Banish Me

Number Nine

I found my way, for some reason, back at the music building. I skipped passed the piano room, not wanting to repeat thatthe performance. I didn’t know what it was but I just didn’t feel like playing. If I did, it would probably come out sad and mildly depressing. And who wants to hear music like that?

I was wandering down the hallway, looking at the various plaques and trophies when I heard cello music. It was a piece I’d heard my mother play a lotonce and it had some long complicated title that was in musica foreign language.

The music was coming from the last door at the end and I looked in the small window to see who it was. The roomIt was a smallan auditorium, the lights on the seats were off but the light on the stage was on. I couldn’t believe who I saw on the stage and opened the door softly.

There was no one else in there so I moved as quietly so I wouldn’t disturb him. I sat in the back and just watched him play. His brown hair hung across his forehead and every time he would move, so would his hair.

The piece, if I remembered correctly, was by Yo-Yo Ma and the way he played it was beautiful. I hunched over, my arms resting on the back of the chair in front of me and watched him. I tried not to smile as he missed a note but kept going like he didn’t notice.

I sat there quietly for longer than I’d ever sat before. Even with my mother, I would always be jittery and ready to do something else. She used to tell me I acted like someone had lit a fire under my butt.

Maybe it was her death that calmed me down, I didn’t know but I felt like I couldn’t move away. I was just transfixed in my seat. His music was beautiful.

When he finished I was almost sad. It was odd he’d be playing my mother’s favorite piece of cello music but I knew I shouldn’t be surprised. The way things were going, I should’ve been expecting stuff like this to happen.

As if he sensed me watching, he looked up. We stared at each other for a little while until I finally spoke.

“You never told me you played the cello.”

“You never asked.”

He rested the neck of the cello against his shoulder and watched me as I got up and approached the stage.

“You ok?” he asked squinting at me. “You look like you’ve been…”

“Crying? Yeah. You could say that.”

“I told you he’d break your heart.”

“It has nothing to do with Peter, Garin. It’s family stuff.”

“Ah.” He stood up and put the cello in its stand. “Is it bad?”

“Oh, you could say that, yeah.” I folded my arms over my chest. “But you probably don’t want to hear about it.”

He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. He didn’t say anything, just stared at me. It was a little freaky and I started to get the feeling that I really shouldn’t behave been there.

“That was beautiful, by the way.” I started backing away towards the door. “I’m sorry if…”

“No, no.” He waved his hand at me. “You don’t have to go. I wanted to talk to you anyways. I feel…really bad about the way we left things last time.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to decide if he was being serious or not. It looked like he was sincere and when I used my powers and tasted his feelings…

“The problem is…are you really sorry?”.”

“Cass…” He hopped down from the stage and approached me. “I’m really, really sorry. Truly. It was just…I don’t want you to end up heartbroken like so many other girls I’ve seen.”