The Piano
Our MelodyHello and thank you for reading my first story, I hope you enjoy, keep in mind that this story will be told from two perspectives, Leila and Peter. Leila will be this font : Leila, and this is Peter
The melody reverberated in the practice room. Each note I touched dovetailed into my composition. Yes, this was music, my one and only companion. As I gently stopped my hands, I stood up from my bench and ran my fingers over the sheet music . All the ink blotches, mistakes, rewrites were there but most importantly, I looked up to the right hand corner and I couldn't help but smile. The composer of the song was me, Leila Maria. The ringing sound of the academy bells quickly brought me out of my daze and I hurried to get to my baroque history class. While I jogged through the ornate hallways that opened up to the main courtyard where a garden was just beginning to bloom, a tune persuaded me to stop. The beautiful sound of a violin reached my ears. I gently closed my eyes and let the rhythm, beat, and melody carry me away.
“Leila! What are you doing? Hurry and get to class or you’ll be punished.” I turned around and saw Mrs. Crawford, the duet instructor. “You also need to turn in your form for the duet competition. You only have till Friday to turn it in or you’ll be punished The duet competition at this school has forever been a long standing tradition. The same goes for you Mr. Peter.” she said as she glared at the garden bushes where a boy my age walked out with a violin in hand.
“I’ll get it by then.” he said with an icy one as he walked away.
“Humph, always so rude , that boy! Hurry now, Leila!”
I scurried through the hallways and proceeded with my classes. Who was that boy?
As I sat through my boring class, I noticed an empty seat to the right of me. That was odd; it was already the middle of the semester and there shouldn’t be anyone who doesn’t know their schedule by now. I sighed, I hated this history of music class. I wanted to leave and compose.
I dusted off the bush leaves from my uniform jacket and laid my violin on the table. “Son, what’s the matter?You seem to be troubled. It’s rare for you to come and visit me instead of going to class” said my father.
“I have to find a partner for the annual duet competition. No one in this academy is suited for playing with me. Can I just quit and not do the competition, I bet you could talk to Mrs. Crawford about it.”
“Just because you were announced as one of the best young violinists in France doesn’t mean there isn’t someone who is just as good in another instrument.You will attend this competition even though you're my son.”
“You don’t understand, none of their music is real. The music they play are all fake, empty and not worth a single second of my time.” I turned around and headed for the door.
“Then I suggest you try and listen for those, worthy of your highness then” .
“Who’s your partner for the duet” were the only words I heard from my classmates. None of my classmates were my friends. I was the new girl. My dad and mom amassed all their savings just to send me here even with a scholarship.They work at a bakery in Paris and their income was barely enough to send me here for high school and with all the Germans occupying Paris, it was even harder for me to leave and travel to the safety of the Academy in the city of Marseille. World War II has started. Hitler has been invading France. I hope my parents are safe. By the time I was accepted into this academy, the school year was halfway through. No one bothered to talk to me, besides they’re all sons and daughters of rich aristocrats. But I’m not lonely, I have a friend that will always be with me and I couldn’t wait to talk with her. I silently exited the classroom and headed towards the piano room. I opened the door to the piano practice room and smiled. There it was, the grand piano. I sat down on the cushioned bench and started my song and slowly let my soul drift away within the measures.
I walked down the hallway towards the music rooms and all I heard around was the buzz on the duet partners. I already had gotten many offers but I declined all of them. None of them were here for music, all for the title. No one understood me. All the girls here in this school are fake. They constantly flirt and flaunt in front of me . Annoying pests. As I neared the end of the hallway, I stopped. A hauntingly beautiful melody was coming out of the piano room. I slowly backed up to the cool marble of the wall. Yes, this was music, the music I so longed to hear from anyone in this academy. I closed my eyes and then the song abruptly ended. I peeked into the room and saw a brown haired girl sitting at the bench. She was the one from yesterday being yelled at by Mrs. Crawford. I backed up from the door and prepared the form for the duet competition.
Friday arrived and I still didn’t have a form filled for the duet. What was I going to do? My parents would be devastated if I was punished. I lowered my head onto the desk and sighed.
