If you were to describe your view of the world, what would you say? Do you like it or hate it? Do you enjoy the company of people or do you prefer to act alone? Does the music you hear sooth your senses or does it excite you? Think of all the pros and cons, does one outweigh the other? Or just maybe, you're indifferent towards it, coasting through this life like a dandelion on the wind, waiting for the next. Or perhaps, you're like me, a soul trapped against his will who simply can't...see the world.
(Opening 1)
The easy strum of the guitar chords coursed through the once quiet home. Each new stroke, each new sound, was a strange discovery for a young girl simply practicing the guitar late into the night with her father, blasting imaginary rays of yellow all over the home. For the girl, staying up until 2:00 in the morning meant nothing if she couldn't practice, and her father agreed. "Get your finger a little lower there and-" The sound was literally music to the father's ears, the sound of progress and success. "See there you go, you're getting it."
The young girl removed the strap from her small person, placing the guitar on its stand before turning back to her father. "That guitar is really heavy," she pouted, stretching his back as much as could.
The father giggled at that comment in a low deep voice. "Don't tell me you're getting tired already, you are the strongest kid in your class after all, least that's what I remember you screaming to your friends 2 days ago."
"But I am the strongest papa, I could lift this giant rock we found all by myself." The girl said placing her hands above her head as if to lift something up. "No other boy in the entire class could lift it like I could."
"Oh you lifted it alright, and then we had to lift you to a hospital."
"It...um, my arms got tired at the end."
He let out a hearty laugh as her face twisted into a look of embarrassment. "Hey no need to get all soft on me, you're a strong kid, just like your old man when I was little. And according to the other parents, scary like your mother."
The girl giggled, letting a sinister smile cross her face. "I try, those dummies will think twice before they steal my cakes again."
His once hearty laugh turned to one of fear. "Let's uh...talk about some passive ways to deal with later, I know you're smarter than that. Hell, you're picking up the chords faster than I ever did."
"R-really?" she excitedly asked. "You think I could be just like you dad, on the stage, playing for all those people?"
"You kidding, you got the genes of the greatest rockstar to ever live, you're practically a star already, and the key to being that star is practice, practice, practice, you got to keep playing until your hands can't even hold the guitar anymore."
The girl smiled, jumping up and down in excitement as she returned the strap around her body. "Everyone at school is going to think I'm the coolest girl to ever live!"
"Hey hey hey, keep it down would ya, we're already running this late enough as it is without your mom--"
"Hey!" A voice called out as the door swung open to the room. In walked the mother, fuming with anger and teeth sharp like a shark.
"We're busted kid, make a run for it!"
"Freeze!" she bellowed stopping the father right in his tracks, one foot already out the window. "You Mr. idiot, get your butt back in here. And you honey should know better." She said staring her anger directly into her soul. "You're gonna be sleeping through the entire school day at this rate, now put down the guitar and go to bed."
Her eyes glanced toward the guitar before going back to her mother. With a slight hesitation, she finally gave in. "Awww, I wanted to play a little longer." She placed the guitar back on its stand and proceeded to her room. As soon as her door closed, said mother wasted no time in laying into the father, continuing deep into the morning. The longer they went at it, the longer she stayed up, cover halfway off to let the spring breeze soothe her. The light from the early morning sun flowed into the bedroom as she continued to stare intently at the ceiling. She could hear them through the door as if they were right beside her, despite them being in their own room with the door firmly shut. She couldn't sleep, her mind wandered back forth with the words that were echoing through the vents.
"What was she doing up?" The mother would ask.
"It was just a little practice honey, what's the issue?" the father would reply in defense.
"The issue, no, the consistent damn problem is that it is 2:00 in the morning, she is 5 and she has school today."
"Come on hon, you didn't see the light in her eyes, she wants to play. I wouldn't keep her up like this if she didn't want to play."
"She's just a child, she doesn't need to up all hours of the night playing the guitar, she needs an education."
"Not everyone needs a scholarship from the most prestigious college in the country to achieve their dreams."
"Like you would know, Mr. dropped out of college the first sign of trouble."
"I played guitar for half my life and made it work, what are you doing besides crushing his dreams?"
"Being a successful product of this society like everyone else, what you got was lucky."
Melody Tempo, sometimes likes to be called Mel, black hair, blue eyes, single, lives alone, only 1 or 2 friends, no job, no relationship, and according to rumor, I'm an emotional robot. What kind of person was I meant to be then? Melody seemingly blended back into the reality of the present day, her eyes opening to the front door of her home. She was quick to survey reality, her hand still gripping the doorknob, warm to the touch despite the morning breeze. She removed her palm from the doorknob, wincing in disgust as sweat came back accumulated on the doorknob and her palm. "Ew, was I...daydreaming again? Man, what kind of idiot starts daydreaming at the front door of her house." Melody took a moment to wipe the sweat from her hand and the doorknob with her shirt before fetching her phone from her pocket and checking the time. "And now I'm late for school...again. That's what I get for staying up so late."
