The Stoic And The Beast

You're Forgiven, Jake. Maybe

WARNING: This chapter has some strong sexual content. Please skip over the part outlined by the ^^^^STOP^^^^ at the beginning and ^^^^START^^^^ at the end of the area if you do not wish to read that part. THANK YOU.

Alicia's POV

I decided to give Tyler and Idget some alone time. It looked like sparks were flying between them. I'd be glad if Tyler finally found a girl he adored more than me. There's still plenty of lunch hour left for them to talk so I'll take this opportunity to excuse myself. I stood up and grabbed my stuff.

"Hey guys, I have to make a phone call so I'm gonna go."

Neither one of them looked at me. Tyler waved his hand dismissively and nodded.

"See... ya... Ali." He said slowly as he waved weakly in my direction.

That's my cue. He's in a trans.

"Yeah, see you later." Idget broke the stare between them and looked at me shyly with a smile. It was brief but I didn't mind being ignored. Her gaze fell back on Tyler a millisecond later.

Finally! Something good has come from what happened today. I decided Tyler and Idget will be fine without me so I took my leave. Standing outside in the cold in nothing but a sweater and a hoodie, I decided to find the auditorium so I would know where to go for my audition tomorrow. I hate being late. Someone older than me happened to pass by so I asked them for directions.

"Excuse me, do you know where the auditorium is?"

The passer-by pointed me in the direction past the fountain in the distance. After a couple of minutes of walking, I found the large round building. It stood out because all the other buildings were a rectangle. Round buildings carry sound better so it made perfect sense that this building was the auditorium. Once I was inside, I explored a large lobby with several potted plants and more ancient-looking photos of the previous orchestra groups. There was one huge portrait of an ancient-looking older man with white hair tied back in a ponytail wearing a long pointed tuxedo. He looked like a vampire. His charcoal black eyes stared down at me from the portrait. They eerily following me as I walked by. Creepy.

I went through one of the four altar shaped doorways. I was greeted with the sight of a single piano and several dozen rows of red velvet chairs. The room was vast and dark. Except for the one light somewhere above me that pointed toward the stage, lighting up the piano in all its majestic glory. Its glossy white finish sparkled and glowed in the spotlight. The place smelled of dusty old books with a hint of oil. It was deathly quiet. But I could imagine how this room has been filled with the magical sounds of countless beautiful symphonies. I can almost hear the audience clapping. I sat down in one of the chairs and closed my eyes.

I sat there picturing myself having a solo spot, playing center stage in front of hundreds of people. I replayed in my memory all of the times I had done it before. After hearing the audience clap at my very first solo performance, it became an obsession. I loved that feeling. The rush of adrenaline. The way it boosts my confidence when I know I played flawlessly. I smiled at the memory. Before long I began to feel sleepy so I rested my elbows on my backpack with my chin in my palms. The silence of the vast space quickly lulled me to sleep.

I began dreaming of a piano playing. The music pulled me back into the auditorium. Like the tug of a tiny thread with each note the piano played. Little by little, I was pulled out of my sleeping state. My eyes felt heavy and my wrists ached from the bruises Jake had left there. My arms were numb. But the melody I was hearing in my dream was still there replacing the silence that once was surrounding me.