Sitting silently on my bed, I stared at the white-washed ceiling. I twirled a piece of my long, brown hair around my finger and sighed. The hair slipped from my fingers as I fell backwards onto my bed.
My legs were immobilized, stiff as wooden planks. My green-gray eyes were blank, my lips pulled taut. I finally stood up and felt a head rush.
Before I realized what was happening, my legs guided me to the piano in my house. I sat slowly and placed my long fingers on the ivory keys. I took a deep breath and played, an unrecognizable tune pouring out of the instrument, soft and sweet. I listened carefully, memorizing each intricate sound.
A final note hung poignantly in the air as I let my breath out. I stood up and grabbed my small notebook from the far end of the piano and wrote down every note I had memorized from the piece.
As I sat there, inscribing the piece onto the notebook page, I felt a sudden release; a weight being lifted from my shoulders. And I felt myself return to my happy place.
******
I pulled on a light sweatshirt over my thin, dark blue t-shirt, even though it was the beginning of May. I gathered my books for school and my glasses case and quickly looked at my reflection in the mirror to find the same sight I saw every day.
I hastily put on some eyeliner and checked myself once more. My eyes sparkled with a weary glow; the color turning to a bright green.
The first thing I always noticed about myself was my eyes. The first thing I always noticed about anyone was their eyes.
I wore my signature slouch as I left my bedroom and walked down the stairs. I shoved my feet into my sneakers and stepped out the front door quickly.
My sleeping street lay before me as I began to walk to school. It was 7:35 and the school day started at 8:00. I liked being early for class; I didn't want to rush off to class at exactly 8:00.
I got to school at 7:45 and saw teachers in the hallway chatting, as well as stray students at their lockers. The strong smell of coffee invaded the space, overpowering the usual scent of junky air freshener. As I drunk in the smell, I tasted it in the back of my throat.
I walked to my locker at the far end of the vast hallway and dropped off my books. I grabbed my music book and my notebook quickly. As I turned around, I bumped into someone. His books and my notebook went flying across the hallway.
"Sorry! I wasn't paying attention," I said as I began to ramble. I stood up and grabbed two of the boy's books. He grabbed his other books and my notebook.
"Is this yours?" he asked. The boy's voice was soft, forgiving almost. His voice rang after his words, having a low resonance throughout the small space in the hallway. I nodded as he handed the book to me. His hand held the book gently as I looked up to see who I had bumped into.
A pair of beautiful brown eyes stared back at me. They glistened in the light of the hallway.
"Sorry 'bout that. I was just heading to Art. I'm Jake," he said.
"It's okay. I'm Miley," I replied.
"Aren't you in my English class? Fourth period?"
"Yeah. I sit at the table next to yours. Next to Laura."
"Cool. I'd better go. See ya later." I stared after him, watching his gangly strut that I immediately liked. I smiled and walked to my class, orchestra.
As I entered the room, I saw Mr. Renmar, the music teacher, sitting at his desk, typing on his computer. His graying hair was neatly combed and his bright hazel eyes shone in the low light of the computer screen. He gave me a small smile as I headed to the piano.
I began to play the strange piece from the other day and I felt myself loosen up. My sudden stress had melted away and disappeared. The piece grew fuller as I pressed my emotions into the keys below my fingers. I heard a sudden intake of breath and I stopped playing with a jolt.
"Keep playing. That was great," Mr. Renmar said when I stopped.
"No, that's okay. People are coming in anyway," I explained, stuttering. Everyone piled into the room and began setting up their instruments. I saw a pained look on Mr. Renmar's face as he stood up and brought the class to order.
We began to play and I put myself into the music. I heard a sudden door slam and looked up from the music on the music stand. The piece ended messily and Mr. Renmar smiled at whoever had opened the doors.
A girl I had never seen before walked quickly over to Mr. Renmar. I could hear her apologizing repeatedly to Mr. Renmar. Mr. Renmar handed her some music and pointed towards me. Another pianist for the orchestra. The girl walked over quickly and took her seat at the second piano next to mine.
I took in the girl's appearance. Blonde hair with an electric pink streak through it; longish, below her shoulders. Bright blue eyes that sparkled. Purple skinny jeans and a black top. Across the front of her shirt was written, "The Beatles."
"You like The Beatles?" I whispered tentatively, not sure of the response I would receive.
"Like 'em? The Beatles are the best musicians of all time!" the girl replied.
"You must be one crazy fan. I love them too. 'The Long and Winding Road' is one of my favorites," I said.
"Same here."