She removed a pair of wireless headphones from her bag, placing them upon her head and listening as the softly powered up. With the tap of a phone screen, she let the music flow into her brain, A song performed in an anime she enjoyed called Angel Beats. As she proceeded down her driveway, the world wasted no time in acknowledging her. "Oh Melody dear, good morning," her next door neighbor called out as she happily waved at her. Melody was quick to double tap the outside of the left speaker, automatically downing the audio for outside noise. "Oh hey Ms. Cream Heart, good morning to you too."
"Late again as always young lady?"
Ms. Cream Heart, single mother, 9 to 5 teacher job at her son, Button Mash's school. Every day, she walks out here, looking way more pretty than most other girls can argue, comments on my lack of time management and drives her son to her work. It's become a routine for her. "You know how it gets sometimes, late night you know."
She giggled at that comment. "Oh boy let me guess, stayed up until 3 in the morning?"
"It's a force of habit, I kinda need to get better at shaking it."
"I hope you weren't just playing games all night were you?"
"No no no, I'm a gamer sure, but not that much. The worst you can expect from me is getting lost in a show or a book."
"Well even so, you still years of improvement ahead of you, I just wish Button would understand that too. Speaking of Button, Hurry up mister, we're gonna be late!"
"Coming, coming, I was just finishing up this one little level. What's up Bell, see ya later Bell," he said entering the car in a rush.
"Have a nice day Melody." Cream Heart uttered as she entered the car as well.
The gentle hum of the car was all he heard as it slowly made it's way out of the driveway and down the street. With a sigh, she tapped her music back on and began down the block, rounding the corner and down another and another. Eventually, she came to a street of familiar businesses, a bike rental shop, a shoe store, one of those exotic shops that sells a ton of sculptures, but most popular was a pastry shop, run by a popular face. The figure gasped as she caught sight of Melody, making her tap her music off once more. "Melody! Oh my god Melody, there you are! You got to try one of my new cakes, it's so good, this time I used sprinkles instead of whip cream!"
Pinkie Pie, lovable ball of pink fluff that just can't put down sweets. Single, graduated high school long before we will, owns her own bakery and has the attention span of a 5-year-old. She's constantly in her bakery making her sugary art, and yet as many customers as she gets, is constantly pestering passers-by to try a new menu item. It's become her routine. Melody smiled warmly back at her as she continued to walk by. "S-sorry Ms. Pie, I'm running a little late for school, but I'll definitely be by afterward to try whatever you want."
"Aw phooey, well then promise me then."
"But I--"
"I said promise me," she said with a cute little pout. "Don't make me chase you."
Melody could only giggle at that."Ok ok, cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
"Yay, now you have to come back, it's a pinkie promise."
She nervously wiped a sudden bead of sweat from her forehead as she once tapped her music back on. "You have my word Ms. Pie, no one breaks a pinkie promise right?" And lord knows I don't want to break a pinkie promise again, that was just messy. As she continued on, her eyes wandered to the other shops, the many people that owned them, standing outside and waving to her as he passes by. Even so, the question was still the same. What's different about this spring from any other? She gripped that question with every fiber of her being, how it made her feel, how it made her see others, and especially, what the answer would mean for her. As she neared an intersection, the light to cross the street turned red. "Hopefully this time, no one will talk to me so I can at least get through this song," she muttered, leaning against the crosswalk pole and simply watching the cars pass by.
As the music began, two more students made their way toward the intersection. If the music hadn't been drowning out the outside, her ears would have perked up like a dog at their conversation."H-hey, isn't that--"
"No way, it's Melody Tempo, I forgot she was still living in town."
"Look at the uniform, I didn't even know she came to the same middle school after elementary."
"You're telling me, what rock did she crawl under after that...incident 3 years ago?"
"Oh my god, I completely forgot about that day, I would've crawled into the deepest darkest hole after that."
