Chapter Text
*CLICK*
“Hmmm… not bad, but the composition could be better. The lighting is off…” I sigh, lowering my camera.
I thought taking a few photos would ease my nervousness and bring out some inspiration, but all I’ve got is a bunch of uneven shots. Slinging my camera around my neck, I proceed to slouch further into the metro seats, peering at my phone.
September 5th, 201M2023 .
Volcadera Bluffs was… a lot. It was prettier than I expected, even more surreal than the brochures my parents showed me while packing. Crystalline skies. Buildings with curved, sweeping architecture that caught the sun at golden angles.
Looking around the metro, even the residents here seemed charming. Their colorful scales, not to mention the tails or horns, gave them their own distinctive looks.
Everything here had a kind of dreamlike polish.
As for me, I felt like a smudge on the lens.
I plan to try not to be, though. I want to believe this was my shot at something better. A real ‘fresh start’. My senior year. One final chance to prove I’m not just some blur in the background.
St. Hammond’s is a school widely known for its ‘artistic’ curriculum. There’s bound to be a bunch of photographers like me, so I should absolutely try my hardest.
Picking up my DSLR camera with some renowned vigor, I fiddle around with the settings before finally adjusting them to an acceptable state.
Perfect.
The metro comes to a halt, signaling that I have arrived at my destination. Standing up, I carefully squeeze my way out of the metro doors before stepping out to the station. Swarms of saurian students walked past me, engaged in some friendly banter about how their spring break went.
Looking around the mass, I notice there’s not another human in sight besides me. Must be one of those saurian-heavy regions.
Walking down the steps of the station, I began to admire my surroundings. There was more foliage than I expected from a big city, a bunch of trees with an abundance of vines that hung across some of the buildings.
*CLICK*
I snapped a quick shot of a building, taking a look at my handiwork. The photo came out surprisingly well— a lot better than my previous shots.
I smile, satisfied, before lowering my camera and continuing my walk. The pathway led to a bridge that went over a small creek.
*CLICK*
Another shot. Not half bad.
Continuing forward, the buzz of laughter becomes prevalent when I see the prestigious building come into view. St. Hammond High School.
Stopping in front of the prehistoric building, I take in a deep breath of that crisp air. Well… I’m here. I made sure that everything was in order and straightened out the sleeves of my suede jacket.
‘Sleeves are in style.’
Taking a couple of steps forward, I’m already up the stairs and through the doors. I’m greeted with colorful rows of saurian students, some conversing with one another in their little cliques.
“Hey! Is that a human?!”
Looking around, everyone was now looking at me in disbelief. Before I could even get a word out, I was already being swarmed by the group.
“Oh my gosh! That jacket is so fabulous!” one commented.
I blush a bit, rubbing the back of my neck, “Oh! Thanks, I—”
“Woah! Dude, your skin is so soft!” Another says, clasping their hands over mine, their scales were cool and smooth over my skin
“Thanks, I actually—”
“Where’s your hair? I thought humans had hair.” Someone from the back points.
“Oh, I’m just naturally bald.”
The questions come one after another with some delving into… uh kinda personal territory. After the questions were answered I was suddenly posing for photos like I was some kind of celebrity. One triceratops student slings her around my neck, pulling me hip to hip and flipping her phone around.
“Mind if I take a selfie? This’ll totally pop on SnootChat.” She winks.
“Sure,” I say, giving an uneasy thumbs-up and trying not to look as nervous as I felt. I’m not anti-attention per se, but this was a lot .
But as fast as the attention came, it suddenly vanished within an instant as the horde evaporated. The crowd split, going back to their business as if I never existed.
Oh .
I think that was supposed to be my chance to socialize.
I sighed, “There goes my fifteen seconds of fame.”
*clickclickclick*
I know that sound
Turning around, I see a lone student kneeling on one knee in the hallway with a high-end DSLR in hand. He’s fully focused, barely noticing me until I started walking closer.
“Hey!” I say a bit too loudly, causing him to flinch. I approach cautiously. “Ah—sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I didn’t mess up your shot, did I?”
