Episode 1-Morning

Dense humid spring air fills the room. A distant piano usually sings along to the cicadas outside, although not at this moment. Reason being that the pianist felt a suffocating lack of motivation to do not much of anything.

This pianist was known as Giovonni, he was a young man aged seventeen. He had been known for his musical talents, especially in his little town where news and secrets spread quickly. He laid on his bed feeling the heat wash over him. A fan was operating although it did not create much of a difference. Giovonni gazed at the back of his room.

“I don’t want to play piano.”

He spoke to himself as he stared upon the instrument.

The longer he looked the more he was drawn in, he felt guilt swell within his stomach. He then heard sounds of people walking by. He shifted glances towards his opened window. The neighbors were having uninteresting small talk. Giovonni paid no mind and decided not to eves-drop. He looked at the flowers that sat on his window sill. The curtains hit the bouquet as light dazzled through, Giovonni’s eyes couldn’t move off them. This finally inspired Giovonni to reach his piano and play a song.

Giovonni flipped through a folder of sheet music. The pages ruffled and fell to the floor. Giovonni then spotted the piece he was looking for.

“Ah-ha!”

He said satisfied.

He picked it up off the ground along with the others that had fallen. He rested the sheet music on the piano stand and placed the rest of the papers inside the folder. As he was about to sit down he noticed a single sheet flew under his bed. He backtracked and picked it off the ground. He looked over and was immediately stricken by a hint of grief. He stared at the notes that danced along the page. He saw the scribbles of reminders and glittery pink doodles. He quickly rushed back to the piano and stuffed the paper back into the folder so as to forget about it.

Giovonni had both of his hands over the piano covering, he lifted it and the ivories underneath were revealed. He placed his lanky fingers and felt a sudden chill. The keys felt like hard ice against Giovonni’s finger-tips. He looked up at his music and stroked the piano. The song started with a B-chord and continued with a sound that rebounded back and forth. The pounding of the keys let out a demanding almost militaristic impact. Giovonni gritted his teeth as he beat the keys more harshly as the pace began to accelerate. Motivation starts to build, a rush fills Giovonni. The song became increasingly intense, Giovonni couldn’t pull away. His conviction overpowered him. His hands ran from both ends of the piano seamlessly, the piano trills and birds from outside fluttered. A lock of hair falls into Giovonni’s vision and without thinking he simply blows it away gritting his teeth. Ferocity of the melody and the temperature combine into droplets of sweat that drool from Giovonni’s brow. The last chord is played with Giovonni trembling in his chair and out of breath. He sighs and pushes his hair and glasses back. He places his hand on his mole that sat on his lower chin. Then his phone begins to ring from his bed.

Giovonni picks up the phone and reads the caller. It was his friend Miu. He reluctantly accepts the call and lets out a sigh.

“Hello, Miu?”

“You could’ve answered quicker.”

“Sorry, I was playing piano.”

“Is that the only answer you have?”

“I suppose so.”

Miu angered by Giovonni’s response yelled back,

“Ugh, piano this! Piano that! What happened to caring about me? You’re ruining your chances of getting a super cute girl-friend. ”

“Miu, what If I don’t want a super cute girl-friend? Mmn? Is that reasonable? Is that convenient to you?”

“Ugh! You pleaded to me all throughout middle school to hook you up with someone, too bad you had an ugly phase then.”

“You’re one to talk, with the braces, the emo phase-”

“Oh my gawd, shut up!!”

Giovonni laughs and Miu pouts her lips,

“Anyway, I was never girl-crazy like June and Liam. Those two were basically hunting anything with legs, I just so happened to be there.”

“Well you know I have an awful memory Gio.”

“I’m aware.”

Giovonni laughs again, and Miu retorts

“Stop bullying me!”

“You started it by calling me ugly!”

Giovonni shouts, lifting his arms into the air.

“Was I wrong though?

Miu says smugly.

Embarrassed that Miu is probably right, Giovonni admits to himself

“Acne and greasy hair really isn't attractive looking back, but we all have an ugly phase.”

“True, but what matters is that we grow from that.”

“Of course.”

The two laugh for a moment and Miu asks a question,

“Wanna hang out?’

“I mean sure, I don’t really have anything.”

“Don’t you have a performance?”

“Ugh, I could care less.”

“Hey! You should at least put a little effort in.”

“It’s not like you are with the violin.”

“I haven’t picked that thing up in over a year. Funny that you mention it though, but it’s put behind me.”

“Ouch did I violinist break your heart too?”

