Rosewood School for Boys

Chapter 5 - Bonding

Thanks for reading!

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When we got back to the dorms and I had showered and changed I knocked on the boys' door. Felix opened it before leaving the door open and flopping back into the beanbag he had been laying on.

"Wow, what a welcome." I said sarcastically.

"Are you gonna come in and join us or just stand there?" He replied

I walked in and closed the door behind me. Noah was at his desk doing some work and Ace was lounging on a bed scrolling his phone. Noah groaned with his head in his hands.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I hate Italian. I have to translate three whole pages of text from English to Italian."

"Why do you do it then?"

"My Mom's Italian and she's obsessed with being able to speak it."

"That's sweet."

"It would be, if I was any good at it. This is going to take me hours."

"Do you want some help?"

"Do you know any?"

"A little." I had learnt some after I found a book I wanted to read that I couldn't find in English anywhere.

He passed me the pages he had to translate.

"Can you write fast?" I asked.

"Uh.. I think so?"

I began to read, speaking the Italian version out loud so Noah could copy it down. Occasionally we had to pause so I could help him spell a word but soon we had mostly finished all three pages. Meanwhile, Felix and Ace where just watching silently like some strange performance.

When we were done Noah sighed and said,

"Thank you, where'd you learn it so well?"

"Just picked it up here and there."

"Any other secret talents you're hiding mysterious girl?" Felix joked.

"I'm hardly mysterious."

He listed on his fingers, "Mysterious ninja powers, mysterious origin story, mysterious language skills... am I missing anything?"

"What do you mean 'origin story'?" I scoffed.

"No one knows where you came from or why you're here. Henceforth, mysterious origin story."

"Plenty of people know where I came from, just not you."

"I don't know." Noah piped up.

"Me neither!" Ace agreed.

"Fine," I sighed exaggeratedly, "What do you want to know?"

"Where you grew up." Noah answered.

"Where you lived before you came here." Ace added.

"Your parent's names!" Felix shouted.

"Why do you want to know that?"

"No reason." He gave me the most suspicious innocent look I'd ever seen.

I shrugged, he was weird.

"My parents were called Alice and John and before I came here I was living in a children's home in east London. I grew up moving around a lot from foster home to foster home, some for a few weeks some for a few months."

The only one I had stayed in for years was the one I wished I had never gone to.

The boys had gone very quiet and looked a little shocked. Noah was the first to speak.

"And your parents are..."

"Dead, yes."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago, I barely even remember them."

"Doesn't make it any less sad."

I half smiled sadly. The silence hung in the air for a second before I changed the subject,

"Do you know where Carter is?"

"I don't know, probably in the music room." Felix answered quietly.

"'Kay thanks imma go find him."

Noah started to call after me but I shut the door and walked away.

I had to concentrate to find my way to the music room. I wondered what Carter was doing there, I hadn't even known he played an instrument. With a couple of wrong turns I made it to the music block and pushed open the door to the music room.

It was a large hall that I supposed was probably for performances as it had a raised stage at one end that was empty apart from a piano. It had a high arched ceiling that made every sound echo and the walls were papered with an elegant pink and gold print.

I entered through a door to the left of the stage and immediately saw Carter sitting nearby. He had his back to me and was playing a cello.

The song was beautiful, soft and sweet. It flowed like water around the room. I saw the colours of the music wash over me, each one a unique shade. I stood unmoving, absolutely entranced.

When the song came to an end it gave me an inexplicable cold sad feeling.

"That was beautiful." My voice cut the heavy veil of silence like a knife.

Carter wasn't startled by my presence, he turned around calmly.

"The Swan."

"Fitting." Swans were elegant too. "I didn't know you played the cello."

He nodded brusquely. "Always have."

Man of few words that one.

I tried to continue the conversation, it was the longest one I had ever held with him.

"Do you play anything else?"

"Piano."

"Could you show me?" I knew I was pushing my luck but I couldn't resist.

To my surprise he got up, resting his cello against the chair, and walked over to where the shiny grand piano sat. He brushed his fingers over the bone-white keys and I leant on the side so I could see him.

"What do you want me to play?" He asked, looking at me with his gold-flecked eyes sparkling.

I tapped my finger on my chin thoughtfully,

"Do you know the Moonlight Sonata?" It was the only classical piece I'd ever not found boring, excluding the one he had just been playing.

Carter nodded.

He played piano almost as well as cello, if a little more stiffly but he seemed to get more into it as he went. My eyes fluttered closed as I was once again swept away by the melody.

At the end I realised Carter was still focused on me, a gentle look softening his strong features.

"Thank you." I whispered, a blush spreading over my cheeks at his intense stare.

He stood, beckoning me over.

"Sit." He gestured to the plush stool.

I obeyed and he gently took my hands from his place behind me and guided them to the keys.

"Play."

"I don't know how."

"I'll help you. Try."

He lightly placed one large finger on top of each of my smaller ones. Everywhere we touched tingled like tiny electric shocks. Then, we played.

Carter directed my clumsy, untrained hands until we were playing as one , perfectly in sync. Making music together in perfect harmony.