"Well did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Well according to rumor--"
The crosswalk sign lit up with the walk symbol, allowing Melody to continue on her way. Within a few minutes, she reached the side of a large hill, her eyes meeting the sight of his school in the distance. Atop that hill sat a large tree, one clad in a luminescent violet color unlike any other in the region, a common landmark for many alike. What's different about this spring from any other? Again that question came to him, stronger, even more fierce than before. What is it about these sights, about Spring that inspires people? It's just the same routine over and over again. I go to school, I go home, rinse and repeat. Her expression was an average one, showing no sign of happiness yet no sadness either, it was just...average, a common sight among the people who saw her. Nothing's vibrant. Her eyes drifted toward the violet tree sitting idly above her. There is no color. Her eyes moved to the grass. "No color. No color. No color." She repeated over and over, again and again, until it felt like a chant. "There is no life to any of this, it's just--" Suddenly a call came through on her phone, pausing her music. "Oh for the love of..." With haste, she removed her phone from her pocket, seeing a blocked number pop up on the caller ID. "Ugh, voicemail please. Now let me get back to--"
That's when something caught her eye, in her dull grey life of a world, something floated by her, a single circle of color, yellow, accompanied by a sound she'd never thought she'd hear again, the simple strum of a guitar. The melody being played sounded simple in theory, but she recognized that tune, one that was all too familiar to her. A song that she herself wrote and performed a long time ago.
"Starting now, No more rules allowed cause I'm throwing off the shackles
I'm breaking free and skipping the toll
No stopping me, I sprint to my goal "
She remembered those lyrics perfectly word for word, yet the memory was seemingly distorted, indistinct, as if a piece of paper being trapped in an underwater prison. Her legs began to unknowingly carry her up that hill, drawn in by the person's angelic singing. The girl's tone argued shyness, soft enough so that no common person would hear, but her heart knew not to ignore the attempt at solitude. The field of yellow that shone from her spot atop the hill, it was her happiness, her love for the piece she was performing, Melody felt it for both of them, a sense of passion. "It this what people felt when they heard me sing?"
The more she thought about it, the more any memory of her music faded from her mind, distorted in a vast grey ocean. However, this girl, the way she sang the words, it was clear as day, as if right in her ear. She returned to reality when the girl struck the wrong chord immediately throwing herself off. She couldn't help but remove the strap from her person, looking at her guitar with anger. "Are you like kidding me? Ugh, I'm such an amateur, I thought I I had that chord down. Oh well, I suppose that's enough for now." she said laying the guitar against the tree. "At least I was able to play, even it was just a little." With a sigh, the girl slipped down to sit, her knees coming to meet her chest. "I wonder if anyone heard me down there, my secret audience I hope, looking up at that same azure sky and just feeling the music flow through them." It was then that she giggled at her own comment. "Listen to yourself Sonata, you're talking like you're an actual musician. You have yet to book your first gig and, well who am I kidding, I'm just grasping at straws at this point still playing this thing like life is actually going to give me a chance to play on a real stage." It was then that she picked up the guitar and looked at with a different, sorrowful expression. "Maybe I should just give up trying to play professionally after all, and just go work at the store with Adagio selling them instead."
"No!" Melody accidentally called out.
"What the, who's there?" She covered his mouth quickly as she hid behind the tree, sighing at his outburst. "I know you're there behind the tree, come on out already." I should just walk away, no reason for me to ruin her day with my pres-- "Alright, fire it is." the girl said, the sound of a match being lit making Melody quickly spring into action.
"Wait wait wait, I'm here." Melody shot out, appearing from among the back of the tree, waving her hands in defense at the sitting girl. With her first good look at the girl, Melody was pleasantly surprised at the sight of her cyan hair simply shining in the sunlight like violet leaves above them.
"And just what do you think you're doing huh, just spying on a random girl?"
"I w-wasn't spying, honest."
She pointed at her, speaking in a somewhat heroic voice. "Then answer the question you villain, or I set this entire field on fire."
Melody's nerves began to well up with even more anxiety, her hands waving back and forth with desperation in an attempt to console her. "N-no way, you can't do that, this is a city landmark."
"Tell me or the tree goes red...and orange...and some cases of yellow, n-nevermind, just spill it."
"At least put the match down first."
"Tell me," she said edging the match closer to the tree.
"Wait please?"
"You got 5 seconds."
"Ok ok, I heard you singing from down there."
She paused. "You heard...my singing?"
"Yes yes, now please put do--hey watch it!"
"What?" She glanced over to the bark that was beginning to light up with flames. "Oh crap!" she let out a sigh as she doused the fire with a nearby water bottle. "Wow, I was just kidding too."
Melody wiped a nervous bead of sweat from her forehead, thankful she hadn't been the cause of something terrible. "Something tells me you're not the brightest of the bunch huh?"
"H-hey, What kind of conversation starter is that?"
Melody mentally slapped herself, rubbing the back of her head as she nervously smiled. "Oh boy, my bad. I guess you could say I'm a little cranky in the mornings, especially when I haven't eaten."