“Haha, of course not. I wouldn’t drop violin over a guy, I’d drop the so-called boy-friend.”

“Glad to hear you’re sensible, where should we go then?”

“ I wanna get ice cream, it’s too freakin hot today.”

“Sounds like a plan, let's meet up at the ice cream place in sector 25 on lane 14.”
“Alright! See you then.”

Miu hangs up and a long ringing from Giovonni’s phone drones. He takes a breath in and places the phone in his pocket. He looked out the window at the grassy green glade outside. In the horizon line beyond the dome barrier a desert wasteland.

Giovonni adjusted his button down shirt and swished his black hair to one side. He noticed his glasses had a smudge and quickly wiped the frame clean. He did a final rundown of his outfit and went downstairs. He saw his mom working in the dining room kitchen. He looked over the stair ledge and called out,

“Mama? What are you doing right now?”

She was staring downwards at a paper, her eyes darted around the text. Giovonni called out to her again.

“Mom? Are you doing okay?”

She broke focus and looked up, swifting her hair out of her face.

“Oh Giovonni! I’m making that thing that I can’t pronounce, your father is coming home tonight and he wanted this!”

“Oh you’re making Sciusceddu!”

“That’s the one, are you going somewhere?”

“Yes, I’m going to eat out with Miu.”

“Ah she’s so cute, why don’t you ask her out already?”

“Mama!”

Giovonni blushed violently and his hands gripped the stair railing. Giovonni’s mother laughed and brushed her dark hair behind her ear. Her crooked teeth showed through and gave a charming characteristic smile.

“I’m just saying, she likes you. I'm a woman, I can tell. I used to be just like her when I was younger and you, Giovonni, are like your father.”

“I’m nothing like him!”

He retorts, frowning slightly.

“Hah! That’s something he’d say, Giovonni. Let me list your similarities,”

“Oh brother”

“Okay your both emotionally dense, you both always need to know everything about everyone and-“

“And what?!”

Giovonni said flustered as what she was saying was mainly true.

“Ah! Those three moles that are on your faces.”

“What three moles?”

“The ones on your chin, inner right cheek and outer left cheek.”

She pointed to her own face as she spoke.

“Oh, well everyone I know calls it the Bermuda triangle.”

“Ha, really they do?”

“Yeah, it was because during the times we played baseball the ball would always land there.”

“Wait, is that why you’d always come home with your nose bloody?”

“Yep, I gotta catch the bus Mama. I'll see you later though.”

“Come here Gio, let me give you a bye-bye hug!”

“Mama, I don’t need a bye-bye hug.”

Giovonni said as he was tying his sandy colored shoes.

She ran over to Giovonni as he was standing up, she wrapped his arms around him and said,

“I love you sweetheart, have fun.”

Giovonni hugged her back,

“I love you too.”

She pulled out Giovonni’s hands and waved them gently. She smiled and said

“Bye-bye!”

She said as she giggled, Giovonni let out a puff of air while saying,

“Bye.”

He smiled as he walked out the door, the sun pounded down on him.

He made it to the bus stop and sat down at the bench. He looked around at the people nearby, none of them stood out. He became bored quickly, then finally an interesting person walked along. She was extremely short. Frizzy, bushy hair sprouted from her scalp. It was kept in two messy low pigtails, she was focused on a paper. In fact she carried many papers and binders, this crowded her silhouette. Giovonni tried to get a better look at her face as he couldn’t imagine what it could be. The girl turned around and shuffled towards a sign that had the bus schedule. Giovonni was sitting across from her and he could see her clearly now. She was a bit stocker because of her height and her face was round but scrunched. Yet she looked quite young as if she were only an adolescent. Her eyes were a light Hazel color and she wore a lab coat. She then turned to Giovonni and, taken aback, Giovonni jumped slightly.

“Do you know how to get to sector twenty one?”

Her voice was deeper than expected but somehow it sounded natural for her. Giovonni wasn’t exactly sure but had a decent idea on how to direct her.

“Well if you want to get to sector twenty one you have to get this train here.”

Giovonni points to a dot representing the start of a route,

“Right here is our location, just wait three stops and get off and there should be a train station there.”

The girl's eyes darted around the board, she looked towards Giovonni and nodded.

“Thank you for your assistance!”

She bowed and the papers, books and binders fell to the floor. Embarrassed she scrambled to pick them up, Giovonni crouched to collect the fallen papers as well. Her face began to flush red and as she stood up, she placed each hair back in place.

