Alright this one's a bit shorter...getting writer's block, AAAUUGGGHH!!!
Alright so I'd been there for almost half an hour, sniffling in the dark, minding my own business, when all of a sudden the sound of a piano being played echoed throughout the auditorium. It was a beautiful, haunting melody; a little sad, actually. They say that when you're sad you listen to sad music. Well, I didn't know about that, but the tune ran deep into my soul at that moment. I stopped crying almost immediately, hugging my legs against my chest as I sat down on that auditorium floor, my back against the stage. I closed my eyes, laid back, and let the melodies wash over me.
The thought of the possibility of the auditorium being haunted by piano-playing ghosts didn't even occur to me. I just needed a rest. Then, all too soon, the piece was over. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes again. Now I was dying to see who had been playing. Even if I couldn't exactly come out from the shadows and thank the person, I wanted to know who he or she was, just because.
I poked my head out over the stage to take a peek. I knew that the piano was left on-stage for after-school piano lessons. But as far as I knew, there weren't any lessons today or there would be people in the auditorium. The piano was usually left there unless there was a concert of some sort coming up that required the stage.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry again when I saw the pianist. Of all people. Of course he'd be the one playing the piano.
Ephram Brown.
Just as I thought I was about to either shout out loud or spontaneously combust, Ephram started to talk. I froze. He must have seen me.
"Mom...if you really are still talking to Dad, could you please tell him to get rid of this whacked-up idea of his and move us all back to New York? Cuz honestly, my life's only been getting more complicated here".
Ephram was talking to himself. But before surprise could even register in me, he snorted sarcastically and gave a laugh.
"And I thought Dad was crazy". I gulped. Was this my chance to say something? Would I finally talk to Ephram, the guy who had been on my mind for weeks now? But what would I be getting myself into? Ephram could never like me the way I liked him. His heart was only set for Amy.
But perhaps...perhaps we could be friends.
This was it. I was going to say something. Just then, I heard the auditorium doors swing open and light streamed into the auditorium from the outside. I ducked out of view.
"Epram? Are you there? Someone said she saw you heading this way," I heard a familiar female voice call out. Amy. I sighed with resignation. Wasn't it always.
"What're you doing here Amy? Don't you have to go visit Colin now?" I heard Ephram say sarcastically.
"Ephram--" she started. "How did you come in? I didn't see you go through the doors".
"I came in from backstage. Why are you here?" he said monotonously, acting disinterested. I could almost imagine him looking down at the piano keys as he talked. I saw Amy walk up to the stage and shrank myself back as small as I could into the shadows as she climbed up onto it.
"I..I just wanted to say I was sorry. For ignoring you these past few days. For what I did in the school bus this morning. Please listen," Amy pleaded.
"No...I'm sorry alright?" I heard Ephram say with bitterness in his voice. "I'm sorry for the kiss. I was out of line.
"You know what? Maybe we can't be friends. You know how I feel about you. And I know how you feel about me. So let's just leave it at that".
I just listened to all this with breath abated, an unwilling audience in the darkness. Then I heard the ruffle of a backpack being picked up and a thump as Ephram jumped off the stage and pushed his way out of the auditorium doors without turning back.
When I heard Amy sniffling, I knew that that was all I could take. I had to get out of here. And so, as silently as I could, I found the door that led to the backstage and made my way out the way Ephram had come in.