Dark Beauty

Chapter 7

I woke up half an hour earlier than usual, so I could get to school early. I had to wash my hair and I didn’t want to be late like last week. 
The first week of school had been great, Jake and I had spent most of the time together and we were really becoming friends.  
Today was going to be a hot day. It was seven am and the sun was already starting to shine. Since it was going to be a sunny day, I chose to wear a dress. I got this one from my aunt for my birthday. I thought it was very cute. It was a blue knee length dress. It was an unusually hot day for the begging of Autumn. 
I went downstairs. My dad was already awake and dressed for work. He was sitting in the kitchen table reading the newspaper. I didn’t see my mother around, so I supposed she was still sleeping.
‘Hey, dad.’ I said sitting at the table.
‘Hello Leila, why are you awake so early?’ My dad asked.
‘I want to get to school early today.’ I explained.
‘Oh, well I’m leaving in fifteen minutes, so if you want to, I could give you a ride.’ He offered.
‘Okay. I think I’ll be ready by then.’ I said. I had a little more time to eat than usual, so I ate two slices of toast and a glass of orange juice. Then I went upstairs to brush my teeth. 
When I went back downstairs, my dad was waiting for me in the car.
‘Let’s go.’ he said. ‘I already told your mother I’m taking you.’ he said.
‘Thanks.’ I said. 
School was so close we didn’t even have time to talk during the ride there.  
I arrived at about seven thirty. Being so early, there weren’t many people at school. I said good morning to the janitor and to some teachers. There were a few students around, most of them with very sleepy faces. It was strange to see the school so empty.  It reminded me of last week when I was late. Last week everything was new to me, now I was already getting used to the crowded hallways.
I was wondering if Jake or Peter were already here, when suddenly I heard music. It seemed to be coming from the music room. As I approached the room, I noticed that it was someone playing the piano. It was a lovely sound; the music was played perfectly. I normally didn’t care much for classical music, but this song was beautiful. A few minutes listening to it and I already loved it. I crept closer to the door, wanting to see who was playing. The door stood ajar, so as I got close I could see inside the room. I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was Jake. His fingers moved as if they were part of the piano. It was mesmerizing to see him play, he captured all my attention. 
In my life, I had seen many people in my family playing classical instruments such as piano, but none of them had captured me the way Jake had. I had only seen him play for a minutes, but still, it was beautiful.
Jake noticed that I was observing him, so he closed the piano and smiled, but the music was still drifting in the air.
I waved at him; I hoped he didn’t notice that I was blushing for no reason.
‘Hello, were you standing there for a long time?’ he asked still smiling. ‘Sorry, I didn’t see you.’ 
‘No problem I just got here.’ I said. ‘I didn’t know you could play the piano, what was that song you were playing? And sorry for interrupting, I didn’t mean to peek.’ I was still blushing.
‘No need to apologize, I was already finishing.’ He said. ‘Was it that bad, what I was playing? It’s a piece of music I’m composing. It’s kind of a secret, that I play piano, so please don’t tell anyone. The only one that knows is the music teacher, he was the one that taught me. I come here every day in the morning to practice.’ Jake said. 
‘Okay, I won’t tell anyone, but why is it a secret? And by the way I loved what you were playing, I can’t believe you are the one composing it.’ I beamed.
‘Yeah, but I just started composing it and the teacher is helping me.’ He shyly said. ‘Well, the reason no one can know is, word would spread around the school that I can play and my dad would eventually find out and he can never find out.’ Jake said, he sounded frustrated. ‘Also, the only thing that really matters in this school is sports.’
 ‘Sorry to ask, but why can’t your father know? I could tell that you’re good just by the little bit I heard you play.’
‘My father says I can’t lose my time with stupid things like music and that I need to focus on my studies, so I can have capacity to take over the family business. My dad owns a big business. I’m an only child, so I will need to take care of it when I get older, even if I don’t want to.’ Jake sad trying to smile, but I could see in his perfect green grayish eyes that he was unhappy about this.
‘Wow, that’s frustrating.’ I didn’t know what else to say. ‘Well, if you want to train more, you can always come to my house. We have a piano there because my sister also plays. So, if you want to practice more someday, feel free to come around.’ I said trying to change the subject about his father.
‘Wow, thanks.’ Jake said as we walked out of the music room. There were still very few people around. I noticed there were some students, but mostly there were janitors and teachers. 
‘So, today after lunch we are going to the forest. There is a nice place there that I want to show you.’ Jake said. ‘It’s a mini forest, so there is no way you can get lost.’ Jake explained.
‘Okay, but if we get lost, it’s your fault.’ I said.
‘Sure, it will be totally my fault, but like I said, you really can’t get lost. Only if you are a little kid or just wonder off on your own. Jake said. ‘And Leila.’ Jake stopped and turned to look into my eyes. ‘What I said about my father, let’s make this another secret, please don’t tell anyone.’
‘I wasn’t.’ I said.
‘Thanks.’ Jake seemed rather uncomfortable talking about his father. Maybe they didn’t have a close relationship.
 
