Alright, time for Chapter 3. I sort of hurried this one a bit because I wanted to get it done before I started studying for finals so sorry for any inconsistencies and grammar mistakes and whatnot. I don't know if this chapter will suit your expectations or not but hopefully it's not too bad!
Note: Yes Gilbert is a drug addict and I realize this doesn't fit with many people's opinions. Trust me, it works later on in the story. And Elizabeta is not a bad person. She's actually the wise guy throughout this entire thing.
Fact: All teachers in this story are named for the president/prime minister/ leader of certain countries. E.g.: Computer Programming teacher - Mr. Yoshishiko (Japanese Prime Minister). Just thought I'd let you know.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 3: Of Jealousy and D Flats
The first day of school had gone relatively well considering the annoying teachers Gilbert, Francis and Antonio had to endure. They were seniors. Senior classes were supposed to be fun and not so serious right? However, it seemed Antonio had had a very interesting morning and was currently relaying the story of how he met a tiny freshman who hated Spanish as they sat outside the gym lockers.
"It was really quite adorable when he was trying to pronounce 'como estas'," Antonio said, chuckling and Francis couldn't help but smile as he pictured a young freshman yelling at Antonio.
"Man that kid sounds so awesome, the way he just trampled out of your classroom," Gilbert commented, laughing obnoxiously. "He totally reminds me of myself in freshman year."
"Gilbert, in freshman year, you were a tiny brat whom everyone found annoying and they wanted to smack you with a frying pan," Francis snorted, crossing his arms.
"Nah," Gilbert replied lazily, "that was just Hungary. But hey, we're on good terms now right? And she wanted to smack you with a frying pan too Francis so don't go sounding all cocky and whatnot."
Antonio shook his head and chortled at his friend's excessive bantering.
"So Francis, how was your day?" he asked, moving the conversation past the unnecessary insulting he knew would entail.
"My day was spectacular mon ami," the French boy replied, gathering his blonde hair into a ponytail. However, as if he had tasted something unpleasant, he scrunched his nose up and furrowed his brow. "Except I had English class today. With Mr. Kirkland."
Antonio and Gilbert's expressions molded to match France's distaste. Mr. Kirkland was a relatively young teacher, who was now no more than 20, and had begun teaching English in his Senior year much like Antonio. The three friends had been freshman when they endured his first year of teaching and Mr. Kirkland had managed to get on all of their nerves. Especially Francis's.
"You have him again?" Gilbert exclaimed, clearly feeling sorry for his friend. "I thought he only taught Freshman and Sophomore English."
"Oui, that's true. However, it seems Principal Rome does not like the fact I skipped every English class I had in my sophomore and junior year and has placed me in Mr. Kirkland's class as punishment," Francis explained, sighing heavily.
Gilbert sympathetically patted his friend on the back and Antonio placed a reassuring hand on Francis's shoulder.
"You'll get through it mi amigo. It's only one more year," Antonio said, his voice drenched in empathy.
"Well aren't you all a gloomy lot," a voice interrupted their depressing moment.
The three boys murmured their hellos to Elizabeta as she strolled up to them, textbooks in hand and her dark hair up in a ponytail. At the sight of Francis's unnaturally dim face and sympathy plastered on Gilbert's and Antonios, she couldn't help but ask,
"What's wrong? You look as if a whole bucket of dark depression just fell on top of you."
"Well this poor fellow here has Mr. Kirkland for English this year," Gilbert explained, pointing at his blonde friend.
"Ahh, I see," Elizabeta replied, her face also displaying sympathy for Francis. "Well he's not really a bad teacher. I just don't see why he has such a grudge against you."
Francis sighed heavily and picked up his backpack from the ground, slinging it over his shoulder.
"Neither do I," he replied, his eyes cast towards the ground. "I have never done anything to annoy him. Except maybe be a smart mouth in his class but that's only because he annoys the merde out of me. Well I should probably head back to the dorm. The English homework isn't going to get itself done."
Muttering his farewells, he stalked off under a cloud of depression as his friends watched his retreating figure.
