Violet Rescue

Day 12. Dad meets Tom.

They both came back. " Violet?" Tom asks. I guess they couldn't see me. "Violet Night? Where are you?" My dad called and tried to find me. I sat up. "Hi." They both gave a sigh of relief. I noticed then just how much they seemed alike. My dad moved into the kitchen and started washing dishes. Tom set across from me. I turn around to see my dad. "Dad don't you have to be at work?" "Yes. but," he put the towel down, "If they can't paint a wall without my supervision, well then they're useless." He smiles and gets tiramisu out of the freezer. He comes over and sits beside me. We eat out of the bucket, "So, Tom where are you from?" he hands Tom a bowl of the tiramisu. "I was actually born here in New York but," he paused for a second because he was taking a bite. "but we moved to Florida shortly after to take care of my grandparents. Sadly now they've both past, so we moved back." My dad took another bite, "So, if you don't mind me asking, what do your parents do?" He looked up from his gelato. "They are performers. My mother is in ballet and my father is a dramatic actor." I hadn't asked him these questions, I guess it didn't matter to me but it was very interesting. "Really?" I squeak out. "Yeah." He repiles with a another big spoon full. "Tom that's really cool." "Thanks." "Is your mom where you learned to dance?" "Yeah, we had a studio out in Florida." My dad spoke up, "Very interesting." I came to a realization, "Wait, if your dad is a dramatic actor where do you get all humorous charming ways?" I smile at him. "Ha. Ha. It's all original." He smirks at me and my dad has his spoon in his mouth and smiles while looking back and forth between us. "You guys are cute." And takes another bite. "Dad!" I slapped him on the arm. "What? I'm just saying." He said as he got up. Tom and I smile and roll our eyes at each other. "So, what do you kids want to do today? After I call the school of course." I get up to get movies. I pick up three, Before Sunset, Subway, and The Count of Monte Cristo(French, four-part). "These are all French films," Tom says as I sit back down. "Yes, well not all of them. Before Sunset is just set in France." I say and smirk at him. My dad orders pizza before we start The Count of Monte Cristo. "Violet, you're like my best friend and all but I really don't want to watch The Count of Monte Cristo." He smiles at me sympathetically.  "Me either actually, what about The Great and Powerful Oz?" "Yeah, okay." Tom says and smiles. My father pays for the pizza that got here faster than any pizza has ever gotten anywhere. We eat a bit and my father asks, "So, Tom where do you hope to go to college?" "Juilliard sir. I've got high hopes." I smile a bit at my father and he at me. "That's great Tom." I say. "What about you, Violet?" "Well Juilliard is amazing. But I also love NYU." "Cool." "Violet Night, do you remember when you use to be sick we would watch The Wizard of Oz?" Dad asked while putting on The Great and Powerful Oz. "Of course I do dad." I laid my head on his shoulder and we watch the film. Afterward, my dad actually called the school. He also had some business calls to make. I brought Tom into my room to hang out. He starts looking around, picking up objects and putting them down. Reading the blurps on some of my books. "You have a impressive collection." He says. "Thanks," I reply and watch him continue around my room. He stops in front of a picture of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. "This is cute." I walk over to him and look at the picture too. "I love this. And them. They were so amazing. Best friends for so long and they could play a couple without ever being one. Just amazing." "Why do you like NYU?" He's looking at me. "It's where my parents went and where they met." "Oh. Understandable then." He looks back at the picture. I look at him and smile, "Why do you want to go to Juilliard?" He turns to me and pulls me to him. "What are you doing?" His hand is on the small of my back, the other he uses to gently push my hair behind my ear and touches my face, then he kisses me. A soft kiss. My first kiss. Then it's over. We move away from each other. "Well." I say. "Yes, well, um, you know I've never actually heard you play piano." He says. I take his hand and lead him into our leisure room. Our apartment isn't really apartment it's a penthouse. We have a kitchen, living room, my parents room with a bathroom, my room with a bathroom, and then a spare room. We keep it filled with intresting things, posters of plays that happen at Lincoln Center, photographs of us and friends and relatives, guitars and ukuleles and flutes and a harp and a cello and most importantly the piano in the middle of the room. We walk over to it and I sit behind. "I'll watch from here." "Okay." I reply. I stroke the keys. Then I announce that the song I will play is from a friend and that I think it compliments the room . I play and he watches. I look up at one point and notice that his not looking but has his eyes close listening, absorbing, understanding and feeling. This room is like a art gallery of sorts and it is like magic with the right music. When I'm done he says, "That was absolutely beautiful." He comes around the piano and sits with me. "I can't play anything not even Joy to the World." He looks down at the keys and I play Joy. "Well I feel stupid." I smile and laugh a little. "I've played so much it's like when you learn a second language. It's like I could talk notes. B flat, A, B flat, A, B flat, A, B flat, A. It's so natural." "That's the way it's supposed to be." My dad said from the door frame. Tom straighten up, (was it because of our kiss?) We followed my dad out to the living room where he had turned on the news. It was already 6 o'clock. "Where did the day go?" Tom  unmuted the TV and sat back on the couch. The TV spoke loud, "In sadder news this afternoon a young man of 17 years of age was found dead in his bathroom this morning. The young man was 'speeding' and overdosed. He was a student at STEM High School of New York. We have a closing statement from the young man's parents, 'We want to say thank you to those who have sent the regards and to those who were the friends of our son. Andrew was a charming and talented young mam. We ask that you please respect our privacy during this time and also ask that you watch out for you kids. You don't always see the signs and symptoms.' Those are the closing statements of the family. We now have a story about the drugs the young man was..." I zoned out after that. "That's absolutely terrible." I say. Tom stands up, "Is that the time? I'm so sorry. I have to go." "Thank you for today, sir." He was right by the door. I walked to the door to say goodbye, "Tom are you alright?" "Yeah I just have to get home." "Okay I'll see you tomorrow." I shut the door behind him. "That was weird." My dad says, "Totally," I say back. Later that night as I was falling asleep I wondered about that kiss. What did it mean? Music. Focus.