Infinity

Chapter 5: Mason

I watched Eleanor as she stared at the piano keys, seeming to be deep in thought for a minute. She was still shaking a little bit, and she looked like a mess. I was kinda worried. It was really unsettling to see someone like her so freaked out, someone who was always so poised and collected, never really showing any emotion other than distaste and isolation. I wanted to ask her what happened, but i also didn't feel like risking making her upset, having her leave. I was so curious about her, though i would never admit it. She was like one of those really fancy keepsake boxes, covered in jewels and stuff, with a padlock on it, waiting for someone to find the key and open it up to reveal the contents, beautiful or evil. Ugh, what was wrong with me??

"So, just play whatever..?" She asked me quietly. I nodded, chuckling and walking away.

"Go ahead! Just pretend like I'm not here."

I walked through the throng of chairs that were strewn around the room, the product of an obviously hectic previous music class period. In the back of the room, there was a beaten up hard shell guitar case among the shiny vinyl cases lined up against the wall. I picked it up, kinda smiling to myself. I'd had this guitar for about 5 years now, got it off of some guy at a thrift shop for about $30, and fixed it up myself. It was probably the nicest item I owned at the time, and no matter what anyone thought about it based on its looks, it played so well it could probably make a grown man cry.

I was just starting to tune it when Eleanor finally started to play. It was no surprise that I heard something extremely familiar coming from the piano. Ode to Joy, I believe. I looked up, still tuning, and watched her from behind as she played the song absolutly perfectly. It was... weird. Almost mechanical. She was sitting peefectly straight, looking down at the keys only slightly, her hands not flowing at the keys but rather just hitting the notes. It almost seemed as if she was being forced to play, a puppet on a string. She didn't seem like she was enjoying herself... Isn't that the point of music?

As the song ended, i stood up and propped my guitar up against the wall, knowing fully well that I'd probably have to tune it again after that. Walking over to the piano, i sat next to a very quiet Eleanor. Nothing unusual about that.

"Do you even like that song?" I asked bluntly, wanting to get straight to the point. She didn't respond for a moment, and i absent-mindedly started fingering a tune on the higher keys of the piano. Finally, she spoke.

"You wanna know the truth?" She asked.

"Yes, yes i would."

"I absolutly hate that song."

I chuckled. "Well, that was obvious. But, Eleanor, if you hate it, then why do you play it?"

That left her silent again. I sighed. I was getting almost no where. All i knew was that she just so happened to hate Ode to Joy, whick was an overplayed song anyway. I mean, come on. We find songs overplayed after playing it for a week, and this song has been out since 1824.

As i started to stand up, she finally whispered something, something that would ultimately play a big part in our lives though i didn't know it at the time.

"Because i have no choice..."

I looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

But she was silent again.

After about a minute, i broke the silence.

"Okay, so you hate Ode to Joy, and from what i can tell you do not like piano very much at the moment. Wanna play violin or something?"

I was suprised to see her look up, and for the first time in a while, a small smile flashed across her tired-looking face.

"May I...?"