No Strings Attached

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I gaped at him. My cheeks turned flushed at his words. I could see a faint reflection on the window of myself. I looked at my reflection then back at Will. "Sure."

He grinned so widely; I was sure his cheeks hurt. "What song?"

"Let's do exile. That'll really test my limits." I crackled my knuckles, imitating a soccer coach. Will smirked at me and began playing the familiar notes. It seemed as if he was playing a piece off memory. His playing was much more than chords. He had the chords on his left hand, and played or contrasted the melody with his right.

His hands flowed like water on the piano, graciously following each note as they were tugging him my string, but still ask if he knew their every move. His body moved with the notes. I could see his emotions on every note. I saw him furrow his eyebrows and the corners of his mouth lift in a smile. His eyelids were low, and his gaze fixed on the piano.

I joined in with my voice in the second time he played the melody. They were a secret confession in a letter late in the night, rain pattering on the window. They were the whispered words of heartbreak and the whispered words of those never heard. I could never express in conversation why Taylor Swift hit so hard, but I could show anyone a song and it's as clear as a lake in summer.

The chorus was a low mesh of notes and words. Will used the pedal with hesitation but added it as part of the chorus. I sang with building voice. When we hit the bridge, Will joined in as Taylor, and I continued to sing Bon Iver.

The song ended when Will lifted his foot off the pedal. He stared at me with a soft expression. I returned it with an earnest smile. In the reflection, I saw my father smile the widest in the last few years. He walked away with silent footsteps.

"That was wonderful." He said, his head was turned downward, but his gaze was on me. I stared back at him with a similar expression. We stood there for ten seconds, staring and saying nothing, until Will's stomach made a loud noise.

"Oh, my gods." He muttered. He buried his face in his hands, but I could see hints of his teeth in a smile. "I'm so sorry. And embarrassed. Very embarrassed."

I put my hand on his shoulder, almost gripping it. "We can go and eat something. I told my dad that we'd eat at home, but I'm sure he won't mind if we eat out."

He looked up at me and held his head in his hands and smiled. "If you say so, di Angelo."

He got up and followed me to the living room. I found my dad, sitting on the sofa, engrossed in a book. He turned up to look at us and offered a small smile.

"Is it alright if me and Will go out to eat?" I asked him. Will stood in the background, smiling like an NPC. "We won't be far."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. I don't see why not. Be back soon."

I thanked him and wore my shoes. I brought Will outside to our picturesque neighbourhood. Flowers from Ms Persephone's Garden brushed up against our thighs as we went past our house. Petite birds that wore the colours of the rainbow as if it were a pride parade tweeted into the vast blue sky, Will hummed himself the song we were singing a few minutes ago.

We ended up at a small place that read 'Luka's Pizza'. The building was a glorified shack with bright red painting that made it look a boy's scouts meeting place. The dying petunias that lined the storefront, which were there a few weeks ago were switched out for sunflowers, each facing the sun without a care in the world.

Pop music played at maximum volume when we entered through the doors. It was my favourite from Red, Message in a Bottle. The bright music put me a good mood instantly, which was only amplified by Luke when he burst through into the main area from the kitchen.

"Nico! How're you doing?" He said. Luke was one Nico's favourite people. Ever since he had gotten his golden canine tooth, he had committed to looking and acting as much as a pirate. Everything from his clothes, which looked like they were a few centuries old, and the hook he proudly displayed on the counter told me he would be my best friend if we had gone to the same school at the same time. "Your father still hates me?"

"More than ever." I smiled.

"Nothing much new, then." He laughed with his belly, the sound hitting against the walls peeling rose printed wallpaper. He then noticed Will next to me admiring the pizza parlour in all it's rundown beauty. "But I guess some things have. Who's this?"

"I'm Will." Will smiled and leaned forward a bit. "This place is lovely. Reminds of a place back in Texas."

"Texas?" He leaned back. "Nice place. I've been there. Not as many horses and cowboys as I'd expect, though."

They both laughed. I knew from the first moment they were going to be friends. Good natured people always find each other.

"Ah! Nico, you've finally found yourself a boyfriend." He grinned and applauded. I gaped for a minute before my body could react. I became red in the face immediately.

"Not quite." I said, but my two words were interrupted by fits of giggling and choking for air. I managed to compose myself, but only too late, and only after Luke had raised both his eyebrows. "He's my friend."

"Still haven't moved on from Waterboy." Luke said, rolling his eyes. "But anyway, I'm not getting paid to give advice. What can I get for you, Nico and Will?"

I peered over and the menu and then at Will. He shrugged and stared at me in a similar way. "Could we please have one small pepperoni pizza?"

"Of course. Is that all?" He asked. I nodded and paid for the pizza.

Will and I took a table in the corner of the pizza place. It was a booth, which I thanked the gods for. Will sat down and felt at the place like a curious toddler. He grinned.

"You seemed pretty giggly earlier." He smirked at me. I groaned.

"I was caught off guard." I grinned. "You know full well I'm not going to date you."

And yet, I found myself staring into Will's endless blue eyes. If they resembled a midnight, I'd have called them a void. He rolled them at me.

"Whatever." He said. "This seems like a nice place."

"Nah. It's more Dominoes if anything." I said. "There are not many people here, but there are plenty of deliveries made. At least, that's what Luke says."

"Wait, Dominoes?" Will tilted his head. "I thought you'd hate Dominoes. Isn't it Americanised pizza or something?"

"That's why my father and Luke don't get along." I flashed him a lazy smile. He imitated my expression.

Will smiled. There was silence for a few moments before Will spoke up. "What did Luke mean by 'Still haven't moved on'?"

I blushed and looked down at my lap, at my crinkled jeans. I cleared my parched throat and stared back at Will. "I think it's kind of obvious."

Will bit his lips, the light pink now as red as cherries under the pressure. He raised one blond eyebrow and shot me a small smile. "Who is it?"

I turned even more red, my cheeks now the same temperature as Luke's oven. "It's . . . some guy."

He snorted. "Figured that one out. Who?"

"Fine! Percy Jackson." I said, trying to keep the smile off my face to no avail. Will squinted at me then grinned.

"Huh. Should have guessed. But you aren't too obvious with your social cues."

"Thank you."

"But you read people's emotions pretty well." Will stared absentmindedly at a painting of pizza in the parlour. "I mean, you don't do anything about it, but you can definitely read them. Kind of like an empath."

I stared at him with wide eyes. "How did you figure that out?"

"Newsflash: a quiet kid is always going to be assumed to observant, for better or worse." He said. He spoke mostly with hands and head movements. "And also, I'm pretty good at reading emotions myself."

I gave him an impressed nod. "Not bad, Solace."

"Not bad yourself, di Angelo."