"You haven't eaten yet?" she replied with such a swiftness that Melody was a little lost for words.
"U-um, not yet."
"Oh goody, sit."
"You want me to sit?"
"I've got food if you're interested."
"I don't know about that, I'm just some random girl--" Melody paused when her stomach growled in complete disagreement. "Hehe, well uh, I guess it couldn't hurt."
As Melody took his seat among the grass, the girl dug in her purse, pulling out a singular fine wrapped burritos. "Here."
"A burrito?"
"A breakfast burrito to be exact."
"Thanks a million, you're really--wait a minute, what're you really playing at giving some random girl who just met food, especially after she just insulted you?"
"No need to worry about that, it's water under the bridge. Now eat," she said, her smile and expression becoming unusually devilish.
"I don't know what you did to this burrito, but there better not be poison in it, or I'm coming back to haunt you."
Suddenly her once delicate face turned to one of horror, with razor sharp teeth and fire burning in her eyes. "I said eat..."
"Ok ok, see I'm eating, om nom nom."
"Would you just eat it already!"
As soon as those words came out, she fearfully sunk her teeth into the burrito. "Oh hey, that's not half bad," she said beginning to chew.
"Whew, thought I was gonna have to try that myself."
"It's actually pretty goo--hey, what do you mean try that myself?" She angrily replied back.
"I was trying a new recipe and my sisters didn't want to taste test so..."
"You just used me a guinea pig?!"
"More or less. Don't worry, it's not like I'm bad at cooking or anything, I just like to experiment with different recipes you know."
"Poisoning a random stranger, you must feel so fulfilled. At least my last meal tasted good."
"Oh for the love of, It's not poison dummy, just eat it already."
She sighed, taking another bite and gulping it down. "So, that song..."
"You recognize it? It's like one of my favorite songs ever. Do you play?"
"Hmm?" She said swallowing. "Well not anymore."
Instantly she shot up, a look of shock on her face. "What do you mean not anymore?!"
"Well, I kinda stopped playing years ago."
Her arms reached out to grab her shoulders, shaking her with each and every word "But why?! Why why why?"
"I...didn't...oh god...please stop...I'm gonna be sick..."
"Oops, sorry. But really, why did you stop?"
"I can't say, I guess I just lost my passion is all."
"No no no, that's completely unacceptable, here you can play mine."
As she went to pick up her guitar, Melody was quick to take her hand making her stop. "Hey, that's not necessary, I'm fine trust me. I'm just not that into anymore that's all. But I can still see talent when I hear it, and you're really good."
"You're just saying that...Right?"
"No way, I think you have potential honest. The only thing I saw that you needed to improve is--"
Once again her fiery eyes looked upon you as she cracked her fingers. "What're you trying to say huh, does my singing suck to you?"
Melody felt her inner 5-year old cower in fear as she locked the rage-filled girl. "Please don't hurt me, it's not that I swear."
She giggled. "I'm kidding ok, it's my confidence right?"
"Y-yea, something like that. When I was coming up the hill--"
"Spying on me."
"It wasn't spying," Melody replied, obviously annoyed at the assumption. "When I was coming up the hill, I heard you talking about a couple of things, you know, about how you wanted to give up playing."
"Oh, you heard that, even with those headphones on?"
"At this point, they're more a functional accessory that I never take off."
She sighed. "Well then yep, I've like been at the guitar for about 3 years now, and I'm still no good at it, I mess my chords all the time, I forget lyrics, and I have yet to even book a single event to play at."
"That sounds like life giving you the boot alright."
"W-what?! You're supposed to comfort others at times like this you know."
"What's the point, you seem to have a clear understanding of your situation."
"Stare..."
"Wha--What are you doing?"
"Trying to set you on fire."
"What why?"
"Because I don't want to give up my guitar you dummy, I love it too much."
"And your plan was to make me spontaneously combust by staring?"
"I don't want to touch you, that's easy evidence."
"Ok wow, you're scary. So before that actually ends up happening, I don't what kind of evil is swimming in that head, listen to what I have to say."
She squinted her eyes in anger. "I'm listening."
"So maybe you haven't booked your first gig, and maybe you seem to be a little slow at remebe--" Sonata let out an angered groan. "Um, I mean, you seem to forget easily, but I don't think that means you should just give up. Wanna know a secret? About half of some the best school idol bands are just like you, even though they've played at a ton of songs already."
"R-really?
"Yep, I remember meeting one of my favorite bands a long time ago when I was smaller, and boy, the look of near panic on their faces that night, all because they skipped practice the night prior, made me realize that we all had to start from somewhere you know. Course I don't play anymore, so I can't say my word means everything here."
