Summary: She was a pianist, but an unknown. He was misunderstood and full of temper. Everyone loves and fears him, except for one girl. And she's the only one who can duet with his song.
Close your eyes,
And separate yourself from all the lies that surround you.
Block out the laughter; the looks and the fakes.
Let go of the walls that you cling to, and listen.
I wonder if you can hear it; the melody of the loneliness within; the longing for something real.
Every forced laugh, every fake smile that you show confuses you.
You loose your true self.
Suddenly, you're nothing.
You're nobody.
It's all a lie.
Everything…is a lie.
-Lonely Echo
Fool's Embrace
Long slim fingers pressed down gently on the cool keys. A soft melody was aroused, and she closed her eyes. A clear breeze blew into the room, fluttering the curtains and swirling around her hair. The empty classroom was silent except for the swaying of the curtains and the soft touch of the piano. Her eyes remained closed, and her face angelically at peace.
Suddenly she stopped, and looked up to where the class-door was. His clear amber eyes stared coldly at her. His beautiful face showing no emotion. For a moment, they stayed like that, frozen in time. Then her gaze lowered as her eyes began to close and she slowly turned back to her piano, and began to play. The wind blew harder, fiercer this time, making the music sheets flutter off the piano and onto the ground. She looked up again to find that he was gone.
For a moment, his gaze lingered on her; but then he turned and left the harmonized classroom.
"If I smile and don't believe
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream
don't try to fix me I'm not broken
Hello I'm the lie living for you so you can hide
don't cry"
-Evanescence (Hello)
Chapter One
Broken Down
When I was a little girl, I was pushed off a bridge into a river. Ever since, I've been terrified of the ever flowing essence. All I remember from the moment that I was pushed off was the piercing cold that rushed to greet my body. Darkness entered my mind, and I couldn't move. I let myself go. Maybe that was death. I was so…at peace. But somehow, my eyes opened. I was no longer in the water, but beside it, on dry land. My body was numb; my mind in shock, but something was different…and warm… My lips…and my heart.
My head painfully turned to see who had saved me…but the only thing I saw, was a boy wearing a cross necklace that reflected in the sunlight, and a nice smile.
It's been six years, so the memory becomes vague. But I wonder…will I ever see him again?
Sakura
The pale cold hand greeted me with a smack to my face. My head bent to the side, my shoulder-length hair covering my face, she spoke with elegance and hatred, "School ended half an hour ago, why so late Sakura?" She pronounced my name with disgust, making it seem revolting. My cheek burned, and I slowly lifted my head back up, "I'm sorry mother…" She smacked me again, this time on the other cheek, "You disgust me Sakura. I had the grace to take you in and even think of you as a daughter, but the only thing you are suited for is housework. Your level will never reach the height of your sister or I. Now get out of my sight. You shall starve the night." My stomach lurched. The only thing I'd eaten the day was…an apple.
I nodded, and walked across the magnificent hallway and up the spiraling steps. On the third floor, a mocking voice spoke, "Ah…if it isn't the lazy orphan; come back with your tail between your legs as usual, I see." My eyes glanced at the graceful figure leaning on the wall, Karen. Smirking, she walked up towards me and grabbed my face, "Oh…your cheeks are so…red. Have you been experimenting with my makeup again? Ugh, you bitch." She faked a mad face and then shoved me back, knocking me into a table and sending an expensive vase crashing to the floor. Coldly, she glanced at the vase shattered on the cold marble and sneered at me, "Trouble-making looser. Tch, I'm going to have to tell mother about this…Well, have fun!"
I stared at the shattered green shards, and picked one up. It pierced my finger, red blood came drooling out. My eyes swept over the portrayed mess and my heart squeezed. The shattered vase was like my heart. Broken, and to be thrown out. Nobody could fix it, because you would get hurt in the process. So no one bothered to fix me. No one bothered to care. Slowly, I carefully picked up each shard and placed them in my schoolbag.
