mozart - l.h.

one

!¡ lowercase intended ¡!

calliope

i can't sleep. i grab another pillow and then throw it to the ground, sighing in defeat. pointless.

i stand up and stretch for a moment before turning on a small lamp and sitting down at the piano bench. most nights, it's the only thing that can calm me enough to sleep. my fingers fly across the keys, playing the beginning notes of a simple chopin piece i've known for months.

even as my eyes drift around the room, my hands don't slow or stutter. i look out the window to see a small bird fly past, but it only catches my eye for a second. i look further left, my hands slowing, and see a flash of blue eyes before curtains close over the window across the alley.

in the crowded city, most apartments look directly into another, just across an alley. some people don't even bother with curtains, but the newest tenant across from me is strangely private, and their curtains are rarely open. i've never even seen the face of anyone living inside.

i try not to let it distract me as i move on to the finale of the short piece and promptly start another, debussy's reverie.

i play three more pieces, all haydn, before looking at the clock to see the time. my alarm goes off at 6:30, giving me forty-five minutes to get ready for school, not that it takes very long.

i close up the piano, seeing the curtains across the alley shut again, but not before i catch a glimpse of a face. a man's face.

oh my god. he's watching me. he's been watching me. he sees me every day.

i close my window and pull the blinds down, rushing out of my room, trying to process what i've seen.

maybe he saw me playing piano and was curious. maybe he could hear it through the open window. maybe he was just curious about who lived across from him. it's fine to be curious. maybe he's just shy. maybe he likes me.

or thinks you're pretty, a small part of me tries to suggest.

my cheeks heat up with a blush, despite not knowing the man.

he's probably married. he's got a husband or wife. maybe he has a baby, or a dog.

"calliope grace!"

i would know that voice anywhere. it's serena. she's probably here to get me for school, she's usually my ride.

"coming!" i go back to my room, peering through a crack in the blinds to make sure the man is gone, not wanting him to have any opportunity to see me dressing. i pull on the cleanest pair of mom jeans i can find and a t-shirt, grabbing my jacket in one hand and my bag in the other.

"get down here! you will not make me late again."

"hold on, i forgot my shoes!"

"they're down here by the door! hurry up, i have a bagel and water that i'm about to eat."

i jog downstairs, grabbing the food from her and putting on the counter before pulling on my boots and jacket.

"thanks for the food," i smirk. "you're just too kind."

"yeah yeah. your outfit is cute. nice pins." she touches a few of the pins on the left lapel of my denim jacket, reading the slogans.

"oh, thanks," i mumble around a mouthful of bagel, sifting through my bag for my keychain. "have you seen my school id? i haven't seen it since yesterday when i walked home and it's a waste of ten dollars to get it remade."

"nope, sorry. but i'll give you five dollars toward the remake if it makes you feel better," she offers.

"i should try to resist your money, in the spirit of being polite. but i'll definitely take it." i laugh, slinging my bag over my left shoulder.

"ready? my violin and sheet music are in the front so you're sitting in the back."

"bitch," i mutter, subtly hitting her arm with my backpack as i walk out the door. "you're mean to me."

"i'm not putting my golden ticket to juilliard in the backseat! who do you think i am?" she gapes. i roll my eyes and obediently get in the backseat. she's dramatic, but i understand.

that's the only reason we're friends. we found out we were both on the same college track in eighth grade when we were selecting high school courses, and we agreed to help each other along the way. it turned into a friendship quickly and she never lets me down.

"i'll look for your school id at my house tonight. maybe you dropped it there," serena suggests, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway.

"yeah, that would be good. thanks."

luke

her name is calliope.

hi
hope you enjoyed the first chapter which took an unreasonable amount of time for me to finish. serena is named after prxncesslucas but her character is not based off of serene. i love you serene bby
xx gracie