The Broken Piano by PianoForTay (e novels to read txt) 📕

Chapter 1
Beautiful, soft, and expressed melodies I played on my piano. The flowing songs going nonstop through my ears like a railroad track that never ended. I couldn't help but play for hours on my piano.
The gorgeous wood polish reflecting it's shine on me like a spotlight. It's like the piano and I were one when it came to playing. Every move I made was as swift as a humming bird.
Oh, the glorious and rich sounds it made. Each and every note had it's own special way of talking and being expressed on my piano. I couldn't help but have goosebumps. I played and swished and swayed along with the beautiful melody.
I closed my eyes. I can't even describe the feeling. The rich sounds that you hear, how great the notes sound combined together. When I play I create a whole new world in my head. A world where time means nothing, it's ageless. I'm in an old ballet studio. It's dark and abandoned, but I have the black piano there with me filling the studio with endless melodies. I memorized every beautiful song I want to know, and I just sit on the black, glistening bench and play non-stop. My own little heaven.
I came back to reality as my song ended and I smiled. I hear my mom call me. I get my backpack and run out of the piano room. She looks up as I come down the ancient stairs and says in her nasally voice, "School bus is here. Leave. Can't take any more of your crappy music."
"Whatever," I said and ran out the door towards the stop sign. No matter how low my self-esteem is, the one thing I'm sure about is piano. I know it's meant for me. Even if I don't play good, piano is me.
When I got onto the bus, I picked a seat at the very back. I stared out the window at my wooden, two-story house. It was very big. I mean huge. I love that house. It's so old and antique like. It could be a famous haunted mansion in a movie. It's so eerie. The rooms are huge and I love them. Especially the piano room. It's almost like my fantasy. It's the biggest room in the house. It's almost like a ballet studio. There's nothing in there except the piano and a bookcase at the very end of the wall. The floors are black, and the walls are old and peeling. Two big windows are right in front of my piano, so light streams in gently. The perfect getaway. I wish I was there right now.
I hate it on the bus. No one ever sits by me. They think I'm creepy just because I like to keep to myself. They shouldn't judge people. I'm not creepy, I just like to keep to myself. I heard someone walking towards my seat. I looked up to see who could possibly be coming towards me, and saw a guy I have never seen before. He seemed to be looking at me. I turned around and came face-to-face with the wall.
I mentally bopped myself on my forehead with my hand and turned back around. He could see I was confused, so he waved at me.
"Mind if I sit with you? There's no where else to sit," he smiled at me. I took in his deep emerald green eyes and his shaggy, chestnut hair. He had a white and blue plaid shirt paired with some jeans. He was very tall and lean, but had a strong build with a hint of a country accent. Gorgeous.
"Oh, no I don't mind," I smiled and then looked back out the window. Of course. That's why he sat by me, because there were no seats left. All right Erica get ready for the awkward silence, I told myself. I was no match for him. I dyed my hair a fiery red that is straight and past my shoulders. I wear my hair with a perfect poof at the top. My eyes are a gray but my eyelashes are full and long. I have an oval-shaped face but with medium full lips. Today I wore some gray skinny jeans and a colorful t-shirt with my jacket half zipped. The jacket is piano keys. Yep! I don't think he'll talk to me. He cleared his throat.
"My name is Josh," he said. "I'm new."
I turn towards him as he holds out his hand. That explains why he's talking to me now. "Oh that's cool. My name is Eric," I say without acknowledging his outstretched hand.
"So do you think you could show me around the school since I'm new?" he asked. His eyes were full of light.
I was surprised, thinking they would be full of dread or despair at having to talk to me.
I then noticed everyones eyes were on us. They stared at us as if we had shot a gun and told them we were going to jump them. Maybe hijack this bus or something. Is it really that shocking that someone's talking to me? Well, yeah I guess.