We went to the lockers and got our books, his locker was near mine. 
We still had about fifteen minutes before class started.
‘Let’s see what classes I have today.’ I said opening my agenda as we sat in a bench. I still hadn’t memorized my timetable.
Jake took my schedule out of my hands and started reading.
 ‘From what I remember we have the second, the third and the fourth class together today.’ Jake said.
I looked around the corridors as Jake read my schedule, it was already getting crowded. The bell would ring in a few minutes. There were still a lot of welcome back posters around the school. For a long moment, no one said anything, I hate when this happens. Sometimes I just don’t know what to say and I just stay there looking totally pathetic. I noticed Jake didn’t seem to mind the silence as I did. 
We got to class with five minutes left before the bell rang. This classroom was very big, the ceiling of the classroom was a big map, all the walls were painted in yellow, which made the class look very bright and vivid.
‘I like this classroom.’ I said to Jake as we went in. There still wasn’t anyone inside. It was as if people would wait until the very last minute to get inside.
‘Me too, they decorate each classroom in a very cool way here.’ Jake said. ‘Not very normal for high school.’
‘Yeah, in my old school the rooms were all very plain. The walls were white, the chairs were black and the desks were grey. Even the outside of the school was painted grey. Here everything is so colorful and bright.’ I said looking around the class.
 The bell rang, and everyone started to come in. I looked around, I still didn’t know anyone from this class. Wait, did I say no one? My bad, I knew some of them. The three girls that pointed me to the wrong direction on my first day were here. 
‘I need to go.’ Jake said ‘I don’t want to stay out of class. I’ll meet you here afterwards so we can go to math class. It’s kind of far.’ Jake said again, then he smiled and left.
I was getting my geography book from my bag, when the three girls I met last week (I had learned that they were called, Rebecca, Lindsey and Selena) came to me and started talking. The first one who started talking was Rebecca.
‘I can’t believe your friends with that loser.’
I normally ignore when people start bugging me, but when they start talking about my friends, I just can’t. I really didn’t want to start a fight, or make these girls my enemies. 
‘His name is Jake and he isn’t a loser.’ I said looking straight into Rebecca’s eyes.
This time Lindsey said something.
‘How can you be friends with that freak? He is so strange and pathetic. You know, being his friend is like social suicide.’ she said. ‘If I knew that you were going to hang out with him, I would have warned you last week.’
‘I think she has mental problems.’ Selena said not even looking at me. 
They were really starting to piss me off. I hate these kinds of girls who think they are the best, because really, they aren’t.

‘Look, I choose with who I hang out with, it’s none of your business okay? And Jake isn’t a freak or any of those things you said, so shut up and go take care of your own lives. No, I don’t have mental problems.’ I said looking at Selena. ‘Having mental problems is something serious and you shouldn’t be joking about it, don’t your parents teach you any manners?’  I tried to use my best sarcastic friendliest tone. 
    I realized the whole class was looking at us. Some people were trying to hide their laughter.
The girls looked at me like they were going to hit me or something, but then Rebecca just looked at me and said:
‘Okay, be a fucking loser. I don’t care.’ And then the three of them left me and went to seat at their desks.
The teacher came in just as they sat. If only the teacher hadn’t been late, none of this would have happened. Why did he have to be late?
Mr. Luis (the geography teacher) had long black wavy hair shoulder length and brown eyes. He was about 35 years old. Geography is very boring but with Mr. Luis, it was very fun. He wasn’t one of those boring teachers, he was funny and made the class interesting, which made the hour pass by very fast. Before I knew it, the bell was ringing.
The next class would be Math. I hated Math and totally sucked at it, I can never understand the formulas and so I hardly ever get a good grade. When I was in my other school, I had a friend that would always help me with Math, she was like my tutor, but now she wasn’t here and I would drown in all my math problems.