237 Days

Chapter 21 James

Celestia and I's relationship was going perfectly, we would go out to lunch together, play music, study, hang out at each other's houses, laugh, and smile together. It was perfect, I never imagined I would find this kind of person, someone who would make me dream even when I was awake.

Christmas break was in a couple of days, so the midterms are starting. I haven't seen Celestia since yesterday morning, when I picked her up from the conservatoire, she headed home, and did not speak a word during the whole drive, when I tried calling her, she did not pick up so I ended up leaving a message. I asked her mother, but she told me that she was locked all day in her room, the cook Ivan and Greta told me that they heard the piano playing for a couple of hours before silence filled the flat again.

She was not opening her bedroom door to receive any food, the home workers told me that she took some leftovers from the fridge before heading toward the bedroom, but it was one meal. it was not going to feed her for almost 24 hours.

After showering, I decided to head over to her house today too, so I can try and talk her out of her room so we can figure things out. I haven't been feeling so good myself either, I have been going through some shitty switches all day long and didn't get much sleep either, but the gym and the pills helped.

"Hi Greta, Is she out of her room?" I asked putting my things on the table and hanging my jacket. "Nop, try talking with her, her mother knocked on her door, but she said she was studying," Greta said sighing, leaving toward the kitchen again.

When I knocked on her door nothing happened, no sound, nothing, just silence. "Celestia, baby, you have been in your room forever, open the door, pretty please princess?" I said knocking another time.

But everything was silent.

"Celestia?" I said when I heard a small sound coming from inside the bedroom.

Ok, she is okay.

But is she?

Suddenly my phone lit up with a message, when I picked it up I saw that it was Celestia.

Celestia: James leave please I'm busy studying.

James: You haven't been out forever, Open your door.

Celestia: James, I love you but just leave, please.

James: Open.The.Door.

"Celestia listen to me carefully, you either open that door or I will break it down," I exclaimed tucking the phone in my back pocket and taking two steps back.

When I was getting ready to open the door my way, I heard the lock sound then Celestia appeared in front of me, wearing a white hoodie with some grey sweatpants her hair braided, and her eyes bloodshot.

"Have you slept?" I asked looking at her tired face, entering the room.

"yes"

"For how long baby? You look so tired."

"About two hours, I have no time to sleep," she answered moving forward into her room and this is when I followed her.

The food platter was placed on the bedside table completely untouched, two water bottles were lying empty in the trash, her mini piano was turned on with her headphones plugged in lying on the bed, along with tons of school manuals everywhere in the room.

"I had no time tidying up," she said as I looked around.

"You haven't eaten?" I asked my voice sounding mad

"No time," she answered sounding dry.

"What aren't you telling me, Celestia? I know something's wrong." I spoke sitting on the bed calmly.

"Nothing's wrong, I just have exams." She said dropping on her chair so hard I thought it was going to break.

"Talk to me love, please," I said walking toward her sitting figure.

"I have a piano exam at the conservatoire in two days, but the thing is I don't know what I am going to play, it's some advanced level exam, that I extremely despise doing, I had one when I was younger but I figured now it would be a lot harder. And the midterms, starting tomorrow too, are freaking me out." She let out a breath shakingly.

Looking at her, I thought of a way of helping her, but then, she dropped her face on the desk shaking it.

"It's going to be okay baby, I will help you train for your Music test, and you studied a lot for the midterms this past week, you shouldn't worry, you will pass."

She did not answer, she just shook her head and sighed loudly.

I started playing with her hair comforting her.

"You don't understand James," she spoke looking at me but quickly taking her gaze off of mine.

"What don't I understand?"

"I have to get an amazing score on both of those, just passing isn't an option," she said, rubbing her eyes with force.

"All you have to do is pass, princess." I insisted but she shook her head again.

"But they will get disappointed." When she said that I dropped slowly on my knees in front of her turning her head lightly so she would look at me.

"Who will?"
She murmured an answer I could not quite catch.

"Louder princess."

"My parents," She said, not looking at me anymore.

I sighed slowly looking around before suggesting "I will help you study." I said, holding her hands, and shaking them lightly.

"What about your exams?" She asked

"Baby, don't worry about me, I have already finished studying," I reassured her, smiling.

-

"Okay play this now," I said handing her Mariage d'Amour

When she saw what I handed her, she looked at me and frowned "I have never played this before." She said examining the music sheet.

"I know that's why I chose it. Wasn't it the purpose of that exam? Playing something you have never tried before?" I asked, sitting on the desk chair facing her sitting figure on the piano bench.

"Yes but-" she started but I cut her off by shaking my head "Don't stress about it my love, take your time before starting, it's going to be okay."

She nodded, placed her hand gently on the keys, took a deep breath, and started playing, slowly, when the sound of keys formed a melody she closed her eyes and got absorbed into the music, feeling it.

Her fingers flew on the keys, her body moved at the music Rhythms. She looked mesmerizing, she looked relaxed, in her element, simply happy.

When she was done, she gently opened her eyes, the smile leaving her face.

"Why are you looking at me like that" she asked

"Like what?" I asked smiling

"Like hearts are going to burst out of your eyes" she answered my rhetorical question half-jokingly.

"I am so proud of you, baby, you are going to Ace that exam, you played so well," I said hugging her tightly before kissing her lips gently.

"Thank you J, I love you." When she said those words, I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest and break my rib cage just so it could be safely with her.