Change of Spirit, Change of Heart (Chapter 1)

He ended the song, the last chord from the gutiar fading away. She stood nearby spellbound…in her mind by the music and in her heart by the one playing it. A cool breeze blew softly by. The ducks quacked at each other at the pond nearby.

“Beautiful day, don’t you think.” he spoke softly, but his voice carried clear and strong across the wind. She jumped at the sound of his voice, she thinking that he had not been aware of her presence. She could only nod as an answer though.

“A beautiful day, but it is warm and I need something to drink. Would you like to accompany me back to my dorm room?”

“Okay.”

They walked the short distance back to his dorm room, he opened the door for her, she stepped inside and he followed, shutting the dorm behind him. He walked to the fridge.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you.”

He nodded, got a soda out and closed it behind him, he took a seat at one of the chairs, opposite the bed where she sat.

“So, how have you been?” he asked, taking a sip of his soda.

“Good, yourself?”

“I’ve been pretty good. How’s Jason?”

At the last question, her face fell just slightly, but he noticed it none the less. He said nothing though, waiting for her answer.

“He came home a bit pouty last night when he got back.”

He smiled inwardly at her language, even though he had gotten used to the way she spoke.

“I don’t know why he would, all of us had a good run at the skatepark….but you do know why he came home that way, don’t you Chica.”

She smiled faintly at the nickname, she had grown used to it but it never failed to make her smile. She thought to herself a bit longer before answering.

“He thinks that you were purposely trying to show him up at the skatepark.”

He sighed out loud, “I knew this would happen. Of course I didn’t show him up. I had thought that all of you knew me better than that. I was hoping for different but I knew it would get this way.”

“How so?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know. Most of you have been using me as the scapegoat, the one that everyone could take relief in knowing they were at least better than. Then now that I’ve become better than I was, because I’ve become all those things I wasn’t before, because I no longer fit the part of the scapegoat that I’m now trying to show everyone up. I’m now just showing off, full of myself, and have too much pride. I can’t just be normal can I? And you know this don’t you? Don’t you Chica?”

She looked down.

“I know. He thinks that you were showing him up, but I knew that you weren’t. And, and…”

She looked down again and covered her face with her hands. She slumped slightly, she then sighed deeply and he saw tears drip through her fingers.

He was speechless. He didn’t know why she started weeping. He walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her.

I’m splitting this up into two parts. It’s already late and I should get some sleep. I’ll write the next part tomorrow. Good night to all and beautiful dreams.

Tenchi

“…the cultivation of the mind, the body, and the soul.”