Her angered stare seemed to fade into a wide smile, a giggle escaping her mouth as stood up and turned her head up toward the clear blue sky. "That's actually pretty nice you know, knowing that some of the people we consider to be too good for us goes through the same stupid issues we do. Just make me want to go up there even more."
"Go where?"
"Up."
"Up? Like onto a stage or--"
"No, the sky."
"You've seriously lost me."
"Like get your butt off the ground and just stand next to me would ya?"
She raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Stand next to you?" she said doing just that. "Like this?"
"Yep, now look up and take it all in."
"But--"
"Ah ah ah, no talking."
She turned her eyes upward to the empty sky, watching as the clouds slowly passed by. For a full 2 minutes, this was their action, only succeeding in confusing Melody even more as time passed. "Um...what are we doing?"
"What did you feel when you were looking up there, at the sky?"
"Um..." She placed a finger to her chin in thought, trying to come up with some sort of answer. "I'm actually not sure what you want me to say, It's just an empty sky right?"
"Now ask me what I felt."
"I'm so lost right now."
"You're hopeless you know that?"
"Hey, that's harsh don't you think?"
"No, not at all. Now ask me what I felt."
"Um, what did you feel?"
"I felt everyone's passion."
Melody raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Come again, everyone's passion?"
She let out a groan as she turned to him. "Oh my god, you're like seriously worse than me you know that?"
"H-hey, I don't mean to be, I just don't quite understand what you're getting at."
She sighed turning her attention back to the sky with a smile."Everyone's passion is up there, can't you see the color yellow?" Melody's eyes widened at those words, her attention turning back to the sky as she remembered the reason she came up here in the first place, the sea of yellow pouring from the girl's music. "Everyone's happiness is up there you know, so why not visit and experience the world's passion for yourself?"
"You could easily do this in a hot air balloon."
"Well that would be too easy now, wouldn't it? That's why sometimes I wish we had superpowers, the ability to fly or float, so that I could just relax up there."
Melody chuckled, which surprised her honestly. It was the first real chuckle she had given in over 3 years, and...she liked it. "You don't know how silly that sounds."
"Speak for yourself Ms. clueless. But still, At this moment, I think I learned something."
"Hmm?"
"Your obvious cluelessness, my forgetfulness, just tells me that we're still pretty young, which means," she said closing her purse and picking up her guitar, sliding the guitar strap around her person and letting it slide to her back. "We still have tons of improving to do."
Bell couldn't help but smile at that. "At least you didn't burn down the tree, that's an improvement already."
"Says the one who insulted me as a conversation starter."
"You tried to set me on fire, I have a right to an insult or two.
As her hand steadied the guitar strap around her person, Her head turned one more time toward the azure sky. "One day, I'll be up there with the clouds, floating like a bird on the wind. Until then, just wait for me."
"Man, you're weird."
Once again her eyes lit with fire to that comment. "I still have the matches you know."
"Ok ok, I'm so--Oh man, I didn't realize how late it was, I'm already 10 minutes late for class." As Melody quickly descended the hill, the girl seemingly froze in place, her eyes locked onto the sky. Melody slowly turned back to face her, watching as the wind blew her luminescent cyan hair around. "Um hey," she said taking a single step back upward. "I never actually caught your name."
"Oh me, It's Sonata. Sonata Dusk. It's like super nice to meet you, dummy."
How long has it been...since I've seen color?
Melody entered the classroom in a fit, Ms. Harshwhinny glancing at her with utter disappointment in her glare. "You're late Ms. Tempo."
"Sorry sorry, I woke up a little today is all."
"No excuses young lady, take your seat, we'll discuss it after class."
"Yes Mam." Melody quickly made her way over to her desk, setting her stuff down and taking her seat. As she sighed, a flick came to her forehead making her wince in pain. "What in the--"
As she rubbed her forehead for comfort, her eyes drifted upward to another male student. "You got a lot of explaining to do Mel." The boy whispered. Ali Kämpfer, white hair, hazel eyes, single-ish, Ladies man although he could do with committing to one relationship, and my best friend, although right now, I'm seriously reconsidering. "What's the big idea you idiot?"
Melody nearly rocketed out of her seat when the eyes of a raging demon came staring right back at her. "You blew off my soccer practice yesterday, for like the 3rd time, what gives?"
"I d-didn't mean to honest."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Come on, you have to believe me even if it's just a little."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have you buy me at least five days worth of food for this?"
Melody cleared her throat, taking a deep breath and replying, "Cleaning."
Ali squinted in anger at that comment. "Cleaning? You...ditched my practice...for cleaning?"