Elizabeta let out a low whistle.
"I find it really odd how a teacher and a student can hate each other so much," she said, shaking her head.
Gilbert and Antonio merely shrugged.
"They're just arch enemies, like on TV," Gilbert replied.
"Yeah, everyone has arch enemies right?"Antonio added as he picked up his stuff as well and headed towards the gym lockers. "Well now that Francis is gone, I might as well get changed for track practice. Catch you later."
As Antonio disappeared into the boys' locker rooms, Elizabeta shook her head.
"People don't just have arch enemies. Arch enemies don't exist," she argued, mostly to herself.
"Ah forget it," Gilbert said, waving the topic away and pulling the Hungarian closer to him by the waist. "It's only a load of sheiβe. So how was your day?"
Elizabeta thought for a bit as she placed her hands around Gilbert's neck.
"Hmm, not bad, not bad," she replied, still contemplating how her day went. "Oh! I did find something interesting today!"
"Really? What would that be?"
Elizabeta tossed her ponytail back and her eyes brightened as she tried to recall the incident.
"There's this new transfer student who came to this school to study abroad. I believe he's a piano major and he plays really well. I heard him as I was passing by the music room on the way to Culinary class this morning."
The albino German snorted.
"Piano? How lame," he retorted, laughing at Elizabeta's interest in the new student.
Elizabeta frowned.
"It's not lame," she snapped, letting go of Gilbert and releasing herself from his grip. "He's very talented. And I'll have you know that I think he's very attractive. Much more attractive than you for sure."
With that, she turned her chin upwards and strode off diligently, her heels clacking as she left Gilbert with his jaw hanging wide open.
Even though Gilbert really only had the emotional range of a teaspoon, her words really had been an insult. Elizabeta thought someone was more attractive than him? Was she going to start hitting on the new kid and then cheat on Gilbert? Well morally, it would technically be alright since they weren't really dating but still!Gilbert huffed as his crimson eyes narrowed. He was going to find this piano kid.
/
/
The atmosphere was calm and serene as Rodereich entered the massive music room of his new school, though he would have rather preferred his piano room back in his old school. Although the music room in this school was big, it didn't have the homely feeling Rodereich usually felt back home and a sense of nostalgia gripped him as he seated himself in front of the grand piano in the center of the room.
Well, it's only for a couple of months. Then I can go back home.
He placed his school bag down next to the stool and pulled out ragged looking parchment from it. Smoothing the paper out with pale and slender fingers, he placed Beethoven's 9th upon the piano and let his fingers glide along the cool, ivory keys.
Closing his eyes, Rodereich inhaled a deep breath and the notes written on his sheet music automatically lit up in his mind as he elegantly began to press the keys on the piano. Immediately he was drifted off into a world of F's and D's and B flats and where every image, taste, sound, and smell was spelled out in music.
Nothing else mattered.
Not even the fact that his house was engulfed in chaos and he was forced to study abroad in this school for the next couple of months.
The piano hit a strained note and the Austrian opened his eyes, frustrated. He could never master that part of the piece no matter how hard he tried. It was a simple 16th note D flat. How could he keep missing that?
Sighing, he looked around the room, making sure no one was in sight, and banged his head across the gleaming white keys of the piano. A cacophonous BRRLIIIING resounded throughout the music room.
After banging his head a few more times, Rodereich got up, straightened his back like a dignified man and pushed his glasses back up his nose, trying to regain his composure.
He would master Beethoven's 9th. He most definitely would.
As he sat up and stretched his fingers, ready to play again, Rodereich was completely unaware of the pair of crimson eyes that were planted upon him.
From the large doorway, a smug looking Gilbert was watching the new Austrian kid closely. After Elizabeta had left, he had decided to take a little journey to the music room. He figured no one would be here and looking for the piano kid in the music room at this time of day was a shot in the dark, but it seemed as though he had gotten lucky.
Granted, he wasn't completely sure this was the kid Elizabeta had been talking about but the description fit. Not only was he attractive- mildly, Gilbert thought, only mildly attractive- with his dark maple hair, delicate features and the interesting mole right next to his lips; but he also seemed out of place- uncomfortable almost.
