Falling for Ocean Blue [BxB] ✔️

Chapter Fourteen

After class, Grace and I walk towards the music room in the auditorium. Minho walks alongside us, his face ashen. Grace is an avid clarinettist and Minho plays the violin. His jet-black hair falls into his eyes. He dawdles behind me as he steers past the crowd. I nod politely at the stray greetings from strangers passing by. Grace just growls if they stare too long. She is not a morning person. 

I catch sight of a wave of blonde turning into the hallway. Aubrey moves inside her circle of girls like a warrior on a Spartan battlefield. She breaks formation as she approaches me with the sharp click of her heels. 

"Max, I missed you at the party last night." Aubrey smirks. The gymnast is in her uniform, hitched high and tight around her slender form. 

I smile back in response.

"Max didn't stay long." Grace snaps.

Aubrey's smile sours, but only for a passing moment. Her pouty lips stretch oddly under the pink stain, she bats her heavy lashes before waving at her clique to leave us.

"I'll leave you to your friends." At the word 'friends', Aubrey lets her eyes drag down Grace. We part ways, Aubrey returning to her throne and Grace pulling us towards the safety of other band nerds.

"You know she's just using you to get back at Austin."

"Why would she need to?"

Minho tuts. His bleak eyes light up with scorn. 

Grace makes the same noise, "Those two are always off and on. One of them cheats, they fight, then they kiss and make up."

I think on that for a moment, digesting the history between the girl and the Anderson brothers. I imagine she is the dry kindling to their fiery feud. I feel a strange tightness in my chest, and I have to exhale deeply. 

We walk into the music room in unison. Minho hurries to an encased violin leaning against the window. I follow him, leaving Grace behind. This must be the music room, I resolve. The large hall is made entirely of glass, the light spills into the dome, bringing life to expensive instruments that lay idly amongst themselves. I spy a large piano on a raised stage. The gleaming black paint sings extravagance centred amongst orchestral instruments in seats. I don't enjoy the attention the room seems to exude. Grace and Minho are already sat in the audience seats. There are only three rows of chairs, quickly being filled with students. I rush to the back of the crowd and steal the last one. Next to me sits a cute blonde with small glasses perched on her small nose. She turns her head and smiles delicately.

"Hi, Max."

I nod.

"It's Percy, remember?" A flash of hurt disables her demeanour. I nod again, brightly this time. An uncomfortable silence settles. The class begins immediately. A small brunette ambles towards the stage, she smiles brightly and washes her green gaze over her students.

"Good morning, dear musicians. It is our first lesson of the year-"

An applause pours over the stage. Some kids even hoot and scream praise at her, she just giggles.

"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Mill and I will be taking your music lessons." She smiles.

"We have a packed year ahead of us, some of you have auditions for the LA music school. Isn't that incredible?"

The crowd shouts again, happily yelling over each other.

"Anyway, I won't do much for homework. Just prepare whatever your working on, I'll listen in and help out."

Mill bows dramatically low, her small body almost halving as she stoops to drink in her applause. I take this as her final word and make towards a small corner of the room. Turning my back to the others, I work on transcribing my own compositions. Cross-legged on the floor, the room is abuzz with abrupt bursts of music. Minho spots me and sits close so that our knees touch. He's working on his own music.

I watch him from the curtain of his dark hair.

"What's the room on the third floor. The one with the piano." I don't look up to ask him. Minho is still hovering over his book. Without looking up from it, he says, "It's the storage room for old instruments."

Minho brushes a hand through his tresses before studying his violin, wiping the strings and inspecting the wood. I watch him for a while, intrigued by his obsessing.

"Maxence, isn't it?" The small brunette hovers over us sending shock over my heart. She grins happily, her small lips curving up. Mill is an odd beauty.

Minho still refuses to look up from his book, so I smile over his lowered head. She takes this greedily, leaning in. "I am incredibly honoured to have you in my class. It's awesome how you've achieved so much," She chuckles nervously, "I'm a big fan of yours."

I thank her civilly.

"The Royal academy of Music was a dream for me since I was a small girl."

I hate how she says that so wistfully.

Mill smiles like she's in a daze. "Maybe you would do us the honour and play a piece for the class."

I must have a look on my face, causing Mill to shy away from me.

"You can play an original. Or your favourite piece..." Mill ventures rather hopefully.

I curse every fleck in her doe-brown eyes. "Okay." I sigh.

Mill shoots up, her hand entwined in mine and dragging me to the front of the class. I wince at how enthusiastic she is, youthful wonder spilling from her small figure.

"Everyone, Maxence Grier has graciously offered to play for us." She squeals like a schoolgirl, ushering the class to focus on my quivering mess.

I pace towards the piano. A beautiful grand, painted in an oak varnish, gleaming underneath spotlights. The class is now surrounding the stage, watching with eager hearts. Grace is grinning like a madman, her brows wiggle teasingly. Minho doesn't move from his spot, encased in shadow and barely conscious to anything. I scan the crowd for the pretty blonde, her freckled face standing out from the crowd. Percy gives me two thumbs up and I take them both. I'm not exactly nervous. The classroom of Woodstone High pales in comparison to the hoards at London Marquee. 

My fingertips itch to play something as I sit them closer to the keys. The room falls silent. I let my hand hover. I take a deep breath and begin. My slender fingers dance over the keys, hitting them so passionately and fiercely that the music that comes out of them sing with fire. My back arches, reaching over the piano like a vulture. I play without conviction, changing octave for the chorus. My eyes shut, bottom lip between two rows of teeth. The world is silenced, dead underneath my blanket of song. I love the euphoria. I pry myself to end the piece, easing to a gentle finish.

I open my eyes, waiting for the world to resurrect. The entire class is quiet as they watch me with curious gazes. They pause in their query and I have to watch with bated breath. Suddenly, the whole room is uplifted in shrill applause, replacing the fear in my brain with relief. I smile as they all scream their praise. Grace gives me an appreciating nod. Even Minho sends a sweet smile from his nook.

I drink in their lauding compliments.