The Path to Love

Chapter 6: Mystery Meal

"I'm not hungry ."I responded. I wasn't sure what more to say and began walking away.

He looked at me ,doubtfully ,as he continued to walk by my side.

"Sorry ,I don't mean to intrude but I am also on my way to the library.  " He said with a ghost of a smile on his face .

His smile was like the sun but his eyes were like the night sky. They seemed to darken as I gazed into them .

I realized that I was beginning to stare ,so I swiftly averted my gaze from his.  We continued to walk toward the library in an uncomfortable silence.

My stomach began to grumble as we entered the library. As soon I spotted a seat in a corner ,I quickly walked away from him.

There was something about him that I could not explain. There was something inconsistent but alluring about him.

From the corner of my eye ,I saw him disappear behind a bookshelf. A part of me was relieved but another part of me could not ignore my growing curiosity towards him .

The library was empty, as usual and I wanted to be content with its emptiness. I wanted to pretend that I wasn't lonely.

But I wasn't an actor. I don't play roles ,I accept the truth. My phone rang in my jeans pockets and the librarian scowled at me from behind her desk .

It was my mom . As I exited the library to pick the call ,I had a feeling that I was being watched .

But I ignored it and picked up my phone instead.

"Hello?" I felt nothing but confusion as I prepared for her answer.

"Your father and I are taking are going to be out of the city for a while . We have some business to attend to with some clients . James will be available to drop you off at school and pick you up too. Dress nicely to school. We will probably be back in a month. "

She ended the call before I had a chance to reply . The thought of my parents going away for some time brightened my spirit a little.

However, being alone in a mansion too grandiose for one individual, created a deep sadness in me .

When I returned to the library, I saw a sandwich and a bottle of water on the seat that I previously sat on .

The library was still pretty empty ,but I knew that someone had watched my every move. I immediately suspected Mr. Augustus.

I inspected the library, curious as to who could have possibly brought me lunch.

But then I eventually came to the conclusion that he had no reason to supply me with a meal. 

And it would be a bit inappropriate for a teacher to do that right ? I dispensed with my thoughts and indulged in the sandwich before me .

I couldn't pinpoint its contents but the flavor was undeniable. After eating and composing some music ,lunch went by quickly.

And so did the rest of my classes. It was only the second day of class and I was almost  completely detached from this institution.

The halls were fraught with my fellow students ,boisterous in their demeanor ,as they made their way to their classes.

When I got to my music class ,a few students were seated at their desks, ready for class .

Mr. Augustus was nowhere in sight as I settled into a seat at the back of the class .

To my surprise, someone took a seat beside me .It was a tall blond haired boy with brown eyes.

I felt him glance at me but quickly look away.  That was the start to a slightly awkward class .

Soon after, Mr. Augustus rushed into class with his bag in one hand and some folders in another .

"Sorry for the delay everyone, I had a slight complication I had to deal with ." He said, briefly scanning the class.

He had an empty look in his eyes and something hardened  in his gaze.

"Now, let us begin ." He announced, dropping his folders and briefcase on the desk .

I watched as he passionately discussed music theory and some famous composers from Bach to Max Richter. 

"So ,one thing to remember is that a lot of music today is influenced by ideas that go back ,centuries."

His voice was so captivating, his passion , evident. As he spoke ,I could focus on nothing else but him . I was spellbound.

"Now let's play a game. I want you all to think of one word when you think of  what music means to you . I will be going around the class and asking you all ,at random ."

I watched as he picked on various students. He seemed impressed and interested in what they had to say .

I felt his presence as he walked closer and closer to me. The closer he came, the more nervous I felt ,for an unknown reason .

"Now ,it's your turn." He said ,looking down at me with an unreadable expression.

All of a sudden, my nerves kicked in and I found it difficult to speak .

I felt claustrophobic as the whole class stared at me. The one thing that gives me happiness became difficult to describe, all of a sudden.

However, I still found a way to draw out my voice from deep within me .

"Emancipation ." I blurted out. Mr. Augustus looked taken aback and smirked to himself.

"Intriguing." He muttered. He stood in front of me for a short  second longer before walking back to front of the class.

Throughout the rest of class ,I felt his eyes wander to mine for brief fleeting moments.

Whenever it did ,I averted my eyes elsewhere, to some inconsequential and mundane element of the classroom.

The boy beside me kept glancing at me and I had had enough of it .

"Is there something you want to say ,buddy ? I asked . The tone of my voice came out a bit harsher than I intended it to .

" You keep looking at me . If you have something to tell me ,please do." I said ,waiting for his reply.

His eyes grew large and he stuttered an incoherent reply . I looked at him with a confused expression before he cleared his throat and tried again.

"I'm Oscar . I wanted to ask you if you wanted to have lunch together sometime. It's my first day here." He shyly said, avoiding eye contact .

I gave him a small smile and accepted to have lunch with him in the future.

Maybe I wouldn't be a loner for the whole semester, after all . This consideration brought a small smile to my face .

"Excuse me Mr. Douglas. Stop disrupting my class or leave." The mild irritation was clear in Mr. Augustus's tone  and from then on ,I continued to pay attention in class .

Oscar didn't speak to me for the rest of class and rushed out once class ended.

"And that concludes today's class. Don't forget that your first performance is in two days. Be prepared." He announced , organizing the papers on his desk .

As I got ready to walk out of the class ,I heard my name being called and looked back to see Mr. Augustus summoning me to his desk .

Butterflies erupted in my stomach.