Mutated Music
by Lamie
----+----+----+----+----+--Chapter 4--+----+----+----+----+----
Everything was set. Seriana's bags had been packed. Her computer, sterio, and keyboard were securely packed in a large box and sent on ahead.
On a warm, early May morning, a week after she had been released from the hospital, Seriana's father drove her to the train station. It had been raining for the past 4 days, but this morning it was actually clear and sunny. Puddles of water still remained on the platform. Seriana carefully set down her two huge suitcases and two instrument cases (flute & violin) on the red brick platform.
She leaned aginst her crutches and stared down at the train tracks. The dirt underneath them was still wet. She was starting to have second thoughts about leaving. What did she have to stay for? Her father? Yeah, right. There was only one person she could really see herself staying for- Eponine. The two girls had exchanged their "I'm going to miss you so much... I'll call you every day, and on weekends you can visit... Blah blah blah" conversation the night before. They both figured that it would be a bad idea to say goodbye at the station because Seriana might miss her train amidst all the goodbyes.
She looked over at her father; he was lighting a cigarette. Seriana frowned. Even though she had expected him to let her move out, she was upset about how quickly he had agreed. 'Don't show any love towards me or anything dangerous like that, dad,' she thought.
A cloud of smoke from her father's cigarette was blown over to her direction.
She glanced over to the newspaper machine setting next to the brick building of the train station. Through the glass window, she could see the small headline near the bottom of the front page reading "Cause of collapse of high school roof still mystery." Seriana hobbled over and jammed a quarter into the slot. The machine clanked as she opened it and took a paper out. She quickly glanced through the article. It spoke of the event that happened a week ago... The earlier theory that someone who was in the building for the band concert sabotauged the ceiling in the French room had been debunked... Still no explination as to why the roof fell... 2 teens dead... Memorial services would be held the next day. Tears began to form in Seriana's eyes. She had tried her very best not to think about what happened, about what she had done. That's how she delt with emotions such as sadness, she would ignore it. If she didn't think about it, then she wouldn't have to deal with it. Now that she read about it in the paper, she began to feel a sinking feeling in her chest. She was going to miss Paul's memorial service. Maybe that was for the best. She didn't want to have to see everyone crying over him. She didn't want to have to see the damage she had done.
Seriana's sadness quickly turned to anger as she began to wonder why Paul's parents hadn't told her about the memorial service earlier. 'I was his frikkin girlfriend,' she scowled inwardly. 'I know he broke up with me, but his parents didn't know that. Snobs... don't even tell their son's girlfriend about his memorial service. I have to find out through the damn newspaper.' Inlaid in the article were two pictures: a smiling Paul, a smiling Rebecca. They were the pictures that would have been taking up less than 1/16 of a page in the yearbook. Thanks to Seriana, they would now probably have an entire memorial page. Seriana tore article out of the newsprint, shoved it in her pocket, and threw the rest of the paper to the ground in a clump.
She looked up at the clock on the building. It read 3:35. The train was due to stop at the station at 8:20. A birds nest resting on the hour hand told Seriana that the clock hadn't worked for at least a few months.
There was a rock on the ground in front of her. Normally, she would have kicked it so that it would go flying onto the tracks, but with the crutches, it would be more trouble than it's worth.
She was getting really impatient. She wondered if anyone else would be getting on the train at this stop, and if so, where were they?
Her father said nothing the entire time they waited on the platform. He staired straight ahead over the tracks, and smoked his cigarettes. Seriana had promised herself that she would never smoke because it would interfere with her flute playing. Now, if she didn't play an instrument that required air, that would be a whole other story.
The sound of a train horn sounded throughout the area. "Finally," she sighed.
Another five minutes and the train was slowly coming to a halt in front of the station. Her father dropped the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it to extinguish it. He walked over and picked up her bags without a word.
She wondered if he was doing the same thing that she was doing internally. Maybe he had the same attitude: If you don't acknolege that a person is leaving, then you won't miss them.
Her father handed the two bags and instruments up to the employee on the train.
"Well, bye dad."
"Bye. Um, have fun and... be careful. And, uh..."
"To thine own self be true, right dad?"
"Sure. Well, uh..." He hesitatantly opened up his arms and hugged his daughter. It was awkward- in more ways than one. Have you ever tried to hug someone on crutches?
Seriana nodded in to say "goodbye" again.
She was just about to head up the stairs into the train, when a voice called out from the doors of the station. "Seri! Seri, wait!" She craned her neck around to see who it was. Jack was running towards the train, or at least running to the best of his ability. He was carrying a huge cardboard box- tall, but not very deep- and every once in a while his knees or legs would hit the box and his running would be slowed.
"Jack, what are you doing here?"
