Conversations With The Moon (Bruno Mars One-Shots)

Lessons pt. 2

After fifth period lets out I make my way to my locker to switch out my books for my next couple of classes. On my way there I stop by and greet a few friends before I make the book switch. As the hallways start to thin, I head in the direction of my next class narrowly avoiding people packed into the narrow hallway. Just as I am about to turn down the hallway on the right to my class, I spot Raine. Her light-wash denim jacket is thrown over one forearms and her tote bag us up on her other shoulder. She has on a short sleeved floral dresses with a classic pair of black hightop Vans. Her eyes are red-rimmed and even at the distance of about ten feet or so I can see that that her cheeks are wet. There are blue back semicircles beneath her eyes and her hair that was previously up in homeroom this morning is down hanging around her face.

"Hey," I call out. Raine turns to me but doesn't move. I cross the hall to her just as the bell rings. As the hall thins out, I take her by the wrist gently and pull her over to the side of the hallway I was just on, out of the way of the remaining traffic. "What's up wit chu?" She looks away from me and dabs at her eyes, looking upward in trying to keep more tears from falling. Despite this her eyes remain glossy. "What happened?" I ask. She shakes her head, looks to the ceiling and dabs and her mascara coated lashes.

"Nothin'," she says beneath a sniffle. I lean into her a little and drop my voice as silence begins to sweep through the hallway.

"No, its not nothing." She looks at me and her eyes slowly focus one mine. "We'll talk later."

"I--" she stammers.

"No," I repeat. "Meet me at the hang out around six."

Later fifteen minutes past six at the hang out...

I grab one of stools from the corner for each of is and pull them up to accent table behind the couch we're we always sit for lessons. Raise sets her things down on the couch and draws her hair back in a low ponytail. She puts her ukulele on the table next to mine and runs her fingers beneath her eyes. She looks at me.

"So tell me, what happened?"

"He told me I sucked." She sniffles and starts to speak again but she cuts herself off. My eyes widen a bit as I process.

"What? No way, you've been doing really well," I insist.

"He told me that yeah, I can sing but the way I played didn't give the song enough pizzazz. He said that if I really wanted to play I'd have to practice my ass off. Or that I should just cut my losses and give up." The tears begin again and I start to reach for her but I pull my hands back.

"Fuck no," I comment. "Play me what you played him." She picks up her instrument and shifts it in her hands to begin playing but stops to catch falling tears. "Nah, nah, nah, you need to stop cryin' first." I step off my stool, stand right in front of her and take her face in both of my hands. With my thumbs I dry her tears then rub my hands together quickly to dry them. I hand her her water bottle. "Drink some." When she picks up the ukulele again. "Now play for me." I straighten up in my seat and focus on her. She takes a deep breath but the tears begin again and I try to dry them for her but she excuses herself. She walk walks off and I hear the water in the small bathroom run for a few minutes. She takes her seat again and when I look at her I feel my eyes widen.

Her face is now void of makeup. Her dark brown hair is now loose over her shoulders again with just the shorter strands in the front pinned back away from her face. The waterlines of her eyes are bright red but despite this her dark eyes seem to sparkle in the light. She picks up her ukulele again and takes a deep breath.