Sarah wandered through the empty school halls, her nose in a book. It would probably take her parents another half an hour or so before they came to pick her up - Crescent Hill was some distance from Bayview after all. Not that she minded this, she rather liked the quiet after the initial rush of students pouring out the front gates.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. Sarah did have ulterior motives for enjoying Thursday evenings after school - that was when the free concerts started. The little Chinese girl hurried along the corridors towards the music room where she could hear the familiar dulcet tones of after school piano practise.
Sliding the music room door open as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the Japanese girl inside, Sarah slipped into the room. She selected a comfortable and unobtrusive spot on the ground to sit and knit, enjoying the treat of a free piano concert as she worked. This was probably the fifth time she'd done this in the past two weeks - but the Japanese girl didn't seem to notice, or mind...
A moment or two later, Sarah took out her notebook and started to work on her Math homework.
Free Piano Concerts
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selphie_trabia*
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:51 am
Reika Ishida was ever so grateful that she was on such good terms with the music teachers in her school. All she had at home was a digital keyboard and, while it was good for practice, nothing compared to the feel of a grand piano. The weight of the keys, the resonance of the soft hammers as they struck the wires, even just the majesty of the lacquered wood made playing that much better.
Reika's hands glided smoothly along the keys, the piano responding to her every command as it sang the melody of Frederic Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu. It was a piece she had been working on for nearly a year, and it had always given her problems. However, she nearly had it perfected, and as soon as she did, she would be able play it at the next recital she was to take place in.
Speaking of an audience, Reika glanced at the door as it opened with a quiet click. Almost like clockwork, the timid little Chinese girl entered the room, sitting in the corner. This was the fourth or fifth time she had come, and the two had never spoken yet. Usually cause she would be gone by the time she was finished practicing. Hoping that today would be a different story, Reika happily continued practicing her song.
Reika's hands glided smoothly along the keys, the piano responding to her every command as it sang the melody of Frederic Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu. It was a piece she had been working on for nearly a year, and it had always given her problems. However, she nearly had it perfected, and as soon as she did, she would be able play it at the next recital she was to take place in.
Speaking of an audience, Reika glanced at the door as it opened with a quiet click. Almost like clockwork, the timid little Chinese girl entered the room, sitting in the corner. This was the fourth or fifth time she had come, and the two had never spoken yet. Usually cause she would be gone by the time she was finished practicing. Hoping that today would be a different story, Reika happily continued practicing her song.
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selphie_trabia*
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:51 am
Sarah continued scribbling, finishing a page of Mathematics homework in almost no time at all. She loved the way Math worked. There was a right answer, and only one right answer. It didn't matter how you arrived at the answer, so long as you got it, unless you were doing a proof, in which case it was important to show how you go to the answer.
She let the waves of sound produced by the piano's vibrating strings wash over her. The tune was recognisable and one of her favourites - Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu in C# major. She smiled to herself as she worked, there was nothing like hearing music live, no CD could really replicate the feel of being exposed to the source of the vibrations that in turn vibrate air molecules that in turn vibrated the bones in her ear. Maybe the molecules in the air were happy to be vibrated by piano strings and produce beautiful music. It was probably like dancing. Then again, molecules couldn't really think, could they?
Her train of thought began to wander as the pen moved across the pages of Mathematics homework. There wasn't much of it today. She had it completed within 5 minutes of her arrival. She'd done the bulk of them during Math class anyway while not paying attention to the teacher.
"You know, Chopin told his friend to burn that song but his friend published it instead." she heard herself say, "I think it's nice that he didn't burn it in the end."
Sarah blanched, now she'd done it. She'd interrupted the girl's performance!
She let the waves of sound produced by the piano's vibrating strings wash over her. The tune was recognisable and one of her favourites - Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu in C# major. She smiled to herself as she worked, there was nothing like hearing music live, no CD could really replicate the feel of being exposed to the source of the vibrations that in turn vibrate air molecules that in turn vibrated the bones in her ear. Maybe the molecules in the air were happy to be vibrated by piano strings and produce beautiful music. It was probably like dancing. Then again, molecules couldn't really think, could they?
Her train of thought began to wander as the pen moved across the pages of Mathematics homework. There wasn't much of it today. She had it completed within 5 minutes of her arrival. She'd done the bulk of them during Math class anyway while not paying attention to the teacher.
"You know, Chopin told his friend to burn that song but his friend published it instead." she heard herself say, "I think it's nice that he didn't burn it in the end."
Sarah blanched, now she'd done it. She'd interrupted the girl's performance!
