Those That Which Are Talented: Chapter Two (Part Two of Two)

Chapter Two (Part Two of Two)

At lunch, Malerei found us and we all got our food at the same time. We sat at the same bench we were sitting at in the morning and she started talking to me.

          “Someone said during passing, the pervert had his hands down his pants and was jacking off,” Malerei said. “Or so I heard?”

“I didn't see, but he was doing something repulsive,” I said.

“You know you wanted to see, your eyes just wouldn't let you,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”

“Lysander, I’m not like that,” I said.

“Tut, tut, Kalliope, everyone is like that,” he said. “No matter how much they think they are not like that, they simply are. Humans have a sex drive and if they don’t follow it they will wither out and die.”

“You have a sex drive. A sex drive much too big for this world to handle and if it gets any bigger, I’m afraid that the universe will explode. Okay, sweetheart.”

“You called me sweetheart,” he said poking my nose only so I could stare at him and pinch his cheeks.

“Oh, are you two a thing?” Devin said coming up to us and I could almost see Malerei holding her breath like the biggest moment of her life was happening.

“No, not exactly,” Lysander and I said at the same time.

“Oh, well, I just wanted to say that you did really good in class today, and that maybe you should come by the Poetry Bar every now and then and you know recite a couple of stanzas for us. We’d enjoy it.”

“Thank you for the offer,” I said with the most genuine smile I could possibly pull out of my face, but I knew it was not genuine, because Devin just rubbed me the wrong way.

“Alright, I’ll catch you later, new girl,” he said giving me the peace sign.

“WHOA!” Malerei said. “Are you two tight?”

“No,” I said. “We just formally met right now.”

“Really?” she said. “I should have made my move.”

“The best way to go about that is by showing him your endowments,” Lysander said.

“Don’t listen to him, the best way to go about that is to act like yourself,” I said.

“Hmm, well, if you’re going by her example, then it works, if you’re going by a whore’s example I’m not sure how that will play out for you.”

“Umm, yeah,” Malerei said staring at the two of us like were completely crazy.

“Should we kiss yet?” Lysander asked caressing my back as though it would stimulate me.

“No,” I said. “My lips don’t feel like it at this moment.”

“So when will your lips feel like it,” he said.

“Let me see,” I said taking out an imaginary agenda. “That date is set for 2000 and never.”

“2000 and never it is, see you then babe,” he said.

“Babe?” I said. “Don’t call me that one.”

“Hmm, a girl who’s open about what her man should call her, Lysander enjoys!” he said.

“Lysander is quite the character isn't he?” Malerei said. “I’m sure every child will want their daily dose of Lysander when he becomes famous.”

“I’m already famous,” Lysander said.

“For what?” I said.

“I have a web show, but mainly because I perform all the time in front of big audiences and small audiences and everything in between. You know, it’s very fun, so I like to let the fans know who I really am. It’s just a way to connect with people. You should star on it, so everyone can know about this girl I was talking about on yesterday’s show.”

“You’re a freak,” I said.

“In bed,” he said.

I sighed and smiled at Malerei. “Gotta love this kid, right?”

“Ha, you and only you!” she said laughing.

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After lunch, Dylan and I began walking into Building A. Our next class was songwriting.

“I think Malerei had a fun time with us, don’t you?” I said.

“Well, of course she did, we’re a very inviting duo, are we not?” he said.

“I like how you referred to us as a duo instead of as a couple. Hmm, we could be the Dastardly Duo,” I said.

“No, people will call us the Bastardly Duo,” he said.

“Hmm, then I've got nothing, but wait, I’ll come up with something for our couple name,” I said.

“Alright,” he said. “I’m counting on you my lovely counterpart.”

“I won’t let you down, my titillated complement,” I replied.

He chuckled and after a long pause he said, “You said tit.”

“For your information, it’s another synonym for horny, like you!”

“You said horny!” he said laughing. “No more, Kalliope, or I’ll die of lack of breath.”

“You’re not even laughing that hard stupid,” I said.

“MMM. . .” he said and then he started laughing for no reason at all.

The lady finally let us in and of course Lysander and I sat next to each other, it was the only thing we ever did in our classes since we had all of them together.

“Okay, class, say hello to our new student,” she said.

A few kids muttered their hellos and that was that. “So, your newest assignment is to write me. . .a love song.”

“What kind of love song?” someone stupid asked.

“Any type, I don’t care if heartbreak or happiness,” she said. “Just anything that has to do with love. Got it?”

“So, can we just go now,” some kid said.

“No, let’s just watch a documentary,” she said.

“Ms. Green, makes us watch documentaries every time, because we always get homework in this class, and we can’t exactly leave since she thinks it’s weird to let us out early. We never even watch cool documentaries either. It might be on cool people, but it’s never really cool.”

“I get it,” I said. “So do you usually song write?”

“Why do you ask?” he said.

“Because you said you perform in front of people, so is it your own songs or just covers?” I asked.

“A combination of both, but no I don’t write a lot of songs. I can write songs, but I trash them thinking they aren't beautiful.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’re beautiful,” I said. “You should never throw away anything that you made. It’s a part of you for always.”

“I suppose your right. I never throw them away, but it was never for that reason,” he said. “Now I have a reason for not throwing them away. Thanks.”

          “Just trying to help,” I said.

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“You really should guest star on my show dear,” he said.

