Metronome (FOB FanFic ft. Tyler Joseph)

Chapter 5

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I fell forward, my head hitting the keyboard and a horrendous sound spewing from the speakers. I'd been working on the scales I was assigned all afternoon, all evening, and I hadn't perfected any of them except G major. And even then I hadn't truly perfected it, despite how many times Patrick made me play it for him.

"Since when did you play piano?"

I sat back up and glanced over my shoulder, seeing Tyler standing in the threshold between our bedroom and the hallway. His arms were crossed over his chest and a smirk was stretched across his face. My eyes widened.

"Um, I-I'm not," I stuttered in response to his question, collecting the pages I'd printed of the scales and shoving them in my bag, "I was just...trying to see what you'd been working on."

"You mean in this?" He retorted, holding up his notebook and waving it in the air teasingly.

I heaved a sigh, "Okay, you caught me." I stood up and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around him and resting my head on his chest, "I was just really bored so I decided I wanted to try and learn how to play piano."

"Oh, really?"

I nodded my head tiredly, it was past midnight, after all, and I hadn't gotten a good night sleep in days. "Yeah. Turns out I'm not very good, though."

"What are you talking about? I thought you were the next Mozart!" He retorted sarcastically, picking me up and making me squeal. He walked over to our bed and laid me down, lying down beside me and smiling. His brilliant smile quickly faded though as he tucked a piece of my blonde hair behind my ear and said, "I'm sorry I've been gone all day, Ev. Josh and I got talking and I totally forgot what time it was."

"It's okay," I replied, curling up next to him and closing my eyes, letting out a yawn, "You're here now."

Tyler looked down at me, a remorseful expression on his face as he watched me pass out from exhaustion. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead, placing a gentle kiss there.

"I'm also sorry for everything that's happened lately, Evie," He whispered, his lip beginning to quiver as guilt ate away at his insides. "There are so many things you don't know, things I'm afraid to tell you because it could lead to the end of us...and I don't want to lose you. I really don't, because I love you." Tears wavered in his eyes. "I just...I made a mistake."

My eyes fluttered open sleepily, "Huh?"

"N-Nothing," He assured me with a kind grin, "Just thinking out loud. Nothing you need to worry about. Go back to sleep."

I stared at him for a little before pecking his lips and turning away from him, getting more comfortable.

He heaved a sigh and tilted over on his back, staring up at the ceiling with his hands folded on his stomach.

*****

It was the next day and I was running down the halls of the college, pushing people out of the way as I darted around the corner. I skidded to a stop and entered the classroom, panting.

"You're late," He grumbled under his breath, walking down from the risers and approaching me, "I shouldn't even teach you today."

"Patrick, please," I begged, still trying to catch my breath, "I-I'm sorry. I just, I slept in and-"

"You slept in, huh?" He crossed his arms. "You want me to teach you how to play piano out of my own good will, yet you think it's all right to show up late."

"I'm only late by five minutes."

"Five minutes, fifteen minutes, same difference to me. You coming in late gives me the feeling like you don't care."

I chuckled in disbelief, "If I didn't care, I wouldn't have ran all the way here."

Patrick stared at me for a little before turning away from me, "Are you ready for your pop quiz?"

Shit. "Of course," I replied.

He spun around and flashed me a smile, "Oh, really?"

I set my bag down on the ground and walked over to the piano, sitting down on the bench and folding back the fall bar, placing my hands on the keys. "Do I look ready to you?" I gibed.

"You may look ready, but are you ready?"

"Are you going to keep interrogating me or are you going to let me play for you?"

He sighed, "By all means. That's what you're here to do anyways, right?"

I glanced down at the keyboard and took in a deep breath, closing my eyes.

Okay, Ev, you can do this. This is for Tyler. You mess up, it's not the end of the world. Patrick might make you feel like it is, but it's not. You can always find someone else to teach you.

I reopened my eyes and moved my hand down the keyboard, pressing the first key of the C major scale.