SHORT STORIES COMPILATION

Chapter 8: Public Aquarium

"Why did you come here again?"

Lorraine asked with a frown on her face when she saw Jay inside their house the next day.

She was inside the garden, watering the plants. She's doing it to busy herself since she couldn't stop thinking about Jia ever since last night.

"I'm here because we need to practice." Jay answered.

Lorraine rolled her eyes.

"I told you, I don't want to be your partner. I don't want to play the piano again. I hate it." She stated.

Jay didn't believe her.

"You're lying. If you really hate playing the piano then you won't be able to play it beautifully last night."

Lorraine got taken aback and got frozen from her feet. He saw her doing that? She thought the guy wasn't around when she played the piano last night. She thought she's just alone.

"Go away," Lorraine said coldly.

Instead of getting hurt because of getting rejected by the pianist for three consecutive times, Jay remained being a hard headed.

"Why don't you come with me? Let's go out. It will help you to feel better." he said.

Lorraine looks at him from head to toe and noticed his shoelace being untied again.

She stops herself not to get bothered by it.

"You go yourself. I would feel better if you'll just leave me alone."

She was about to go back watering the plants, but Jay steals the hose she was holding and set it aside before holding her hand so she can't run away from him.

"You will come with me." Jay commanded and smiled sweetly at her before completely dragging Lorraine outside the house.

"This is kidnapping! I will report you to the police!" Lorraine shouted as Jay brought her to his motorbike.

"If you're going to report me, can you do it later? You need to come with me first then I'm not going to stop you from reporting me after."

Lorraine shut her mouth close and didn't speak. She's busy thinking if she should trust the guy or not, but Jay already wear the helmet to her so she was left with no choice but to hop on the motorbike with him.

##

"What are we doing here?" Lorraine asked in surprise when they finally arrived at their destination.

They are currently in front of a large public aquarium and she's so clueless as to why the guy have brought her here.

"We're going see different kinds of sea creatures." Jay answered.

"I know that, but why would we do such thing?" Lorraine asked again.

"Because it's fun!"

Well, Lorraine doesn't seem to see it as a fun thing to do.

"I'll go home," She said.

She turned her back and was about to leave, but Jay held her hand to stop her from leaving.

"Don't go, please..." he pleaded.

Lorraine looks at their hands and she did feel a sudden electricity rushing inside her.

Jay also felt the same, by just held her hand tighter.

"Come with me,"

He said before entering the public aquarium with the girl.

Lorraine thought she won't enjoy entering the public aquarium because she finds it boring...

But the stingray, the giant octopus, the whales, the turtles, the penguins, the sharks, the seals, and the dolphins...

They are all beautiful.

Lorraine's mouth hang open and her eyes can't almost believe what she's seeing because of the breathtaking scenery infront of her.

Everything around them has a shade of blue. It seems like they're walking freely in a deepest ocean.

"Look! That dolphin looks exactly like you!" Jay said as he pointed the dolphin infront of them.

Lorraine doesn't know if she should be happy or angry at the guy for saying that. But it made her smile a little.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yes,"

"How come?"

"Well, dolphins are intelligent. They are chatty and like to blow bubbles. But they're cute, right?"

"But I'm not chatty." Lorraine declared.

"Aren't you chatty before?"

Lorraine thought about it for a couple of seconds. Well, maybe when she was a kid, she's a little chatty. But how did the guy know about that?

"Your mom told me." Jay answered with a smile as if he can read her mind.

"That whale over there, do you know that they like to play? Also those penguins, they all love having fun and playing..."

"Why are you telling that to me?" Lorraine confusedly asked.

"To tell you that even sea creatures has something that they like to do... How about you Lorraine? What do you like and enjoy doing?"

I like playing piano.

Lorraine wants to answer that, but she can't just said those words out loud.

"About your friend... Did she tell you what she likes to do?" Jay asked.

The girl hesitates to answer it, but she still does.

"Yeah, she told me that she likes playing in the rain... that she'd rather die while playing in the rain than to die while playing her violin alone."

"That time, it was raining, right?" Jay asked a question again.

Lorraine's heart was aching remembering it, but she still continued to answer his question.

"Yes..."

She felt Jay held her hand. She looks at their hands when the guy gently squeeze it.

"You know what? I would also choose to die doing what I like than to die without doing it. Your friend, Jia... I know it's really sad that she died in such a young age, but at least she's happy that she gets to do what she likes before dying, right? What about you? Do you really want to stop doing what you like and die without doing it?" Jay asked.

Lorraine didn't notice her tears starting to fall down.

It took her a minute to look away as she doesn't want the guy to see her crying.

She clenched her fist.

She wasn't mad at Jay because what he said is actually right.

Just by thinking that she'll stop playing the piano forever, it feels like her world would crumble.

She loves playing the piano with all of her life. She can't live without it.

Jay took a step forward and gave Lorraine a comforting hug. He also held the back of her head to bury it on his chest and let her cry while he's hugging her.

Lorraine let herself to cry on his arms.

Until now, she's still blaming herself for what happened to her friend. She thought that she doesn't deserve to play the piano again because she chose to play it than to play with her.

But during that time, Jia and her just choose what they like to do. And it just happened that Jia was the one who died, but for sure she didn't regret playing in the rain because that's what she likes doing the most.

Lorraine closed her eyes and hug Jay back.

Why did she just realize it now?

But thanks to this guy, she can now finally breathe comfortably.