Chapter 9

Blair

The whole day was a blur. My mind wasn't in its usual sharp and focused state, rather my surroundings seemed to be colored in black and white.

My eyes lazily watched my team go over the routine again before the big game that took place on Friday. When they were done, they sought my eyes for approval, but I could only bring myself to shrug. They were fine, I told them and granted their wishes for a ten minute break.

Exhaustion took over my body. It had been for the past couple of days. Even if I wanted to rest, I knew I couldn't. Things needed to be done and attended to.

From my peripheral, I spotted a mop of blonde hair make its way towards me. Sighing, I gathered up the little bit of energy that was left in me to shut the girl down. Delilah's desperation to get back to me was seeping through her mindlessly.

"Blair, please talk to me," she pleaded, her voice wobbly and broken, "What I did was stupid a-and I promise that I will never betray you like that again."

I rolled my eyes, irritation evident in them. My lips stayed shut, though, and pressed in a thin line as I stood up from my seat and walked away. A small cry filled my ears and for a moment, I wanted to turn my back and give her a chance, but my stone-cold heart made it difficult for me to find the ability to forgive her.

I felt my fists clench and my sharp, manicured nails dig into the palm of my hand. The hurt from her deceit was still there, and I cursed myself for being the way I was. Could I ever forgive her? I asked myself.

Walking along the hallway, I found myself in front of the school choir room for some reason. From what I heard, the Glee club only had practice every Monday and Wednesday so it was empty- or so I thought.

I was about to twist open the doorknob when a familiar tune rang in my ears. It was the faint sound of a piano, and I tried to make out what song it was before I peeked inside to see who was playing.

A girl who had her back turned was hunched over the piano, her fingers delicately pressing the keys and humming to the tune. Short, strawberry blonde waves covered the girl's face so I couldn't catch a glimpse of who she was. The next thing I knew, I was walking inside the choir room, careful not to make a sound and distract her from playing.

Is...is she playing One Direction?

My assumption was confirmed when she started to softly sing out the lyrics of Night Changes, and as the seconds passed, I couldn't help but slowly start to sing along with her.

'Everything that you've ever dreamed of...disappearing when you wake up...'

'But there's nothing to be afraid of..'

I thought she would have looked up to see who was suddenly in tune with her voice but she continued playing until the song came to its end.

That was when she finally turned to see the person, and panic flashed through the girl's eyes and her face visibly paled at the sight of me. Needless to say, I was shocked as well.

"Oh my God, B-Blair!" the volleyball captain had turned red with embarrassment. She immediately stood up from the stool she previously sat on, her eyes wide and mouth hung open.

"Calm down, will you? I'm not gonna do anything," I explained, holding a tranquil expression so she knew I was sincere with my words, "Sit. Play some more."

"What?" confusion washed over her features, and I could tell she was genuinely lost at my weird reaction to her playing. I sighed. "Don't overthink the moment, just play. Pretend I'm not here."

"I-I can't do that!" she gaped, turning even redder than humanly possible.

"Why not?" I rose a brow, and judging from her reaction, I realized that that would only keep shying her away. "What you did...I'll admit that was good, plus it's not like I'm gonna tell anyone about this."

Her mouth shut and she cleared her throat. I took a seat on the right side of the rectangular stool, leaving space for her to play. She sat down beside me, leaving a significant amount of distance between us. I wanted to make a snide remark but I kept it to myself.

"U-Um...so what song do you want me to play?" she asked, her voice small, not bothering to look up at me.

"Anything you want." I told her honestly, trying my best to keep my strong presence to a minimal by matching my tone with hers.

She nodded, nervously gazing at the keys, lost in her thoughts for about a minute or two before her fingers started to move.

This time, it was a song I failed to recognize. She didn't sing along to it like she did earlier, though I could tell she wanted to sing but she forced herself not to.

My eyes focused on her, not the manner that she played. She was still tense over the fact that I was sitting next to her, but slowly her shoulders lowered as she got into the melody of the song. Faint hums erupted from her, barely audible but I could hear them.

The song lasted for a couple minutes until it started to fade and that signaled the end of it. "Is..is that it?" she whispered, still keeping her eyes down on the keys.

I dodged her question and instead asked what song it was.

"Girl Crush by Harry Styles," she answered, "I'm sorry if it wasn't that good..I just learned it a few days ago."

I shook my head, my lips slightly curving up, "I like it."

"Really?" her head rose to look at me, bewildered at my comment.

"I did, yeah. You in the Glee club?" I inquired, breaking the eye contact that took over for a few seconds.

"No um...not anymore." I wanted to ask her why but when I got a glance at the clock, I remembered that we weren't done with cheer practice, and it had been over ten minutes.

I stood up, and I took note of the relieved expression she tried to conceal. A smirk plastered on my face and I made my way toward the door. "Learn some new songs for next time, 'kay?" I teased her. Once again, her eyes widened with disbelief and horror.