"Are you alright?" She asked. I got the impression she was worried.

"I'm wonderful, thank you," I chirpily replied.

This only made her eyebrows narrow further. "Are you certain? This was the third time you've tried to kiss the wall today."

"Really?" I said mildly. "I'm sorry. What period do we have next?"

Her expression shuttered in distress. "Um, its nearly time for P.E sure." She turned away and grabbed her phone from her pocket while keeping a firm hold on me, and started texting frantically.

Oblivious, I hummed and tapped my fingers against my jeans, miming playing piano keys.

Half a minute later, Jasper and Lilith came barreling down the hallway towards us.

"What do you mean there's something wrong with Avalon?" Jasper huffed, out of breath.

Lilith looked between me and Sophie. "She was fine this morning!"

I smiled at my friends, delighted to see them. "Hi."

They stopped and stared at me.

Lilith was the first to speak, swinging her head towards Sophie. "I see what you mean."

"This is dire indeed," Jasper agreed.

Lilith took both of my hands in hers. "Are you sick, poppet?"

"Did you catch the flu?" Jasper asked just as earnestly.

I shook my head, hair bouncing off my cheeks. "No, I feel fine."

"You're sure?" Lilith placed a hand against my temple. "No fever," she relayed to Jasper.

"She keeps humming to herself and walking into walls," Sophie hissed furtively. "There's got to be something wrong."

Jasper turned to me. "Did something happen?"

I stared through him, my mind returning to the ballade. It was so poignant, so filled with wonder and hesitation and a happiness just beyond reach.

Mr. Franz had me working on shorter, simpler compositions first to get the basics down. We hadn't even touched the ballade yet, because I was "nowhere near ready enough to take on a piece of such magnitude." He was right, of course, but I couldn't get it out of my mind. Since hearing the ballade, I'd thought of nothing but the ballade. Just like the piece itself, it was so close, yet so far from me.