Reika's concentration was broken by the other girl speaking up, commenting on how Chopin had asked for the song she was playing to be burned. The girl at the piano had to agree with her that it was a good thing it was published, as it was turning out to be one of her favorite songs. She stopped playing, deciding now would be a good a time as ever to get a look at this mystery girl who kept coming to listen to her play.
Reika was slightly shocked and amused by the fact that someone was smaller than her. For the longest time she and her sister had always been the smallest people in the crowd, and now for once she was the taller one.
"Yeah," Reika said quietly in response to the girl's comment. "I'm glad he didn't. It's probably my favorite song to play."
Then, there was a moment of silence as the words hung in the air. Reika looked down in her lap, as if the words would somehow manifest and tell her what to say next. It occurred to her that the two didn't even know each other's names. That wouldn't do. She looked back up from her lap, looking once again at the Chinese girl in front of her.
"So... my name is Reika. Reika Ishida. What's yours?"
Reika was slightly shocked and amused by the fact that someone was smaller than her. For the longest time she and her sister had always been the smallest people in the crowd, and now for once she was the taller one.
"Yeah," Reika said quietly in response to the girl's comment. "I'm glad he didn't. It's probably my favorite song to play."
Then, there was a moment of silence as the words hung in the air. Reika looked down in her lap, as if the words would somehow manifest and tell her what to say next. It occurred to her that the two didn't even know each other's names. That wouldn't do. She looked back up from her lap, looking once again at the Chinese girl in front of her.
"So... my name is Reika. Reika Ishida. What's yours?"
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selphie_trabia*
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:51 am
Sarah looked up at Reika, "I'm sorry. It was bad of me to have interrupted you when you were practising."
She looked from her completed Mathematics homework back to the piano and then to Reika's face as the other girl introduced herself.
"Uhm, I'm Sarah Tan. I just got here, actually. To Bayview Secondary, I mean. You..." she paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, "You play good. I like listening to it."
Sarah holepunched her homework and slotted it into her binder, "I let my tongue slip away from me. It does that sometimes. I'm sorry."
The binder slid into Sarah's bag. She eyed Reika warily, unsure as to what to think of the other girl. In her mind, she knew that her transfer to Bayview Secondary was supposed to give her a chance to start afresh and make new friends, but still she wondered if this girl would be a friend, or if she would just be another enemy.
She looked from her completed Mathematics homework back to the piano and then to Reika's face as the other girl introduced herself.
"Uhm, I'm Sarah Tan. I just got here, actually. To Bayview Secondary, I mean. You..." she paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, "You play good. I like listening to it."
Sarah holepunched her homework and slotted it into her binder, "I let my tongue slip away from me. It does that sometimes. I'm sorry."
The binder slid into Sarah's bag. She eyed Reika warily, unsure as to what to think of the other girl. In her mind, she knew that her transfer to Bayview Secondary was supposed to give her a chance to start afresh and make new friends, but still she wondered if this girl would be a friend, or if she would just be another enemy.
So that would explain why Reika had never met the other girl before. Reika couldn't help but smile as Sarah bashfully introduced herself and complimented her. The girl couldn't help but blush. No matter how often she was told how good she was, it always made the blood rush to her face. She didn't think she'd ever get used to being praised.
"Nice to meet you." Reika said as Sarah put her binder away. Noticing that the Chinese girl looked embarrassed for speaking out, she felt the need to put her at ease. "It's fine, I was just finishing up." This wasn't true, but she didn't want to hurt Sarah's feelings. "Actually, I was about to go home, but maybe we can hand out a bit? I'm always happy to get to know new people."
"Nice to meet you." Reika said as Sarah put her binder away. Noticing that the Chinese girl looked embarrassed for speaking out, she felt the need to put her at ease. "It's fine, I was just finishing up." This wasn't true, but she didn't want to hurt Sarah's feelings. "Actually, I was about to go home, but maybe we can hand out a bit? I'm always happy to get to know new people."
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selphie_trabia*
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:51 am
Upon hearing Reika's friendly reply, Sarah looked at the other girl in the same way a deer might look at a pair of headlights. She examined every inch of Reika's face, looking for any sign that the other girl might be having an ulterior motive in inviting her to hang out. She found none.
After some time, she managed to calm herself down internally enough to give Reika a satisfactory answer.
"Uhm... I guess... if you want... we can uh... go outside." she managed, "My Papa will be coming to pick me up soon... but we can... uh... hang out."
With that, Sarah peeled herself off the ground and followed Reika.
After some time, she managed to calm herself down internally enough to give Reika a satisfactory answer.
"Uhm... I guess... if you want... we can uh... go outside." she managed, "My Papa will be coming to pick me up soon... but we can... uh... hang out."
With that, Sarah peeled herself off the ground and followed Reika.