"I-" he gasped when finally reaching her. "I came to..." He held out the box and said "This is for you."
"What is it?" Seriana's blue eyes opened wide.
"It's your... uhm," he began to pry at the cardboard lid, trying to open it.
"Hurry up. The trains going to leave."
Seriana's dad lit another cigarette.
Jack finally succeeded in opening the box. He reached inside and grabbed something. The box slowly fell away from whatever Jack was holding up inside. The box fell to the ground in a puddle, revealing the green guitar Seriana had always practiced on. "It's for you. Goodbye present."
"Jack... Oh my god... I can't... This is for me?"
"Uh huh."
"Oh wow. Thank you." She tried her best to hug him. Even though he was at least 5 inches taller than her, and she was on crutches, it wasn't very awkward.
"Sorry I couldn't get you a case or an amp or anything, but it was hard enough for-"
"That doesn't matter. Thank you so much."
"Well, you better get going. Don't want the train to leave without you."
Seriana smiled and hopped up onto the train with the help of the employee who had taken her bags. Jack handed the guitar up to her. She got in her seat just as the train began to move. She leaned the crutches on the empty seat next to her.
She looked out the window. Her father was heading back into the building. Jack was still on the platform. He smiled when he saw her looking. Seriana turned away from the window and looked forward before closing her eyes. She didn't look back again.
----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----
Hey there... It occurs to me that I haven't talked much in my previous chapters. So, I suppose now would be a good time to introduce myself. Hi, I'm Stephanie, but you can call me Lamie. Oh wow! I just discovered that if I poke this one part on my leg, my stomach twitches. And you know how desprate I am to read something? I can't find any good fics, so I just went and read FFN's TOS. Now I know exactly what to do if I find someone trying to pass off my work as their own on this site. Man, I am lame.
I've only got two fanfics going at this point in time. This one, and Planets Collide- a crossover between Sailor Moon, DragonBall Z, Tenchi Muyo, and Roswell. Go read it!! (shamelss advertising.) The rest of my fics are goofy little things, except for one Gundam Wing/Sailor Moon crossover, which I really didn't like too much when I was writing it.
If you want, you can check me out at Fiction Press. My name is Lamie there too. Things over there that I suggest reading: Tara (vampires!), Hunter, Easter (just plain disturbing)
You know, this is why I don't do author's notes. I always tend to ramble on and on about things that have NOTHING to do with the story.
Anyway, to do with the story, I will begin with responding to reviews I have received. Before I begin, I want to thank you for reviewing- yes, all 5 of you... -_-
ophelia- ah, non non non! She can't manipulate people with her mind, she does something else....
Wink At J00- Steph! Thanks for reading my fic, it really means a lot to me. The note here to you is the shortest 'cause I can talk to you IRL if I want. ^_^
darkangel1986- You know, that is an interesting point that I have never seen brought up before. The only reason I would never make someone that perfect is because I find it inhuman. No one is that perfect, and even though I usually write very unrealistic things, I like to keep my characters realistic.
Mistress of Dragons- I love music. I've always felt it to be one of the most powerful influences in our world. That's one of the reasons I chose to make it Seriana's power (ooh, I hope I didn't ruin the surprise for anyone! But if you didn't figure her power out yet, then I don't want you reading this fic. ...I lied. I want you. PLEASE COME BACK!) Thanks for telling me about your fanfic. I really enjoyed reading it. EVERYONE! Go read Mistress of Dragons' fic "Glimpses." It totally rocks. Definatly my favorite serious plot Evo fic.
Demoness Yasha Helfire- No one has called my character a Mary Sue yet. I don't expect anyone will. I was just worried that I would be fulfilling the Mary Sue steriotype while writing the first chapter. Now that I'm further into the story, I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with the concept of creating an OC.
Oh, and don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I sent you the list of Latin phrases through the e-mail you have on your FFN bio. If that's the wrong e-mail, just tell me so in your next review. Ha! So now you have to review again! ...unless you DID get the list of Latin phrases, in that case I am depending on the kindness in your heart for you to review :-)
I'm not sure if I'm going to have a love interest. It depends on people's reactions. I dunno what do you, the viewers at home, think? Should I have a love interest for Seriana? Who? I have a list of people who will definatly not be a love interest. They are as follows: Kurt (Nightcrawler), Scott (Cyclops), Remy (Gambit), John (Pyro). Lance is almost on the list. If it weren't for my Lancitty tendancies, he might just be an interest. The reason Scott is on the list is because he and Jean annoy me. They should be together so they can be their goody-goody whiny selves together and not transfer that lame-o perfection to anyone they are romantically entangled with. But, if you have any ideas for a love interest, just tell me.
