It All Began With A Letter

Chapter 18: Songs to Play

"Riley," Asher said gently. It almost startled me that he was using that tone. Then again, guys aren't supposed to lash out on their girlfriends when they're crying.

He wrapped his arms around me, cradling me, as I sobbed into his toned, bare chest.

After a few minutes, I had pretty much cried myself out.

I got up, grabbed my clothes, and decided to go take a shower.

When I walked over to the bathroom, the door was closed. Someone was occupying it.

Who else was in my house?! I wondered.

As if on que, my best friend Ashley came out of the bathroom, dressed for school. At the sight of me, her face softened and she threw her arms around me. I threw mine around her too as the tears magically appeared again. Somehow though, I forced them to stay put and wait until I was alone in the shower.

I needed to stop being wea. And I knew exactly what was going to help me.

************

I climbed out the car and glanced down at my feet. As I walked past everyone outside, they all wore looks of sympathy. Or at least most of them. The Barbies certainly didn't but I could care less. I didn't need their sympathy. Heck, I wasn't even sure I wanted anyone's sympathy.

Instead, as I walked by, they just laughed and snickered. I turned and glared at them, shutting them all up as I then proceeded to walk through the doors.

I didn't even bother going to my locker. Instead, I went to the nurse and got some medicine for my growing headache before walking a few classes down. I approached the door I needed to go in and after taking a deep breath, I walked through the door.

There was some student in there talking to the teacher. I recognized her. Her name was Mindy and she was in my biology class. We had to work together on a project before.

As I walked into the classroom, both her and the teachers' eyes snapped towards me. They both gave me sympathetic looks. I just glanced down at my feet. Just because I had told Asher my story, that didn't mean I suddenly felt alright if someone gave me their consolation. I hated owing people because, to be honest, I don't think I'll ever be able to pay up my debt.

"I'll go and come back around lunch time," Mindy said quickly gathering her stuff.

I gave her a small smile and said "Thanks," before she walked out of the room, into the crowded halls.

"Riley, I'm so-" he started.

"Don't say it," I told him. "I don't want to hear it anymore. I've hear it enough times to last a lifetime."

He closed his mouth before opening it a second later. "So how can I help you?" he asked.

"Um, can we do a piano lesson today?" I asked him, my head ducked.

"Um, yea, sure," Mr. Jackson replied.

"Thanks," I said as I began to walk out of the room.

"Oh and Riley," he called.

I turned my head back towards him. "Yeah?"

"Today, in piano," he began. "I want you to play a song. But it has to be a special song. It has to be one that describes everything. You, your life, your emotions, something you want to say but don't know how to or can't, but it also has to have a special meaning for someone," he finished.

I blinked. How the hell do you find all that in one song?!

"Just think about it today during class," he told me.