“Well, maybe one day, but I need to get more adjusted to school first,” I said.

“And maybe then we can kiss?!” he said.

“No,” I said.

“But by then you’d be well-adjusted to me, no? If you’re well-adjusted to me, then you’ll want to kiss me, right?” he asked.

“No, not right,” I said.

He sighed and closed his eyes, which looked funny because he was wearing his normal clothes and said, “Well, you seem like you've done this before. Have you had someone else before me?”

“You act as though that really matters,” I said.

“So you have?” he said hugging me tightly as if my past would somehow go away and everything from before was nonexistent.

“No,” I said and then he let go and then he hugged me tightly again with a smile on his face.

“Don’t break her,” our singing teacher said. “Or else she won’t be able to see you perform in Friday night’s showcase.”

“Tut, tut, Mr. Miller, I could never break her. She may be a doll, but she’s not all that fragile,” Lysander said.

“Still, you should always be gentle,” our teacher (I still refuse to call him Mr. Miller) replied.

“He aggravates me, Kalliope,” Lysander said as he began walking with me to places unknown.

“Oh, really,” I said. “I understand, but he seems so nice.”

“He really is nice to everyone else, but as I said, we are connected and for that reason we cannot be nice to each other,” Lysander explained.

“I get it,” I said and we sat there for a few moments in silence, but it was not awkward silence. It was sweet, loving silence.

“You know, Kalliope, I love how I can be with you and never bore of you. I get bored of many things very quickly after liking them, but you, I could sit with you in utter silence and never bore of you.”

“That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever told me,” I said hugging his arm.

He blushed and covered his face away from me and then we sat in silence again. After a while, we both just sat there reading books as though it were completely normal. We listened to the sound of the water fountain that we were sitting in front of and looked at each other every so often. It was quite a nice moment.

“I find it amazing, that I’m so close to you after only two days,” he said. “So, as Mr. Miller said, would you like to go see me at my showcase?”

“Hmm,” I said. “I’ll see if I can make it, but I make no promises.”

“Alright,” he said and I was surprised he didn't openly express that his heart felt broken by my response, but it was clearly written on his face and I felt bad for a moment, but then that feeling went away. I was never one to become very intimate with someone, not even my longtime friends I am very intimate with. It takes me a long time to escape from my shell.

“Kalliope, you should try out for the next showcase, maybe, so that I can see you live in action. I missed you the first time, but Mr. Miller said you were absolutely remarkable,” Lysander said with a warm expression on his face.

“It sounds like fun, I want to participate in as many shows as I can in my two years here,” I said.

“That’s a good goal, I’ve managed to be in every show since the year of my attendance, so I think you can do the same. Of course, not year of attendance, but following up from your date of enrollment.”

“That sounds lovely,” I said getting up from my seat. “I had a nice time with you today, perhaps we can do this again.”

“Perhaps,” he said getting up and then lightly he took my hand and twirled me around and I thought he would drop me, because he dipped me very fast, but he put his hand on my waist so that I wouldn't fall and then he put his face incredibly close to mine, but I didn't mind at that moment. I felt nice just being with him. Then he brought me back close to his chest and held me there.

“You’re cold, you know that,” he said.

“I’m not sure if you mean temperature wise or the way I treat you,” I said.

“I’m not sure myself either,” he said.

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I went into my bedroom swooning over what had just happened between me and Lysander. I could not, would not stop replaying that moment in my head. Him dipping me, him putting me into him, it was perfect. There would never be another moment like that again. The planets were aligned, the world stopped, perfection was reached. . .But never again would that happen.

“You look happy,” Teagan said.

“Uh, yeah, something great just happened to me,” I said.

“Oh, huh, second day and good things are already happening for you. I’m glad, did you check out Building D’s Hall of Fame?” she asked.

“I was in Building D, but it didn’t occur to me to look in the Hall of Fame. I apologize,” I said.

“It’s fine. It’s fine,” she said going through her bag until she’d finally taken out a pencil. “Any questions about school life so far?”

“I’m singing talent, so how do I sign up for showcases?” I asked.

“Oh, singing talent, I was expecting you to be more of an actor. Ms. Morgan wouldn't stop talking about you this morning in our class. I was a bit freaked out,” she said.

“She actually said my name and everything?” I asked. How freaky could this lady be?!

“Yeah, you’re name and why you annoyed her and that you beat her, which by the way, kudos to that. Someone needs to put her in her place,” Teagan said delighted.

“I wasn't trying to prove anything,” I said laughing.

“Well, you’re going to be accused of it,” she said. “Ms. Morgan doesn’t take things like that very lightly as you can see.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” I said.

There was a knock on the door and I went up to get it. It was Seymour at the door and when he saw me, he gasped.

“I’m not really all that scary?” I said.

“Who is it?” she asked.

“Umm, Seymour,” I said.

She got up quickly from her bed and went to the door. “Whoa, what’d you do to him? Did you break him??”

“No, he’s just scared of me,” I said.

“Umm, Teagan can we talk?” Seymour said.

“It’s may we talk and of course we can talk,” she said. “Well, bye Kalliope.”

“Bye,” I said closing the door and sitting down in the wheeled chair that was located on our shared desk. I went around in many circles until my mind was free of Seymour and was back to thinking of Lysander and his charming gestures towards me. That’s all I needed to think of at this moment.