Muffled Ode
By: Jiapoti
She was at the halls of Julliard, engrossed on fixing the things in her locker. She was talking with a friend from the piano class, but still didn’t bother removing the huge headphones on her ears. She looks amazing wearing it.
I was sitting at the bench across the lockers, waiting for her to see me.
It seemed like it was just yesterday that it happened. I had recoiled once again from remembering the memory. But as I sit, I closed my eyes and reminisced that moment like having a dream. It is a memory that is bad, yet good dream. I played it again all over in my head.
The Asian Academy for the Performing Arts is screening the freshmen for specific specializations in the field of the performing arts.
Five talents out of a thousand played in the stereos of the school. At first, I didn’t know why I was being watched right after my audition when I went out of the double doors carrying my saxophone. Or why I was being lead to a different set of chairs that looked far more special than the others. I was conscious of the stare given to me by the other freshmen but then that’s when I first saw her, I couldn’t care anymore.
She was talking with a girl that day, smiling, but her smile didn’t touch her eyes. I moved closer at the side of the other girl she was talking to. Just to get a better glimpse of the girl’s smile. I was right. She really does have sadness in her eyes. I couldn’t tell much but there’s something inside me that sparked a concealed sadness too. It felt heavy. The spark flared up inside that all I can think about was to take care of her, to protect her. That’s right; I felt weird-out that day too.
The feeling was like having a burning sensation without the fire. Like the feeling before you perform at a large crowd of critics. I felt scared; I looked away before I feel anything else.
When the other two was seated, the five of us have been called for a meeting that same day. We found out that we are the chosen five to study in Julliard, the biggest pilot school of the performing arts and the most popular in the entire world. It appears that the odds are in our favor in that screening
In the judges’ result of scores, I was the chosen as the pin-up. And I don’t want it.
Changes and preparations came up. Practices and parties took place. The two of us have been closer than I expected. I feel things that I couldn’t explain.
I’m in love? Nah, I’m not sure.
Two months after, the day came. I had decided. We we’re at the airport waiting for our scheduled boarding time, I stood up and walked toward her, easily having to, for her chair is just behind my seat. I don’t know what came up toward me to have the courage to talk to her alone.
I stood in front of her, her eyes were closed. The light from the sun kissing her face from outside the glass windows.
She’s listening to something from her huge headphones again that seem too big for her small face, but still, I love how she looks wearing it.
I could just stare at her forever and I will not even get tired of doing it.
She stirred, opened her eyes and squinted at me. I didn’t realize that I was hovering in front of her.
“Hey Frey, why are you blocking the sun?” she smiled at me sincerely. I just stared at her. It felt heavenly to hear my name coming out of her mouth.
“You don’t have to give me that look you know, don’t look so panicked.”
She faced the empty seat beside her.
