Electric Dreams

Buisness as Usual

                                                                        The smell of her hair , the taste of her mouth
                                                                The feeling of her skin seemed to have got inside him
                                                                            Or into the air around him.
                                                                    She had become a physical necessity. George Orwell 1984

         Rey tried to go on with her life like 'business as usual'.
  She taught her yoga classes and went to orchestra rehearsals , but her smile wasn't as bright , the bounce in her step was gone  and even Poe's flirting and Finn and Rose's  lighthearted banter didn't help her melancholy mood. 
They couldn't figure out what was bringing their happy go lucky friend down, but if Poe ever found out who it was.......

   She did find solace in her music.
Every morning  sweet music from the upstairs apartment would join her in a  duet. One of her favorite's Saint Sean's The Swan.
   The  gentle harmony blended with her soft melody .  She couldn't understand why he would be doing this, why would he say  a relationship with her would be too complicated, too difficult , but still play breathtaking music with her .

        One evening she did see the back of his black head as she was coming in late one night after a concert.
He must have heard her coming  in because he practically ran up the stairs like the devil himself was at his heels.

         She had to smile to her self when his angrily frustrated voice  echoed down the stairwell.

        "Let me in you piece of shit!"    Ben yelled irritated beyond all reason. He was kicking and punching the door as if it had ears and could hear him.

           He had started swearing soon after he broken thing off with her.    His mood now dark and brooding.
How many times has he forgotten his keys?
Was he really that forgetful?

        She  wouldn't know the real reason why he kept being locked out of his apartment, would she.

            Bee bee ate was a busy body ,eaves dropping , meddlesome mischief maker and delighted in Ben's discomfort.

         The little lap top once adored his maker but now had turned on him when he heard  Ben telling Rey is was over before it hardly began.
               It knew everything and felt responsible to punish Ben for his foolishness.

     It caused  total blackouts and with no power to his fridge, resulted in sour milk ,  warm beer and melted ice cream. 
Not to mention the dark bruises on both his chins from bumping into furniture in the dark and burned toast.

      The little lap top still hadn't forgiven him for not showing Rey his love song.
***********************

Rey was late for her rehearsal and rushed to the elevator. Rushing was almost impossible when she was carrying a awkward Cello and her purse.
The handle of the hard case had broken just last night , and she hadn't had time to go buy a replacement. So Rey took a deep breath and carried it in only its cloth bag. Thank God it wasn't raining.

Her grandfather had given her the Cello when she was eleven years old .
He had been in a orchestra and dreamed that one day one of his family would carry on his legacy for the love of music . Bach, Beethoven, Mozart , Debussy, she loved them all.
"Rey , my dear " he began, " you are a special girl, with special gifts. You are filled with light and hope."
" Learn to play this Cello and people will be drawn to you. Your music and will have the power to tame the savage beast in the heart of many lost and lonely souls."

"Yes grandpa." Rey promised . He told her to practice every day and to protect and treat her instrument with care. Her Grandfather even looked like Saint Saen's . To this day she had kept her vow to him.

Rose saw her and beckoned her to join the crowded elevator. Rey hesitated, it looked packed already.
"Come on , we can fit you. Your skinny. You don't want to be late!"

She held the precious Cello to her bosom and stepped in . Suddenly someone in the back sneezed which caused the person next to them to jerk sideways.
Like a set of dominos, bodies lurched forward until Rey was thrust into the closing elevator door.

Crack!!!

Rose gasped as she heard the crunching of wood and strings.

Rey quickly jumped out the elevator and saw the look of shock on her friends face as the doors closed .
She stood by herself in agonizing silence , her heart pounding.
The neck of her beloved Cello came apart in her hand as she stood there hardly believing what just happened.

A sob escaped her lips as her trembling fingers felt the strings loosen. She couldn't think of what to do next.

Then she saw Poe, running recklessly with his own Cello. He was late again. The conductor told him if he was late one more time there would be a fine to pay and maybe be written up. Poe didn't care. He was filthy rich.
He loved fast cars and faster women, but somehow slowed down enough to sit behind his instrument and play classical music.

He never let a day go by without teasing and flirting with Rey . She once thought that maybe she could give him a chance and date him , but he was more into the challenge than her.

Maybe he could help her? She needed someone who would be sympathetic to her plight, be a shoulder to cry on.

" Poe ! My Cello ..... it's gone!" She cried , the tears streaming down her face.

" What is it Cupcake? Your Cello, oh no. What are you going to do about the quartet?" He asked heartlessly.

"The quartet?" she couldn't believe he could be so unfeeling. She pushed past him, blinded by tears, not caring where she went. Ben's face flashed in her mind..... No, no way! She couldn't go crying to him . He wouldn't appreciate being interrupted with something so trivial while working on his precious brick.

She felt all alone in the world at that moment. And a million miles from home.

  I just wanted to say thanks to all for you for your votes and comments on this story, my friends.
      I want it to be a light read but somehow it always gets dark before the good stuff happens. Things will get better I promise for Ben and Rey. They always do or why are we writing stories about them?   We need the happy ending we were denied  in TROS.  I promise to deliver!