"Uh, yeah sure. Hmph," I smiled. Looks like somebody might finally like me. At least for a little bit anyway. Once he hears the rumors about me and sees how I act he's probably going to back off.
"Something wrong?" he asked. He looked worried like it was him or something.
"What? Oh no I just-" I stopped in mid-sentence and turned to look at the people who were staring our way. I then said very loudly, "There's just a bunch of nosy people on this bus!" I snapped. I turned back to Josh so I could finish telling him what I was going to say and saw that he was trying not to laugh.
"What?" I asked trying not to smile.
"Oh, nothing," he straightend his face to a more serious expression. "You were saying?"
I looked at him in disbelief. He still wants to hear me explain? And was he laughing at what I said? Alright, bring out the cameras. I recovered from my shock and then answered, "I just meant I'm surprised your talking to me." I sighed. Yeah a great thing to say.
"What do you mean?" he asked, obviously confused by my explanation.
"I don't know. Most people just don't talk to me. That's all," I said. Then I looked away to let this conversation drop. He seemed to get the point and we just sat there, waiting for the bus to get to school.
We got off the bus and I led him into the entrance then stopped. Ah, good old school. Don't want to be here today. I let everyone pass us since I would be helping him. No telling how long it would take. As we waited for everyone to pass us by, Josh gave me his schedule so I knew what classes he had. I scanned over it. Amazing. He had almost every single class I was in. The only one he wasn't in with me was social studies. Crazy.
"Okay so your first period is with me and that's French class. Let's go," I said.
Chapter 2
We walked through the halls and I stopped him right outside of the door. "Okay this is Mrs. Crascier. She's really sweet and teaches French really good."
Josh nodded and smiled. We entered the room and saw that almost everyone was in the classroom. Mrs. Crascier was writing some French words on the board. I took at seat as Josh went up to the teacher to ask where to sit. I looked around to see his choices. Let's see, there was one by me, and one behind me. Wow. I smiled, not that big of a surprise. Then my smile faded as I realized that he'd get to know me better, and when he did he probably wouldn't like me. Josh came over to the seat in front of me.
He turned around, then smiled and nodded in my direction, "Hello again."
I couldn't help giggling. At the sound of me doing so, heads turned our way. Big eyes darted back and forth between Josh and I. I could practically hear what these kids were thinking. "The new kid made Erica actually laugh. Weird...."
I stifled the rest of my giggle and looked down at my desk and started to draw on it. When I finished drawing I looked up to find Josh scanning over all my drawings on my desk I had made that year. He pointed at a particular drawing that was my favorite. It was a drawing of an eye. I had the iris just in rainbow colors and the eyelashes an intense black, in sharpie of course. The teacher got so used to me drawing on the desk that she didnt even stop me anymore. She said as long as I didn't draw anything profane or vulgour, she didn't care.
"I like that one," he pointed to the eye with a tear on the side. "It's different. An unusual thing to draw. Tell me about it. I'm curious," he looked at me waiting for an explanation.
I hesitated. This drawing kind of represented my whole life. Am I really going to tell someone who I just met on the first day, and a guy, all about what it means to me? Well I guess I could try, but if I see one sign of boredom or anything I'm shutting up.
I took a breath and then started, "This one's my favorite."
"Why?" he asked. He had a curious gleam in his eyes.
I was expecting this question so I said, "Well, it kind of feels like it represents my life, to me at least. Um, it's funny how this little symbol feels like it's part of my life. I guess it kind of gives me hope? That things will get better. See the tear on the side?" I pointed. He looked and nodded. So far so good..."It means that I've had a hard life, but I'm hoping it'll get better. The iris is different colors along with the neautral eyshadow. I like that because my world feels gray and dull right now, but I know that somewhere there's a life full of color. When everything maybe starts to get better, I think it will feel colorful and happy. This eye tells my whole story." I always hated thinking, especially talking, about this. I would always get teary. I turned away and quickly wiped the tear. Okay all good.