The Legacy of the Rose

By: Ammendiana

Chapter Six

Mariemaia had taken off her tank top so she could wipe her sweat-dampened brow with it. Her sports bra and sweatpants were all she wore now, and when Alex saw her, his eyes widened and he blushed furiously, although no one noticed. Mariemaia was hot, and strands of her curly hair were glued to her face with the salty sweat. All she wanted to do was go back to hers' and Milan's dorm room after a nice, long shower. She started to head down the hall towards the room and her bed when Milan said, "Um, Marie, we have to go choose our extra-curricular activities."

"What? I didn't hear about that!" Mariemaia looked spooked.

"You didn't get the paper in the mail?"

"I signed up two days before I came here. I didn't get anything."

"Well, here," Milan handed her a white sheet of photo-copied paper with a list of activities on it.

Art, drama, band, choir, she read the first four things on the list.

She handed the paper back to Milan, "I think I'll go for choir."

"Can you sing?" Milan asked as she tucked the paper away somewhere.

Mariemaia shrugged, "I'm not too bad. I can play a little piano, too."

Alex joined the conversation with enthusiasm, "I'm going for band."

"What do you play?" Mariemaia asked curiously as she tucked one of the ends of her tank top into the pocket of her sweatpants.

"Uncle Quatre taught me how to play the violin," Alex said cheerfully.

"I'm going for band too. Trowa taught me how to play the flute."

"Geez, is there anything those guys didn't teach you two?"

Alex answered, "I can't swallow fire," at the same time Milan chimed, " I can't juggle chainsaws!" She was quiet for a moment. "Yet."

Mariemaia looked at them incredulously and finally just gave up, letting herself succumb to the laughter that was straining her.

"What's so funny?" Duo asked as he came upon their group. He was carefully carrying a flute and a violin case. Hilde was with him, looking at Mariemaia with one eyebrow raised.

"These two!" Mariemaia gestured to Milan and Alex as her voice cracked with laughter.

Hilde and Duo gave a communal sigh as they all started to walk out of the central building.

"Is the music building where the choir tryouts are too?" Mariemaia quizzed Duo as she relieved him of Alex's violin case.

"Yeah. Are you going for choir?"

"Mmmm, yeah."

Alex, Milan, Hilde, Duo, and Mariemaia strolled towards the music building as a little group, but Mariemaia had little to add to the family's talk, so she let her thoughts wander and followed them silently. They emerged from the building into the bright light of the waning afternoon sun, and Mariemaia was forced to cover her eyes for a second so they could adjust.

The music building and the drama/art buildings were large, but easily dwarfed by the huge main complex. It was no wonder she hadn't noticed them before. The winding pathways and beautiful fall foliage set a peaceful scene as she continued to walk behind the Maxwell family.

They entered the music building to find it bustling with a throng of tired and irritated students. Mariemaia was reminded of her first day there, trying to walk through what seemed to be a many limbed and headed hermaphrodite with a thousand voices.

She saw a large sign that said 'CHOIR TRYOUTS START AT 3:15'.

Mariemaia checked her watch and sighed. She had to wait thirty minutes to try out.

Alex and Milan, each holding their own instrument case, stood at the end of the line for the band tryouts which were, thankfully, almost over. There were about three people in front of them, and each held a different instrument. One person she recognized was Elisa DuChamps, who held a cello and bow, and there were two boys, one holding a pair of drum sticks and one an acoustic guitar.

The line moved quickly, and soon it was Alex's turn. He bent over to take the violin from its case, holding it as if it were made of thin glass. He picked the bow up and, setting the violin under his chin and placing the bow on the strings, he started to play.

It was beautiful. It sounded like Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, but, instead of the piano, it was played on Alex's violin. He played flawlessly, and with such passion that Mariemaia was unable to tear her eyes away from him.

He finished too soon, and Mariemaia stood there amazed as Milan rolled up and held her flute up to her lips.

Her piece was beautiful, and it was something Mariemaia had never heard before. Milan was evidently her brother's equal in musical ability, and Mariemaia started to feel nervous. She wanted to impress them as much as they had impressed her.

Milan finished and there was applause for both her and Alex.

Mariemaia checked her watch, 3:00.

"Since you guys are done, will you come wait with me in the choir line?" Mariemaia asked of her friends.

