Branwell

branwell & connor

Knock Knock! My heart skips a beat as the knocks echoed throughout the house. I gulp down my fear and glance around the room to see if anything was out of place. Shuffling towards the door, my hand is placed around the cold knob, twisting and opening.

"H-hi, Connor!" I stammer. Moving away from the door, Connor invites himself inside.
Connor drops his bookbag and looks around the front room, "Nice house," He chuckles, "Very...organized?" I nod and awkwardly grin from ear to ear, and I think to myself, This is the first time we've hung out...I hope it goes well...

"Thank you for the endearing compliment," I say with my please-think-I'm-sarcastic-and-cool voice. We lock eyes for the next few seconds for what feels an eternity. His usually middle-parted hair is pushed back behind his ears, his doe eyes are twinkling in the mid-afternoon light, and his relaxed stance makes me feel more comfortable around him.

"I brought some records! You have a record player, right?" Connor asked.

"Uh, yeah in my room-" I respond being instantly cut off.

"Great! Show me the way, good sir." Connor says, pretending to tip a hat.

"It would be my pleasure, m'lady," I joked. Already on the way to my room, I can hear Connor's footsteps close behind. I open the door to my slightly confined, yet comfortable room. Connor finds his way to the record player very quickly, as if he's been here before. I sit myself on the carpet beside Connor with my legs facing outwards. The record crackles when he first places it onto the player.

"I love this band! I've seen them live before. They are amazing," Connor beamed.
Nodding my head I respond, "Who are they? I've never heard of them." I've heard them on the radio, but he has the biggest grin and I can't just take that away.

"Oh, they're so dope! I can't believe you've never heard their music before," he says, shocked.

"Yeah...I've never even heard the name," I lie to him. The band isn't that bad. They're very popular. It's no shock I have heard of them. Connor nods and smiles, "I'm playing my favorite album of theirs. The first track is called 'Around The World'. I think you'll like it,"

"I don't know if I will. I've never liked spicy stuff," I say smoothly with a hint of sarcasm.

Connor only smiles and pops in the record. The same crackle fires up the song. Connor nods his head along to the beat and rocks back and forth. It felt as if my cheeks were in flames as he bumps into me while doing his small dance. Then, he suddenly pauses, "Is that a keyboard?" He asks with a curiosity lying in his expression. Before I could even respond, Connor crawls over to the old keyboard hidden by the sheets of my bed. He pulls it out gently and grazes his long, soft fingers over the dusty set of keys, "Do you play?"

"Yeah. Why else would I have it? I took lessons when I was little," I respond, trying to tap into whatever memories of piano lessons I could remember. It had been forever since I had touched that keyboard. It was as if it were just a long lost memory Connor revived in that moment.

"What songs do you know?" Connor asks me. He looks right into my eyes and past that into my mind. It was as if he was trying to see what I knew before I could even say it. However, I couldn't take my eyes off his curious, intrigued expression. No words fell out of my mouth and into the air, instead all I could hear was my nervous breathing as Connor awaits my response.

"M-Mostly Mozart. I know a few songs aside from that, b-but it's not really-" I stutter out as Connor plops the old keyboard onto my lap. A small panic crosses my mind as I tried to dance around the songs I knew that left some of itself in the corners of my memories.

"Play," Connor demands. His eyes were stone cold with his demanding statement, his voice held some resemblance to a boss directing an employee, and his words echoed through the empty cavern of my mind. Swiftly yet gracefully, my fingers dance along the keys off the piano. The tune of "La Vie En Rose", a French song that translates to 'Life in Pink', sprung into the open air. Connor smiled and watches my expression shift into a more soft look. My voice pushes out through my throat as I recited the words in English.

"Hold me close and hold me fast. The magic spell you cast. This is La Vie En Rose," I sang. Connor's shoulders began to droop as the song continued. I could feel my cheeks grow heated as we lock eyes. His soft, brown, doe eyes blink slowly as the last few notes end the famed love song.

"Wow!" Connor exclaimed, "That was beautiful! When you get a girlfriend, you should definitely play it for her."

My heart falls into my stomach. The butterflies pause for a split second before fluttering around rapidly in my stomach as Connor sits himself in the open spot next to me, "I could, but I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"Me too," Connor admits as he looked down at my hands, which were still placed on the keyboard.

"I guess I'll just play it for you, then," I say quickly. My heart seems to lock itself in my throat. The two seconds it took for him to respond felt like an eternity to me. Those nine words could've just made or break our friendship. Oh no, that came out wrong. What have I done? He probably thinks you're creepy.

"I'd like that," Connor admits.