Cantabile

Disclaimer: Don't own…

I've been really out of it to the point where I needed some fresh air… something different. So I decided I would write a new story… This is definitely one that I'll really enjoy because my life revolves around classical music and being a classical musician.

Chapter 1

So this is it… I'm really standing in front of this building.

I think this is where my real life will begin…

I looked up at the tall building and took it all in.

I am now a freshman in college at the Twilight Conservatory of Music. Hundreds of people from all over the world apply to this school and they only choose thirty applicants… and only five of those are collaborative pianists…

I was really, REALLY lucky. I thought for sure that I wasn't going to get in. I only applied because I figured it would be good experience to accept a loss or two.

Then the audition and interview letter came and I found myself flying to Twilight city.

And when I tell you I was nervous about that… I was terrified…

I was shaking throughout my interview and it took me fifteen minutes to stop stuttering.

The next thing I know… I have an acceptance letter and I'm literally crying on my kitchen floor. My mom thought the dog died or something.

I was definitely not going to pass this up. I'm pretty sure I took out the largest student loan possible to afford this school… I'll probably be paying it for the rest of my life…

But this was worth it. This school had a reputation of molding talented musicians into true artists… artists that make a lot of money doing the craft they love.

That's what I wanted the most… I wanted to live my life playing the piano with another musician at my side.

Because we collaborative pianists make the best partners ever… it's our job.

I was about to take a step forward towards the building when someone knocked me over.

My music fell out of my bag and started to blow away in the wind.

I got up quickly and started to snatch as many papers before they blew away into the street.

"H-hey! Aren't you going to hel-" I paused.

They guy was already in the building.

"I'll remember you red head… I'm definitely not going to like you!" I grumbled under my breath and I grabbed at my papers.

I looked through what I had and I frowned. I was missing the last pages of my favorite piece…

I looked around to see if I could find the last couple of papers and pouted when not a glimpse of white paper could be found.

"Excuse me… did you drop this?" A voice said from behind me.

I turned to see a brunette handing me the two papers I was looking for.

I smiled. "Thank you so much… this is my favorite piece and I was really upset that I couldn't find the last pages of it."

"Well I'm glad I picked them up. I'm Olette, junior clarinetist." She said with a smile

"I'm Roxas, freshman collaborative pianist." I replied.

"That's great! I'm so glad they finally decided to accept more collab. pianists. Last year people were literally fighting over them. And let me tell you, the strings always win. I wanted to have my semester recital with Riku and Naminé took him because she plays violin! I was so mad. But enough of that! I assume you know where everything is?" Olette asked.

"I'm not really sure where my dorm room is… I know where the building is, just not the actual room." I said.

"Good! I get to do my duties as an upperclassman. What room?" she asked.

"Ummm… 221D?" I said.

"Oh! I know exactly where that is. It's in my hall. I'm 220 B. You know how this works right?" she asked.

"What works?" I asked.

"Well… the rooms are like suites so you share a common room with three other people and a bathroom." I she said.

"I knew that." I said.

"You also know that the size of your room goes up in letters right?" she said.

"Yes… I have the smallest room… but I figured that was just because I'm a freshman." I said.

"That's right!" she smiled. "Yeah sorry, I'm not trying to be mean… it's just that I had to suffer in room D for two years and so it makes me a little happier to know that others will suffer too!" She said with a large, goofy smile.

"So it's that bad…" I asked.

"Yeah, you only have room for you, your instrument, and your bed." She said.

"Sounds brutal…" I winced.

"Well, you're a pianist so you're okay. But I have a friend who's a contrabassist, I feel so bad for him because he literally has to sleep with his bass in his bed because the room is so small." She explained.

"Well… I'm really only going to sleep in there so it doesn't matter." I said.

"That's the spirit!" she clapped her hands.

I smiled and I followed her into the building. I smiled at all of the people moving about, some carrying their instrument cases, others with conducting batons, even some carrying manuscript paper in preparation for their newest composition.

I knew right then.

This is definitely where I wanted to be.

We walked up the stairs and Olette turned to me. "Are you ready to go through the practice room hall? I love it because it's like an explosion of music!" she said.

I nodded enthusiastically. Maybe today I would hear my music partner singing or playing in one of the small practice rooms.

We moved down the hall and I stopped for a second just to take in all of the beautiful sounds. I loved this…

And then I heard it…

"Ta rose de poupre à ton clair soleil, O Juin, étincelle enivrée, Penche ausi vers moi ta coupe dorée: mon coeur à ta rose est pareil…"

The deep voice was sailing down the hallway in waves… a voice so smooth, but so energized. It had a charisma that drew in the listeners… I could tell...

I wanted that voice. It was so beautiful and enticing! I needed it! I needed it!

I ran down the hallway, letting my ears follow the sound.

"Hey! Roxas? Where are you going?" I ignored Olette as I moved swiftly down the hall.

The voice stopped for a second and I panicked. Where are you? Where are you!

"La chantante mer, le long du rivage, Taira son mumure eternel…"

I heard it start up again, louder now. I was close. I ran faster.

Avant qu'en mon coeur, chère amour, O Nell…"

I pinpointed the door. I zoomed towards the practice room. The tension was building. I needed to hear the top note. It would be fantastic!

I wrenched the door open. "Ne flouri- Whoa! What are you doing?" The redhead yelled angrily.

No… no it can't be! Not the jackass that knocked me over and didn't bother to help!

"WHY YOU!" I yelled. Why did this asshole have to be the voice I wanted? Why?

"Excuse me?" the redhead asked incredulously.

"You knocked me over and didn't help! Why you!" I cried out to the ceiling.

"Roxas, what is wrong with you? You just ran off for no reason…" Olette trailed off before blushing.

