A Lover's Dozen
Ninth Rose. (Nineth?)
I scratch the scab that has formed in between my fingers, it's itchy and the awkward positioning is annoying me. I want to gnaw at it like a feral dog. The air's cold again, the leaves and flowers are dying before they even had a chance to fully grow. Rain clouds hang heavily above, it threatened to rain a few minutes ago, spitting a bit before stopping. No doubt a massive rain pour will follow shortly or somewhere during the day.
The violin case feels heavy in my grasp, uncharacteristically, it felt almost to heavy to only contain a violin, not even a viola was this heavy. It unnerved me to no end, I had so wanted to open the violin case and rip out the object that weighed down the case. But fear is always the one obstacle that we as humans cannot jump over. I hated myself for being such a pansy.
My hands itched to drop the case, but the expensively carved piece of wood wouldn't survive and that would be on my best interest to not drop it due to that little fact. I sighed. I didn't want to think anymore. Lying on the road waiting for cars to roll by with my violin safely on the nature strip watching; it looks so good right now. But fear yet again draws the barrier to what I want.
School had finished a while ago, I had forgotten my violin so I went home to get it, band was at 4. Everything was fine. I felt heavy and none the bit more relaxed after the long weekend. If anything it had made breathing harder and staying awake part of habit. My eyes ached and focusing on one object strained the brain. But band calls and Mr. Meladay would crack shit if I didn't turn up.
Sasuke's been at school, I crossed him in the hall every once and again. It felt awkward knowing that someone was doing something for him. He knew something was up, he had given me the 'I am going to ask you after school' look, but I dashed home to get the instrument before he found me. I wouldn't tell him if he didn't know, it would make him more worried, and I've been freaking out. There's no need to alarm him yet. He's had to go through a lot; this seems insignificant compared to everything else.
As I neared the school rain had started to pour heavily, like it had been raining for ages. I ran the remaining metres to the music hall. I hear the shouts of Mr. Meladay instructing the students to line up in the correct manner and sitting the right way and the proper way to hold their instruments. I went round the back, I might not be noticed for coming in late. Sasuke was with the group that was on stage, he waved at me through the window, smiling slightly, I waved back.
I banged at the piano keys for the umpteenth time. Why is the piano so god damned hard to play?! Reading the bloody notes took forever, I've sat here for half an hour trying to get this right, playing 'To Zanarkand" isn't really a classical song. But teachers are supposed to be smart – "The Year 7's have to be entertained". I hate teachers. Hinata better be a damn nice teacher, not that she isn't overly nice already. She'd make a good teacher.
I still don't get why I'm here! There are like year 8's that can sight read all this and make it look like they've played it a million times before! Argh!! I wonder if mother felt this way? Having to learn blind, it must have been worse, I'm struggling with a pair of eyes and she makes it look so effortless. I wish mother had taught me too. Sasuke can play the piano! He's a genius! He can do it!! Why me?!
I was on the brink of tears, to have a childish fit so that the teachers can let me off the hook and let me play the violin like I was raised to do. It wasn't that hard. Fish a year 8, give them the piece, and let them play it when the other brats come for open day. I am so depressed.
There's a knocking at my the door and I fling my self around the chair to greet the person happily, a distraction from piano might be the best thing that's happening in my life as of this moment. Sasuke stood with his face squished against the window. The trip had been good for him as I had planned. I walked up to the window and slapped the window, he fell back dramatically. I smiled, I like the old Sasuke better, and the old happy non bitchy mean Sasuke was even better.
"I am your knight in shiny armour!" he galloped in, his flute in the case raised high like some sort of fighting stick that knights used to have, in A Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger.
"You're not shiny" I pointed blandly. He made a face that had meant for me to play along. I tried again.
"Oh woe is me?" I tilted my head to the side, he waved a hand. The theatrics where gone.
"Sucks to be you"
"What?" I had zoned out.
"I said, that it sucks to be you, you're stuck in this box" I couldn't agree more.
Sasuke sat at the piano, he cracked his knuckles and poised his hands on the keyboard, he played softly, the pedal that dragged notes out longer pressed at even intervals. Why didn't they make him play? Stupid geniuses.
While he played, he told me how it was sort of better to be in the cage than be out there. Mr. Meladay had gone psycho and threaten everyone with a detention if they didn't draw the bows the right way and in unison. He also said that there was this fete/fair thing and that everyone was going, he apologized for it being late notice. I said it was okay, and that I'd be there. He finished up the last cords and the little bit at the end.
"Meet your place or mine?"
"I'll pick you up"
"They're all car pooling at Shikamaru's, 5"
"That's like now.."
"Guess we're not going with them then" he had a sly smile, but I didn't think to much about it.