“Sorry I’m being such a bother, I don’t go out much, so...”

“No, it's fine! Honestly I’d be bored out of my mind waiting anyway, this is more entertaining than anything.”

“Well the bus should be getting here soon.”

“You’d assume, however, it's always late. You’d think they’d be more efficient with technology these days but,...”

“Yeah I know what you mean! Like-like at my work the doors are always jammed and they never recognise my card! Honestly of all things!”

“Ah yeah, if you don't mind me asking, where do you work?”

“Well I don’t know, if you, well know of it but they’re mainly an energy company.”

“Is it Soul?”

“Ah, yes I work for Soul. Although I don’t work in energy , I work in the alternate projects division.”

“Oh what's that?”

“Well most of it is classified, but we usually work on theoretical projects. We were the minds behind the transportation station and the internationality center.”

“Wow really!? That’s actually a cool coincidence, I play piano and I have a recital next week and I’m going to the transport station then.”

“Well I hope that it goes well! It's cool that you’re a pianist, I actually really like classical music.”

“My concert is going to be on the fifth, you should come! It’s for a charity event so it’s free admission. I’m performing in sector eight in the middle stadium”

“That would be so fun, but…”

“Are you busy?”

“Afraid so, we actually have a major event that day.”

“A major event? No, I bet it’s classified, right?”

“Afraid so, Oh!”

“What?”

“The bus is here!”

“You’re right.”

The two ran towards the bus and it’s closing doors, barely making it. Giovonni scans the area looking for a place to sit. The girl speaks up, Giovonni turns his head and sees that she’s found a spot for them.

“What were we talking about?”

Giovonni asked

“The performance.”

“Oh, well it’s a shame you can’t attend.”

“Yeah, I would’ve really liked to have gone. Honestly, it sucks working.”

“Sorry, I mean you seem pretty young.”

“Yeah, well, I’m actually fourteen, even then I seem younger than that, since I’m so short.”

“I mean you carry a sense of maturity with you, once we talked I thought you had to be at least seventeen.”

“What really! Honestly everyone I meet thinks I’m still in primary school, even after talking to me!”

“Hahaha! What ah, I’m sorry that's awful. I mean, I have had kids confuse me with their dad.”

“Makes sense, you dress like one.”

“That’s what my friend Miu also says.”

“Miu? Wait, are you Giovonni Konda?”

“Well yeah, that’s me haha.”

The girl bursts out laughing and buries a free hand into her face. She looks up at Giovonni and flushes red.

“I love your performances, I have all your records. My favorite one is the album with Miu Sata on violin, she was amazing! She’s honestly one of the best violinist’s I’ve ever heard!”

“I’m going to see her right now actually!”

“Wow, small world, now I really want to go to that concert. I have never been to one .”

“That’s unfortunate although, sorry, I think it’s your stop now.”

“You’re right, welp, I’m really happy to have met you Giovonni.”

“Hey what’s your name?”

“Oh, It’s Hazel!”

“Hazel, Hazel, Hazel, alright got it.”

“Bye, it was nice to meet you.”

“Bye Hazel”

She stepped off the bus and waved back at Giovonni who stared through the window.

Giovonni sighed, He automatically bored again on the bus. Then he realised how hot and muggy the bus was and then noticed sweat drooling down his forehead. He took a cloth out of his pocket and brushed the moisture away from his brow.

After a few minutes his stop had come. He striped himself off the hot sticky seat and walked out the bus. Once his foot hit the concrete he gazed both ways the glass dome above him sparkled.

“The dome must have been cleaned recently”

He thought to himself as he walked, he found the street that the parlor sat on. He strutted over to a pole plastered with countless posters for bands, restaurants and other needless things. Giovonni wondered for a minute why would someone waste a material as precious as paper on a stupid advertisement for a lawn mower.

Giovonni slipped his hand into his short’s pockets rustling the coins within. He wandered about looking for Miu and the ice-cream vendor. He finally made it to the beach where the restaurant was near, he sat under a parasol on the warm sand. He watched the water waver against the glass barrier near the edge of the dome. His finger slipped through a small coin and he felt the ridges against his long thumb nail. Then he heard a voice behind him, a shadow grew on his back and a shiver ran down his spine. He turns around to see a tall woman with snow blonde hair and sheet white skin. The only colors she had were her cold steely eyes and her crimson red lip. Her brows furrowed and Giovonni leapt from the ground. He had never seen someone so intimidating in his life, he bowed and quickly apologized. As he paced away he felt her piercing eyes follow him long after the exchange.