He stands up, “Nah, it’s fine. Got the shots I wanted anyways.” He checks the screen and grins, “Perfect.”
“Can I see?”
“Sure.” He said, turning the screen for me to see.
I lean in, squinting, “It's a little out of focus. And the exposure’s off— kinda dark. What’s your f-stop at?”
He checks again and lets out a groan “Damn. I thought I had it at 2.8.”
“Looks more like 5.6. You probably bumped it by accident.”
“Ugh. Yeah, I’ve been switching lenses a lot this morning. Guess I didn’t double-check.”
“You shooting manual?”
“Always,” He smiles.
“Same,” I nod. “Mind if I give you a tip?”
“Go right ahead.”
I tap the corner of his LCD. “Try opening the aperture a bit more—your depth of field is working against you in this lighting. Also, maybe push your ISO up by a stop. You’ll get a bit more grain, but nothing Lightroom can’t smooth out.”
He nods, doing as I said, kneeling again and taking the shot once more. He stands up and checks the screen before smiling, “Thanks, this’ll look nice in the yearbook.”
“You’re welcome. I used to have the same problem before.”
He stretches a hand. “Name’s Ben.”
“Inco,” I say, shaking his hand.
New friend acquired.
“Say, you're new around here. Being the only human and all. If you need any help, don’t be afraid to ask.” He says, leaving the last part up in the air.
Thinking about it, I could use a little tour around the school, it's a great way to get a head start on where my classes are.
I smile, “Actually, I could use a tour.”
“Well, thankfully for you, I happen to be a good tour guide.” He nods down the hallway.
I nod, letting Ben guide me through the halls, pointing out the ins and outs of the school while giving me a slight history lesson of the school. I also learned Ben was a part of the student council.
“And that’s why we go by the feathered tails,” Ben explains with a certain confidence.
“You really know your stuff.”
“Well, as a student council member, it’s kinda mandatory.” He sighs “With school events and such it just sticks with you at some point.”
We walk a little ways down the hall before Ben abruptly stops in front of a raptor putting up a flyer.
“Hey, Lunara,” Ben calls from behind.
She flinches before turning around. “Hey, Ben.” She smiles, “How did your summer break go?”
“It went fairly well. How about you? Enjoy that Caldera Bay museum?”
“Yes!” She said in a cheery tone, “I actually—”
The conversation muffles out as something else catches my attention. It was… a piano? It’s distant, but it sounds beautiful. I didn’t know St. Hammond supported music. I thought this place was only for visual arts?
“Inco?” Ben’s voice drags me out of my thoughts. Looking between him and the raptor as they stared back with confused looks, “Are you alright? You spaced out there.”
“Oh, sorry. It’s nothing.”
She stares at me a second longer “Are you sure?
I nod “Yeah. My name is Inco by the way.” I say while extending my hand towards the raptor.
“Lunara.” She smiles, reciprocating the handshake. “It’s nice having a new face at St. Hammond’s, and a human at that. Say, how do you feel about joining the cultural arts club?”
“Cultural arts club?”
“Yes.” She nods now more enthusiastically than before “We’ve been looking for a good model for a Navajo tribe leader, and I’d think you’d be a great fit.”
She stares awaiting my answer as her tail swishes back and forth like a metronome. Joining a club doesn’t sound too bad, it's a great way to socialize with others while learning something new.
“You know what. S—”
“Anyways, we should be going. Don’t want to be late.” Ben says, waving a hand.
“Wait, but I was—” She says with a confused look.
“I’ll talk to you later, Lunara. Bye!” Ben says while pulling me away.
Getting out of earshot, Ben finally turns and looks at me, “Trust me on this. You do not want to be a model for the cultural arts club.”
“Why not? It sounds fun, and I could make some friends there.”
“Just trust me on this.” He says while patting me on the shoulder.
I nodded, “Uh. Sure.”
“Alright. Now, let's stop by the principal's office. I’m sure Principal Scaler will be delighted to see you.”