"You don't even have to ask," Milan said as Hilde leaned down to embrace her.

They rolled and walked over to the line, where there was already a person in line.

Mariemaia recognized her. Emma Catalonia-Spencer was her name.

"Ick, there's that bitch from the cafeteria," Mariemaia groaned with distaste as they approached the line.

Alex winced, "Maybe she won't notice us."

"Not with my luck. We might as well wear cow bells." Mariemaia walked up behind her and turned her back to wait with her friends. But Mariemaia's bad luck seemed to be in stasis, because Emma did not notice them. She was too absorbed in studying her music.

The line filled up fast, and a woman with a dour look started passing down a sign-up list. Mariemaia wrote her name on it and passed it down to the next person. She, Milan and Alex talked and soon they were calling out names.

As they called Emma's name, she approached the piano and handed the pianist her music. The woman started to play 'On My Own' from Les Miserables.

Emma had a pretty soprano voice that seemed to fit the piece very well. But her tone had a nasal edge to it that made Mariemaia wince.

Emma soon finished her piece and stepped away from the piano, giving Mariemaia a look of challenge. Mariemaia gave her a wide smile and thumbs up in reply, which threw her off and gave Mariemaia a short burst of victorious joy.

Mariemaia approached the piano and the woman playing, who was a short, dark haired lady with blue eyes, asked her in a kind tone, "Where's your music, dear?"

"I don't have any, but I can play the song I want to sing. Can I play it or would you prefer I not?" Mariemaia answered quietly. The woman answered her by standing up and moving away from the piano.

Mariemaia took a deep breath and sat down, wiggling her butt to get comfortable and tucking her loose hair behind her ears. Then she stretched her fingers, hearing someone say, "Hurry up!"

Mariemaia placed her fingers on the keys of the piano and started to play 'Memory', from Cats.

Midnight

Not a sound from the pavement

has the moon lost her memory?

She is smiling alone

In the lamplight

Withered leaves collect at my feet

and the wind begins to blow

Memory

All alone in the moonlight

I can smile at the old days

I was beautiful then

I remember

The time I knew what happiness was

Let the memory live again

As she began the interlude between verses, a violin joined her. Alex stood next to the piano playing his violin in harmony with her piano. Then a soft flute line joined, and Mariemaia couldn't help but smile as she began to sing again.

Every street lamp

seems to beat

a fatalistic warning

Someone mutters

And the street lamp gutters

and soon

it will be morning

Daylight,

I must wait for the sunrise

I must think of a new life

And I mustn't give in

When the dawn comes

Tonight will be a memory too

And a new day will begin

Burnt out ends of smoky days

The stale cold smell of morning

The streetlamp dies,

another night is over

Another day is dawning

Touch me, it's so easy to leave me

All alone with the memory

Of my days in the sun

If you touch me

You'll understand what happiness is

Look, a new day has begun

Mariemaia's beautiful voice soared through the high, loud soprano notes and caressed the low, contralto ones like chocolate on her tongue. Her playing was flawless, and Alex was nearly reduced to tears by her performance. Mariemaia had a visage of heavenly joy on her face. Milan, Mariemaia, and Alex played with the harmony like that of those conjoined at birth.

As they finished, she realized that the entire music building had gone silent, and a thunderous noise filled the room. They were applauding! But Mariemaia's joy was poisoned by the furiously jealous look that twisted Emma's face. Oh, well, Mariemaia thought, Mom always said that if you tried to please everybody nobody would like you at all.

Mariemaia left the building after everyone else, still joyously exhilarated from her triumph. Her tank top still hung from the pocket of her sweatpants, and she re-braided her hair, although, as always, some curly wisps floated around her oval face, with its large azure eyes and gracefully arched eyebrows that gave her face a regal look, her perfect nose that was just the right length for her face and slightly turned up at the end, and her full, rosy lips and cheeks that enhanced the appearance of her natural vitality. Her long, lithe body was muscular and catlike, and that showed all the more as she only wore a sports bra and sweatpants that were stopped just above her ankle by hiking boots.

"What a beautiful performance. I've never heard the like." Mariemaia recognized the gentle baritone voice and inwardly cringed. Of all the people she didn't want to see...

"Why, hello, Rick. I thought you would have left by now," Mariemaia made no effort to sound pleasant or happy to see him.