"Then I'll hire a horse to take us" the wide eyed expression on Sasukes face made me laugh. He fell off a horse when he was little.
"Then I'll just have to let my dogs loose when you come" he laughed at my expression. Sasuke had killer Dobermans. I'm going to die.
The air was filled with kiddy spirit. A lot of people where here, considering it was in the city. I guess parents would do anything for their kids, as long as their happy. Sasuke was on the phone, asking where they were and that we're at the entrance.
I hadn't been serious about the horse thing, but Sasuke was serious about the Doberman thing. My coat didn't make it. It's in the trash with the cans of dog food the dogs consume. It was cold. Stupid mutts.
It happened that they where on the opposite side of the Yarra. All the food was on this side, and they'd say that they'd meet us here. I was hungry, Sasuke was too by the sound of his stomach, we got something to eat while they made their way over.
We had played masses of games, gimmicks or not, we still played. Each one of us had a giant stuffed toy of some sort. I had won a horse that I gave to Sasuke with a "Every knight needs a steed" he attacked me over the head with the giant thing. Plastic eyes hurt. I hoisted the awesome Oscar the Grouch and whacked him back. The police men came round and told us to stop, our toys where nearly confiscated. Like they had the guts.
Getting on rides with these massive toys wasn't so safe, at least 2 or 3 of us had to stand and wait with a litter of toys. Kids would come gawk and ask for one and we'd have to bat them away. The rides closer to kids the worse it was. We had lost Eeyore to one of them. The mother kindly returned it to us though. People had taken photo's, Japanese tourists I guess. It was like a zoo for us, there were about 10 people in our group of carnical goers, and 10 toys with 3 guards at the most. Ring a ring a rosey didn't work when toys didn't want to hold hands.
We had been at the park for 3 hours. 3 hours it took to go on every ride and every game that was different to the others. 3 hours did it take for someone to plot. 3 hours before we got on that wretched Ferris wheel.
It was harmless enough, the girls had wanted to see Melbourne high on a rotating wheel, and the rest of us went on so that no more kids would take the last Eeyore (we assumed that was the case since it was always the one that got stolen).
They paired off, and got on, Sasuke and I were in the last one. We had waited for the people in the carriage to get out, they were refusing to, they kept giggling and jostling about. I wanted to tell the under aged operator that we'd go on the next round, but he said that the fire works where on next and these guys had done it twice already.
Heavy persuading and threats they emerged, pink and high. I climbed in first and saw a rose. One of the things that I wouldn't have imagined being there. But then there wasn't a card, I supposed it must have belonged to the other people. I stuck my head out of the door and yelled at the couple. The male turned around and waved, they wore the same black coat and pants, he had the red scarf and she had a white scarf. They waved and disappeared within the crowd.
The wheel had already began before I could jump out and chase them. Sasuke looked at me funny and next to him was a card, placed prettily in the fairy lights with my name printed on the front as always. I was about to pick up the card when the p.a system interrupted the radio and a recorded female voice sounded over the whole park.
Something about fireworks and when they first erupt kissing the one you love and something good happens. It was a load of crap that went around in emails. Sasuke and I laughed. It was stupid, but he suggested that we kissed so that our friendship would last longer, instead of the 'you and your kissed person will live happily ever after' shit. It didn't sound too bad of an idea.
I took the card from the bench, Sasuke fingered the rose – it looked more beautiful when he was holding it in the blue fairy lights.
Let me light up the sky,
Light it up for you.
Let me make this mine,
I'll ignite for you.
Let me light up the sky,
Just for you tonight.
Let me help you fly,
Cause you won't have time.
To cover your eyes,
Or get your disguise,
They won't ask you why,
They just watch you die.
And it's still so hard to be who you are,
So you play this part,
And the show goes on.
Light Up The Sky, Yellowcard
I finish reading the card. Seconds later that the song starts to play. When the second chorus came around the fire works started. When we were seconds from being the top carriage, we smiled sweetly before we kissed into the fireworks.
It was simple.
It was nice.
The fairy lights fade on and off, but that's just part of the effects of fairy lights. People scream, but that's because of the wonderful display of fireworks. The sirens alarm and that's because someone didn't screw something in properly. The wheel stops spinning because the it's going to fall apart.
Sasuke rips himself away from me and starts banging on the cheap plastic windows. I turn to look, and Eeyore is tumbling out of Hinata's hands to fall to the depths of people scattered around the wheel to see Sakura hang onto dear life on a single spoke. Oh Shit.
O.Dive. Love It. Hate It. Review It.
I wrote myself into a corner on the first attempt at this chapter, I had left it for a week to think, then another. Now here it is.
My brother says I don't make sense. Do you think so?
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR EVER REVIEWING. 21ST CHAPTER! WHEEEEE!!! Love for everyone!!! -love love love-