We continue our way through the halls before stopping in front of a door with the obvious ‘principal’ plaque on the door. Ben gives it three solid knocks before a mid-thirties saurian woman comes out with a cup of coffee in hand.
“Morning, Principal Scaler,” Ben says in a cheery tone.
“Morning, Ben.” She says, taking a deep sip of her coffee.
“Morning, Principal Scaler,” I say with a smile.
She pauses mid-sip, eyes going wide as she finally notices the human in the room. Her expression then brightens, an almost forced one at that.
“Ahh, you must be Mr. Neato.”
“It’s—”
“Well, I hope Ben has given you an excellent welcome. We at St. Hammond’s want this to be a pleasant place for everyone, and we’re glad to have you join us.”
“Thank you, Principal Scaler. Ben has been a great guide.”
“That he has.” She turns towards Ben. “Ben, may I have a word with you? It’s about the yearbooks.”
He turns towards me before frowning, “Sorry, Inco. You do know what your first class is, right?”
I rub my neck, slightly embarrassed. “I forgot my schedule at home.”
Principal Scaler nods, “I can print you a new one.”
“That’ll be great. Thanks.” I say.
She nods before gesturing us inside. Walking into it’s a fairly comfortable office with some paintings and even some cliche posters like ‘Hang in there’ with a cat hanging on a branch.
“Here.” She hands me my newly printed schedule.
I thanked her again before looking over my classes. Physical education is my first class, art, photography, and history. Not bad, this schedule sounds great.
“So what’s your first?” Ben asked
“Physical education,” I say flatly.
I was never really physically fit. I can still remember all those times being picked last for any team games, being the weak link of the team.
He hisses before rubbing the back of his crest, “You should probably go now. You really don’t want to be late for that class.”
I nod, “See you, Ben.”
“Goodbye, Principal Scaler.”
“See you at photography Inco,” Ben called back.
I stopped “How’d you know I had photography?”
“Well, it’s a given you’d be a photographer after your help back there.”
I chuckle, “Right. That was silly of me.”
I closed the door behind me. Right, I should probably get to the gym. Going off what Ben told me, I think it was… that way.
….
Phew.
Made it five minutes before the bell. Pushing open the double doors, I’m greeted with some students already standing shoulder to shoulder, dressed in what I can assume are gym clothes.
TWEEEEEE
I covered my ears as an ear-piercing whistle rang out. “And what do we have here?” A tall primate approached me, arms crossed and practically towering over me. His eyes were hidden behind a cap, but if I could see his eyes, something tells me he’d probably melt me with just a stare.
“I uh— I’m here for physical education, sir.”
He steps closer. “It’s Coach Solly,” he snaps, “Call me ‘sir’ again and I’ll have you running laps until you throw up. Understand?”
I gulp. “Yes, C–Coach Solly.”
He steps back slightly—enough to breathe, but not enough to relax.
“You’re late.”
“No, sir—I mean, Coach! Coach Solly. Just barely made it.”
“Barely made it,” he echoes, “You think that earns you a cookie? Let me make this clear: I run a tight-knit group around here, and we operate off of tough love. I’m willing to let slide just this once, considering that you ‘barely made it’.”
“Thanks, Coach Solly. I—”
“Know this and know it well, son. I have a policy: each of my platoons gets one free miss from me each year. So use it wisely.”
Free miss? What is he?
Just before I can finish that thought, the door behind me swings open. Out came a tired ankylosaurs student huffing and puffing like he’d just run a marathon.
“Sorry, I’m late, I—”
BONK!
Before he could even finish his excuse, he was immediately pelted in the face by a red blur. The ankylosaur does a backflip before landing on his back, knocked out cold as a red dodgeball lies next to him.
I could have sworn I saw smoke coming off the ball.
Turning around, Coach Solly was in the perfect throwing stance. Such precision, such accuracy, such power. It’s… terrifying, to say the least.
“Now, as I was saying, you get a free miss. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes! Coach Solly!”
“Good. Now get your tail into gear and hit the lockers before I change my mind.” He turns towards the crowd, “DAMIEN! Show shades here the way.”
