The Final Season One Shots By -Sheol- [ENGLISH Translation]

The Pianist

The Pianist

Louis was lying in his seat, the seat that was propped on the floor modestly in front of the detuned and sloppy piano that he had found so many years ago in a room at the Ericson school. Looking at the keys, with his fingers resting on the ones that would start the song that he spent so much time practicing, wanting to make sure he was ready, if it was not another failed attempt to hit a key or choke on his movements in the middle of the melody, he wanted to feel that what he was doing was worth it, that his art was enough to compensate for the sound of a piano that has not been tuned in 8 years.

Louis had no talent for music, none, absolutely no talent, never took a single piano class or met a pianist, he just found that amazing instrument, and decided he wanted to start playing it, as soon as the apocalypse began.

He wanted to distract himself from the pain of everything around him, he wanted to get rid of all the adults around him for a while, and the music was his medicine.

It was bad in this and lacked any talent, that was clear, that was more than clear when Marlon, his best friend, wrote on one side of the piano "Your music is crap".

What was a joke? Bah, that wants you to believe, right?

Louis felt betrayed, it felt horrible to know that his best friend for over 8 years already thought about his music, something to which he devoted years of practice, just because he had no talent. Because of course, he has permission to say it, he is a guitarist, he has real talent and he takes classes from the youngest.

"One day we will find a new guitar and we will tour the country, Minnie."

"One day we will amaze everyone with our music, Minnie."

"With your beautiful voice and my guitar, we could guide everyone to a quieter life, Minnie."

Everyone loves Minnie, she is the perfect girl, Violet's girlfriend, super close with everyone, super talented, always singing for all to hear, and everyone loves her.

Oh, but Louis nooo, right?

"It's late Louis, stop playing, it's annoying to sleep."

"You'll attract walkers, Louis."

"You should leave that piano, Louis, it distracts you from the important thing."

Fuck. Everybody.

Who cares what Violet says? Who cares what Mitch creates?

I know I'm going the right way.

I know it.

UGH!

His fists hit the keys of the piano, causing a deafening sound that echoed throughout the room with closed doors, while the boy got up from his seat, looking at the keys of that instrument with hatred. His breathing was shaking just imagine, just imagine the shame they felt all of him, just imagine that every key touch would bother someone who is resting.

Both doors of that room open, never close them, they told him never to close them in case someone has to come to see that he stops playing, or that it is too late, fortunately, he did not refuse to do so.

Both doors opened at the same time, and of course, it was the charming prince himself, Marlon, the leader everyone needs.

Weird greetings, Marlon asks him what happened, and Louis tells him nothing, logically.

Marlon knows that something is not right, and when Louis simply tells him to leave, he stays still, analyzing what happens, he realized at the moment that Louis was frustrated by how he looked at that detuned machine.

Marlon was about to turn around and leave when he heard Louis dragging the bench in fury back into place, sitting down, and giving a key, a serious key, so loud that it could be heard outside. Marlon was not going to leave that.

Three seconds passed in which Marlon realized, had to turn around, something was happening, and the moment he put his eyes on Louis, his fingers were already moving to give life to a new melody, one that until today I never listen in its entirety.

His eyes burned, it was as if there really were flames in his eyes as he played the first notes of a long and complicated melody, one in which he was always wrong.

It started as simple quiet and sweet notes, but soon became an eradicating melody, intense, full of emotion, full of life, with the fingers of Louis not moving like a machine, not like professional pianists, he was playing something that he loved, he was showing that he loved him, and neither Violet, Mitch, Omar or Marlon would stop him.

His face was getting closer and closer, while his back was slowly learning to that piano, biting one of his lips with force, while with anger and anger he played that song so aggressive, but so harmonious at the same time, the peace between the chaos.

The only words that were heard when I played the last note of that piece when I was looking at the piano with his face full of drops of sweat, and tears that came from his eyes, were words of Marlon and were words that Louis really I wanted to hear

"I was wrong when I said that you are not a great pianist .."

The two of them had a long talk that night about what was going on between them, about their friendship, about Minnie, and about Louis 'talent, Louis' nonexistent talent.

A day later, Louis, Marlon, and Minnie, both gave a concert for everyone in the group, the happiest day of Louis's life.

And then AJ committed a horrible act.

Louis never touched that song again for anyone, Louis never dedicated such passion and such life to a piece that he has taught a person.

Not until the afternoon after Marlon died.

The melody was all that they heard from Louis, that melody, sounding, over and over again, coming out of the closed windows, through the pipes, through the side walls.

He played it erratically, he played it without rest, and for a second they could hear him stop, not for a second he told them not a single word, no matter how hard they knocked on the door behind which Louis had locked himself.

Hours and hours, people came every five minutes to see if he had left there, and nothing, nothing, for 5 hours nothing, for 5 hours that melody in the memory of his former best friend was all they had in their ears.

Oh, but when the door opened ...

Clementine did not doubt it for a second, he threw it at Louis. He was thrown running, wanted to hug him, wanted to hug him so hard, wanted to protect him, he did not deserve any of this and does not deserve to have happened.

The hug hard minutes, as good, all joined.

AJ, Violet, Omar, Tenn, Mitch, Willy, Ruby, Aasim ... Everyone embraced him, everyone protected him and would protect him for the time they are together in that school.

Finally, someone listened and appreciated his music. Maybe not as much as Marlon did, maybe it was not the same. But it's better than he enjoys what he had today, he has no idea if he will have it tomorrow.

Thanks -Sheol- for letting me translate this awesome story!