The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know

Where did Brendon come from?

Where did Brendon come from?

"You know Ryan, I haven't been swimming in forever," Brendon ended up telling me one February night at the Aubergine. I wasn't exactly sure how we had ended up on that topic, but it didn't matter. I would listen to Brendon no matter what he was saying.

"You can swim in Kale University pool whenever you want," I said. "It's open whenever the swim team isn't practicing."

"I didn't know that," Brendon said. "Maybe we should go there together."

"That's not a bad idea," I said as I gently placed my fingers on the piano keys. "Are you free tomorrow afternoon?"

Brendon grinned as he took a seat next to me on the piano bench and gently wrapped his arms around me. "I'm free tomorrow afternoon, Ryan," he said. "This sounds like so much fun."

"I think so too," I said, smiling.

The show went especially well that day. Brendon had given me a piano part for the love ballad that he had added to our set, so I got to play along with Brendon and Spencer on that song. The tune had since become a fan favorite, and it had found a special place in my heart as well. That song was the closest thing that I had to proof that Brendon truly loved me. After all, he always dedicated it to me before we played it.

However, there were other things on my mind. My grades in Public Policy still weren't great, I had a paper due in two days for Morals, Values, and Ethics, and I had promised Pete that I would set him up with Patrick. How was I supposed to do all of that and go on a date with Brendon? I cared about Brendon more than anything else in my life, but I did have other concerns.

After the show, I left quickly, although I promised Brendon that we would have more time to talk the next day. When I returned to Flack Hall, I typed up a rough draft for my Morals, Values, and Ethics paper and studied my Public Policy notes. I knew that I was keeping Patrick up, but he had a lot to do too. He was still catching up from the week of school that he missed, along with all of his new assignments. The two of us didn't go to bed until it was well past midnight.

The next day, after I edited my philosophy paper, I met Brendon outside the McBean Aquatic Center. He was just as stunning and beautiful as he always was, and I took a few deep breaths to keep my heart from racing. "Hey Ryan," he said.

"Hi Brendon," I said. "I still can't believe that you've never been here. I've only been here once, but I'm still a freshman."

Brendon shrugged and said, "I didn't know that it was available for open swim."

I laughed and said, "Did you think that they built a pool just for the swim team kids? Kale's swim team isn't even that good."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought," Brendon said as he took my hand. "Let's go inside." Brendon and I walked up to the door, but when Brendon went to open it, the door wouldn't open. "Ryan, it's locked!" he exclaimed. "What do I do?"

"You can just scan your Kale University ID card and the door will open," I said.

Brendon went pale and said, "I lost my ID card."

I rolled my eyes and pulled out my ID card. "I'll open the door, but you should go to the Shufflebottom Center and get a new card. How do you get into your residence hall?"

"I live off campus, remember?" Brendon said.

"You should still get a new ID," I said as I scanned my card. The door opened, and Brendon and I entered the aquatic center. Almost immediately, we got lost. "Where are the locker rooms?" I asked as Brendon and I wandered through the building, unsure of how to get into the pool.