His tone was inlaid with cynicism as he replied, "I would have never have thought to find you here, Mariemaia Khushrenada."

Mariemaia felt her eyes narrow, "Now, why would you call me that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I know who you are," he smiled at her like he had never called her by her real name. "But enough of that. If you prefer to be Marie, than you shall be Marie."

Mariemaia gave an internal sigh of relief, and brushed a wisp of hair out of her face.

"Walk with me," said Rick as he gestured towards the central building. Mariemaia could think of no good reason to refuse, so she matched her stride to his as they walked towards the building.

"How do you like it here so far?" Rick inquired.

Mariemaia shrugged and said, "It's nice. I'm lucky to have such good friends after such a short time."

"Does Milan know who you are?" Rick asked as he checked his watch.

"Yes, she recognized me the first day."

"And Alex?"

She shook her head and responded quietly, "No. And I would appreciate it if you didn't tell him."

Rick raised one eyebrow, and whistled, "Okay. But as much as I dislike him, I don't think it's fair to him that he should be in the dark."

Mariemaia didn't offer a rejoinder. They walked into the building in silence until Rick said cheerfully, "I hear you matched Wufei today in unarmed combat."

She nodded, "Yes. I haven't had a challenge like that in a long time."

"Challenge? Where did you study? I studied Tai Kwon Do at a school in America."

Mariemaia smiled, her interest sparked, "I studied Judo and Jit Kun Do with a private tutor at my mother's estate. Same with piano and singing."

"Maybe someday we could spar," Rick turned to her a gave her a smile that melted her bones.

She smiled once more and said, "I would like that." The weird thing was that she would.

How odd. The thought echoed in her mind.

They stopped in front of the elevator while Rick pressed the button to go up. Mariemaia undid her braid as they waited and ran her fingers through her tangled hair, "The first thing I'm going to do when I get back to my room is take a nice, long shower."

Rick laughed, "Why is it that women spend half of their lives in the bathroom?"

"Because that's they only place men can't follow us!" Mariemaia stuck her tongue out at Rick. He responded in kind.

The elevator dinged and they stepped inside. Rick looked at her questioningly, and she said, " Three."

He pressed the button and reclined against the wall of the elevator, both hands clutching the rail and looking at her seemingly impassively, but it still made her nervous, and she distracted herself by running her fingers roughly through her hair.

Again the elevator dinged, and they exited the elevator closely side-by-side, and Mariemaia could almost touch the palpable sensuality that surrounded Rick, and thought wonderingly, I don't think I have met anyone this sexy in my life. Then she smiled ruefully and thought, Except Alex.

She led the way to hers and Milan's dorm room, and stopped in front of the door. Rick stood in front of her, searching her face with his intense gray eyes.

"This is my stop," Mariemaia said quietly as she turned the doorknob. Rick placed his hand on hers and bent down to kiss her gently. Mariemaia was surprised, but she leaned into his kiss like she had never been kissed before. Rick broke away from her, smiling, and didn't even see her hand as it flew towards his face. It hit his cheek with a resounding smack! He smiled still, and said, "You'll change your mind."

And with that parting thought, he turned and walked away.

Mariemaia walked into the dorm and touched her lips, her fingers trembling with the memory of the kiss.

"Oh, so he finally got to you? That didn't take long," A woman with long reddish blonde hair and gray eyes said mildly, but not judgingly.

"You must be Octavia," Mariemaia said as she collapsed on the bed next to the woman.

"Yeah. I'm waiting for Milan. Do you know when she'll be back?"

"No, but I'd guess about 15 minutes. But you never know with people and their parents," Mariemaia fell back onto the bed and sighed. "Does he always do this to people?"

Octavia gave her a look similar to that of her brother, one eyebrow raised over her beautiful face. "No, actually. He usually is attracted to the girls he pursues."

"I wonder if he's only doing it because he thinks it will make Alex jealous," Mariemaia replied as she rested an arm over her eyes.

"Is there something between you and Alex?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well, then."

Mariemaia sat in comfortable silence with Octavia until a thought crossed her mind, "How did you know it was Rick out there?"

"I didn't. You just told me," Octavia laughed.

Mariemaia was able to summon enough energy to hit her with Milan's pillow.