So Gilbert took his chances in assuming he was the one.
And now he observed as the new kid drew in another breath and began to play the piece he started earlier all over again. Serene music filled the air and enveloped Gilbert's senses. Although the German really wasn't one for classical music and the piano- it was really un-awesome- he couldn't help but feel swayed by the notes emanating from the grand instrument. The kid had talent.
As his eyes began to close under the intoxication of beautiful music, his quiet tranquil state of mind was interrupted by a strained note- the same one that the piano kid had messed up the first time.
Gilbert opened his crimson eyes, annoyed by the sudden hindrance. However, his annoyance was overshadowed by a loud and frustrated growl from the young Austrian at the piano.
"Dammit!" he exclaimed, looking ready to rage-flip the piano. "Why can't I get that damn note right?"
The piano kid sat fuming for many minutes and Gilbert took this as his signal to leave. He had done enough spying for today and honestly, there was nothing interesting about this kid. Yawning, the silver-headed boy picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, and began to make his way in the direction of the student dormitories when he heard another sigh.
This one sounded sad more than anything else and Gilbert couldn't help but turn back and look at Piano-Kid's lone figure, sitting at the bench.
Roderiech ran a slender hand through his soft brown hair as he tried to cool himself down. It was nothing to get worked up over, right? It was only one note.
Just one note.
"Try playing with your eyes open."
The sudden, unexpected voice startled Rodereich, nearly causing him to fall off of his stool. He had been pretty sure he was the only one here. Turning his head left towards the doorway, his vision met a tall, lean albino with scarlet eyes. He was wearing a leather jacket, black jeans, and the customary school uniform tie. Rodereich hadn't seen this student anywhere around the school. Then again, he was new and hadn't met too many people.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked, slightly annoyed by this new entrance.
The other boy merely shrugged.
"I noticed you played with your eyes closed. Maybe you could actually hit that one note if you kept your eyes open and looked at your sheet music. Just a suggestion."
Rodereich's slight annoyance began to develop into irritation. A random student couldn't just tell him how to play the piano.
"Well, it's really none of your business," Rodereich replied snootily, turning away from the other student and pushing his glasses up his nose once again.
"Geez, what went up your ass?" was the retort and it was followed by retreating footsteps.
After a couple of seconds, the Austrian looked back up towards the doorway, meeting nothing but emptiness and he confirmed the strange kid definitely left.
Reaching out for his sheet music as he was ready to go back to his dormitory, Rodereich paused and brought his fingers back to the keys, his brow furrowed.
What if…?
Keeping his keen eyes focused upon the dashes of tiny black notes, he began to play once more.
He followed every note with his mind, absorbing every black dot he encountered.
And then came the D flat.
Eyeing it as a hawk would its prey, Rodereich played with unwavering concentration and his effort was rewarded with a beautiful and clear sounding D flat.
Awe ran throughout Rodereich's body as he replayed that D flat over and over again. It had worked. What that student said had actually worked.
He had succeeded in playing the D flat.
Ashamed to admit to himself that he had received help from a stranger, he peeked again at the doorway, secretly hoping the albino wasn't standing there. To his relief, it was still empty and Rodereich sighed, slightly regretful that he hadn't thanked the mysterious student.
Later that night, when Antonio asked Gilbert what was on his mind, he replied he was merely wondering where his pet Gilbird had taken off to.
It had been a lie of course. Though his bird had gone missing, Gilbert actually spent much his time convincing himself the new Piano-Kid was no match for his awesome self.
And deep inside, he was curious as to whether Piano-Kid had succeeded in mastering that stray note or not.
Not that he cared for that lame piano piece.
Or the new kid he had just seen.
Yeah so Gilbert sorta meets Rodereich. Now that I've introduced more characters, the story can finally get somewhere! And the whole arch enemy relationship between Francis and "Mr. Kirkland" will be brought to light later in case you were wondering.
Last note of business: you should review. That'll help me update faster. K thanks. Love y'all.