It was strange, Nicholas mused, what attraction would do to you. He was currently walking down the hallways that were decorated in red hearts and posters advertising Valentine's Day. Usually his mother and father would go for a romantic weekend to Borabora. Apparently his father had turned his mother there so it became a significant place to them. They were usually left alone in the house and Roslyn would be dropped off at her mother's home when Claude and Alois went for their own romantic weekend.
"Be my Valentine?"
Nicholas chuckled when he heard the line being directed to one of the school soccer players. This holiday was so trivial that it made him sick. His thoughts then turned to the girl he had seen on his first day at the auditorium. He had tried to go back to find her but she seemed to have disappeared. He had tried asking around but no one seemed to know who the girl was.
And you can see my heart, beating
You can see it through my chest.
Nicholas stopped. With his heightened hearing, he could hear her. She was singing in a light whisper but he could here her. She was in the auditorium. He run-walked through the crowded hallways until he got to the auditorium. He eased the door open and snuck inside. She was standing on the stage, singing quietly.
Nicholas smiled. She looked almost like his mother except for the tan skin, brown hair and brown eyes. She was almost plain but Nicholas could see she was a beauty under the loose plaid shirt and skinny jeans. She finished the song and Nicholas began to applaud. Her eyes widened but she didn't run away.
Nicholas approached the stage. "My name is Nicholas Michaelis. What's yours?"
"E-E-Ellen Frank" She replied looking away from him shyly.
"Nice to meet you. You have a fantastic voice" Nicholas said.
"T-t-thank you" She nodded her head jerkily.
"You are a natural soprano. Why don't you sing loudly?" Nicholas asked.
She shrugged and then turned to walk away.
"No wait!"
Nicholas's plea was ignored when she continued to walk away backstage. Nicholas bounded up the steps and followed her. A strong scent of wood and paint hit his nostrils. He followed her anyway until to the dressing rooms.
Ellen glanced back and then winced when she saw he was still following her. She knew Nicholas Michaelis. He had surprised her when he first came to the school and heard her singing. From far away, he was an enigma. He spoke in a formal, polite tone like a person from the Victorian era. His brothers were also equally enigmatic and wonderful in their own way.
"Please, wait! I wish to speak with you" She heard him say.
Ellen bit her lip and then stopped walking. She turned around but looked down at her converse clad feet. Nicholas stopped right in front of her and she stared at his tennis shoes clad feet.
"Can you look up at me?" he asked in an unbelievingly soft voice that made her heartbeat go wild.
Ellen mustered up enough courage and looked up at him. Her brown eyes met his burgundy ones and she blushed. Nicholas smiled and then spoke.
"You have beautiful voice. Why not share it with others?"
"I can't" Ellen replied, still hypnotized by his gaze.
"Confidence issues?"
Ellen nodded and then looked away from him. He took her hand and then led her out to the stage. He sat himself at the piano and then urged her to sing. She shook her head but he began playing a song she easily recognized. She began singing but in a whisper.
Some folks like to get away
For a holiday, from the neighborhood.
Hop a flight to Miami Beach and Hollywood.
But I'm just taking a grey hound
To the Hudson River light.
I'm in a New York state of mind.
"Louder. Bolder!" Nicholas said.
Ellen nodded and then began belting it out. Nicholas nodded in approval as her voice became louder and her true voice came out. As she finished, he applauded wildly. She was ridiculously talented.
"Are you finally done?" Klaus asked and Elijah nodded.
He took a step back and let Klaus view his completed painting. After a long conversation with Luke, Elijah had finally gone ahead and painted something.
"This is nice. It's not better than Uncle Luke's but it is nice" Klaus said.
Elijah grinned. It had taken him a long time but it was finally done. He had taken blue, red, burgundy and green to make a sort of a collage of colors. It was something he had actually created and he felt rather proud of it.
"When do you get to take this home?" Klaus asked.
"Tomorrow after my teacher's done grading it" Elijah replied. He picked up the painting and placed it on the teacher's desk.
"Let's go find Nick and head home. Grell and Undertaker are coming over" Klaus said checking the time on his phone.
"Where is Nick?" Elijah asked and Klaus realized that he hadn't heard from his brother in at least three hours.
Nicholas sighed when his phone buzzed. He held two cups of coffee in his hands and he offered one to Ellen who took it shyly. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and then told his brother he would be home soon. He sat down opposite Ellen who sipped her coffee much too quickly for his liking.
"Can you tell me why you're so scared of everyone?" Nicholas asked.
"Can I? I mean, won't you feel annoyed by hearing my story?"
"No I won't. We all have our pasts. I do too" Nicholas replied with a warm smile.
"I was in my freshman year when this happened. I had a friend of mine who had a gigantic crush on a teacher. I thought it was cute that she had a crush but then I found out that the teacher actually liked me more than just a student. He would touch my elbow or shoulder or even stroke my hair. I didn't think much of it but my friend went and told on the teacher. He was fired of course but I was bullied a lot. Since then I haven't spoken a word to anyone and I never sing in front of anyone"
"Was it at the current school you and I attend?"
"Yeah. I have a scholarship since my mother can't afford anywhere else" Ellena replied.
Nicholas reached out and clasped her hand that was sitting on the table. "I'm sorry you had to go through that".
Ellen seemed startled but then she smiled. Nicholas could feel his heart warm at the sight of the smile. It was a shy but happy smile. Ellen might have suffered before but Nicholas was there to protect her now. No one would hurt her again.
