XPLR | Colby Brock

~6~

"Hey, you came," Kai said as I walked in the orchestra hall, taking out my headphones. "Hey, why wouldn't I?" I asked as I went up to my piano. "I don't know. I was worried you wouldn't. You did take like... three weeks to start talking to me," he laughed. "Yeah, I've never very been good at being social," I smiled as I sat my sheet music on the stand and sat at the piano.

I looked at the music then my hands, placing them right over the keys to play the first melodies and harmonics. "Do you mind playing through Opus 24 first?" he asked. I looked at him and nodded, giving a small smile. "Yeah, I will."

I played through the song, my hands lifting up and pressing the keys with graceful strokes. But when I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, he wasn't looking at my hands or the music, he was looking at me. At my face. When I finished and cracked my wrist, he smiled. It was silent between us for a second.

"You are stunning," he said, leaning on my piano after he moved his seat closer to mine. I felt my cheeks get hot but quickly looked back at the music. "Thank you. What parts were you having trouble with?"

He smiled and looked at the music, pointing out parts he needed help with. "Can I be honest with you?" he asked.

I felt my heart beat a little faster. "Sure?"

"I have the Opus memorized," he chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't think you'd go to somewhere with me if I didn't pretend to be helpless," he said. My heart was racing a mile a minute. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you took weeks to talk to me. How about it? Can we just skip to the coffee part?" he laughed. I looked at my music then my watch. "Alright. Might as well," I said, taking my music bag and putting my music back in there. I tried my best to look like it was no big deal, and it worked. I think.

I walked out of the orchestra hall with Kai. The sun was starting to begin its decent under the earth, the sky was a beautiful shade of orange and pink and purple. It was so beautiful, one of the most beautiful I'd ever seen. Maybe I'd seen sunsets like this, but this one seemed much more beautiful.

Maybe it was because I was beyond happy.

A few girls looked at us as we passed. Even though the crowds were thinning out, I still noticed. Some of them looked a little hurt, but I just tried to ignore it.

Kai opened the door for me and we walked to the counter. "What would you like?" he asked as we waited in the line. I ordered a cafe vanilla frappucino, and he ordered iced tea. He led me to a tall table and we both sat.

"So... on the Opus-"

"Do we have to talk about Orchestra?"

"What?"

"That's all we ever talk about," he said, "I want to talk about something else other than school. Let's talk about you. Where did you live before you came here?"

"I... lived in Oregon."

"So I guess California is something very new," he said with a small chuckle. "A little, I guess. I came here a lot as a child," I smile.

"Oh, I see. How'd you get into piano?"

"My mother played and taught me when I was young. I didn't like it until I was like... thirteen maybe."

"Interesting. Same thing here except I learned in my school's orchestra. My school was so tiny that there wasn't anyone who knew how to play piano, so they dragged me out of the percussion section and put me in orchestra too. Now I'm looking for a degree."

I chuckle, "That's funny. Not what you expected you'd be doing, right?" He chuckled as well, "Nope. When I was eleven, I wanted to be a professional baseball player."

"Well do you play for the college team?"

"I do. Pitcher."

I knew that. "That's so cool!" I giggle. We talked for what felt like hours but had only been minutes. Now that the sun had gone down and it was eight o'clock, he walked me to my apartment building right by the campus.

"I had good time. We'll have to do it again," he said as he started to walk away. "Sure thing. We'll talk later," I said as I walked into my apartment.

Elena was waiting for me. "Rose! How did it go?" she asked, standing up from her marathon of Stranger Things.

"It went great." I smiled. I didn't want to give her anything else. "So you think you have a chance?" she asked excitedly.

"Maybe. I don't know," I shrugged and went into my room. "Well that's a start!" she said and jumped onto the couch and played her show on Netflix.

I smiled and laid back on my bed, closing my eyes and just thinking.

I was ripped from my thoughts when my phone rang. I looked over at the phone laying beside me.

An unknown number. I usually wouldn't answer, but I was very curious. I picked it up on the last right.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hey," I recognized that voice. "Colby?"

"Yeah. Look, I really need a favor."

"Alright..."

"You're good with makeup, aren't you?" he asked. I could hear him moving around behind the phone. "I guess so. Why?"

"I just... need to do a revenge prank on Corey," he chuckled. I smiled a little then forced it away. "So... what's the prank?"

"He's asleep right now and I want to make him a pretty girl."

I chuckled. "I don't think I should-" but I stopped myself. Hell, what could it hurt? Can't I let myself have fun for once?

"I'll be there. What's the address?"

So he gave me his address, I took mine and Elena's car, and pulled out of the drive way. I was scared. Not because it was Colby Brock in the TFIL mansion. I can't really tell you why I was nervous.

But inside, I knew why very well.