"I'm Miley."
"I'm Lilly. I just moved here from New Jersey. My father got a job transfer overseas."
"That's cool. What's New Jersey like?"
I heard someone clear their throat and I looked towards the front of the room. Mr. Renmar didn't look pleased. "If you two won't mind, I would like to continue. You guys can talk later," he said through strained lips.
"Sorry, Mr. Renmar," I answered quietly. I turned back to my piano and he began to conduct us again. We played through our songs flawlessly and got let out early. I wandered away from the piano and out the door of the classroom.
"Wait up!" I heard someone call. I turned around and saw Lilly running towards me, "Is he always like that?"
"Like what?" I asked, confused by the question.
"I mean, is he always mean like that? Like the way he was to us?" she answered.
"Well, not all the time. Just when he gets angry."
"Okay."
"So…?"
"So what?"
"You never answered my question from before."
"What question? Are you making something up?"
"No. I asked you before Mr. Renmar interrupted what New Jersey was like."
"Oh yeah," Lilly said as she paused to think. I suddenly noticed that we had walked to my locker. I spun the combination quickly and grabbed my books for next period, Algebra.
"What's it like? Is it pretty?" I asked, sounding in awe.
"Well, it's nice in some areas, and in others it's not," she answered, laughing while she did.
"Sounds like a fun place," I replied.
"Yea. Wait, are those books for Algebra?"
"Yea. Why?"
"I have Algebra now too."
"Oh that's cool. What class do you have afterward? And why are you still carrying your backpack? Haven't you gone to your locker yet?"
"Okay, one I have history afterward. And two, I'm still carrying my bag because I haven't gone to my locker yet."
"What is your locker number?" I asked, suddenly curious.
"354," she answered.
"Well, you're right next to me then," I said, showing her to the locker next to mine.
"Awesome!"
We laughed as she got her books out and opened her locker. It took her a few minutes to figure out, and a little bit of my help, but she eventually got it. We walked off to Algebra quickly.
As we entered the room, I walked to my seat near the window and Lilly went up to the teacher, Ms. Sorsi, to talk to her. I put my head in my hand and waited for class to begin.
******
When I looked down, I no longer saw my math notebook and my pencil. Instead, I saw a grand piano before me. I heard a buzz and looked toward the sound. A blood-red curtain covered me from sight. And I looked straight ahead and saw none other than Jake. His eyes glowed and his smile was a mile wide. I must have looked at him funny because he gave me a thumbs up. I looked back down at the piano to see if I could find the same reflection I usually saw, but I didn't.
A beautiful woman with worried eyes stared back at me. Her long hair was perfectly styled, her makeup done by a professional. And then I saw the dress. A beautiful silk dress, black in color. And then I realized this woman was me.
I heard a whispered command and I saw the curtain before me slide open with ease. A mass of people were sitting in the audience, waiting to hear something. And I realized, they were there to hear me play.
How could I have gone from a teenager to a beautiful woman in just moments? As I slowly lifted my fingers to play the piano, I remembered that a musician had to bow before playing. I slowly stood and felt wobbly. I took a slow bow and looked at the shoes on my feet. Three inch stilettos; shoes that would make me kill myself in my regular life. But I only shook a little in the shoes now.
I sat and placed my fingers on the keys. I began to play, a wonderful tune pouring from the instrument. I was mesmerized by its beauty and as I gave myself to the music, I heard my name called from a distance.
"Miley. Ms. Stewart! I won't tolerate daydreaming in this class!"
I suddenly gasped and blinked quickly. The piano was gone, along with the dress. I rubbed my eyes and saw Mrs. Sorsi glaring at me from the front of the classroom. Everyone looked my way, wanting me to get in trouble.
"Detention. Today, after school," Mrs. Sorsi announced. I slid farther down in my chair, blushing madly, and settled in for the rest of the class.
******
Detention; a boring place to be on a Tuesday afternoon. Around me were other students who most definitely belonged here. But I didn't. Everyone was talking loudly and the teacher in charge of detention, Mr. Wang, did nothing to stop the noise. Though he tried once, that attempt failed.
I sighed and took out my notebook and pencil. I opened the book slowly, like I usually did. I turned to a blank page and pressed my pencil to the page. And I suddenly realized, the paper in my notebook looked nothing like this. And as I flipped through the countless pages, I didn't recognize the handwriting.
Where was my notebook? I thought I had it during the day. But I never opened the book. And the cover looked identical to the cover of my notebook. And I looked at the bottom of one page and saw a single word that made me stop: Jake.