"Well uh...I..just...yea. I was cleaning out my folk's room, I've kinda been meaning to for a while." Ali let out a seriously irritated groan. "You're not mad are you?"
Ali returned a smile, one with sinister intent. "Nope."
"You're not?"
"Not at all."
"...why?" she cautiously asked.
"Because now, you owe me."
"Oh god no."
"Yep, and it's going to be expensive."
"I hate you so much."
"At least we agree on th--"
"Mr. Kämpfer." Ms. Harshwhinny called out, staring daggers into their soul. "Ms. Tempo has already missed enough information as it is, please don't distract her anymore."
"Sorry, Ms. Harshwhinny," he said turning his body back toward the board. "We'll talk about it at lunch." He whispered back.
"Not like I'm looking forward to it."
The class passed by with ease, each kid picking up their belongings as the bell rung for the class to end. "Here's the plan Mel, just stay behind me," Ali whispered.
"What are you talking about?"
"If she can't see you, she can't make stay after."
"You really think something like this will work."
"Just step in rhythm with me."
"This is never going to work."
"Shut up and g--"
As the two of them took a single step toward the door, Harshwhinny's glare locked on target almost too perfectly. "Ms. Tempo, I wasn't born yesterday you know. We still need to have that talk."
Ali immediately bolted toward the door. "Crap, she noticed Mel make a break for it!"
Melody sighed as his footsteps echoed down the hallway. "And that's supposed to be my best friend."
"You children sure are energetic these days. Anyway, please have a seat, we need to talk."
"About what might I ask?" she asked taking to the top of a desk directly in front of a Ms. Harshwhinny.
"Well let me see here, how many times this month have you been late to my class?" Melody nervously chuckled, adjusting her headphones as she tried to look away. "Don't ignore the question young lady, how many times?"
"Um...2 times?"
"Try again, and take it seriously this time."
"Maybe 10--"
"Higher."
"20-ish?"
"Try, 35 tardies alone in this month, and if I count last month, you would've been well on your way to a tardy contract."
"I knew that would catch up with me ev--wait, would've?"
"Yes, as in it hasn't happened yet."
"I'm...not following you."
"I've been holding back on marking you tardy for quite a while now Ms. Tempo."
"W-what? Why, aren't you like one of the strictest te--I mean um, best teachers in the school?"
"Don't think I didn't catch that young lady."
"S-sorry."
"I might be one for following rules yes, but unlike my name, I am not actually as harsh as it implies. Melody, I'm worried about you."
"About me?"
"You've been late almost every day for the last two months. Most kids usually are late one or two days, they stay up late doing something, don't go to sleep on time. Others like to ditch class against their better judgment. But to do it consecutively for two months, what's going on Melody?"
"Would you believe me If I said I really like cleaning?"
Harshwhinny shook her head, standing up and walking toward the door. Upon closing it, she returned to her desk looking at her with not anger, not disappointment, but concern. "Are your...parents still doing well?"
Melody removed her headphones, letting them rest around her neck, a noticeable smile forming on her face. "They're actually fine, I just talked to my dad not too long ago."
"And?"
"Well he's doing good you know, just got another gig last night."
"But is he coming home?"
"Well not anytime soon no. But he said he'll come back soon, and I believe h--"
"And your mother?"
"Oh, S-she's on a business trip."
Harshwhinny sighed, standing up from her seat and taking a seat upon her desk. "Melody, this situation isn't ideal."
"W-what do you me--"
"You're 13 years old, living alone in a home meant for a family, you can't be happy with this."
The two of them stared in silence for a moment, Melody letting out a cheerful hum and rubbing the back of her head. "Well actually, I'm pretty much an adult right?" Harshwhinny closed her eyes in concern, internally sighing as she continued. "It's like I got my own place, I can virtually do anything I want right? And when I get a job, I can make the rest of the payments and it'll be official."
Harshwhinny let two fingers glide to the bridge of her nose, trying to give her some sense of comfort. "Ms. Tempo, let me reiterate that you are only 13 years old. It would be impossible to put anything of that scale in your name until you are at least in high school, you need parental figures supporting you. Please allow me to help you, the least I can do is get your mother to return from her trip--"
"I know what you're getting at mam, but trust me," she said with a seemingly unusual amount of confidence, replacing her headphones to her ears and reaffirming that smile toward her. "I promise there's no reason to worry about me, what kind of adult would I be if gave in to doubt so soon. Tell everyone to just watch me out there, I'm going to get a job and live life the way I want to, just like you teachers do."
