Chapter 2

Scarlet spent most of the break hurting, healing and trying to move on or pretending to. She barely even comes out of her room and it got her mother worried. It felt like that time of the year again, the time she had lost her father. She never talked to anyone for months and would just simply use her eyes to give signals or a nod from her head. She thought she was strong, that she could get over it, but the truth is that, breakup hurts.

Two knocks came on her door and she raised her head from her pillow before sniffing. Her mother opened the door and stepped inside where she went to take her stand beside her desk and she looked at her with a smile.

"Scarlet," she whispered softly and there was something about how she called her name that made Scarlet eyes well up before she burst into tears immediately.

"Mom," she called in between sobs as she made to sit up and her mother hurried to her before embracing her into a hug. "It's okay. You are okay," she hushed her as she ran her hand up and down her back, comforting her.

*

Holiday was over and it was the first week of school after resumption. Scarlet walked in the hallway with her bag hung over her shoulder and her sneakers marched on the marble floor. It was that time of school again, but now, she has to deal with crowds and Johan. When they were still together, she did not even have to worry about a thing.

From a distance, amongst the crowds of students, she sighted Melanie who came jogging towards her and when they met, she gave her a big hug that almost sent her crashing to the ground.

"Mel.," she greeted with a smile as she hugged her back.

Melanie disengaged from the hug and held her face in her palms. "I hope you are ready for what this semester brings," she said and gave a slight chuckle before locking arms with her and they headed towards their classroom.

During the class period, Scarlet focused her attention on the teacher and what was being taught, scribbling down notes and making references. She hasn't seen Johan and it was because they don't have most of the classes together except history and literature. Even though they had broken up on a good note, she was starting to feel mad at him, for no particular reason. Maybe it was because the reality was much more dreadful, since she would have to do almost everything with Melanie now and few people who knows about her and Johan would start to talk when they don't hang out anymore. And even though he was the one who ended it, the people would blame it on her. It is what they always do. Blame it all on the innocent girl and make her feel like shit.

When the class ended, Melanie dragged her up, taking her bag along and she pulled her outside the classroom, and through the other students who were heading for their next class. The manner in which Melanie dragged her along in a hurry made her frown her brows a bit.

"Mel what is it?" she asked on the way.

"Orchestra starts in few minutes," she said, leading her down the hallway and towards the orchestra class.

"So, what? Did you register or something? No, right?" she asked.

Her pace was starting to slow down now and Scarlet wriggled her arm free

Melanie stopped in front of an opened window and said to her, "You remember the boy I told you about last year? The handsome lonely dude?" she moved her eyes up as she said that.

"Yeah, the one you won't stop gushing over every time," Scarlet responded and she received a snap of finger from Melanie.

"I heard he is playing today so I came to watch myself."

"And by dragging me along," she said and rolled her eyes at her before looking inside through the window.

There, she saw a few numbers of students with cellos who walked up the platform to take their seats and a director in a white and black outfit with a thin cane in his hand. The hall went silent and Scarlet watched with a bored expression. Clearly, she does not want to be here but she has to stay because of Melanie. She just wished time would fly and they can go back to class and be done with the day and head back home and…

"Where is Damien?" the director asked and the students shook their head. They don't seem to know either.

Scarlet let out a sigh and just when she turned her back against the wall, she felt the wind blew past her and she saw a boy with dark curly hair that reached just close to his shoulder, walk past her, dressed in all-black and carrying a cello bag. Her eyes followed him as he walked and she saw him turn and enter the class.

"Mr. Grey, you are late," Scarlet heard the director say and she turned to look inside where the boy made his way towards a lone chair which must have been waiting for him.

He sat down and placed his bag aside after bringing out his cello with the stick and the director first made sure they were in position before he began and the hall went silent at first before the piano raised the atmosphere.

Scarlet could see Melanie grinning from the corner of her eyes, showing how excited she was and she moved her eyes back to look at the boy whose head now moved slowly towards the side of the cello as he began to play. He moved the stick along the strings easily and slowly and his other hand vibrated along at the top as he played. Scarlet saw him close his eyes as his body moved in rhythm to what he was playing. She recognized the tune. It was Interstellar and he played it so beautifully and captivatingly that she felt a sense of peace within her.

When it finally ended, Scarlet wished it didn't and for some reason, she felt like crying. Everything just came rushing back to her; her father's death, the silent treatments she gave her mother, the break up…

The boy slowly opened his eyes and lowered his hand when all of a sudden, he raised his eyes to look directly into hers. Scarlet was frozen on the spot and she felt goosebumps rising on her skin. She did not know how to react so she just stared at him from the window and she found it hard to look away.

Fuck! She had been too focused on Johan to notice that a beautiful boy like him exists.

"Argh!" Melanie shrieked aloud, gaining attention to herself from the students who passed by and bringing her, Scarlet, out of her trance. "He looked at me," she said happily as she held Scarlet's hands and shook it.

But Scarlet knew it was not Mel he looked at but instead, her and so, she just offered a smile.

When she looked back inside, she didn't see the boy there anymore but she could see the director applauding the students on the performance. Her eyes moved to look around but she could not find him. It was like he vanished all of a sudden and she was confused. She looked at the entrance and then turned around to look at the hallway from where they had come.

And that was when she saw him. Not the boy, but Johan.