"Oh my god! Axel I am so sorry! I was showing this freshman to the dorms and he just runs off! I'm so sorry if he disturbed you!" She said and grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me back.

"Olette, don't associate with the freshmen… they're obviously out of their minds, especially this one." He said pointing to me.

My face flushed with anger. "W-well look who's talking! You are so rude! I don't care if you're an upperclassman or whatever! You can't just knock people down and not help them up! My music blew all over the place, I was lucky when Olette found the rest of my music!" I yelled.

I was elbowed in the side and I shut up. I couldn't believe it! Olette saw what happened and she's elbowing me?

"Well, I'm going to take him to his dorm now. Sorry for the intrusion." She said with a small giggle and closed the door. "Roxas what is the matter with you?" she piped.

"What do you mean? What's wrong with you? That guy is an asshole! Why are you being nice to him?" I asked.

"That's Axel Sonheim, only the most promising singer in this entire school! Not only is he here on a full scholarship, he's already been on stage with major names in the opera business, at age 18!" Olette babbled.

"Wait… I'm almost 18 and I'm a freshmen… how does that work?" I asked.

"He came here as a freshman at age 16. He's a singing prodigy!" she said.

"Ok… I won't deny that I thought his voice was probably the most beautiful thing I had ever heard… but that doesn't give him the right to be an ass to me! I'm sorry… but I don't condone rudeness just because someone is talented." I said.

Olette sighed. "Where's your room key?" she asked.

I handed it to her and she opened my room door.

I smiled and looked to the window that overlooked the bustling city.

"I like this." I said.

"Good, because you'll be living here for a long while." Olette said.

I heard a door open and I looked to see a blonde girl walk out of her room. She paused when she saw us.

"Hello!" she said to me. "Olette." She said dully.

"Naminé." Olette replied in the same tone.

You could practically see the tension rise in the room. They must have hated each other.

Wait… Naminé was the name of the violinist that Olette didn't like.

I quietly excused myself and walked into my small room.

There really was only room for your bed…

I placed my bag on the bed and took out my binder of music. I should probably practice for the big day tomorrow.

Part of the curriculum for a collaborative pianist is testing how well he or she can follow a singer or instrumentalist. So on the first day of classes, a collab. pianist is paired with a soloist and are destined to work together for the entire year.

I could see it now… me playing along with a fellow artist… becoming one through the art of making music. I was so excited!

I snuck out of the room without being detected by the building ferocity between the two girls in the room.

I moved down to the hallway and found an empty practice room. I smiled immediately.

A beautiful Steinway piano.

I moved over to it and quickly sat at the seat. I gently placed my finger on middle C.

It was perfectly in tune.

I put my binder on the music stand and turned to the music I wanted to play.

LAUDAMUS TE by MOZART

I smiled and even though I had no singer, I could imagine one because the music really mirrored everything. Mozart was by far my favorite composer. His music was so lively and absolutely, breathtakingly refreshing from the crap I got handed to me in life.

I played the first notes firmly as if to say 'Hey shut up and listen!' Then I played some lively chords to say, 'Here's the soprano, she's fantastic so listen!'

I could hear the soprano sing, me moving in an upward motion behind her, tension building.

She moves in for the run. I let her do her thing and I make sure she doesn't slip. She sits on a note and I provide a contrast of movement. I loved everything about this!

There were some things about classical music that will remain dear in my heart forever. The sheer fluff and carefree ebb and flow, they were so easy to catch on to.

I moved to crescendo. I was ready for the singer again.

"Laudamus te, laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glroificamus te."

I could hear the singer… I could really hear her…

Only it was deeper… it wasn't a soprano…

I continued to play wondering who was singing. I was moving towards the end.

"Laudamus te, Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te!" the voice sang beautifully.

When I finished the last chord I immediately ran to the door and wrenched it open to see who was singing with me.

"Well at least you're good for one thing…" a voice said.

One that I was not happy about.

"You again?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Oi! I'm giving you a complement and you act like this?" Axel said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well if it was a complement I didn't catch on to it because it was buried in sass and rudeness!" I said.

Axel rolled his eyes. "You get Mozart. Sometimes you collaborative pianists just play what's on the page, but you were listening to the singer. That's a good thing." Axel said.

I blushed. "Ummm, thanks."

"Well don't go around thinking you're special just because I said that. You're not that important." He said with a snappy tone.

"Well don't think you're special because I was flattered by your complement. Anyone could have said that and I would have had the same reaction!" I snapped back.

"Axel Sonhiem." He said.

I paused. "Roxas… Roxas Alford."

"French?" he asked.

I nodded.

"German?" I asked.

He nodded. "Are you done with that practice room? It's mine and I'd appreciate it if you would get out." He said.

I scoffed. "NO, I'm not finished and I will not leave and I certainly do not see any sort of proof that this is your practice room!" I said.

"Did you check the window of the door?" he asked.

"What?" I asked and looked to the door.

There was an I.D.

Axel's I.D.

"When a student puts their I.D. in the window it means that they are reserving it. Therefore, this is my practice room and I'm kicking you out!" Axel said and pulled me out of the door.

"H-HEY!" I yelped and found myself on the floor. The door of the practice room opened again and Axel threw my binder at me.

"ARRRRGH!" I exclaimed. I was totally fed up with that punk! I would be less mad if he really was an upperclassman but in truth, he was only a few months older than me.

I hated pompous assholes like him. I marched back to my dorm and plopped myself on the bed. I'll just steer clear of that punk. I don't care how popular he is, he's not going to get away with treating me like shit!

I fell asleep hoping that tomorrow would hold a more promising fate.

A/N: So there you have it. A music conservatory romance! Review and tell me what you think!