Giovonni walked away from the exchange then felt a bump against his shoulder, it was Miu.

“Ah Giovonni! I was looking for you.”

Her freckled face smiled, she was wearing a print tank with a jean mini-skirt. Her hair was pulled back into a puffy pony and her dark eyes twinkled.

“Well I got distracted looking around, sorry.”

Giovonni scratches the back of his head and his ankles link on top of another.

“Well Gio, I just got here myself so I wasn’t really looking for you that long.”

Silence filled the atmosphere and Giovonni looked towards the horizon line, Miu stared at Giovonni. She pushed a stray hair behind her ear and her speckled cheeks flushed, she placed a finger in her mouth causally.

“Welp, we should head inside.”

“Ah, of course let's go sit.”

Giovonni waltzed in and Miu stumbled behind him.

The two sat outside in a shady area with the view of the beach. Miu was shifting her gaze between Giovonni and the menu. Giovonni was looking out at the shore where he saw the woman, she gazed into the glimmering blue mass in front of her.

“What are you looking at Gio?”

Miu asked sweetly.

“Oh, nothing, I just saw this very strange woman earlier. She’s still on the beach where I met her.”

“Was she nice?”

“Opposite, she was scary.”

“ How so?”

“Her eyes, they were like cold rusted metal. She had this scowl that even from behind you could feel stabbing your spine. I think I was in her spot on the beach, because she was right behind me. She seemed angry about it so I got up, apologized and left.”

“Wow, she does sound scary. She sounds like my dad.”

“Oh, how are you and your dad?”

“He’s as stoic as ever, he hasn’t talked to me since dinner last night.”

“What did you guys talk about?”

“Nothing basically, just how school was going and grades.”

“Well I hope it gets better for you.”

“Yeah, I hope so. I’m going to move out soon, away from him at least.”

“What?!”

Giovonni said, almost spitting.

“Is that really surprising?”

“Haven't you only just recently turned sixteen? How do you think you’ll be able to take care of yourself?”

“I’m already doing that at this point. I have enough funds from violin and I don’t mind making my own money around here. Although I’m not sure what to do with my life, I thought about music but…”

“Miu you’re a great violinist but you don’t have to become a professional. You’re really great at singing, you could become an idol, or a vocalist or like basically whatever. You don’t even have to move out.”

“Giovonni I need to move, and I thought about that too, although I don’t know if I could make it.”

“Miu you’re very talented, just try to build your skills. Try to move somewhere safe at least.”

Miu blushed and her gaze drifted across the ground.

“Gio thanks for saying that, I needed to hear that. You know you’re good at consoling me right?”

“I know.”

Giovonni smirked and Miu with an unimpressed glare she punched him in the arm.

“But you’re awful at not getting big headed.”

“Ow! You’re awful at controlling your temper!”

Giovonni said while rubbing his sore arm

“I know!”

The two fell in silence for a moment, then bubbles of laughter came through.

“Sorry, haha but I know what I’m good at.”

“It’s fine, sorry for punching you.”

“So, when are they coming to get our order?”

As Giovonni asked that aloud a waiter came by, his hair was messy and sweat poured onto his brow. He looked at the two sitting and sighed, catching his breath.

“Wha-What would you like to order?”

“I’d like a strawberry sundae please!”

Miu demanded,

“Miu. you’re allergic.”

“But I know that’s what you’re getting, I want to match.”

Miu whined, with her hands cutely fisted.

“Miu, just get something else. We don’t have to match.”

Giovonni frowned

“But I want to!”

Miu’s leg thumped under the table and her face pouted more.

The two stared at each other in silence and anger began to elevate.

“Sir, please give us a moment.”

Giovonni said sharply, not taking his eyes off Miu.

He sighed and walked away with his hands rubbing in stress. Miu’s dark eyes shot through Giovonni’s pale forehead, Giovonni’s brow scooped into the bridge of his nose.

“I don’t want you to die over some damn strawberries Miu.”

“I’m not allergic to strawberries anymore, Gio!”

“Yes you are! You said that last time and I panicked to look for a damn epi-pen for you!”

“That was a year ago! I’ve had other strawberry flavored things before, am I dead? No!”

“That’s the difference, Miu, they’re not real strawberries.”

“I want to match Giovonni! Get the cherry one.”

“I hate cherries, you know that.”

“Well things change, like my allergy to strawberries.”

“No they do not! Nothing changes around here Miu!”