I made my way into a smaller and secluded room, and closed the door behind me. My eyes widened in shock, everything in there was destroyed. My curtains were knocked down, my best clothes cut up, my jewelry missing, my precious figurines and pictures knocked down and broken. But the worst part of all was the picture of my family; my real family. Father…mother…Toya…their picture was ripped up. I had sworn to never cry again after my father's funeral, but this was just too much.
The ripped up scene blurred before my eyes. My legs lost all strength and gave away. I sank to the floor.
A hospital.
A car.
A funeral.
Flashbacks whipped across my mind. My hands trembled as they reached up to clutch my head. Three funerals; three graves. The door banged open; a voice snickered, "Look mother, the little idiot trashed her room. She even broke the new vase you bought from china last week."
Silence filled the room. My ripped picture was torn from my gaze as my step-mother ripped it up more. My eyes stared at the falling shreds desperately. Her hand connected with my face, but I felt nothing. I could only stare at the shredded colors. The tears that had once been there left as she beat me more and more. I could taste something salty in my mouth. Blood trickled down my chin.
It was turning into that time from six years ago. That darkness. That numb. That peace of mind. I heard faint voices. It sounded like Martha, our house-servant.
"Please Mrs. Kinomoto! I beg of you to stop!" But the blows kept on coming. My eye lids were heavy. I closed them, and stepped into the dark. But someone shook me awake. My eyes slowly opened again to see a blurry image of auburn eyes. My hand trembled slightly as it reached up to touch his beautiful face, "Are you an angel?" I whispered.
His eyes lost their sharp look and his mouth twitched up for a moment, he slowly let go of me and my eyes closed against my will and I fell into a soft pile of feathers, in a white world. A deep rich voice seemed to smile into my dream. You're as beautiful as your piano playing Kinomoto…
"Starting from here, let's make a promise
you and me, let's just be honest
we're gonna run, nothing can stop us
Even the night that falls all around us"
-t.A.T.u. (Not Gonna Get Us)
A white ceiling came into view. Blinking, I slowly sat up in my bed. I glanced at my mirror and for some reason walked towards it. I stared at the girl in front of me. Red rimmed-green eyes, bruised cheeks, bloody lip, disappointment curled up inside of me. I looked around my room which was somewhat messy. Then, last night's beating came into mind. I walked towards the ripped up pile of shredded paper which was once a photograph. I picked them up, and threw them into the garbage bin.
I did what I could to fix up my room and clothes and brushed my teeth. After about four or five hours, I glanced at my clock. It read one thirty in the afternoon. I rushed to the door and tried to turn the knob but it didn't even budge. I was locked in. The school piano competition was at one forty-five.
"Martha!" I called, "Martha!"
But no one answered. There was no phone in my room. I glanced at the window, and quickly fixed my hair and opened the window. The old tree wasn't so close to my room, but if I jumped…I jumped, and my heart thudded quickly as my legs slipped a bit on the branch. I made it. As quick as possible, I climbed down the tree and ran as hard as I could down the street. I ignored the sound of the roaring of a motorcycle as I ran when suddenly; it drove in front of me, and stopped. I bumped into the leather-jacket wearing rider, my arms swinging around him to prevent myself from knocking him full force into the ground. He held onto my body and helped me stand straight.
A somewhat familiar rich and mysterious voice spoke, "Do you want me to drive you to school?"
I didn't know why, but I trusted him. I wasn't even sure if he was a student who went to the same school or a kidnapper, but I trusted him for some reason.
"Yes please, thank you."
He lifted off his helmet, shaking out wavy brown hair. Sharp auburn eyes pierced into mine, "I'm not an angel, Kinomoto. Can you trust me?"
You're as beautiful as your piano playing Kinomoto…
AN: I'm not sure, but when I read this with dramatic music, it's not that bad :P It's a one-shot, I have so many other stories to finish but they all suck XD At first I was like, alright, no replies? No matter, I continue story…:D Ehh, I just watched the rest of Rurouni Kenshin (samurai X) and it ROCKS! YEAHHH! XD Oh, but so saad! I loved the ending. Beautiful. Dramatic. Perfect! Yup, well, thanks if you're reading and luving it, thanks if you're reading and replying! And thanks if you actually think it doesn't suckkk!
lonely-echo