Chapter 1 : Perfect Symphony

*Third POV*

22 March 2019, Friday

6:43 a.m.

As soon as he landed his foot on the stage, cheers exploded into thin air. With eyes flung wide and sweat pouring down his face, he sat down in front of his piano which silenced the auditorium.

It was a shiny, pitch-black grand structure placed at the left corner of the stage. He shook his hands to remove all the nerves before putting his fingers atop the keys.

Then, the row of pure ivory keys marched into view. They shimmered in the dazzling spotlight like the moon on a starry night bringing a bright, beautiful, and breathtaking harmony that stirred the audience's souls.

Everyone had their eyes closed as the music filled their minds with sweetened fantasies. The slow tempo made everyone dance in their imaginations. It was really great, a perfect tune for the ears.

And for the first time he performed in that stage, nerves were trying to take over his body, but it only improved the percussion of his performance. His heart kept the time with the piano, pumping the music through his veins as he lost himself in the show. Eventually, he lost the sense of everything except for the music.

The performance lasted for 10 minutes and as soon as it ended, cheers erupted like an auditory volcano. It was quiet a second before and then deafening the next, rising to a crescendo and then falling to a trickle again after another guy in the late 30s joined the pianist on the stage and commanded silence from the crowd.

The guy wearing a black suit and red tie placed his microphone before his lips then surprised the audience with a loud yell full of energy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a warm round of applause for Mr. Dominic Milles!" he exclaimed and patted Dominic on his shoulder.

The younger boy was scanning the auditorium with a blushed look. So many myriads of faces—like beads on a bead-work pattern—all bead-work, in different layers, amazed for his awesome performance.

Barely could he believe everything that's happening in front of him. This may be the best day of his life with the crowd shouting his name, girls screaming for his awesome piece and cameras flashing. Flashing and flashing. Cameras flashing all over the place. They were getting brighter and brighter.

He narrowed his eyes against the strong and dazzling lights. It bothered him like he was being blinded. Dominic covered his eyes with his right hand but the swirling glaze was frightening as it was followed by strange noises from the crowd.

Chaos ascended, sounds were loud but unclear. Then, a vortex of panic started to grow from his nearly frozen heart. He breathed real slow until he fell down on his knees.

Flashes were still there; vague sounds can still be heard but it only lasted for a minute as a familiar voice from distant emerged through the thick babble. The message wasn't clear at first but its distinct pitch made Dominic listen carefully.

"Dom!" he heard calling his name. "Dom. Dom, wake up."

The bright sun poured through the cracks in the blind and awaited entrance into Dominic's eyes as he felt heavy taps on his arms. With sight still in the clutches of the night's glue, he rubbed the dream away and found himself in front of another young man wearing the same uniform he used to wear in school.

Aside from realizing he was just dreaming, Dominic jumped out of his bed after taking a peek at the 6:45 am-face of the wall clock. They only got 15 minutes remaining before their morning class starts with 10 minutes to spare for the walk.

Just a dream. Dominic whispered in his mind and rushed his way through the bathroom, spent less than a minute, and get dressed. 

"Why didn't you woke me earlier?" he asked while fixing his tie.

"Because you're in the middle of a great dream, I think," the other boy chuckled as he sat on Dominic's bed. "So, do you mind if you tell me what you dreamt of?"

Dominic knew that he could remember everything in his dream from his tension backstage until it turned into havoc in his mind but he couldn't find some urge to tell the great story to his friend.

"Nah, just the piano thing," he replied.

He picked up his bag but when he was about to open the door, Steve blocked his way. "What?" he exclaimed.

"Speaking of the piano thing, have you heard about the new girl in the piano class?" Steve asked.

Dominic sighed. This is a so familiar scene—pushing him with other girls—and hates this one.

"Not again, Steve," Dominic said getting rid of his childhood bestfriend. "My mom's gonna get mad at me."

"What? About having a chick?" Steve insulted and received that familiar rolling eyes from Dominic.

"About joining the piano class. You know that she hates me when I'm touching any kind of instrument. So, no piano class and no girls," he answered and finally got through the door but Steve blocked his way again.

Steve was in silence for a moment. He knew that Dominic loves to play instruments but he ain't got any chances to hold one since the grade school except when they became sophomore. 

Steve pushed him to join a piano class back then. It was the first time he heard his friend played the piano and he was amazed for a guy who knows how to play the piano perfectly without being able to own one.

But then Dominic's mother, his only family left, scolded him and told him not to hold the piano again for an unknown reason.

"Do you know how many girls I already pleaded just to hang out with you?" Steve broke the silence.

Dominic counted through his fingers, eyes narrowed in confusion before answering. "This is the 12th, I think." 

"Exactly, man. And what happened to the 11?"

"They ended dating with you, I think," Dominic insulted.

"No. What I mean is that you dumped them. They have beautiful faces and amazing personalities but you missed 11 chances, Dom. Who knows if you're gonna have the 13th option," Steve explained.

"Well, you can't blame me if I couldn't force myself to love someone I don't like," his friend answered back.

"You can't miss this opportunity, Dom," Steve sincerely whispered. "Please."

Then he got that pity emotion on his face.

"Fine. This is the last time we're doing this. And you're the one attending the piano lesson. Just meet me after your class," Dominic replied.

"Wait, wait, wait. What? I don't even know how to play piano," Steve got rid of Dominic's arm with a shock look painted on his face.

"Then you should learn how to play one. Deal is closed. C'mon, we'll be late at school," Dominic raised his eyebrow, mocking his friend.

"Mom, we're leaving," he yelled as they went downstairs.

"Take care," her mother replied from a distance.

Just two words but it means a lot for Dominic. Growing up without a father isn't easy for the both of them but what made it even worse is that he didn't get any opportunities to meet him nor know his name.

And with all the mysteries and strange actions of his mother, a doubt was starting to lit in his mind.