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The piano was old, dusty after months of not being used. He ran a finger across the surface, blowing the dust away with a huff.
No one really uses the practice rooms anymore, not after what happened. Hell, even Agustin himself was trying to keep the band alive. But with all the drama with Treasure right now, Agustin doesn’t think it would be wise to do any performances right now.
He still felt angry at Julieta, leaving Bruno and Pepa just like that. He remembered just a few months ago, Bruno had called him in need of help as Pepa’s condition worsened.
He visited a week ago, and Bruno looked so burnt out. Pepa on the other hand, well Agustin didn’t want to talk about it.
He wondered many times whether or not he made the right decision, calling the two of them off. He would be at her side in a heartbeat, but with what she did, Agustin can’t bear himself to even stand next to her. Julieta was pissed at him for siding with Pepa, but Agustin thought that he should, that girl really needs someone in her corner right now.
He took off his blazer and placed it on a chair nearby. There were few people staying back these days, seeing how units left and right were breaking up.
He sat down, lifting the cover of the piano as he coughed at the amount of dust that fluttered in the air. He hasn’t really played the piano in forever, seeing how he was in a band. Who plays the piano in a punk band?
He reached into his satchel on the floor, pulling out a few pieces of crumpled paper. He started writing the lyrics every now and then, but it still wasn’t done. Smoothing them out, he placed them on top, squinting to see the notes. He wrote the piece recently, wanting to perform it with the band but decided against it. Classical was never their thing anyway.
He started playing, his nimble fingers going through each note as if he never stopped playing.
“She'd take the world off my shoulders”, he sang. It was a slower pace than the fast pop rock songs the band played.
“If it was ever hard to move.” Agustin exhaled a deep breath. Things had been harder after Julieta left, not really because of her management, but mostly because it was…lonely.
“She'd turn the rain to a rainbow”
“When I was living in the blue”
Agustin had to give those two lines to Pepa, god hopes Felix never hears of this and misunderstood it. Even right after the aftermath of the performance, with everything that happened, she still helped him through the first few days of their break-up.
“Why then, if she is so perfect”
“Do I still wish that it was you?”
Dating Julieta Madrigal was already hard enough. Both of them never really saw each other because of their busy schedules, and maybe they were already doomed from the start. Julieta was too busy with managing the new system, and Agustin had to waste his time away and his lousy band.
“Perfect don't mean that it's working”
He remembers those nights where they argued, Julieta worn out and stressed after school and Agustin neglected the relationship. They did present themselves as a perfect couple in school. He knew they were the hottest topic back then, people were gossipping about how a lousy bass player got together with the diva of the school.
“So what can I do?”, he sang as he thought back.
“When you're out of sight.”
“In my mind', he transitioned to using both of his hands. Today really fitted his mood today, it was cloudy, and sad. He’s been feeling really sad these days. Did this feeling come with heartbreak?
Pepa sighed as she closed her locker, loosening her tie as she walked through the empty hall, her body feeling weaker and tired lately. The classrooms were dark, no one stayed behind anymore. Everyone was too scared to perform these days.
It was fine at least, Pepa didn’t want to run into anyone at school. It’s been three months since it happened, and morale was low. She didn’t know what to do, not knowing a thing about being a leader in the unit.
She was about to exit the school with her stuff when she heard the familiar sound of a piano, specifically that sound of that one vintage piano that no one really plays. She knew she shouldn’t run, but-
Pepa slowed down, making sure to walk as softly as possible. She peeked behind the door, seeing Agustin as smiled. It was nice seeing him get into piano again.
“Yo Agustin-”
“Cause sometimes I look in her eyes”
Pepa stopped herself and leaned against the door, listening carefully. He was playing a piece? Pepa never heard it before, so it must have meant that he wrote it himself.
“And that's where I find a glimpse of us.” Agustin sang as he closed his eyes. His voice sounded different when he played the piano, it was more mature. Of course they’d sound mature, they were 17 after all.
“And I try to fall for her touch “
Agustin played the piano swiftly, maybe getting too into it as he pressed each note slightly harder than he should.
“But I'm thinking of the way it was” They made too many memories together, well maybe not many, but they were meaningful to him too. Did she ever think back on him too?
“Said I'm fine and said I moved on”. Pepa frowned when she heard that, a pang of guilt stabbing her heart. She knew it, of course he hadn't moved on. Damn it, she- she should have been better, should have tried to get his mind off that girl so that he shouldn’t be so affected.
No one should have been treated that badly, Pepa thought as she sunked to the ground against the wall. She should have done better, maybe taken a step forward and spoke up, sharing the pain with everyone else. She saw how Bruno was these days.
“I'm only here passing time in her arms.”
“Hoping I'll find”
“A glimpse of us”, the two sang. Agustin looked behind him, getting up to see who sang that.
“Hello?”, Agustin said as he looked left and right outside the door, but found no one. He didn’t recognise that voice, perhaps it was just himself imagining it was Julieta.
Pepa stopped at the staircase, clutching her throat and squeezing it. It sounded so different, her voice even hoarse after not singing for ages. Her vocal cords were already damaged after being forced to sing out of her vocal range. But oh how did Pepa smile as she walked down the stairs.
He returned back to the piano. He wasn’t done writing it, maybe he will in the future. He opened the window, feeling the breeze enter the room.
Maybe only then will he get back that glimpse.