The Maestro | RusAme |

Twenty-Three

Ivan snapped out of his trance, and put back his groceries before exiting the store in a frenzied manner and scaring most of the people who were in there. He plowed past a bagger who had finished helping an older man, who recognized his face.

"Ivan, is that you?" A small, dainty voice said. He looked down and his eyes met with an Italian girl Amelia was friends with.

"Yes, but I'm sorry I have to go, uh..."

"Alice! I hope to see you here again!"

He waved, walking briskly to his car.

While getting in his car and starting it, he missed her saying to herself, "I wonder what was wrong... I'll text Amy..." She mumbled.

He sat in the car after starting it for a few minutes, holding his head in his hands despondently. He pulled himself together to be able to drive himself back with losing his composure. After a drive back to Yan's house, he walked inside and started grabbing everything that he owned. His books, computer, clothes, bags, instruments, everything. After taking a solid two-and-a-half hours grabbing everything as fast as he could before Yan was home, he sat down and looked at the time. He figured that Yan had just never come home from that party last night. It was now quarter till four in the evening, a bit before she'd be home on Thursday nights.

The more he thought, the greater the aching in his chest became. He had a feeling that it was more that his metaphorical breaking heart, but he could help but feel sorry for himself despite the fact that he knew it was bad for his health. It's too much hassle to be happy all the time, which is what he'd been doing for so long. It was long needed, and he had held all of his emotions in for so long that they boiled over like water on a stove.

"Почему почему почему?!" He exclaimed, wondering why he was so prone to being introduced to these misfortunes.

He decided he should leave now if he wanted to avoid seeing Yan, so he got up from the couch and headed for the door. Immediately as he grabbed the handle, the door opened and he saw Yan looking up at him.

"Hi Iwan, where are you going?" She asked, a confused look on her face as she walked past him and into the house.

He hesitated, his shoulders not so broad looking and his face soft and forlorn. "Well, I am going home, I guess..."

Yan was even more puzzled by his reply. "What do you mean?"

"I cannot stay anymore, this is the worst that I have felt in so long! I cannot take this, I have to go!" He hissed, then mumbling, "I cannot, I cannot" as he pushed past her trying to walk out the door.

But she stood in front of him, shouting at him, "What are you on about?! Look, if you wait a minute we can fix this if you just talk to me!"

Ivan grabbed the wrist of the hand that held the doorknob. "You know exactly what I am talking about!! I am sorry Yan, but I have to leave!" He pulled her hand off the door, pushing past her once more and successfully walked outside to his car. Yan only stood in the doorway, her jaw dropped to her feet and her eyes wide open.

"I'm sorry..." She mumbled to herself, and walked inside the house, closing the door softly behind her before completely soaking in what just happened.

-∆-

Amelia was sitting at her desk in the lab at school, having her lunch with a few students that were making up a test. She sat quietly, grading papers and eating a sandwich from the cafeteria. She looked her phone that sat next to a stack of worksheets, and picked it up when she noticed she had a text message.

It read, "I didn't know Ivan still lived here, I saw him at the store today. He looked really upset 😯😟"

Amelia looked at who it was from; Alice sent the text, Monica's girlfriend and her previous coworker from the local grocery store. She replied to her quickly, "I heard his girlfriend was cheating on him, maybe he found out? 🤔🤔"

Obviously Amelia already knew this, since she was kind of in on it. She decided to text Gilbert and ask him if he told him and how he took it.

"How's Ivan?"

She was answered very quickly by a worried text from Gilbert.

"FUCK HE WAS SO MAD HAHAHAHA I THIUGHT HE WAS GONNA JILL ME!!!! 😨😱😱😨😨"

Amelia couldn't help but laugh, but covered her mouth and put her phone down to walk out and tell Roderich.

"Hey, I have to go talk to Mr. Edelstein for a minute so please act like you aren't here and keep the door locked. And behave!" She said quietly and walked out after picking her door and putting her key lanyard over her head and around her neck. She hurried towards the rehearsal room, bursting in and charging into Roderich's office next to the music library.

"Oh my Lord, Ivan was totally pissed! What did you tell Gilbert to say? Why did you send him to Ivan?!"

Roderich tittered, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, thing is, I didn't think about the fact that you cheated on Ivan with Gilbert, so..." He shrugged, "But now that I've got him single, you can go ahead and talk him up so he can start seeing you again!" He added, trying to ease Amelia and avoid getting flogged.

Amelia shook her head. "I understand why you would ask him, but let's not get Gilbert involved anymore. I got this now, thank you so much..." She sat down in the chair in front of his desk.

Roderich's nervous laughter turned into a plotting chuckle. "You thought I was out of the picture now? You know I'll be putting a couple thoughts into his head to butter him up. He's going to be thanking me later, like you are now. But save your thanks when your sharing a home with him, please."

Amelia blushed, exclaiming, "Oh, please! Don't speak too soon... I have to go, I've got some kids testing in my room."

"I'll tell you where Ivan is so you can bother him, bye."