Then a voice said “Hey you, stop sleeping, hurry up and sign this or we’ll both be kicked out.” I looked up and saw the boy who I assume was playing the violin. His eyes were a icy cold blue and he had golden blonde hair. He loomed over the desk and laid a duet form on my desk. The form already had his signature and he already put my name down for me to sign. Peter Gregory was his name .I quickly signed the paper and he took it and headed to Mrs. Crawford’s room. He later came back and sat down right next to me! I peered at his face. What was that all about? Why me? I sat there in the remaining time of the class in utter confusion. The bells rung signaling the end of history class and it was lunch /free time. He stood up from his chair and grabbed my arm and dragged me out. I knew everyone was looking.
He opened the door of the piano room.
“ Show me the music scores for the song you played yesterday, I want to see if I can play it on my violin.” he said.
“Wait! I haven’t even finished the song and first of all who are you?” I asked.
“My name is Peter Gregory and I play the violin. Will you be so kind enough to let me be your partner” He sounded arrogantly sarcastic.
“Um, I’m Leila and were you the one who was playing the violin in the garden?”
“So you heard me playing the other day? I am not called the best violinist of France for a reason, you know? Feel honored that I chose you to play with me. Now hurry and show me the scores.” He walked over to me.
I fished the music sheets out of my bag and handed them to him. He quickly skimmed the sheets then walked over to his violin and started playing. The music coming from his violin was breathtaking.
“You haven’t finished this piece have you? I’ll help you finish it, I want to perform this piece in front of everybody for the competition.”
“Wait? Is that even allowed?” I asked.
“What do you think? I need to show these people what real music is and we’ll come up with a name for the piece later.”
I didn’t question him any further for his icy blue eyes looked like they were burning.
As I was perusing her music, I looked up and stared at her. She was a plain girl with brown hair and hazel eyes. Her looks were definitely average compared to some of the girls in this academy but her music was so beautiful. I carefully studied the girl. She seemed clumsy and shy and I wondered where she received her music education. I looked up and asked her , “Where are you from and where did you learn how to play the piano?”
“I come from Paris, in one of the more rural areas, and my parents work there as bakers. I learned piano from my grandmother who used to be a piano teacher, but she passed away a few years ago when I was 11.” Her face saddened.
“ I see. I’ve been at this academy ever since I was young. My father is the headmaster of this academy and all the staff have raised me ever since I was little.”
“Why did you decide to play the violin?”
“My mom inspired me to play but she isn’t here anymore.” I glanced back down at the music sheets. My mom had died when I was 10 years old. Her love of music inspired me to play the violin. This girl somehow reminded me of her. I looked back up and saw her looking at me with worried eyes. Then the bells rang.
The next day, I received many questions on why I was chosen as Peter's partner . All my classmates swarmed my desk.
"Hey you, move out of my way" Peter stood outside of the circle of people surrounding me. Everyone immediately adjusted themselves to let Peter through. Class started. Afterwards I was dragged to the piano room once again.
He forcefully sat me down on the piano bench and said,
“After yesterday, I thought of ways to finish your song and I wrote them down for the violin and the piano. Try playing it.” He got up and took his violin in hand. I glanced at the music sheets and worked the melody in my head. I began to play. The music sounded great but there was something missing. I stopped.
“Don’t you think this passage should switch to the key of G major?” I asked.
“ Hmm, I don’t think so, What are you thinking? he replied with glaring eyes.
I gave a thought and then stood up from the bench. This was my music,not his.
She glared at me , “Listen, this is my song and my composition, I think it’s best that the passage be switched to G major and if it really does sound that horrible then forget what I said. Let’s just try playing it in G.” I gaped at her in shock. No one, nevertheless a girl in the academy talked to me that way , not even the teachers dared to scold me. She must not know that I rule this school. After being concertmaster ever since I joined this Academy as well as the top of my grade, she has guts to talk to be like that.
“Fine, we’ll try it in G.” I still didn’t believe that the piece would sound better but if she insisted, there was nothing I could do but to prove her wrong. She sat back down at the bench and transposed the part into G major. I quickly matched my violin to her playing.
We neared the end of the passage he wrote and stopped playing. He then turned and left the room , leaving me alone.
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