She sits there, just watching people walk by. Her classmates, her teachers, the janitors, all talking among themselves. She wonders why she seems a world away from them.
When will she get noticed?
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She just moved to Massachusetts, a state in the US that is basically full of Hispanic people. Massachusetts was meant to be hot, but the time of year she just happened to move at was winter time. The school she just got transferred to was full of people who move often too, but they all spoke Spanish. Sure there were people that spoke English too, but it was mostly Spanish. Most of her life she’s lived in Canada, but all over the country. She could speak French and of course English, but when it came to Spanish, she was absolutely clueless.
When she found out she was leaving Quebec, it was extremely hard for her. She had a rough start in Quebec at first, but after a while she met people who became her life. She even had a boyfriend that would have been considered perfect. Leaving him broke her heart almost completely. She knew she couldn’t stay with him, long distant relationships never worked for her. Even though she was seventeen, it was just so hard to get through a break-up due to moving.
Well now that she had left, it did get a bit easier, although being in Massachusetts, friendless was getting tough.
Everyday for the past six weeks, she’d been sitting alone, sure she’d try to talk to people, but she felt so awkward. For the first time ever, she had become shy. Before she was confident, but now something changed. Now she’d become shy to join in the circle of people just talking. Was that normal?
The only thing she’d had to keep herself sane and content was her music. She’d always loved music. Anything and everything to do with it made her joyful.
During lunch periods, she’d practically skip eating just so she could listen to a song, and redo it herself on an instrument. Her talent was to pick up any song and know how to play it on the drums, piano, guitar, or the violin. She could also sing out some songs, but she hated her voice.
So, one lunch hour, she went to the music room, and got behind the drum set and decided to go hardcore on them. She just started learning Trivium’s song, Pull Harder On The Strings of Your Martyr. Now that was a hard song to do. Her friend Jenny, in Canada, could play bass to that song and she did really great. Jenny was the one that got her wanting to play the drums to Trivium. When she reached the middle of the song, she had to quit though. She was just about to get to the solo of the song, which is when someone with a guitar plays, but she messed up, and couldn’t bear to go on. So she really just quit playing.
She got up from behind the kit and suddenly felt as though she’d been watched. She looked up from where she was, and then she did see someone. A guy, to be exact. He was watching her from across the room. He had a guitar in his hand. It seemed as he was going to play as well, but he probably wasn’t.
*
When he saw her looking at him in shock, he knew he had to say something instead of just smiling at her.
“You played that amazingly, I’ve never met anyone who could play a song like that”, he said.
“Thanks, but we haven’t met, so you’ve never heard anyone play like that”, she said.
“Oh, right, well I’m Pablo, you’re that new girl that everyone finds annoy- oh, I mean uh, you just moved here, didn’t you?”
She raised her eyebrow in disgust, and then responded.
“Not just, but close. I’ve been here for a month and a half”
“Oh, well nice to meet you…I didn’t catch your name, what is it?”
“I never said my name, why don’t you go ask one of your friends who have class with the annoying-loner, new girl.”
“Oh, uh…” he raised his finger, while opening his mouth trying to think of something to say, but nothing seemed to light up in his head.
She then walked passed him.
“Hey, I really liked your playing!” he finally said.
She clasped her hands like she was to start praying in a church, and replied,
“Oh, you really do?!”
“Yeah, you’re really good”
She then snorted, then turned towards the door again,
“Do you think I really care?”
At that moment, she walked out of the room
*
The bell went off four minutes after she’d left the room. He was in his proper class; he always came to music class five minutes early so he could tune his guitar. He loved music. He and his friends had only three real reasons to live- Music, sports, and girls. Pablo would mostly only come to school for this class and for football after school. He was the star player on the team. His dream was to go play for Manchester United. But his father wanted him to become a doctor. He was in the honors society too. He was basically a straight A student which got his father to push him hard. Because he was nearly eighteen and with a year and a half left of school, the choices got hard. He had a lot to think about for the future.
Soon the class was building up with students. The teacher walked in, and he seemed to be in a particularly good mood. And he was, he had let all of the class play a song of their choice and tell each other why they liked the song.
First Stephan played a song on his guitar, by Seether. He said he chose it because the song was smooth, but then when it got heavy it helped him let out his anger and stress. It was a good song too.
Next Janiey played Fight the Power by Public Enemy. She played it well on the piano. When she was done she told everyone why she played it. She said she loved the song and its meaning. And I must agree, it was beautiful.
After her, Christian played Heaven by Bryan Adams on the piano. He chose it because it was a sweet song and he knew his girlfriend loved the song too. So basically it was for her.
Following him, Kathy played Hello Goodbye by Live on Arrival. She made some mistakes on it, but maybe her fingers were just too short for the guitar. She said she just liked the song and felt to play it.
When his turn came about, he was debating in his head to play Tech N9ne, Nelly, Soulja Boy with Travis Barker Remix, LL Cool J, and Residente Calle 13. The last one won, mostly because he thought it would get peoples attention better. He began to play Tocarte Toda by them. The violin in that song sounded just amazing. It went perfect with the reggeton rap. When he was finally done, he explained why he chose it and it was mostly to see if he could get the mysterious girl’s attention and have her walk by the room and see me playing, but the class didn’t get that explanation. He just told them he loved the music a violin made.
After a couple people played and then class was finished. As he was packing up, a kid came to me and asked how he knew how to play, probably because most people didn’t know he could play the violin. He always hid the fact he played the violin, mostly because his mother used to play it. He always would play with her, but then when he was eleven she got into an accident, and died. Playing always reminded me of her, and he’d end up having to stop, because he’d be too emotional to continue. But today, today was different. He just had to play. And when he finished he was happy. After packing everything up, he was about to leave the room, but his teacher called his name, so he stopped and went to see what he wanted to talk about.
“Today, why did you play the violin?”
“I don’t know, I just had the urge to play”
“I see, but after all these year, you start again now?”
“Yeah, I think I’m ready to play again. It’s been too long since her death, D’you think I’m ready profe?”
“Creo que si, cuando tocaste el violín, hiciste como antes” *
“Pero antes, estuvo solo un niño, quiero hacer mas, like a man. I’m nearly a man now, you know?” *
“Ya se. But you’re still very young” *
“Tío—sorry I mean profe—don’t say I’m young. I was young then, now I’m nearly eighteen” *
“Ayeé, I know, but you’ll always be young to me, you’re my nephew, remember?”
“Yeah, D’you think anyone knows that yet? Like after all these years, do you think people know you’re my uncle?”
“Hmmm, no se”
“Alright Prof., me voy, tengo que jugar football con mis amigos” *
“Bien, adiós. Hasta la cena” *
“I man not be there today, you may just have to eat with papi”
“Ay no, you’re coming!”
“We’ll see, okay?”
Translation:
* "i think so, when you played the violin, you played just like you did before"
* "But before i was only a child, i want to do more..."
* "I know..."
* "Uncle - sorry i mean professor-"
* "Alright professor, i'm going now, i have to play soccer with my friends"
* "Okay, see you later at dinner"
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