Something Unexpected

TWENTY-FOUR: Two of a Kind

I hear a slow, sad melody playing as I walk down the hall and proceed down the stairs.

I turn past the staircase and enter the living room to find Oliver sitting near the window at the grand piano. He's focusing so hard on the piano, that he doesn't even notice me when I take a seat on the couch. I stare, mesmerized, by the sound and the emotion behind each key, and began to let the emotion behind each note consume me.

It seems as if time had slowed and I can imagine standing on a beach staring out into the sunset. The wind is blowing against my face, the smell of the ocean is strong and soothing, and I can almost taste its salty currents. The sun is going down, and the wind starts to blow harder, but I don't feel cold.

Just sad.

Then the music stops, and I'm forced back into reality.

"That was really beautiful. What song was it?" I ask. Oliver's head snaps towards me, his eyes wide for a moment, before a slow smile of relief spreads across his face.

"Oh thank you. It's just an old piece I wrote years ago."

My eyebrows shoot upward and I nod out of respect.

"Grant and Miranda told me what happened at school today. I'm glad that he was there for you." He says, quickly changing the subject.

"So am I..." I say without thinking. Oliver smiles, kindness and warmth flooding his blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

I can't bring myself to give him the same answer that I've been giving to everyone else. So I opt for the truth.

"I don't know."

"I see." Oliver sighs then scoots over on the bench.

"Do you want to learn the piece I was just playing?" He asks.

I frown, caught off guard by the quick change of subject.

"A yeah, sure."

I walk over and take a seat next to Oliver. He gives me a brief lesson on the keys and certain notes, before showing me how to play the first part of the song. I soak in the information, easily and hungrily. I find that like playing the piano, and while I'm not nearly as good as Oliver, I feel good hearing the melody that results from my fingers pressing on the keys.

"I was like you once." Oliver confesses.

I stop playing to look at him, confused by his awkward and seemingly random confession. "What do you mean?"

"I used to have panic attacks when I was younger. I liked being alone and with my family, but just the thought of being in a crowd or meeting new people was enough to send me into a nervous fit. You can imagine how hard it was for me going to school. I always felt like people were watching and judging me."

I stare at Oliver, who can't even meet my eyes. Deep wrinkles forms on his forehead and I can tell he's remembering those times. I mean Oliver is clearly okay now. He owns a business and interacts with strangers daily. And while he is a little on the quiet side, I can't imagine him having a panic attack. He's always just so...calm.

"What changed? I mean you don't still have the attacks do you?"

"I met Miranda."

Oh...

"She helped you overcome your anxiety."

"Yes, her and a lot of other people, you know family and all that. But she was the one who convinced me and my parents to seek help, and she stayed by my side through it all." Finally Oliver looks at me again and I could see what he was trying to do.