Toxic

Chapter 5.

—Get out.

And with just that sentence, without needing any more words, my heart began to beat in despair.

Realizing that I was still there and that I wasn't moving, that strange boy abruptly stopped playing, and looking extremely unpleasant, continued to stare at me.

—Are you stupid? Get out, it wasn't a request —that boy said loudly to me, keeping the piano silent, with one of his hands still on the keys.

I was still frozen in place, unable to do more than look back at him, as I clung tightly to my textbook. That boy is undeniably handsome, with the bluest, coolest eyes I could ever see, and that messy dark brown hair. Sitting in front of the piano, with the ghostly lights of the auditorium bathing him completely, illuminating his beautiful face of fine features; he simply became the most beautiful man I ever saw.

Awakening from my reverie upon hearing what he had called me, I could only reply: —I'm not stupid...

—Really? —he laughed, mocking me— Because I keep seeing you standing there.

—I'm lost.

Turning back to look at the piano, visibly annoyed, he replies: —Too bad...

—You don't need to be so nasty, just tell me how to get out of here —I demand.

—I'm not from the f*****g welcoming committee for new students, retrace your steps and get out of here, I don't care where or how just leave.

Why is everyone in this damn school so nasty? Did I do something wrong to be treated that way? After a hellish day putting up with all this nonsense, with so many people treating me like garbage, I just couldn't take it anymore, putting my head down, so I ended up answering that i***t.

—And who do you think you are to order me around? If you are here, so can I, it's not your school for you to throw me out of here as if I was your property —I refuse.

Sighing, visibly exasperated, that boy told me: —You're wrong. I can be here, you can't, because I have express permission from one of the teachers to practice here, do you also have permission? I don't think so, crazy girl, get out before I call the janitor and he kicks you out of here.

Not believing her words, thinking he was just making stupid excuses to try to get rid of me and keep ordering me around, I tell him: —Do it then, call the janitor, I have nothing to lose.

—Besides your dignity? Oh I'm sorry, if you're here, still bothering me, it's because you have no dignity —he says, still mocking me— Why are you making this so difficult? How annoying you are...

—I don't like being ordered around.

—Good luck passing PE then.

Rolling my eyes at such a stupid answer, I take a deep breath to calm myself down, then clarify to him: —I don't like idiots like you ordering me around, I don't defy authority, just nasty people like you.

Sighing again, he doesn't look happy with the answer I just gave him, so with a sudden movement, he lowers one of his hands strongly against the piano keys, releasing a very loud and annoying noise, which makes me jump slightly in surprise.

—So you're not leaving? —he asks me very exasperated.

—I don't see why I should... —I insist, without moving from my position.

Sighing again, he moves away from the piano and closes the wooden lid of the keys, and taking his backpack that was leaning against one of the piano's legs, with quick steps he goes down the stage. Since the only exit and entrance to the auditorium was the door through which I had entered, he has no choice but to get off the stage and walk down the same aisle where I am, passing me like an angry beast. He is so angry that he doesn't even turn off the lights in the place, apparently wanting to get out of there as fast as he could.

Seeing this as my chance to finally get out, I don't hesitate to follow him. Letting him pass first and taking my slight distance, we leave the auditorium and walk down the sub-floor hallway to the stairs, which we quickly climb back up to reach the first floor of the school.

—You... Can you be any more irritating? —he complains loudly, turning to look at me, very annoyed.

Defending myself, I say: —Annoying why? I'm just going home...

—Take another way! —he demands almost in a shout.

—Is there another way? Why don't you take it?

Smiling mockingly, looking at me extremely angry, he finally tells me: —You're an i***t.

And without letting me defend myself, apparently fed up with this situation as much as I was, he diverts his course down a hallway in the middle of the darkness, walking to a part of the school that I hadn't even set foot in, leaving me alone again. For an instant, I thought about chasing him again, but I didn't know if he was going on an outing anyway, maybe he was going to a class in the afternoons or something?

So being alone again, regretting my luck, I grabbed my cell phone and had no choice, dialing a number with my eyes lowered in embarrassment.

—Mrs. Kramer... Can you pick me up from school? —I asked quietly, speaking embarrassedly into my phone in the middle of the hallway.

***

Talking to Mr. and Mrs. Kramer about my first day of school was a bit complex because I was feeling really bad and frustrated after everything that happened, I felt like real trash. Even so, I didn't want to worry them, I could have accused Andy Escalante and that weird kid with my new parents; I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Kramer would have gone to the school to make a scandal if I told them what happened. But the Escalante's, Andy's family, were friends of my parents, if I told them anything about what he did to me surely their relationship would turn bad.

And about that boy... Honestly, I doubted I would ever see him again.

Although just thinking about his blue eyes full of fury, looking at me in the middle of the ghostly light of that stage, playing that melody that broke my thoughts... My heart was racing faster and faster every time I remembered him.

So I couldn't stop thinking about it all night, in my room after dinner, I kept repeating the few fragments of that song in my head. Lots of scales in the right hand, with simple chords in the left; that was what I remembered. But clearly, that wasn't enough to find a song or sheet music. Using the internet as best I could, I tried to look for the song, though I found it impossible, as, in the end, I couldn't find it.

I then regretted not having asked the boy the name of the song, or even if it was its composer...

But of course, I doubted he would have answered me. So maybe it would have been a waste of time.

