Paris Wills is a dreamer. His father always said he got it from his mom, an artist who was unlike any other. Her virtue was painting, and Paris' is poetry. No matter where he is, Paris finds inspiration for his poems.
In the summer after his sophom...
After we take our morning showers, André and I enter the cafeteria and sit down at our usual table. Sabina isn't anywhere to be found, which is quite unusual. She's usually here waiting for us, reading a book or playing a round of cards with Tiff. Despite our agonizing hunger, André and I depart from the cafeteria and search Neo to find Sabina. She isn't in the sitting room or her room. There's nobody in the garden either. Anxious, I back onto one of the vacant white walls and droop my head. Where could Sabina be? Irrational fears cloud my rationale and my heart rushes, worried that something's happened to Sabina, or that she's hurt herself.
Noting my concern, André crouches down beside me on the cool hardwood floor. I don't even remember slipping down to the floor, too wrapped up in my nerves.
"Paris. Stay calm. We'll find her," André soothes, placing his hand on my back. I ease to his touch, letting him move closer. I feel better with André beside me, and take his hand to help me stand up from the floor. The two of us continue our search, unsure where else to turn. Then, an idea comes to me.
"The music room!" I shout, lifting my head as I recall the first time I met Sabina. She was in the desolate music room, gracefully playing Etta James' "At Last" on the piano. It was one of the most beautiful piano solos I've ever heard, and the moment I realized Sabina was special. She exhibited a talented spark that refused to quell. I wanted to peel back the curtain and learn more about what fueled that spark, and I did.
André follows my lead as I rush down one of Neo's many hallways, coming across the familiarly ajar door. There, sitting criss-crossed on the hardwood floor, is Sabina. She's fiddling with a string of cords connected to a flatscreen television hanging from the wall. When we step into the music room, Sabina turns and smiles at us.
"Good morning guys!"
André and I both let out a breath, relieved that Sabina is alright.
"What're you doing? You worried us when you weren't at breakfast!" André sighs. Sabina rolls her eyes and giggles.
"You two are sweet! Relax, everything's fine. I got bored waiting for you two and decided to play the piano. Except, when I got to the music room, I noticed a karaoke machine in the supply closet. I've been trying to hook it up to the TV."
"Karaoke? That sounds like so much fun!" I exclaim. André looks over at me with dread in his icy eyes, not one for singing. Playfully, I shove his shoulder, encouraging him to get excited.
"Can we hook it up after breakfast? I'm starving!"
Laughing at André's ridiculous hyperbole, Sabina sets the cords aside and sits up from the hardwood floor. The three of us walk in stride toward the cafeteria, Sabina and I thrilled to do karaoke and André secretly thrilled too.
***
Finished with breakfast, Sabina, André, and I return to the music room and sit down to analyze the karaoke machine and endless cords strewn along the hardwood floor. A puzzled look falls over Sabina and I's faces, but André appears confident in his ability to piece things together. While he starts plugging cords into the karaoke machine, Sabina and I unstring them and walk them over to the TV. Following André's instructions, we plug them into the TV and watch as the karaoke machine springs to life.
"We've gained power!" André rejoices, throwing his hands into the air with a dramatic flare that ushers a laugh from Sabina and I.
"Thanks for your help," Sabina says as she envelops André with her arms. A smirk overcomes his lips and the two linger for a noticeably long period. I catch a glimmer in Sabina's soft gray eyes, but it dims as they finally pull away.
"So...who's gonna go first?" André inquires.
"I'll go," Sabina offers shakily. It's unlike her to seem hesitant.
Flipping through the catalog on the karaoke machine, Sabina settles on a song and selects it. Soft guitar strings stream through the speakers, setting the mood for a slow, romantic ballad. André and I sit down on the hardwood floor while Sabina rocks back and forth, nervously curling the microphone cord around her fingers. Then, the lyrics appear on the TV, and Sabina begins to sing along. Instantly, I'm amazed by Sabina's fantastic vocals. Not only can she play the piano beautifully, but she can sing beautifully too!
"This night is sparkling/Don't you let it go/I'm wonderstruck/Blushing all the way home/I'll spend forever/Wondering if you knew/I was enchanted to meet you"
Watching Sabina light up the room with her dazzling performance, I realize she's singing to someone in particular. Her eyes fix upon André, and suddenly it all makes sense: Sabina rushing into André's arms when he returned from the hospital; Sabina enveloping André in a warm embrace as a token of her gratitude; the glimmer of Sabina's gray eyes whenever André enters a room. She's falling for him.
And, from the looks of it, André's falling for Sabina too.
"Please don't be in love/With someone else/Please don't have somebody/Waiting on you/Please don't be in love/With someone else/Please don't have somebody/Waiting on you"
Sabina's angelic vocals echo through the speakers and André's cheeks take on a slight red hue, reminiscent of grapefruit. As the song fades to a close, Sabina steps toward André. He motions the microphone away from her mouth and gently traces his fingers along her sharp chin, bringing her close. André's lips hover over Sabina's fluffy, peach pink lips before pressing into them ever so gently. They sink into each other, André's hands running through Sabina's straight pink locks. For the longest time, it's as if they're just two normal teenagers living out in the world. When the high school sweethearts pull apart, they're transported back to the shadowy walls of Neo. Except the room seems a little brighter, enchanted by the warmth of their kiss.
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