Hi, people of the internet! :D This is the first chapter of my NEW Zemyx story, Melodious Stories! YAAAAY! XD Anyways, my beta hasn't had the chance to fix it yet, but I wanted to give it to you all before I left for camp. That's right, I'm leaving for CAMP today! :D I can't wait! I'll be back on Friday, but until then I'll have no internet access. So I hope to see some reviews when I get back! And when I do get back and my beta finishes up, I'll update it, k? Well, until then, lovely people! :D Enjoy my 1,455 word first chapter! ;)

Six.

Six was my lucky number.

Six was the age when I discovered my true calling, drawing.

Six was the number of great artists I'd been lucky enough to meet and receive advice from.

Six was the number of drawing books I'd published.

Of pictures I drew which are on display at the museum of art.

Of years of college I took to get my dream job, a college art professor.

Of... well, you get the idea.

Maybe I'm superstitious, but all of that made me pretty optimistic about my upcoming sixth anniversary with my boyfriend, Riku. Well, it did not turn out the way I'd expected.

...But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Things started changing on September 9th. Hmm, 9/9. He wasn't kidding.

.

It was the first day of the fall term at Ultima University, where I was the professor of Creative Drawing. I'd thought my life was fairly good. I had my dream job. I had an amazing boyfriend whom I'd been with for almost six years. We shared an amazing house with a wonderful view of a forest and lake, a great source for inspiration. Indeed, I wanted everything to stay exactly the way it was.

However, of course, it didn't.

.

The day began normally enough. It was my usual first-day procedure for the first classes. But then, at the final class of the day, it changed. As students began filing into the classroom, one student in particular grabbed my attention immediately.

He was a relatively tall young man, with his blond hair set in such a bizarre, strange shape that I got the itch to draw it. But what really caught my attention was his expression. He was a fish out of water. This class was unfamiliar territory, and he quite obviously did not want to be here.

I wondered why he'd taken this class when he didn't want to. Art is a very picky subject. You have to enjoy what you're doing. He did not look like he enjoyed drawing. But suddenly, the late bell rang, jolting me back to real life.

I did the same thing with that class as with all of the others. That is, I said 'Welcome to my class,' I took attendance (his name was Demyx Myde, a name just an unusual as mine), and then I told them to get drawing. Why am I so blunt? Simple. Art has no limitations, no rules, and no explanations. Therefore, I provide none of these things either. Smart students will do what they are told without question. Luckily for them, this was a smart class. No one said a word as they all got out a pencil and paper.

As they worked, I walked around the classroom, checking their progress. I really wanted to see what the blond boy, Demyx, was doing, but I forced myself to go around the room completely before getting to him. When I finally got there, I was shocked. He had taken out a pencil and paper, yes, but he was just sitting there, staring at the paper like it was a venomous spider. I knew he wouldn't enjoy his assignment, but I'd expected him to at least try, not just give up and do nothing. No one had ever done that before. All I could think was 'who is this guy? What's his story?'

Now, I could've been a mean teacher and said quite loudly, 'Young man, why aren't you following instructions?' so the whole class would hear it. But, remembering his lost expression before, I just couldn't. At that moment, he looked up and noticed me. Dismay flooded into his strangely-colored sea green eyes. 'I'm in trouble.' His thoughts were clear on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, probably to defend himself, but I shook my head before he could say anything. I held up one finger, motioning for silence. He closed his mouth and frowned back down at the paper. He looked very frustrated and miserable. I felt a surge of pity. He really didn't want to be here. He probably didn't choose to be here. I suppressed a sigh and continued walking. I decided to talk to him after class.

There was one extremely talented girl I kept coming back to, watching her drawing grow and evolve. It was a picture of a wolf, running in a forest through the rain. The detail was immaculate. There was no color, not yet, but she was shading in the shadows with her pencil expertly. I watched as she delicately added leaves to the trees and raindrops to the sky, one by one. When she put her pencil down for a moment to flex her fingers, I put a hand on her shoulder and leaned over next to her, studying the drawing closer. "This is very good," I murmured, not looking up from the drawing. "Thank you." She sounded flattered. I studied it for another second and then looked up from the paper at her as her bright blue eyes scanned her own work, looking for flaws most likely. "What is your name, young lady?" She pushed the hair away from her face and smiled. "Namine Snow, sir," she answered politely. "Hmm." I straightened up and let go of her shoulder. "Well, Miss Snow, you are quite talented. I eagerly await the finished product." She flushed with embarrassment. She picked up her pencil and bent over the paper to hide it. I smiled slightly. There was always one. One star student, one who could become a great artist. I hoped she would keep getting better, and maybe become famous someday. She certainly had the potential.

Finally, the class ended. Everyone came up to my desk and turned in their papers, except for the boy, Demyx, who still just sat there unhappily. "Excellent work, class," I announced when they all took their seats again. "Tomorrow shall be our first lesson. You may all go." The students began packing up their stuff. I went over to the door and stood next to it, keeping my visible eye on Demyx. The kids began walking past me, out into the hall. Demyx had tried to escape quickly, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw me by the exit. Everyone else left, until we were the only two people in the room. There was silence for a moment. "We need to talk, young man." I said, fixing him with a penetrating stare. The poor boy was terrified. "Umm, okay," he said nervously. "I mean, yes sir," he amended hastily. I closed the door and sat down at my desk. "Come here, Demyx." He approached slowly. "I'm really sorry, Professor Ienzo, but I just-" I silenced him, holding up one hand calmly. I took off my glasses and eyed him critically. Although I felt a little sorry for him, he was still a student of mine, and so he must participate in class, and asking his personal business was rude anyway. So I had to play the part of the stern teacher. The only way I would find anything out was if he told me himself. But who knew how long that would take? It might not even happen at all. I suppressed a sigh and played my part. "I do not play games, Mr. Myde. Drawing is a fine art, a very serious subject, and it also my passion. I take my job seriously. So, if you are in my class, you must also be serious about drawing. I did not want to single you out in front of your peers, so I'm warning you now. If you at least try, you will pass my class. If you do not try, then you will fail. I suggest you either make an effort, or transfer out of this class. Do I make myself clear?" Demyx nodded, looking dismayed. "Yes, sir." I leaned back in my chair. "Good. You may go." He fled. I sighed and bit my lip anxiously. Was that too harsh? I hoped not. He did look pretty miserable. And besides, I wouldn't be able to figure this out if the poor guy was scared of me. We'll just have to see what happens tomorrow, I conceded as I collected my things to leave for the day.