STATIC (LGBT)

Chapter 7

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” She said standing up again but not before laughing midway through it. “Oh God. Frist I though it was the cold but that felt stupif so I thought I had done something wrong. I wasn’t doing any different than I had already done so I was getting worried.”

Okay, so yeah. Right now was the moment when my thoughts just went somewhere else. Due to that, I realized that for a while I really hadn’t been by myself at all. I had only been spending time out with Zoë at the IMT or at school. I’d only go back home to sleep or practice a little bit more before starting the day again. This all means I haven’t been thinking to myself a lot in a while, thinking about what I was doing whether it was playing, cooking, doing homework or reviewing what I was feeling just like when I first met this girl.

Lately I had been only receiving and not processing.

Knowing that I told myself right now: Alex. Zoë, or ‘this girl’ how you’ve called her before, is making a point here. You made her feel bad. Don't be an idiot. It’s the first time you’ve become so close to someone, even if you know it’s barely something. Three weeks is really little but you know you already  like this girl whether you wanted it to be like that or not. Just make sure it doesn’t go further than how you guys are right now. Exchanging words, music and that’s it. Keep as low of a profile as you can with her.

Even though it's practically impossible apparantely. 

I sighed, gathering my guts for the millionth time in this month and looked back up at her.“Sorry?”

“Nah, don’t worry. I find it pretty funny.” Zoë said.

“And I find it pretty embarrassing.” I mumbled to myself

 ====

PMS? I had ever had that before? Obviously, I really can’t tell because I never really talked to anyone in general before Zoë. She came 3 weeks ago, almost after I was done with my period… Damn, but that was so embarrassing today in at lunch. I swear I could’ve died of embarrassment. I was even blushing right now.

To try to distract myself from that, I looked out to bus window as it passed all the buildings and soon we came out into the outskirts of town. Almost 3 minutes later, I could see from over the tree tops a red roof which I knew was the IMT. By the time I got off the bus my face was back to my normal skin color (I hoped) and I was myself shaking less than usual. Every day I’d come here, I knew I’d have to face something with Zoë. Whether it was doing something to ‘get me out of my shell’, or something simply for her own amusement. Maybe I was getting used to it now.

Maybe.

I pushed open the doors and heard Frank talking in the phone. As usual, he was being an annoying client. When I mean ‘annoying client’ I mean worse than ‘Zoë annoying’ or any annoying you can think of.

“Nononono. No. Sir.” He said putting his large hand on his hip just like a 45-yearl old housewife woman fed up with her life. “I asked for the normal keys to be black, and the half-note keys to be white. It’s a SPECIAL concert. If you even know what a concert is and much less a piano. I want that done in a good quality for tomorrow at latest. No. No excuses. Bye…. Ugh. Such annoying people. Why can’t the world be more sophisticated.”

“Annoying, you say?” I said to him as I made my way up the stairs, “You should listen to yourself. I’d say you are worse than an old lady complaining about her false teeth gone missing.”

I saw Frank roll his green eyes at my comment.“Whatever. Anyway, come here.  I’ve got to give you some info Zoë asked me to give you.”

“She’s not here yet?” That was strange. She’d usually be here before me.

Frank handed me a sort of small notebook with a brown soft cover. “Nope. She came a while ago and said she was going to come back but didn’t say when. I was only told to give you that. Her instructions are at the back of the front cover.”

I opened it and saw what he was talking about.

“Now go. I don’t want you pestering my lobby.” Frank said grumpily.

Well, not that I minded, I preferred leaving already. Hate engaging in any conversation of any type with this guy. Much less right now when I felt so grumpy myself.

So like that I grabbed my trumpet case again and went up the stairs with no further words.

I must say, I felt slightly relieved. I might LIKE Zoë as a person now, but that’s because I’ve been spending a lot of time with her. It has been such a long time since I have been in my IMT room without anyone else.

…

Yeah. Of course, that’s what I thought. That’s what I always think, but Zoë never ceases to give me surprises.

I opened the door to my room where there was the usual piano and music stands plus the table I requested to put my case, sheets and anything else I wanted during practice. Though additionally, there was something that wasn’t normal. Something that didn’t fit in. I concentrated on the glass windows which lined part of the wall parallel to the door. There, standing with her back to me, was a blond girl. Actually THE blond girl with curly hair.

My instict was to escape but before I could actually do it Jessica turned around and her blue eyes looked straight at my eyes.

“Oh. So you ARE from around here.” She said after a few seconds as she approached me. She raised her hands, did a peace sign and bent her fingers down. “’French girl.’”

Oh… Yeah.

“Uh…” I said looking to the side. Though she watched me so intently that I couldn’t help looking back at her again.

“So your real name is Alex, huh?” She said. Wasn’t she so straightforward when not drunk? Well, even when drunk she was. “Well. I'm saying it straight away. I’m Jessica. I know Zoë. I was asked to meet you. Guess I already knew you. I’m the new concert master for your orchestra.”

...

Okay. So today I've met two new members? And they HAD to be the people that were known in school?... Although I’m not sure about Matt, but if Jessica was part of the orchestra that meant that if we ever actually did do a concert so many people from school would come… And I’d get totally freaked out.

“You don’t seem too happy.” Jessica said to me. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna bite. Even if I did Zoë would get mad at me.”

I set my trumpet case down on the table and I saw how my hands were shaking. Of course, they were going to. This was not a party and I was not dressed up to hide myself. I was facing real life right now.

“You are more quiet than I remember you being. You were much more social at the party.” Jessica came to stand next to me. “Didn’t know you wore glasses. If I didn’t recognize your hair color and eyes I’d say you look like a totally different person. ”

She raised her finger and pushed them up the bridge of my nose.

Wait, wasn’t she too close? She does barely know me. I mean, like barely. I barely know her. What is she? Chris Walter’s sister? That’s as much info as I know about her.

“Hey. Look at me.” She touched my chin and pulled it up to look at her.

“”W-what?” I stuttered out of my mouth.

“Hmmm.” She said as she leaned down.

….

Wait. What?... What?

WHAT?

I can’t explain how freaked out I felt when I felt this girl's lips against mine. I really can’t explain it. I can just say it surpassed any surprises that Zoë has ever given me. Probably the worst surprise I’ve ever experienced.