“If that's the case Gio then why…”

Miu bit her lip and settled down and realised how dumb her agrument was.

“Sorry I’m being stupid, I’ll just have the cherry one. ”

Taken aback, Giovonni felt a ping of guilt, for maybe what he said was too harsh.

“H-hey, um sorry, how about we get melon sodas?”

“Melon sodas?”

“Yes, I haven’t had one since I was little. I want one now.”

“Ah, that would be good. Let's share that then Giovonni.”

He nodded and gave a look for the waiter to come back. Their orders were quickly written down with a blue ink pen and the scribbles filled the quietness between the pairs ordering. Miu loomed her eyes at the table below, her jaw gripping her cheeks. Her fingers stroked one another and she quickly gazed at Giovonni then quickly turned back down. The waiter had left and the two sat in sweltering silence.

The seagulls cawed loudly, they shreked along with the cicadas. The sun’s rays magnified under the thick glass dome and the heat crawled Giovonni’s back. Miu’s eyes were clenched and she balled her skirt in her fists. Giovonni began biting his lip and tapped the inner side of his arm as they crossed upon his chest. He took a long deep breath and looked back at Miu who seemed to be on the verge of tears.

“Hey, are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, I mean no! Not really, it’s just been hard, I suppose.”

“I could tell, you called me out of no-where.”

“Yeah, sorry I haven’t messaged you lately. I’ve been thinking about a lot of things”

“Like what?”

“Well I told you already about me moving out and I’m,...”

“Are you scared?”

“No! I’m just unsure about,”

“About what?”

“It’s just everything! Where am I going to sleep? What am I going to eat? Should I get a job?”

“Miu! You don’t have to do this, you know that right?”

Miu stared at the sky and looked back at Giovonni.

“I think I need to though.”

“You need to?”

Giovonni said with his eyes widened.

“Yeah.”

Miu’s eyes sat in her lap

“I can’t imagine my life being any good if I remain here with my father.”

“Well I can see it’s stressful either way, whether you chose to stay with your father or move out and live alone.”

“Yeah I’m having a hard time imagining being completely alone.”

“Hey Miu?”

“Yeah?”

“We have a free room at my house. You can stay there until you're situated, you don’t have to be lonely.”

“Really? Are you sure I won’t bother you?”

“As long as you don’t hog the bathroom it’ll be fine. Besides, I would be worried about you.”

“Gio, you don’t have to worry about me! I’m grown”

“You’re like my sister Miu! It’s not that easy.”

“Gio, I’m not your sister!”

“Then what are you?”

Miu’s face turned completely and her hands began to cover her face. Her fingers split to reveal her eyes darting up and down.

“Well I want to be close but not your sister.”

Giovonni raises a brow and crosses his arms.

“Well then what?”

“Goodness you always ask such personal questions Gio!”

“Fine then I won’t ask, I think our order is here anyway.”

The cold deserts placed in between blocked both Miu and Giovonni’s vision from one another. Then two ice cold melon sodas were placed next to each other but neither could see them on the table due to the size of the sundaes.

“I forgot how large they were.”

Giovonni comments preparing for a stomach ache later.

Miu dipped her spoon into the creamy layers and the syrups spilled from the top. She ate the icecream slowly savoring each bite and the sacherine tower eventually fell. Giovonni watched as his treat melted while holding his silver tint spoon in his hand. He hesitated to dig into the desert, his mouth began to dry. He reached for a melon soda but felt Miu tap his hand.

“We’ll open and drink those together.”

“I’m thirsty.”

“Eat your ice cream, it’s already pretty much liquid now.”

He looked at his sundae, it was more like a milkshake now. The cream dripped on the table leaving it caked and sticky. Giovonni fished out the strawberries from the soup and sucked the cream away.

“The strawberries are extremely red.”

“They are?”

“They’re like rubies, sparkling and rare.”

“Getting poetic about fruit, that's so like you Gio.”

“Licking the cream away makes them glimmer more, the cherries in yours are like garnets.”

“Hm, why didn’t you eat yours Gio?”

“I’m lactose intolerant, I’ll get a stomach ache.”

“Then I’m right, things do change.”

“That was always the case, I just didn’t care. I have a recital soon, don’t want to be sick.”

Miu looks at the milky liquid in Gio’s bowl and fishes out a single strawberry. She opens her mouth and pops a strawberry in her mouth.

“I’m not allergic.”

She says as she chews on the strawberry. She smiles and Gio frowns at her,

“Miu, your so dumb.”

“You too, Giovonni.”