Skipper's Heartbeat (PRN)

five

It's Wednesday and I'm anxious.

I've been pacing all through my house with my body filling with every kind of nerve I can imagine. Prince is always here about seven minutes early but we'll round that to ten. It must be the travel from Minneapolis. It is clear to see he is not from Chanhassen... A girl can tell. I've lived here my whole life and you don't see anybody as fine as Prince walking around a place like this on a regular day. You'll probably never see it. Besides, he already told me that he is from the city anyway.

To calm my nerves, I need fresh air. Impulse tells me to go to the backyard and sit in the hammock but common sense tells me I wouldn't hear the door bell. It's easy be Mature Monica, the mature version of myself without chasing chances for peace of mind. This is how I know I'll win the bet. Something tells me he's going to try and throw me off today. You know what? It's fine because look who's working a nine to five with little ol' me. I'm shaded from the challenges of the son.

"Aww, you were waiting on me today? How awfully kind of you!" I hear his voice call out. He approaches me as I am sitting on the stairs getting that fresh air I needed.

I look up at him with a sarcastic smile, "Nobody was waiting on you. I was just enjoying God's gift."

"Which one? You've got the sun, the trees, the air, the bees, the children..." Prince walks further up the concrete path that leads him to the big steps in front of my house. "You've got me." A wide smile sprawls across his lips.

"Get all out of here," I laugh, pushing him away from me. My feet lead me to the grand piano with Prince trailing not too far behind me, walking in silence. "It's our first Wednesday."

We sit down at the piano together.

"What's that suppose to mean?" He smiles a bit as he pulls out the simple music sheets. "It's suppose to be just like any other day except it's eight hours instead of three or four... Or the occasional five when you continuously mess up again... and again... and again."

Mature Monica. I have to remind myself to bite down on my own slick tongue.

I have to constantly say that to myself throughout lessons because he really makes me want to go there. I can't dare stand the sight of someone like Prince rubbing in my face how immature and childish I am. He sure knows how to rub salt in a wound you didn't know existed. I cannot stand it. 

"So, what's going on today? Can you teach me to play that one part of Moonlight Sonata?"

"Monica, you didn't even memorize your scales yet. Let's take baby steps, okay?"

I whine out as my face presses against his shoulder and my hands squeeze around his forearm for emphasis. "It feels like forever." I dramatically pull myself away from him, slouching over the keys of the piano. I turn my head to face him in my uncomfortable position. "You ever just been waiting to unwrap a present and the agony of watching it is just taunting you? Then you think, will I ever?"

"You don't even know the feeling..." Prince watches me very stiffly. With the feeling of him judging me, I sit up straight up. He turns his head away, looking around the room as I regather myself. "You didn't even want to learn. Where's the excitement coming from?" His gaze returns to my direction.

"I still don't," I say without an attitude but still with a shrug of my shoulders. "But I've not got a choice. If I'm stuck doing this crap I minds well get something decent out of it. Otherwise, it'd be a complete and total waste of my time."

"That's a good way to go about it."

"I'm sure you do. Now, cut the yapping so I can learn my scales and get to a song." He laughs as he positions the music sheets.