Her List of Kisses

Chapter 22- Four Months Later

Four months later...

I sit at the piano. My fingers fly deftly across the keys in a complicated sequence, only stumbling a couple times as they perform a familiar tune. Chords and notes rise from the instrument and dance around the house. I become lost in the music a lot easier these days, make less mistakes. And yet I still manage to hear my phone vibrate on the desktop nearby.

I play the wrong chord and laugh, stretching to grab my mobile. It displays one new message.

Kate: Got news! You’ll never believe this!

I reply ‘What? Tell me, tell me!’ and then place my phone back down with a grin. I’m glad she’s happy, for whatever reason. She went through a stage of pessimism when she heard the rumour about Rob hooking up with Kelly Petersburg- a rumour that turned out to be true- and it made me a little worried for her. I wish she would just get over him, but then again I know how difficult doing that can be. I asked Josh if he would watch out for her and, surprisingly, he agreed.

I begin to play again, but the tune doesn’t last long before the next interruption.

“It’s so nice to hear you playing, honey,” says my mother from behind me. She beams proudly, like she is the one to have taught me everything when in fact it was Will who showed me how. Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it showing. He sat me down, played a few chords, and then dangled a Pringles tube in front of my face, saying that I couldn’t have any until I mimicked the sequence exactly. However frustrating, it had worked. And I was most likely getting fat on Pringles.

Seriously, it’s an addiction.

“You practicing for Will?” my mother asks.

“No, I’m-” I begin, but there is a knock on the window. Will stands outside, pointing at me sitting at the piano and then putting a thumbs-up against the glass. Too late he realises that he’s put his hand right in a fresh lump of bird poo, and he starts wiggling his fingers about girlishly with a look of horror on his face.

“I’ll let him in,” chuckles mum.

“Okay, thanks,” I say. I try again to play the piano, but I’m laughing too hard to concentrate.

Will walks into the room a few seconds later. “Hey, Chlo,” he says. Crossing the room towards me, he leans down for a kiss but I stop him short.

“Uh-uh,” I insist, backing away. “Don’t you come near me until you’ve washed your hands. There’s such a thing as bird flu, you know.”

He grins. “Okay, okay.” And then he leaves for the bathroom, which is upstairs.

“What are you two doing today?” asks my mother as she perches on the auction stool beside me.

“Nothing much. Might stay in and watch a movie, but maybe we’ll go out for a walk if the sun stays out,” I tell her.

“Fair enough. Whatever happened to the dates of the olden days…” she muses, lost in thought.

“The money ran out,” I laugh. I’m serious though. Since I’ve been dating Will, my account balance has dropped considerably. It’s not his fault- it’s just that I won’t let him pay for everything for me. He doesn’t have to worry about money as both of his parents are loaded, but I do. At this rate, I shall need a part-time job to keep from becoming completely bankrupt.

“Well,” says my mother suspiciously, “I may have a way for you to earn some pounds.”

I look up. “Really? How?”

“I was thinking that since you can play the piano pretty well now, you could take on some of my younger students and give basic lessons.”

This sounds terrific! Working from home, paid work, doing something that I enjoy…