Yeah, I totally ramble on too much in ANs. Tell me "Shut up and write the fic!" in your reviews.
by Lamie
----+----+----+----+----+--Chapter 4--+----+----+----+----+----
Everything was set. Seriana's bags had been packed. Her computer, sterio, and keyboard were securely packed in a large box and sent on ahead.
On a warm, early May morning, a week after she had been released from the hospital, Seriana's father drove her to the train station. It had been raining for the past 4 days, but this morning it was actually clear and sunny. Puddles of water still remained on the platform. Seriana carefully set down her two huge suitcases and two instrument cases (flute & violin) on the red brick platform.
She leaned aginst her crutches and stared down at the train tracks. The dirt underneath them was still wet. She was starting to have second thoughts about leaving. What did she have to stay for? Her father? Yeah, right. There was only one person she could really see herself staying for- Eponine. The two girls had exchanged their "I'm going to miss you so much... I'll call you every day, and on weekends you can visit... Blah blah blah" conversation the night before. They both figured that it would be a bad idea to say goodbye at the station because Seriana might miss her train amidst all the goodbyes.
She looked over at her father; he was lighting a cigarette. Seriana frowned. Even though she had expected him to let her move out, she was upset about how quickly he had agreed. 'Don't show any love towards me or anything dangerous like that, dad,' she thought.
A cloud of smoke from her father's cigarette was blown over to her direction.
She glanced over to the newspaper machine setting next to the brick building of the train station. Through the glass window, she could see the small headline near the bottom of the front page reading "Cause of collapse of high school roof still mystery." Seriana hobbled over and jammed a quarter into the slot. The machine clanked as she opened it and took a paper out. She quickly glanced through the article. It spoke of the event that happened a week ago... The earlier theory that someone who was in the building for the band concert sabotauged the ceiling in the French room had been debunked... Still no explination as to why the roof fell... 2 teens dead... Memorial services would be held the next day. Tears began to form in Seriana's eyes. She had tried her very best not to think about what happened, about what she had done. That's how she delt with emotions such as sadness, she would ignore it. If she didn't think about it, then she wouldn't have to deal with it. Now that she read about it in the paper, she began to feel a sinking feeling in her chest. She was going to miss Paul's memorial service. Maybe that was for the best. She didn't want to have to see everyone crying over him. She didn't want to have to see the damage she had done.
Seriana's sadness quickly turned to anger as she began to wonder why Paul's parents hadn't told her about the memorial service earlier. 'I was his frikkin girlfriend,' she scowled inwardly. 'I know he broke up with me, but his parents didn't know that. Snobs... don't even tell their son's girlfriend about his memorial service. I have to find out through the damn newspaper.' Inlaid in the article were two pictures: a smiling Paul, a smiling Rebecca. They were the pictures that would have been taking up less than 1/16 of a page in the yearbook. Thanks to Seriana, they would now probably have an entire memorial page. Seriana tore article out of the newsprint, shoved it in her pocket, and threw the rest of the paper to the ground in a clump.
She looked up at the clock on the building. It read 3:35. The train was due to stop at the station at 8:20. A birds nest resting on the hour hand told Seriana that the clock hadn't worked for at least a few months.
There was a rock on the ground in front of her. Normally, she would have kicked it so that it would go flying onto the tracks, but with the crutches, it would be more trouble than it's worth.
She was getting really impatient. She wondered if anyone else would be getting on the train at this stop, and if so, where were they?
Her father said nothing the entire time they waited on the platform. He staired straight ahead over the tracks, and smoked his cigarettes. Seriana had promised herself that she would never smoke because it would interfere with her flute playing. Now, if she didn't play an instrument that required air, that would be a whole other story.
The sound of a train horn sounded throughout the area. "Finally," she sighed.
Another five minutes and the train was slowly coming to a halt in front of the station. Her father dropped the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it to extinguish it. He walked over and picked up her bags without a word.
She wondered if he was doing the same thing that she was doing internally. Maybe he had the same attitude: If you don't acknolege that a person is leaving, then you won't miss them.
Her father handed the two bags and instruments up to the employee on the train.
"Well, bye dad."
"Bye. Um, have fun and... be careful. And, uh..."
"To thine own self be true, right dad?"
"Sure. Well, uh..." He hesitatantly opened up his arms and hugged his daughter. It was awkward- in more ways than one. Have you ever tried to hug someone on crutches?
Seriana nodded in to say "goodbye" again.
She was just about to head up the stairs into the train, when a voice called out from the doors of the station. "Seri! Seri, wait!" She craned her neck around to see who it was. Jack was running towards the train, or at least running to the best of his ability. He was carrying a huge cardboard box- tall, but not very deep- and every once in a while his knees or legs would hit the box and his running would be slowed.
"Jack, what are you doing here?"