A pink dilophosaurus steps up with a laid-back smirk, “You got it, Mr. Solly.” He gives a thumbs-up.
“That’s Coach Solly!” the primate roars again before grabbing the unconscious ankylosaur by the tail and dragging him out like it’s another Tuesday.
Poor guy.
“Hey.” Damien says, while flashing a grin, “Name’s Damien.”
“Inco,” I say with a laid-back grin.
“Nice to meet ya, Inco.” He said while slinging an arm around my shoulder while dragging me to the other side of the gymnasium.
“Come on, let's get you dressed before you end up that guy.”
“R–Right.”
He chuckles, “I was kidding. Coach Solly wouldn’t hit you that hard. Probably knock you out, but— hey, no pain, no gain, right?”
I frowned. “Uhhh… what will I be gaining?”
Damien shrugs, “Beats me, that’s just how the saying goes. But I don’t think you want to find out what it is, so let’s get you dressed.”
Damien quickly shows me to the locker room before handing me my gym clothes. I quickly stuff away my belongings before quickly putting on clothes like my life depended on it.
Which it did.
After all was done, I quickly took my place beside Damien. Coach Solly was soon to return, stepping in front of us with the presence of a drill instructor while sizing up every one of us, especially me.
And I don’t really like that grin he’s giving me.
“ATTENTION!!! TODAY WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER AMONGST US!!! AS A HONORARY MEMBER OF OUR SQUADRON, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE SHADES HERE A WARM WELCOME!!”
Oh. That doesn’t sound too bad.
“BY GIVING YOU A HUNDRED OF HIS FINEST PUSH UPS!!”
“A hundred!?”
“IS THAT BACK TALKING I’M HEARING, SHADES?!”
“No, Coach Solly!”
“THEN GET YOUR LAZY BEHIND ON THAT FLOOR, SON!!!”
Without a second thought, I immediately get into push-up position. Raptor Christ, I can see why Ben was so nervous for me. This guy is nuts.
“THE SAME GOES FOR THE REST OF YOU. I WANT YOU ALL TO GIVE ME THIRTY OF YOUR FINEST PUSHUPS! THOSE GUTS BETTER BE AN ANTS CART OFF THAT PRISTINE GYM FLOOR OR ELSE!”
TWEEEEE
One.
Easy. I got this. Piece of cake.
Two.
Still good. I am a machine. A push-up machine. Call me the Inco-press.
Three.
Arms are getting a little warm, but that's fine. Warm is good. Warm means alive.
Four.
Okay, my bones are starting to make a weird clicking sound like bubble wrap, but I’m good…. I still got it.
Five.
I lied. I was wrong, I was so horribly wrong.
By the time I reach fifteen, I’m shaking like a leaf in a strong breeze. My arms are practically spaghetti at this point, my lungs are on fire, and my vision is starting to blur. Damien’s already finished his thirty and is sitting criss-cross.
“Hang in there, man. You got this.” He says, with an encouraging thumbs-up.
I give him a pained grimace in return, the kind of look you give someone when they realize they’re about to die in gym class.
Twenty-two.
My face is practically kissing the floor at this point. I think I blacked out and woke up halfway through a rep.
Twenty-nine… no wait, thirty?
I lost count. My arms are numb, my face and shirt are both drenched in sweat. I don’t think I’ve ever sweated this much in my life, nor have I had this much exercise. I’m really out of shape.
Coach Solly stomps in front of me, “THAT’S IT, SHADES? I’VE SEEN LIMP NOODLES WITH MORE MUSCLE TONE THAN YOU!”
I groan something unintelligible. I think it was Morse code for “help me.”
“KEEP GOING! YOU’RE NOT EVEN HALFWAY THERE!”
Halfway?! He really was serious.
I weep internally, bracing myself for the inevitable.
Thirty-seven.
Everything hurts. My face hurts. My arms hurt. And I already wanna go home. Everyone has already done their pushups, leaving me alone to do my reps. Damien is still spouting words of encouragement as I feel my soul slowly slipping with each push-up.
