Broken Me

Breaking Apart

" I never thought that I would ever see myself, questioning my very own state of health. My life was just like a movie scene, but in the end you still lied to me"

                                                                                       --Breaking Apart by Hello Ramona

     Horrible shrieks were coming from the piano as Aria recklessly butchered one of my beloved classics. I felt heart strings being manipulated inside my chest, and not in the good way. Reminding myself to breath, I gave the attention greedy girl a half hearted smile. Being a prodigy had it's down sides; everything came easy to you while everything took forever for someone else.

     "That was good!" I lied through my pretty little teeth, struggling to keep positive. She grinned back at me, a good paced learner with an even patience. I enjoyed my time with her, I really did, but couldn't Aria speed this up a tad faster? This was a piece of cake! At least I think.

     "Really? You mean it! Cause DL said I suck a lot and that Mommy should've-" Aria rambled, and if I didn't stop her we'd be in for a good ten minutes of endless babble.

     "Don't let his negativity get to you, call him a meanie for me. Now onto line seven, no ifs ands or buts!" I quickly silenced her and she began on the next line. I was pleasantly surprised to find she had practiced last night and the song sounded perfect. A genuine smile settled over my features as I hummed along to the tune. In a matter of seconds she was done and I was satisfied. Writing critique in her music book for practice and future quizzes, I wondered how Alex was behaving for poor Sam. Hopefully good. Probably not.

     "Anyways, I'll see you next week Aria!" I chirped, giving her a hug before she bounced out the room singing goodbye. Allowing myself another smile, I pressed an ivory key myself, reveling in the feeling. I was itching to play a new song I had memorized the other day. I had stumbled across piano notes to the song "Up All Night", not exact to be honest, but close enough to the tune you could tell. Blink 182 fan girl moment, yes? Yes. Tsking to myself, I found my fingers already playing the song, making a promise for just one song. Then that one song morphed into two, then three, and at ten I almost had to throw myself on the ground.

     "Bad Rose, bad bad bad!" I scolded myself, alternating from slapping my hands. I just about gave myself whip lash when I heard a chuckle from the door way. Jace was staring at me, an unlit cigarette in his mouth. I glared at him, shaking my head slowly.

     "Why'd you stop, Rosie?" Jace's question was innocent enough, yet I knew all too well the underlying tone. His eyes were rimmed red, and his face was paler than usual.

     "What's wrong with Jasey?" I asked softly, knowing the response could go either way. Jace was like a younger brother, and Jasey was a second mother. Jasey was young at heart however, she was off in the upper class one day and in the slums the next. A diverse person who got lost in the bustle of a big city.

     "She was in the ER last night, some thugs jumped her," Jace sniffled slightly, pulling his worn brown jacket closer. My heart sunk, I got up to comfort him. Jace angled his body away from mine shaking his head slightly. I dropped my already out reached hand, instead hugging myself.

     "Jasey's ok now, right?" I spoke loud enough for only him to hear. He nodded, his eyes dull. It was hard on him, Jasey went out every night when he was younger, and just recently had stabilized her life. To an extent of course though, because if it wasn't wild it wouldn't be her. Jasey was one of those people who could be a motherly figure, but would never be quite a mother herself. She wanted to be a friend more than anything.

     "I wanted to know if you guys could move in, to help me watch her," Jace was pleading with me and I was listening. A part of me wanted to know how badly she was hurt. Another part was screaming to say yes, to start packing the second I got home.

     "They broke her leg and tried to slit her throat Rose. She could've died, she's lucky to be alive," Jace broke down, tears sliding down his face. At that time I reached out and pulled him into a hug. This was the second time she'd been jumped, but it was never this bad. I mean, who would even consider attacking a forty year old woman? Jace was barely legal, I hugged him close as he sobbed into the crook of my neck. This was just crazy, even by Jasey's standards.

     "Can she talk? When's she coming home Jace?" I mumbled  as Jace hiccuped louder. I hugged him even tighter, knowing exactly how it felt.

     "In a month, and she can't talk now but they said that she'd be able to in a while," Jace had calmed down and I was trying to calculate how this would work. Most importantly, how I would tell Sam. I mean, Jasey had enough space for us to move in, the house had a billion rooms. It was just the time constraints. As a child, her house was like a big haunted mansion everyone stayed away from. But once you stepped inside it was a different story. I wouldn't mind living there.

    "Okay, I'll talk to Sam and I'll see when I can pack." I let go of him, quickly explaining I needed to go home, and turned to leave. My mind was racing a million miles a second. Could I leave behind my falling apart apartment for a home fit for upper middle class? In a heartbeat, especially for Alex's sake. But how could I leave Sam? He could afford a better apartment but he, no I, needed him to be here. With a burst of determination, I decided Sam was coming with us, whether he liked it or not. Plus it's not like we'd stay there forever. Just until everything settles down. Right now I think I could go for a good hug and a good helping of music.

     Lots and lots of music.

~/~/~/~

    "So will you move with us Sam?" I kept eye contact with his stormy grays. They always made me shiver, almost like they were foretelling of a storm. Alex was down for her nap, not knowing that her life was about to be turned upside down. I placed my hand on top of his, squeezing his fingers tightly.

     "Please?" I begged, holding my breath. This was one of those things where you couldn't just dive in head first. You needed someone to be there for you.

     "Fine!" Sam sighed, rolling his eyes. I broke into a grin, hugging him. He couldn't say no to helping Jasey. She had given him a place to sleep when his dad kicked him out when he first came out. Now it was our turn to help.

     "You won't regret it at all!" I whispered before letting go. We'd have a proper house while we stayed, it was farther away from the heart of the city. In the upper side, with gated communities and D class celebrates. Now to tell Oliver or not. I could conveniently forget to tell him we're leaving, lose his number, and just disappear. That would work.

     "What's this about moving?" Oliver asked with eyebrows raised, as the front door shut with a slight click. Why'd I ever give him the key?

     "MOMMY!" Alex screamed from her crib, her high voice answering for me.

     "I only do it for you," I mumbled to myself, brushing past Oliver to get to my baby.

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A/N: I updated! It's an OK length right? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Ohmygosh it's midnight, so don't hate me if I don't get all the spelling errors. Oh and if any of my readers play piano, please correct me if I ever say anything not possible. I only took lessons for a little while before going "I don't like it!" and moving onto the guitar. Just for you guys to know, the next chapter is going to be another flashback, ok? Until next time!