As soon as those words left her mouth, s doubled tapped her headphones and exited the room leaving Harshwhinny to ponder what just happened. "She actually thinks we get to do whatever we want on this salary? That girl is going to be the death of me." As she returned to behind her desk, her eyes drifted toward the picture frame sitting there, Her and 2 others, happily staring at the camera. That's when her computer lit up with an e-mail, forcing her attention toward the words in the message that made her eyes widen.
2 hours passed as school went on, eventually casting lunch upon the hungry and irritated student body. Melody slowly walked into the cafeteria, Ali flagging her down as soon as she made her first step. "Well hello, Ms. no show."
Melody raised her eyebrow in annoyance. "Is that what we're calling me now?"
"Well, hey it's not just a random nickname, Mr. no show."
"You can't ever let me live anything down can you?"
"Nope, not since that rock incident."
The two of them made their way into the lunch line, eventually grabbing their food and taking a seat at a nearby table. "Geez, you still remember that?"
"Yep, I think I remember you screaming, "I'm the avatar, the strongest kid in the entire school and you gotta deal with it" Just before you dropped that rock on your head."
Melody reached to feel the top of her head, letting her finger caress the tiny divot in her head form the incident. She let a giggle escape her before she sighed. "Why can't anyone just forget about that day already?"
"Aw don't be like that, It's the entire reason we're best friends remember? Now enough casual talk, let's get down to business."
"Business?"
"Yep, your punishment for ditching my practice yesterday."
"Oh please no, I said I was sorry already."
"Nope, you gotta face the consequences of your actions, and that consequence is..." Ali paused, closing his eyes in thought and humming to himself. "Let's see...punishment, what could it be? something that only I can think of...um...oh yeah I got it. You Mel," he said placing his foot atop the table and pointing at her heroically, "have to let me move in with you."
Bell cocked his head in confusion. "Come again, you want to...move in?"
"Yep."
"Do you understand the rumors that will fly, even if we are best friends, about you, a guy, moving with me, a girl? This isn't some type of bro moment you know, it's gonna super weird. I mean what if you see me in my underwear or something."
"Oh now that I wouldn't mind seeing."
Melody's face immediately lit red with embarrassment as she rocketed her orange into his face sending him reeling off his seat. "Get your mind out of the gutter you idiot."
"OK ok, ow." He uttered returning his butt to his seat. "But just think about the freedom it would bring, no rules, no parents to tell you what to do--"
"You just want to bring girls to my house don't you?"
"W-what no, get out of here, I wouldn't even dare to bring Sea flare to your house," he uttered with stars in his eyes.
"The fact that you named someone specifically isn't helping your case. Besides, what would girls think if you lived with another girl, you're already in hot water as it is with half the girl population here."
"Hey, I swear I broke up with Lime the week prior, I have no idea why she was so mad when I got with Lemon. And besides, my parents are strangling the air out of me with all their rules, you gotta let me move in."
"Geez, you're like a puppy. And besides, I can't say for sure, least not yet."
"What, why?"
"Because I'm still cleaning out their room, it's an unorganized mess. That is, unless you're willing to help me clean it out."
"I would if I could, but we have practice all week this week, got those semi-finals coming up so..."
"Yea yea yea, you're lazy got it."
"Ok ok, so jokes aside, what really kept you."
"I wasn't lying when I said cleaning."
"Yea but it's kinda not, you know, you to blow off a plan like that, what's really going on?"
Melody turned her head toward the window, resting it on her hand as she sighed. "I've been job hunting ok."
"Job hunting? We're 13, what could you possibly need a job for?"
"I'm trying to get the house."
"You want to own your house? You do realize how much more there is to it than just paying for it right? Not to mention that you are, and I quote, 13. Who's gonna give a job to a kid?"
"I guess you have a point there, but even then, it doesn't hurt to try. The question is, if I were to get a job, what would I do?"
"I know," Ali said as he took the stance of rocking out on a guitar. "Rock out for some bucks, just like you di--"
"What about a car wash?"
"A car wash? No no, I'm telling you, playing the g--"
"Or maybe a shoe salesman."
"Hey hey hey," he said snapping in front of her face making Melody turn her attention back towards him. "Why are you avoiding this like the plague?"
Melody was quick to turn her gaze back out the window, staring at the many different sights. "We've been over this before, I don't play anymore."
"You're still on that? Come on Bell, you're like one best guitar players in the city, no the state, not to mention you got some killer vocals. If you were to start taking gigs agai--"
Ali could see the instant change in Bell's attitude as he cut him off. "I'm not that guy anymore ok, just drop it." Within seconds, what seemed like general best friend banter was now volatile, and each word was a spark ready to light the fuse. "I don't need to play to be successful."
"But you need the money, and let's be honest, you love playing."
"Not anymore."
"But..."
"Let it go Ali."