After getting to my fiftieth push-up up I could already feel my arms buckling before they inevitably gave out and sent me tumbling to the floor with a thud. I could hear a loud and disappointed sigh from Coach Solly before he even approached me.
“COME ON, SHADES! I KNOW YOU’VE GOT MORE THAN THAT!”
“I…. I can’t. I… give up.”
“GET UP, SHADES! THIS IS GYM CLASS, NOT THE LIBRARY! NO SLEEPING IN MY GYM!”
I let out a groan before doing as I was told, slowly and shakily pushing myself off the floor and into a somewhat standing position as I hunched over, gasping for air. I could hear a few snickers from my classmates, but they were quickly silenced with just a slight turn of Coach Solly’s head.
I feel a slight nudge to my side. “Nice dude. You looked great out there.” Damien said, adding a big, toothy smile, “Fifty more and you would’ve reached a hundred.”
I don’t think I would’ve, but I appreciate the compliment.
“…Thanks,” was all I could muster, though my labored breaths.
“NOW THEN, SINCE IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, HOW ABOUT A GOOD ‘OL GAME OF DODGEBALL?!”
Did he say dodgeball?!
This has to be some cruel joke, right?
“Aw man, how lucky are we? Solly is letting us play dodgeball on the first day! Cool, right?!” Damien said while vibrating in place.
I frowned. “I… I don’t do dodgeball.”
He shoots me a confused look. “Why not?”
“I’m… not exactly—”
“ALRIGHT MAGGOTS, PICK A SIDE AND KEEP THE NUMBERS EVEN!! IT’S A SUICIDE MATCH!”
“And free for all, too!”
“If it’s free for all, why—”
“I’m going with Inco, here,” Damien says while slinging an arm around my shoulder and dragging me to the other side of the playing field.
“Oh, and one last thing.” Coach Solly’s voice stops me short. “WHAT’S THE FIRST RULE?! WE ONLY GOT ONE!”
“H-Have… fun?”
“GANG UP ON THE WEAKEST ONE!!” Everyone shouted.
I immediately hit the floor as the gymnasium was sent into total chaos. Red balls were rocketing across the court, with students dropping every so often. Bodies upon bodies began to litter the court.
Oh god, there were so many.
I began crawling my way around the court, looking for some solace or peace as I kept crawling along the edge of the field.
“So, how’s your first day going?!” Damien asked while casually dodging.
“I wanna go home.”
Damien shot me a confused look. “Huh? But it’s your first day?”
“CHROMEDOME AND FRILLS! DOES MY GYM LOOK LIKE A DEBATE CLASS TO YOU?! LESS YAMMERIN’, MORE THROWIN’!”
He then points at me, “AND SHADES! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! MAKING YOURSELF A TARGET?!! GET UP AND PLAY TO WIN!!”
Damien shrugs, “You heard the man. Let’s go!” He grabs a ball, chucks it with force, and nails some poor unsuspecting student. “You watch my back and I’ll watch yours.”
Well, crap. Now I have to try. Damien’s counting on me. I can’t ghost him when he’s counting on me. But what can I possibly do? I can’t throw. I can barely stand.
Then, I spot it.
A lone dodgeball was slowly rolling towards me like a lost puppy looking for an owner. I pick it up feeling a tiny spark of inspiration. Maybe… maybe I can’t throw, but I can defend. I can block for Damien while he takes the shots.
At least I’d be of some use.
I see a student winding up to hit Damien. Instincts kick in. I raise my ball and block the incoming shot with a loud smack. The ball ricochets harmlessly away.
“Nice block,” Damien says, already launching a counterattack.
That’s one block.
Another ball comes in—block.
Two.
And then three.
I’m actually doing it.
Damien’s laughing now, tossing balls like a pro while I act as a human shield…. heh. He glances back and gives a quick wave.
I grin. “Hey, I think I’m getting the hang of it.”
“Told you!” he chuckles. “Now try throwing one!”
I nod, scanning for an easy target, and there she is. A red parasaur, back turned, totally unaware.
Jackpot
I wind up and hurl the ball with everything I’ve got.
