Summer House

Chapter Eleven

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Chapter Eleven

They pointed at him. They teased him. They hated him.

He was starving.

He had stolen a sweet bun from one of the food vendors to hide in the corner alleyway just so he could fulfill some of his hunger.

The same usual school kids decided to follow him that day and kicked the bun from his grasp, and he watched in hopelessness as they began to spit and stomp on the bun until it no longer was edible.

Tears burned his eyes. He wanted to cry out for them to stop, but no sound escaped his lips.

Then they were gone, just as quick at they had appeared, like the nightmare that haunted him every night. Sometimes he even wished to stay in his nightmare instead of waking up the cruel world.

Head bowed and hands wrapped around his knees, he began to weep.

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Years later, the same little boy sat in his piano chair and began to play in front the school's audience, entrancing them with his beautiful piece. Some watched in tears, others in jealousy, and some in unwavering contentment.

This particular boy had turned sixteen and it was his chance to show the world what he was really made of.

He stopped suddenly, throwing them off by surprise.

Closing his eyes, he glided his long delicate fingers over the keys as if to cast a spell on it. Then for the first time in front of a live audience, he opened his mouth to sing his heart out.

His soft voice immediately captured the audience's hearts and his hands automatically began to play, leaving everyone spellbound by the end of it.

That particular day, he had worn his heart on his sleeve, revealing to the world that he trusted them with his feelings. He wanted them to understand his feelings through the music, not his talent. 

But in the end, he was left disappointed by the people who's opinion mattered to him the most.

His foster parents had simply disregarded his talent and shunned him away.

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Another two years past, a lone figure stood outside in a dark alleyway bathing in the moonlight, his eyes sharp and unyielding as he stared off into the darkness. He blew a wisp of smoke from the puff of his cigarette and discarded to the ground. His black leather boots crushed the unfinished cigarette, putting out the smoke.

He leaned back against the brick wall, crossed his arms and raised his head up to stare at the moon.

"I don't care what you do. When you're old enough, I want you to leave this house. You're only a burden to me and my family."

Those very words would forever change him. He wasn't the little boy who stole sweet buns from food vendors, nor was he the talented piano player that sang his heart out for everyone to hear. To the people he thought cared for him; he was only a burden and nothing more.

The sound of a door opened and the loud metal music blasted through his ears, alerting him back into reality.

"Hey, Tay! You okay out here? We're playing next."

Tay lowered his head and replied, "I'll be okay. You go in first. I'll be there in a moment."

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He smiled and bobbed his head to the sound of his band members playing the guitar inside the boisterous van. They were on their way to their first opening concert.

His close friend, a tall lithe figure with dark eyeliner accentuating his soulful eyes, nudged him with an elbow. He was the drummer boy and his name was Leo. Leo smiled at everything and everyone. He didn't know how to be upset. The guys had done everything to see whether or not Leo would eventually break down, however Leo never ceased to give in or admit that he was ever upset by anything or anyone.

Tay admired his friend's ability to remain strong even through a false smile.

He remembered the time when he first got to know Leo. Leo's words replayed inside his head like a scene from a movie.

"Hey, Tay. No matter how much you want to cry, you can't let them see you."

"Is that why you smile so much?"

"The smile is nothing if your eyes are open. People will not only look at the smile, but they will see right through you. It's actually more about the way you smile. They read your expression through the eyes. If you let them see your sad eyes, they'll automatically know that your smile is fake, right? So what you do is, you pretend to smile and give them what you want them to see."

"You're a natural, Leo."

"I've mastered it since age nine. Ever since then, I got people to like me, even my enemies and the best part about it are the girls."

"Lucky bastard."

"Go ahead and try it on me. I'll teach you."

Tay smiled.

"Hmm, your smile is crooked. There's nothing wrong with your teeth. C'mon, use your facial muscles!"

He learned one thing that day. That he wanted to be just like Leo.

"This is our moment, Tay," Leo said, clapping along with a few of the others inside van. The air was thick with nervousness and excitement.

Tay stared at each and every one of his band members and realized for the first time that these guys were the closest people to him. They were like his brothers, his family.

To them, it was more about achieving the fame, but for Tay, it was more about the bonding, the friendship, the sharing their talents and most of all, it was about acceptance.