"Why not at least try it, you know you could do it if you wanted to."
"I'm just not into it anymore, the stage, the people, the constant urge to write song after song, I don't want to do it anymore."
"I remember a time when you couldn't get enough of that spotlight."
Melody slowly picked up her tray of food, standing to her feet but still looking out the window. "It was too much ok, I couldn't handle it. I got scared and now, I don't play. But," Ali was shocked when a smile came to his face. "I know that isn't my only option out here, there are plenty of other careers out there for everyone, right? Like what about sports?"
"I don't know about that, you barely exercise as it is. But," he said putting his fingers up as if to frame something. "That flat chest of yo--" Melody growled before he could even finish that sentence. "I uh...you d-don't work out, that's it."
"Ok, so maybe not sports, but something out there requires these very hands, and I'm gonna find it." As she placed her tray of food in the trash, she turned back to Ali. "I'm gonna take a walk, you coming?"
"You kidding, I haven't even taken a bite of my food yet, I've never been more hungry."
"Suit yourself."
"At least do me a favor and think about playing again?"
"Will do," Melody replied as she slowly exited the lunchroom. Once out of anyone's sight, seeing as how everyone was either outside or in the lunchroom, Melody clutched her chest hard, beginning to take deep breaths in and out with a quickening pace.
"I'm an idiot..." What was I thinking, telling him anything about that? I don't need help, it's my house. I don't need to play a single chord on a guitar to be successful. It's just a hobby, a useless...hobby...that does...nothing...but cause pain and misery. I refuse...I refuse...I... It came to Melody's attention that she was now having difficulty breathing, letting out a desperate gasp of air, shallow breaths following as she quickly dug into her bag, trying desperately to pull something out as air seemed to be becoming less and less plentiful. She internally cheered as the inhaler came into her possession, fumbling to get it out of the bag and into her mouth. However, life had other plans as she clumsily dropped the inhaler. In her desperation to catch her mistake, she stumbled to the ground, falling on top of her only hope. The simple crack pierced sorrow into her eardrums, leaning up as much as she could and watching as the inhaler stuck to her shirt in at least 7 different pieces. "This...sucks." Her body fully dropped to the ground and her vision began to fade to black. Is this it, Is this how I die, clinging to life before it even started. I never got to buy the house, to make my own mark on life...What would mom think of me, her daughter dead in a grave because she was too clumsy to hold a stupid inhaler? Hehehe...it's so stupid
As her consciousness ceased, someone thankfully rounded the corner, immediately noticing the collapsed girl on the floor. "Oh crap, hey are you ok? Hey? Hey?" The person asked as she shook her. H-hey anyone please, help!"
"What's going out here?!" Ms. Harshwhinny yelled as she exited the room. "What are you doing her young lady, you're supposed to be a the hospital?"
"Look, I'll go later, just help her, she's not moving, I don't think she's breathing."
Melody opened her eyes to a white void, her body devoid of clothes but bathed in a blinding white light. "Am I...dead?" She surveyed the white space around her, seemingly made of nothing. "What is this?"
"Melody..."
Her eyes widened, turning to face the sound of the voice. "M-mom?"
"Hey there baby..."
"Mom? Mom where are you?" That's when her eyes caught a glimpse of an image, the image of her mother "Mom?"
"Welcome to the world kiddo..." Her father's voice called out.
"W-what the hell is going on right now?"
"Look at her honey, isn't she perfect?" the mother asked.
"She's got your looks obviously."
"And she's got your eyes, Azure eyes like the sky."
Thought of a name yet?"
"I'm thinking...Melody..."
Once again her vision faded to black, but this time, she awoke to the sight of a hospital room ceiling. Her eyes stared there for a moment taking in the realization that she was alive, breathing. She hummed in confusion as her eyes scanned the room, while barren of people, specifically Ali who she was sure would be first on the scene there was indeed something surprising, a noticeable warmth at her left side. Turning her head, she gasped at the sight before her. "Hmm?" The girl rose her head and yawned, stretching out her limbs in her own hospital gown as Melody rose to sit up. "Oh man, I thought you'd never wake up."
Did my heart know? Was it playing matchmaker that day, betting against the possibility, that even if one thing had changed that day even a little, If I hadn't been late, if I had agreed to try Pinkie's new pastry, or if that call hadn't interrupted my music, I wouldn't have heard you singing up on that hill, my body wouldn't have me forced up, and my soul wouldn't have met you under that azure sky, Sonata Dusk.
(Ending 1)
Author's Note
I do hope enjoyed your read through of the first chapter of My Lie in Spring. As you can tell, it's heavily inspired by an anime of a similar, Your lie in April.