His face drops immediately “Wait! Inco, don’t—”
Too late.
The ball flies with an ungodly amount of speed, turning into a crimson blur before hitting the parasaur square in the back of her crest with a loud thwack.
I light up “Damien! I got one!”
I turn around, expecting some sort of celebration like a high five or fist bump, but instead, he’s not cheering. He’s staring at me in horror, eyes wide like I just kicked a puppy.
“What? What’s wrong? Did I—”
“HEY BALDY!!!”
Huh?
WHAM!
A second later, pain explodes across my face as another ball slams into me at warp speed. I’m knocked clean off my feet and sent sprawling onto the floor.
Everything hurts. Again.
I hear some squeak of shoes before it stops in front of me. “Are you gonna get up?” Coach Solly growled.
“Nah. I think I’m just gonna stay here. The floor is really comfortable, actually.” I groaned
He sighs.
BONK!
…..
Argh. My head.
Slowly lifting myself up, I could tell I was in some kind of nursery. The white walls, the smell of sterile air, and not to mention the rows of beds and privacy curtains. The only thing that was missing was the nurse.
Speaking of. Where is the nurse exactly? They didn’t leave me alone, did they?
Looking around the room, I spot the nurse tending to a student with their snout stuck in a canvas. How does that even happen?
“Finally awake, cadet.”
“C-Coach Solly?!” I say jumping backwards.
“At ease.” He said in a relatively calm tone, “You took a nasty hit just a few minutes ago.”
“Yeah. Sure feels like it…” I rub my face and wince. “Where’s my glasses?”
“Sorry but…” he held out his ginormous hand, showcasing my now broken glasses. “Broke the second you got walloped in the face.”
I deflated, “Well, at least I keep a spare.” I say while patting my person, “…oh. I left them in my jacket.”
“Damien’s on his way with your clothes.”
“Thanks,” I say.
There’s an awkward few minutes of silence between us before Coach Solly coughs.
“Sorry about that bump. Didn’t mean to hit you that hard.”
“Wait! So you did hit me with a dodgeball?!”
He nods.
“Why?!”
“For giving up,” he said sternly, “Everything was looking up for you, shades. You had great enthusiasm; those fifty push-ups were nothing to scoff at. Honestly, I thought you’d puke by the time you even reach thirty, but you kept your composure.”
“Uh… thanks?”
“You’ve got heart, shades. Not many people have that, but the problem is when you even hit a semblance of a setback, you immediately give up.”
“I didn’t—” Coach Solly stops me.
“At fifty push-ups, you immediately gave up on yourself. During dodgeball, you took a nasty hit, but you could’ve stood up. Instead, you decided to give up.”
My mouth closes, and I look away.
“That dodgeball was a lesson. Life is gonna hit you hard sometimes, but it’s best to remember to never give up. Because if fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight. Sun Tzu said that.”
“That’s uh… thanks, Coach Solly.”
He grins and nods, “Rest up for now, Scaler’s given you the rest of the day off. Come in bright and early tomorrow—not barely on time. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” he said while standing up and walking towards the door. “Rest easy, soldier.”
Coach Solly opens the door, letting Damien in before stepping out and closing it behind him.
Damien smiles, “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got hit by a bus, and then got crushed by a meteor.”
“That’s…. an odd way to describe it.” He looks down before handing me my backpack and camera. “Here’s your stuff.”
“Thanks. Could you step back?”
He nodded, taking a step out as I pulled the curtain divider shut, quickly changing out of my sweaty gym uniform into my comfortable and stylish outfit.
I pulled the curtain back. “Ahh, much better— hold up. I almost forgot something.” I say while digging through my pocket and retrieving my spare glasses, “Now I feel complete.”
He tilts his head. “Do you just keep spare shades on you all the time?”
“Pretty much.”
“That’s… kinda cool,” he said while shooting me two finger guns, “Make you look like the Triceranator.”
“Thanks. And that outfit makes you look… like… honestly, I don’t know how to respond to that.” I say while rubbing my neck, embarrassed.
