Keys to his heart

II

I stared at Oskar, dumbfounded. My eyes flicked between him and the piano, trying to compute his offer. The fact that he, soccer captain and star, was talking to me in the band room of all places, was surprising enough. The request to listen to me play more piano was the largest addition to the bizarre scenario.

"I mean," I glanced at his hopeful expression wearily. "If you really want to, you can."

He grinned wide, making my stomach flutter. He set his bag down at the door and grabbed a nearby chair, pulling it up in front of the piano. He plopped into the seat, placing his hand on his knees. He smiled at me warmly, waiting patiently.

I looked at the piano in front of me like it had just murdered my entire family. My hands slowly placed themselves on the brilliant white keys as if they had never touched a piano before. I scanned my brain for a song, any song, to play for the waiting guest in front of me. But it refused to function with Oskar's dark blue gaze on me.

"Uh, is there anything you want me to play?" I asked awkwardly.

"How about," He hummed in thought. "So What by P!nk?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You listen to P!nk?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, smirking. "Yes? And?"

I smiled. "Nothing, just interesting."

"Just sing me a song, piano man."

I rolled my eyes, then glanced down at the keys. I glanced back up at him and smiled awkwardly.

"Bear with me for a second."

I started messing with chords, going through each one. Whenever I felt one was correct, I moved forwards, finding the next chord. Once I was sure I had found every chord within the song, it was time to find the notes.

It was a few more minutes before I had a decent grasp on how I was going to manage the song. I kept glancing at Oskar nervously, afraid I was boring him and he would end up leaving. Instead, he always looked fascinated, tilting his head curiously as he watched my actions. It made me feel fuzzy inside, seeing how interested he was.

"Sorry, I can start now, I just needed to do a little studying," I apologized. Before he could respond, I started playing.

It was different from the songs I normally played. Typically, I stuck with sweet, sappy songs. Songs that made you want to cry with a tub of ice cream and a blanket. So What was the opposite of that. Energetic, resentful, ready to prove the subject of the song wrong. It felt weird, but exciting.

"Na-na-na-na, na-na, na," I sang, letting force seep into my voice. "I guess I just lost my husband, I don't know where he went."

"So I'm gonna drink my money," Oskar joined in, his voice rich and perfectly pitched. "I'm not gonna pay his rent."

"Nope."

With each verse of the song, we traded off who was singing. For some reason, it felt natural, singing with Oskar. He did it beautifully, hitting each note with accurate precision. He also seemed to be getting into it, closing his eyes and letting himself embrace the music. My voice faltered as I watched him, taking in how excited he looked.

"I'm alright, I'm just fine," He belted, his voice ringing out. "And you're a tool, so SO WHAT?"

"I am a rockstar, I got my rock moves, and I don't need you tonight!"

"Woo-hoo!" Oskar shouted, jumping to his feet.

I let my fingers remain on the final keys, letting the last notes ring out. I stared up at Oskar, my mouth forming a dumbfounded grin. He glanced down at me, his dark blue eyes sparkling brightly. He laughed, his deep voice echoing through the room and causing my stomach to flutter violently.

"You're a really good singer," I commented.

"Well you're an amazing pianist? Did you even know the song before I asked you to play it?"

My face began to heat up at the comment. "Well I mean, I knew the song, but I didn't know the piano version."

"And you learned it in, what, five minutes?"

I glanced at the clock. "Yeah..."

"That's awesome!"

I felt my face burning, knowing it was beet-red. "Thanks."

Oskar sat back down in his chair, grinning from eye to eye. His bright white teeth shined bright in the fluorescent light, only adding to the sun-like nature of his appearance. He ruffled his short hair, fluffing it up again. I watched in mesmerization, his looks drawing me in.

"How long have you played piano?" He asked, tilting his head. I snapped back to focus.

"Uh, I think, maybe seven years?"

"That's really good considering you're, what, a junior?"

"Yeah."

"So for just under half your life you've been playing piano, and you're already so good at playing that you can play songs you've never played before after just five minutes!"

"A lot of people can do that," I muttered, trying to disqualify the praise. My face felt like it was about to light ablaze.

"Well, I certainly can't."

"That's because you haven't played piano before."

"Still can't just sit down and start playing pure gold."

I opened my mouth to keep arguing, but Oskar raised an eyebrow, silently challenging me. Met with his sharp gaze, I backed away from the challenge, closing my mouth. He smiled, his gaze softening.

I glanced at my watch. It was already 7:20, meaning I would need to get going soon if I wanted to get work done before the first period. But I didn't want to just leave Oskar randomly, when it seemed he was enjoying his time in the band room. At least, I hoped he was.

"Is there anything else you'd like me to play before school starts?"

He looked off into space, contemplating the question. After a moment, he shrugged.

"I have no offers, you can just play whatever you feel like," Then he quickly added, "If you want to, of course."

Before I could answer, the door to the band room swung open. Oskar and I's heads whipped towards the door, where Mrs. Harin stood. She glanced between us, confused, slowly letting the door close behind her. She took a few cautious steps, her gaze finally landing on Oskar.

"Only music kids in the band room, Mr. Hashim," She said politely. He smiled politely back, nodding.

He stood up and began moving to his bag as I blurted, "He is a music kid."

Mrs. Harin and Oskar paused, looking at me with confused expressions. My eyes flicked between the two of them, my brain rapidly searching for a support to my claim. Mrs. Harin cleared her throat, adjusting her grip on her items.

"I was not aware Mr. Hashim was a music student," She said slowly. "When did he become a music student?"

"Today," I answered hastily. "He wants to learn piano so I said I would teach him."

Oskar raised his eyebrows, smirking. Mrs. Harin raised her eyebrows as well, glancing at Oskar in surprise.

"Is this true, Mr. Hashim?"

"It is, Mrs. Harin."

She nodded. "Very well then. But I would advise going to your classes soon to be ready."

With that, she turned on her heels and stepped into her office, quietly closing the door behind her. I watched her carefully, then turned to Oskar, who was grinning widely. I felt my face heat up, and my heart started beating faster.

"So I'm learning piano?" He asked, amused. I shrugged sheepishly.

"I guess so."

"Well then," He said, grabbing his bag and moving for the door. "Guess I'll see you again, teacher."