Catharsis

Chapter I

The melody didn't seem right.

Four hours of perfecting a seemingly still melody, Edward began to flow down from his high. Flow, because the high of creating a new tune had taken nearly an hour to wear off.

He was playing a soft, slow tune which would not be out of place in a contemporary romantic flick. He closed his eyes and let his fingers flow. That, he believed, was the way music should be created. After all, it was just another way of expressing the mind. Why bother with tedious sessions of mulling over tones and notes. He only ever adjusted when something didn't sound right.

To him.

He had partaken in various recitals and had had accolades heaped upon him. The few he had failed to ace, he blamed on the judges' orthodox sense of music and unwillingness to accept it as it is. Courteously as he may put his thoughts across, the judges would see them as a slight, the kinder ones even marking him a 'wasted talent' and then inevitably, giving the prize to almost always, a lesser mortal. For the ones truly deserving never got the chance to showcase themselves. In this regard, Edward considered himself lucky enough to be able to perform and always stated so, which was always waved off as the usual show of humiliation, given his talent, as one judge was fortunate enough to remark on one of the biggest shows he had performed in.

"Not finding something right are you?"

Edward didn't even turn to acknowledge the presence of his roommate who, he was sure, wouldn't have finished changing.

"Hey Ed." Chase called out again, knowing full well the routine they did everyday.

"The pants." Chase could imagine his friend stifling a chuckle, still facing the Pianogrande.

Visibly exasperated, but with a hint of amusement on  his face, Chase marveled at the deduction skills of his friend of three years. "What was it this time?" he sighed.

"Twenty percent probability, owing to the fact that you can wear five garments at this time of the year without becoming a sponge for sweat." he smirked. "Including your undies."

"Yes, except the laws of probability don't seem to apply to you, do they?" Chase cocked an eyebrow.

Edward put the lid down on the piano and turned to face his roommate. "It becomes easier if the person in question has a habit of stripping before going to sleep." The corners of his lips turned up.

Chase blanched. "Well, I don't strip anymore, do I?" He adjusted his beanie to cover half his face, his wavy hair falling off on the other side, "and I like my beanie."

"Fifty percent is way too much for me to use, I say. Even that, after I reprimanded you about keeping up appearances. People would have begun to doubt us had you not given me that." Chase stared at him, incredulous. "And since its you, I have a feeling you would like to come out adjusting your underwear rather than the vest in the doorway. Indeed, most men do the latter."

"What if I was trying to wear the vest, though?" Chase demanded.

"Your elbow joints are a dead giveaway. And your shoulders. I would have heard them creak an while you were on your way here."

Chase laughed. "I beseech you to respectfully fuck yourself" he said and walked away towards the bath housing.

Edward couldn't help but smile at his friend's attitude towards ingenuity. Chase was one of the few people he could remotely call a friend.

A friend, eh?

He recalled the first time he had met Chase, it hadn't been like it usually was for people, a random encounter which involved the both of them suddenly realizing that they liked each others' company. No, nothing so far-fetched as that. Considering how he hated breaking the ice, he didn't think he would ever get a friend, or indeed, need one. Somehow Chase and he had started to talk, neither paying much mind to the others' presence, but enjoying themselves.