Walking in Memphis

The piano starts, securely grasping the notes, molding them to weave a hopeful thread. I'm playing, but listening to the ghost hand move up and down. Each chord strikes me anew.

Before the first phrase was out, it was off to school, pouring rain of course. But still I could hear birds- nice, eh?

The piano plays, the threads begin to take shape on the loom.

All sleepy morning, music was in my head.

"So you got my e-mail?" I shyly asked Alfonso. He said he'd come when I invited him to a celebratory dinner at a fancy restaurant. The place has an arcade of games to play while we wait, plus it's really nice and has good food. And now I'm sharing it with him and Alena!!

The pedal lifts and comes down again, holding down the melody while patterns come to life on the loom.

"So how're your Semi plans coming?" I asked David mischievously.

"I'm asking her today."

She'll say yes, of course. Because she obviously likes you. And she's so perfect for you too! Good luck, by the way. Not that you'll need it.

After orchestra I saw him draw her aside, and as he reappeared I asked him, "Well?"

"She said no."

"What?? I'm so sorry!"

"Eh."

"So now you need to ask someone else."

"Like...?"

I swear, his eyes bore right through me. It's rather unnerving when he does that, even though I don't think he means to.

Accent! The color of blush creeps into the weave.

I leaned back in my chair and consumed the smarties, hoping that somehow they would magically raise my IQ a couple hundred points. It's not that I didn't know the stuff, it's just that everyone else knew it too, and they were louder.

Can you imagine the mist of music? It spreads silkily over the world, engulfing your ankles in shimmering clouds of sound.

As soon as I got home I colllapsed in a chair and fell asleep. The house was empty, and still I woke up covered in a soft blanket, all the colors of the rainbow. It seemed to me that I could hear a distant piano.