April 4th (Part 2)

“You have to be joking.”

“Am not!”

“There’s no shot you unironically like the one bad show airing this season. You could be watching so many better things and you choose to watch a 14 year old boy being groomed? Really?”

“Listen, I can acknowledge something is questionable and still enjoy said thing regardless. They aren’t mutually exclusive ideas.”

“Sure but- the age gap! It makes all of it feel so weird!”

“Age is just a number.”

“And jail is just a room!”

“Tee-hee.”

“Why you-”

Lily Hoover's face shone brilliantly in the bright sunlight pouring through the windows. The clouds of the morning had completely vanished. Sitting there in front of me she dazzled with a colour brighter than her ocean green eyes. Hazel noticed me and waved me over. I put my bag and hers on the desk as she thanked me. Lily’s eyes however widened as they met mine. There was a recognition in them that I didn’t anticipate. She got out of her seat and rushed over to hold my hand.

“It’s good to finally meet you, Neil.” She smiled as if nothing had happened just a little while ago.

“Hello... Nice meeting you too?”

“Haha, why the questioning tone?”

“Well, it’s not everyday someone grabs your hands and greets you out of nowhere.”

“Oh oops!” She let go of my hands and they flopped down to my sides. “Anyway! I am Lily Hoover. I will be working with you from today onwards.”

Wait. What did that even mean? Working on what?

“The workshop?” She said, noticing the blank look in my eyes.

Oh! Mr. Miller did mention someone new joining that place. That otherwise very empty recreational hall down by Lake street.

“Right! Painting, was it?”

“Yeah! Master Miller was kind enough to accept my application without much objection.”

“Ah, I see.” Now how did I word this right. “I should mention that I am not ‘working’ anymore.”

She raised her eyebrow and stared at me.

“What exactly do you mean? You have been studying under master Miller for a few years now, right?”

“Not anymore.” I said. I didn’t want to make this conversation any longer than it was. “I didn’t feel like pursuing piano anymore. So I quit. That’s the gist of it.”

Lily looked at me like she had seen a ghost. She turned to Hazel and pointed her finger at me.

“Is this guy for real?”

“Unfortunately.”

She punched my right arm. Hard.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“You can’t just say you quit for a vague fucking reason like that! That’s basically shouting aloud that you have a traumatic backstory for why you quit.”

“I-” What was this girl talking about? “Sorry?”

“Oh my god. Hazel, You didn’t tell me he was a dumbass too!”

“Well, I thought that was basically implied.” Hazel said mockingly as her eyes stayed glued to a book she was reading. She was clearly enjoying this.

“Also Neil-” She said, turning over a page and looking directly at me. “Don’t worry about her. For now.” I nodded.

“Hey! You three over there. Keep it down or get out of here!” One of the librarians' gruff voice rang out. And speaking of getting out.

Lily grabbed my hand and pushed me down onto the bean bag near the window. She pulled up a chair, turned it around and sat down with her arms on the back of the chair, her eyes looking straight at me. She really had the ability to arrest anyone with that gaze.

“Why did you quit, really?”

“Like I said. I didn’t find it fun to play the piano anymore.”

“So you lost the drive for it.”

“More or less.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t think I was that passionate about it in the first place.” As soon as I said that, I clasped my hands over my mouth. Why had I suddenly said that out loud?

“I see.” Her eyes had lost some of that intensity and they looked fleeting now. “I am sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.” I said softly. “I asked myself if I could make myself work for months on end on a single piece to perform in front of a massive audience and I just couldn’t think of a reason why I would willingly put myself through that. I guess, the fact that I was even looking for a reason should be pretty telling.”

“Not really.” Lily said, her eyes looking out the window. “I think it’s okay to do things for a selfish cause. Why else would I be…” Her voice turned to a barely audible whisper at the end. Almost as if she had put voice to the thoughts in her head. “Anyway, I get it.”

“You do?” She looked melancholy for a moment. For a moment I felt like I had found a kindred spirit.

“Well maybe I don’t. I mostly wonder why that person felt compelled to chase something for years on end only to fizzle out and give up one day. I wonder why now, of all times.” She stopped and I found myself at a loss of an answer. I couldn’t possibly answer that. “Hey…” She started and then looked at me before shaking her head and smiling again.

“What?” She had a curious look on her face. “You look weird when you force yourself to smile, you know?” Lily looked at Hazel again exasperated and she shrugged.

“He’s always been blunt like that. I can only wonder what would happen if he actually got into a relationship someday.” Hazel had been reading a book for a while now. Looking at the cover it didn’t seem to be any reference material even though the drab monocolored art suggested otherwise. “Luke’s final draft. He’s been pestering me for a while to read through it.” She answered, probably noticing me staring at it.

“Luke?” Lily asked me. Right, he wasn’t in our class.

“Luke Rogers. He’s kind of an aspiring novelist, I suppose. Well more of a on-the-verge-of-a-debut novelist these days. A publisher finally contacted him a month or so ago after he sent in his first draft and asked to provide them with a final draft in August. If things go smoothly, he should be a published author in a few months.” I paused for a bit and a grin escaped me. “He really did it, that sneaky little bastard.”

“You know him well?” She asked me innocently.

“Well? I guess you could say that.” I replied. I couldn’t remember a time when I didn’t know him. We weren’t inseparable or anything like that. We grew up in different neighbourhoods, went to different schools and there were times we didn’t see each other for weeks. But even still we had managed to stay connected over the years. Sharing everything when we got the chance. Close enough to know everything, yet distant enough to feel safe. If distance could tear people apart, so could it make bonds inextricably strong.

“They have been best friends since they were born. Everytime I see them together, they look so comfortable you would think they were siblings. Except I don’t think even siblings are as intimate as these two.” Hazel mused aloud. “Neil is totes in love with him. Right?”

“Firstly, no. Secondly, FUCK no! Third, you are doing that thing with your voice again.”

“Am I? Aw sweety, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You are totally doing a hipster-aunty voice. And it’s the worst!”

“Lily honey, teach this boy some manners will you?” Hazel’s monthly proclivities of choosing a flavour of the month voice to emulate could be quite hit-or-miss.

“Gladly.” Lily replied and grabbed my cheeks. “Now Grayson, I know we aren’t the best of friends yet. But I promise.” She pinched. “By the end of this.” She pulled. “You are coming along with me to the workshop.” She squeezed.

I was in too much pain to do anything but nod along. Was this really the same girl who got shoved around, chewed off and then dragged around like a corpse a while ago? I didn’t know but I wouldn’t ask. Hazel was right. I needed to not worry about it for now. For now… Yeah, I suppose I would let her drag me along. For now.