"I-" he gasped when finally reaching her. "I came to..." He held out the box and said "This is for you."
"What is it?" Seriana's blue eyes opened wide.
"It's your... uhm," he began to pry at the cardboard lid, trying to open it.
"Hurry up. The trains going to leave."
Seriana's dad lit another cigarette.
Jack finally succeeded in opening the box. He reached inside and grabbed something. The box slowly fell away from whatever Jack was holding up inside. The box fell to the ground in a puddle, revealing the green guitar Seriana had always practiced on. "It's for you. Goodbye present."
"Jack... Oh my god... I can't... This is for me?"
"Uh huh."
"Oh wow. Thank you." She tried her best to hug him. Even though he was at least 5 inches taller than her, and she was on crutches, it wasn't very awkward.
"Sorry I couldn't get you a case or an amp or anything, but it was hard enough for-"
"That doesn't matter. Thank you so much."
"Well, you better get going. Don't want the train to leave without you."
Seriana smiled and hopped up onto the train with the help of the employee who had taken her bags. Jack handed the guitar up to her. She got in her seat just as the train began to move. She leaned the crutches on the empty seat next to her.
She looked out the window. Her father was heading back into the building. Jack was still on the platform. He smiled when he saw her looking. Seriana turned away from the window and looked forward before closing her eyes. She didn't look back again.
----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----
Hey there... It occurs to me that I haven't talked much in my previous chapters. So, I suppose now would be a good time to introduce myself. Hi, I'm Stephanie, but you can call me Lamie. Oh wow! I just discovered that if I poke this one part on my leg, my stomach twitches. And you know how desprate I am to read something? I can't find any good fics, so I just went and read FFN's TOS. Now I know exactly what to do if I find someone trying to pass off my work as their own on this site. Man, I am lame.
I've only got two fanfics going at this point in time. This one, and Planets Collide- a crossover between Sailor Moon, DragonBall Z, Tenchi Muyo, and Roswell. Go read it!! (shamelss advertising.) The rest of my fics are goofy little things, except for one Gundam Wing/Sailor Moon crossover, which I really didn't like too much when I was writing it.
If you want, you can check me out at Fiction Press. My name is Lamie there too. Things over there that I suggest reading: Tara (vampires!), Hunter, Easter (just plain disturbing)
You know, this is why I don't do author's notes. I always tend to ramble on and on about things that have NOTHING to do with the story.
Anyway, to do with the story, I will begin with responding to reviews I have received. Before I begin, I want to thank you for reviewing- yes, all 5 of you... -_-
ophelia- ah, non non non! She can't manipulate people with her mind, she does something else....
Wink At J00- Steph! Thanks for reading my fic, it really means a lot to me. The note here to you is the shortest 'cause I can talk to you IRL if I want. ^_^
darkangel1986- You know, that is an interesting point that I have never seen brought up before. The only reason I would never make someone that perfect is because I find it inhuman. No one is that perfect, and even though I usually write very unrealistic things, I like to keep my characters realistic.
Mistress of Dragons- I love music. I've always felt it to be one of the most powerful influences in our world. That's one of the reasons I chose to make it Seriana's power (ooh, I hope I didn't ruin the surprise for anyone! But if you didn't figure her power out yet, then I don't want you reading this fic. ...I lied. I want you. PLEASE COME BACK!) Thanks for telling me about your fanfic. I really enjoyed reading it. EVERYONE! Go read Mistress of Dragons' fic "Glimpses." It totally rocks. Definatly my favorite serious plot Evo fic.
Demoness Yasha Helfire- No one has called my character a Mary Sue yet. I don't expect anyone will. I was just worried that I would be fulfilling the Mary Sue steriotype while writing the first chapter. Now that I'm further into the story, I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with the concept of creating an OC.
Oh, and don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I sent you the list of Latin phrases through the e-mail you have on your FFN bio. If that's the wrong e-mail, just tell me so in your next review. Ha! So now you have to review again! ...unless you DID get the list of Latin phrases, in that case I am depending on the kindness in your heart for you to review :-)
I'm not sure if I'm going to have a love interest. It depends on people's reactions. I dunno what do you, the viewers at home, think? Should I have a love interest for Seriana? Who? I have a list of people who will definatly not be a love interest. They are as follows: Kurt (Nightcrawler), Scott (Cyclops), Remy (Gambit), John (Pyro). Lance is almost on the list. If it weren't for my Lancitty tendancies, he might just be an interest. The reason Scott is on the list is because he and Jean annoy me. They should be together so they can be their goody-goody whiny selves together and not transfer that lame-o perfection to anyone they are romantically entangled with. But, if you have any ideas for a love interest, just tell me.
Yeah, I totally ramble on too much in ANs. Tell me "Shut up and write the fic!" in your reviews.