FrAcTuReD (Part One) (Completed continued in Part Two)

Chapter. 17

A few days after revealing the truth to Alex Charla still couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her, that feeling of unease and wariness was still there locked in her senses but would only fade when she would go to school. It made no sense as to why she would even feel that way.

"Is something wrong?" Alex asked drawing Charla's attention out of her thoughts. "You look kind of worried."

"Oh, it's..." she shook her head. "It's nothing; it's just the news and what's happened in the city. They just keep talking about what's happened. I understand why, I just wish I didn't have to keep hearing about it."

It was the midst of lunch and the two had just finished and where heading back to their homeroom classroom, the sounds of students talking and laughing in their classrooms as a few rushed to the cafeteria and ran past Alex and Charla.

Alex looked at her for a moment before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in close. "You shouldn't be so down about that, heck you've been here for almost two weeks now and nothing's happened. That's a good sign you know."

"I know but I can't help but wonder about that..." her gaze then shifted to the music room, her gaze landing on the grand piano that was there. For a brief moment she recalled how her brother would play on the piano, or any instrument really, but how he would stop when he would see her and smile.

"Charla what are you doing there hiding? Come join me."

Charla moved away from Alex and entered the room and rested her hand on the piano. She then looked at the empty room. Mordecai isn't here, oh right he said he'd be in the art room. I wonder though who his rival might have been. But I shouldn't ask him that...

"You play piano?" Alex asked causing Charla to look at her as the tall girl looked over her shoulder to the large instrument.

"Not professionally no," Charla said as she ran her hand over the piano. "I used to play alongside with my brother, but he was far better at it then I was. When I would play it would just be for fun. But my mother never liked that, and when my brother died I couldn't bring myself to even go near any of the instruments that he used. But..." she lifted the lid seeing the crisp white and black keys. "Sometimes I get the desire to try..." she began to reach for the keys only to pull her hand away. "But my memories of that day always seem to out-win that desire and I can't bring myself to do it."

"You know, I think an upperclassman plays it, I think his name starts with an 'M' or something, and it's an unusual name."

"Mordecai, and yeah I know."

"You know him?"

"Met him on my first week, we talk sometimes. It's nice; he's even offered to play for me if I ever get the urge to listen."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Did you say yes?"

"No, not because I wasn't interested it's like my feelings for playing the piano myself, the memories of what happened with my brother... they're just too strong. But you know, even if that is the case I feel like I know him from somewhere I just can't really remember."

"You could just ask." Alex offered.

"Wouldn't that be too intrusive?"

"Nah, are you kidding? It's not like your old school from what you've told me and the others. I think he'd give you a response."