I wandered through the hallway with a book in one arm and my eyes glued to the floor. It was loud with the sound of students, the wind whistling through the grove of trees outside the open doors.
"Hey loser!" I kept my head down and quickened my pace. I was a nobody at this school, but neither did I want to be a somebody. It was difficult to explain. It was my last day at this crappy excuse of a school and I wished―so badly that for once that someone would miss me. That someone would care.
Making my way to the last class of the day, I was surprised to find a bouquet of white but wilted Chrysler Imperial Roses sitting almost mockingly on my desk. My most recent composition, stained red and shredded to pieces, accompanied the flowers. I was fuming on the outside, but honestly, I was scared. Nobody―I mean nobody―knows I write music.
Leo, the class president with molten brown eyes that stare into your soul, calmly disposed of the flowers. "everything okay?" he looked at me with imploring eyes made me want to spill all my troubles from the past five years. I simply nodded and shuffled back into my seat. He noticed that the conversation, if it even began, was over. He gave one last glance at me before sitting at the front of the class room. I stared wistfully at his retreating figure, knowing that there was unresolved tension between us.
"Hey, what's up with you and Le-" I quickly threw my hands over my classmate's, who unfortunately was my desk partner, mouth. "Vincent!" my eyes narrowed on his laughing expression as my own cheeks flamed. "There is nothing going on between us". His amused yet cocky expression did nothing to help with the blush growing undeniably redder. "Absolutely nothing is going on," I seethed as people began watching our interaction.
The truth was that I was once friends with Leo. Maybe more. I've always had a little crush on him. But he was, well, perfect. And I was far from being the prettiest girl or the smartest student. I wasn't worthy of his friendship. But thank god it was my last day. I didn't know if I could manage another day in this hell called high school.
Soon I found myself seated in my humble Kia Optima, on my way to my part time job. I turned on the radio, switching between stations before the cutest song came on. "follow my left hand right hand a slow motion"
Its been years since TFboy's Manual of Youth yet I still find myself giggling like a school girl every time it plays. Maybe it's because I wrote it. I mean maybe, just maybe.
I was in my first year of secondary school in China when I wrote the song. There was a boy who sat in front of me, I don't quite remember his name but I always called him coward. He was this skinny little thing but he was always filled with energy. He used to dance by himself in the studio after school, thinking that nobody was watching.
"Coward? Why are you always alone?" He had these chocolate eyes that I wanted to melt into, it was those eyes that made me want to protect him.
"I'm not alone. My brothers are always with me, they just don't go to this school." He smiled wistfully at the ceiling. "But I do feel lonely without them."
My heart went out for the boy lying covered in sweat on the floor. I handed him my little notebook filled with music notes and lyrics. "Maybe this will help". He gazed into my eyes, "thank you."
It's been years since I moved to America and away from my childhood. My parents claimed that it was the country of opportunity, I highly doubted it. At school I might be a nobody, but when hidden behind the screen, I'm a singer, a producer, a songwriter.
I'm talented.
My name is Angelina, and I'm famous but only online.