I have played the piano for almost as long as I can remember, when I was already in the orphanage, I remember myself on Sister Meredith's lap, playing my first tunes and songs in front of the piano in the residence; a small piano nailed to one of the walls of the chapel inside the orphanage. Sister Meredith taught me everything she knew about the piano, all the religious songs, and as much technique as she could. But that was the only thing, in my repertoire, there are only religious songs, and although I know songs by great composers, I could never have access to their scores and could not play them.

So that night when I went to sleep, closing my eyes, in the middle of my dreams I could hear that song again. Full of sweet scales and chords, with several key changes, but undeniably sweet and joyful throughout. And the next day, when my alarm for school went off to wake me up, I opened my eyes with a start, as if waking up from a nightmare instead of that beautiful dream, full of light and that piano song.

Then I knew, that song that I could not recognize at the time is one of the songs I hear sometimes in my dreams.

The memories I have of my parents.

***

The next school day, it was Mrs. Kramer who drove me to school in her car. Very kindly upon arrival, taking the map of the school that I was given at the entrance, she helped me to understand how to read it. The day before I got lost because I was so stupid as to not understand which is north and which is south, which was the way the map was oriented. So knowing that north was towards the back of the school, where the gymnasium and the soccer field were, which I could see from any window because they were too wide spaces not to be noticed; and that south was towards the main door of the school, the one I entered the first day and where the information office was. Everything became simpler and I could finally get along well in this new place.

With the map in one hand and my textbook in the other, I went back into the jungle of students at the school, not looking too cheerful after what happened to me on the first day of school, but trying to look nice so as not to worry my mother. That day I had gone dressed in a simpler way to class, no dresses or clothes imitated from internet videos. I just wore a black sweater and jeans, plus leather booties and my hair down my back. I wasn't feeling up for getting ready for something as torturous as the school.

Being able to find my classroom for the first class of the morning, which was geography, ignoring Andy and his group of latecomers, I hurried to the back of the class, sitting among the last free seats. I could still hear them laughing at me, but the impact was a little less than the day before, as I was already prepared for them to do so.

However I paid them no heed, not only because I had set out to ignore them, but also because I had something more important in mind to do. Leaving my backpack hanging on my chair and my book on my desk table, I quickly grabbed my cell phone to go online. Without giving up to find that sheet music, which I was convinced would be a clue to know something about my real parents, I kept searching for songs on piano, trying to find that very specific melody.

—Hello!

Being pulled out of my concentration by an animated voice, I looked up, finding a girl standing in front of my desk. This unknown girl was smiling at me in a friendly way, dressed in bright colors and loose clothing, she had red hair and was a little overweight, besides being a little short and having cheeks full of freckles.

—Hello... —I answered a little apprehensive, fearing that she was someone unpleasant, like all the other students I had come across in this place.

—Are you new? I haven't seen you here before... —she says, staring at me— I'm Anne Taylor, the student council representative for this grade.

—Yes, I'm new, I recently transferred. I'm Claire Hainfield... No, sorry, I'm Claire Kramer —I quickly correct myself.

Cocking her head to the side in intrigue, Anne laughs lightly: —You have two names? How funny... Where were you transferred from?

Hesitating for a second, I quickly answer: —From Texas, I'm sure you don't know my school.

—You've come a long way, I'm sure you'll miss the heat. Anyway, have you thought about joining a school club yet?

—School club? —I asked a little confused.

—Weren't there clubs at your previous school? That's strange, they are very popular nowadays. School clubs are groups of students organized by the student council, with the help of the teachers, who are in charge of different activities —Anne clarified, sitting down in the seat next to mine confidently—. Many of them are just for making friends or socializing, like the cooking club or the history club, but others are more serious about inter-school activities, like the athletics club or the debating club.

Nodding my head, I can't help but look very surprised. I didn't know about the existence of these "clubs", obviously there was nothing like this or something similar in my orphanage, and Mr. and Mrs. Kramer didn't mention it when they told me about the school....

—Of course it's not mandatory to join one, since it's extra curricular time, many kids prefer to go home early to study or do things on their own. But as a student council representative, my duty is to invite everyone, in case anyone wants to join a club or even the student council itself; help is always welcome.

—And what kind of clubs are there? —I asked curiously.

I wasn't accepting or refusing, but being something new, I was interested in knowing more about it, knowing more information was always good.

—There are many, as they are groups of students, you only have to have the help of a teacher to be able to form one of your own. The most popular clubs are the sports or drama clubs, I think they do the most fun activities. But there's also a video game and movie club if you're interested, or poetry and dance clubs —Anne explains—. But there are more than the ones I'm mentioning, obviously I don't know all of them, but you're sure to find one that matches your interests.

—Which ones are you in? —I asked a little lost, as always when so many options came up at once.

—I'm in three clubs besides the student council, I'm in the health club because I want to lose weight, in the English literature club because I love "Pride and Prejudice", and in the debate club.

Those clubs are definitely not for me. I'm not looking to lose weight, it's not like reading is one of my favorite activities, and I haven't even read "Pride and Prejudice," and the debate club seems kind of scary to me. Anne seems to realize that I'm going to refuse, so seeing my phone in my hands, in a very deft way she asks me:

—Do you like music? There's a music club run by physics professor Porter, if you're interested.

—And what do they do in the music club? —I ask a little curious.

—I don't know, I've never joined, but I know they learn new songs and exchange sheet music among the students. Many of them know a lot about music and songs —Anne explains to me.

"Many of them know a lot about music and songs."

Would they know the song that keeps repeating in my dreams?