This was Jake's notebook. He must have taken mine when we bumped into each other. Why didn't I check the notebook during the day to make sure it was mine?
I looked through the pages of the notebook to find the most recent entry, from this morning. I wanted to start reading, but I couldn't invade Jake's private writings. But curiosity didn't kill the cat for me. I began to read his entry.
It was boring at first and I lost interest. But then I saw something about a girl in the hall and I read further.
It said the girl had brown hair and bright green eyes. And he questioned his thoughts saying, "Is that the girl I think it is? I think that it is…" He left his words there, but then I flipped the page and saw the word that made my heart skip. Miley. And he continued to say that he remembered me from English. That's why he must have asked me that.
He described me with such intense detail that I was scared to keep reading. But I had to, I had to continue. This was just too good to put down.
I had to stop myself from reading this. It took every effort to close the book. I put it down and waited for detention to end.
******
As I walked home from detention, I kept thinking about what I had read. What was Jake saying?
I pondered this until I entered my house to be faced with anger. My father wasn't usually a hostile person, but he looked like he was about to yell his brains out at me.
"Miley, I can't believe you," my dad said through gritted teeth.
"What are you talking about, Dad?" I asked, not sure of the trouble I would get into.
"I can't believe you got detention! You had a clean slate!"
"But I didn't mean to, Dad."
"Likely story. Do you want to end up like your brother, struggling to find a college that will actually accept him?"
"Dad, it's one detention. Don't freak out."
"What did you just say to me?" He was seething; I could see his face turning red.
"I said, don't freak out. Don't freak out like you always do! You always make a big deal when I get an A minus or when I don't practice the piano. Just…get out of my life and stay out," I said, turning and running up the stairs to my bedroom.
******
The next morning, I banged around as I got ready for school. When I got to school, I slammed my locker open and felt a whoosh of air near me.
"What's with the hostility? Did your locker make you angry?" I heard Lilly say from behind me.
"Very funny. And no, I just have a lot on my mind," I answered, turning towards her. She looked at me and gasped. "What? Is there something on my face? Tell me," I questioned.
"No, it's just the way you looked at me. What's up?" she asked.
"I got into a fight with my mom."
"Ooh. That's not good. Was it bad?"
"Yea, kinda. I got really mad and I yelled at her."
"I have an idea of how to cheer you up," Lilly said with a sparkle in her eye.
"What is it?" I asked.
"How about you come over to my house? I know just what to do. After school today."
"Sure." We closed our lockers and headed to our respective first period classes.
******
Lilly and I entered her house at 3:00. Her mother was waiting there with a smile on her face.
"Hi. You must be Miley," her mother said happily.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Truscott," I replied.
"C'mon, Miley. Let's go up to my room," Lilly interrupted, pulling my hand.
We hurried up the stairs and walked into her room. There were pictures of The Beatles everywhere, along with pictures of Fall Out Boy and Linkin Park. And then I heard Lilly say, "Get out of my room, you brat."
I turned to see who she was talking to and I saw a little boy who had the same shocking blue eyes as she did.
"Don't call me that, you're the brat," he replied, smug.
"You can't say that."
"Why?"
"Because I can tell Mom what you said and you'll be in trouble."
"Well, I can tell her what you said first."
"Just get out of here. I have one of my friends here." She pointed to me and I smiled at her brother. "Miley, this is Danny, my little brother." He waved at me and then walked out of the room.
"Why were you so mean to him?" I asked, flopping down on her bed.
"He's just so annoying, I can't stand it," she replied.
"Oh, ok."
"Do you want an ice pop?"
"Sure."
"Hold on, let me go grab it."
Lilly returned seconds later with two ice pops. Mine was cherry; my favorite.
"Whatever you say," Lilly replied while licking her grape ice pop. She fell down into a beanbag chair and looked at me. "So, let's start the cheering up."
"How?" I asked, falling backwards onto her bed.
"What do you think of…makeovers?"
"I'm not really that kind of girl, but sure, why not?"
Lilly stood up, threw out her Popsicle stick, and grabbed a few bottles of nail polish. The colors were of dark shades; dark purple, dark blue. Any and every color was there. I reached for the dark blue, but Lilly pulled something another bottle out of her pocket.
"I like that color, but this adds a certain flair," Lilly said, showing a small bottle of sparkles.
"You sure it doesn't look too, I don't know, flashy?" I asked.
"You'll look fine, I promise." She grabbed my hand and started polishing the nails. I sat and tried to relax, forget about what had happened yesterday.