He laughs, “You’re funny, Inco. Too bad you have to leave so soon, I would’ve asked you if you wanted to sit with us at lunch.”
I blinked. “Us?”
“Yeah! I wanted to show my friends the cool new friend I made.”
I chuckled, “I think you’re giving me more credit than I deserve. I wouldn’t really call myself cool.”
“Nah, man, you’re like the coolest at school now. The human who hit Mia Moretti and survived to tell the tale. You're like a school legend now, dude.”
“I… uh, really?”
“Hecks yeah!” he says with much enthusiasm.
I smiled, “Thanks, Damien.”
“No problem.”
DING DONG DING DONG DING DONG DING DONG
“Aw, man, I’m gonna be late. Gotta go Inco, see ya tomorrow!” He says before rushing out the door.
“See ya.” I wave.
…
…
Alright.
The nurse’s office door clicked shut behind me. The halls were quiet now. Everyone was back in class.
I sigh. I should probably get going, too. The next metro should arrive in half an hour. I sling my camera around my neck and adjust my bag before leaving the nurse's office.
I walk my way through the halls. My thoughts are sort of a mess at the moment. Whether that’s from being nailed in the head by a dodgeball, or just the chaotic day.
I don’t know what to really think of the school. Seems nice, but I can’t judge it since I’m missing out on my other classes. I’ll leave the final verdict for tomorrow.
I stopped in the middle of the hall as a mural caught my attention. I take out my DSLR, adjusting the settings before snapping a photo.
* CLICK*
That’s a keeper.
There it is again. That music. The same beautiful melody from earlier. Only this time… it was closer.
Lowering my camera, I drift toward the sound. Each note pulling me forward like a lullaby whispered through the halls.
Eventually, I’m standing in front of a half-open door. The music is pouring from within, soft and melodic, yet full of emotion.
I push the door open slowly.
And there it is.
A lone pterodactyl girl, her feathers a beautiful mixture of gray and white, sits at a piano nestled in the corner of what looks like an abandoned music room. She’s in a wheelchair, but that’s not what draws my eye.
It’s her hands. The way they move across the keys is graceful, fluid, entranced. Like the music is a part of her, an extension of her breath, her pulse, her soul. The melody swells, dipping and rising in complex patterns, a raw kind of beauty that wraps around my chest and squeezes.
She’s not just playing. She’s telling a story. One I can’t quite understand, but I feel every word of it.
I stand there frozen in place, mesmerized. By her. By the music. By the dim way the light catches the edge of her wings, and the sway of her body as she pours herself into every note.
Everything seems to dissipate into background noise as there’s only her, the music… and me.
After a few minutes of playing, the music seems to come to a close as the final note hangs in the air before quietly fading into silence.
“That was beautiful.”
She yelps, doing a one-eighty in her chair, wings flaring, feathers slightly ruffled. Her amber eyes locked onto mine.
“Oh, uh..” I rub the back of my neck, trying not to look like a complete idiot. “I heard the music from the hallway. I just wanted to see who’s playing.”
She blinks a few times before her lips twist into a frown “You know it’s rude to spy on others right?”
“Yeah, that was sorta rude of me. Sorry” I say, half-embarrassed “What was that piece that you were playing anyway?”
She looks away, her eyes lazily tracing a corner of the room “It’s nothing special. Just something I thought of on the spot.”
“Well I think it was amazing! If it’s not too much, could you play that again?”
She flinched, “N–No.”
“Huh? But—”
“No.” Her tone was firm, but not exactly venomous. “You’re not even supposed to be in here, this room is for club members and club members only.”
“Really?” I say while looking around the classroom “Can I join?”
Her feathers ruffle slightly as she shifts in her seat. “It’s… not that simple. You can’t just walk in and—”
“I really love music.” I continued “I don’t play piano, but I could learn! Or maybe I could listen? I promise I won’t be a bother.”
Her amber eyes narrow “Look I really appreciate the… enthusiasm but this isn’t a performance. Some of us come here for peace and quiet.” she murmurs that last part.
“Oh I get that. I can be really quiet if I need to. I was thinking maybe—”
“Maybe you should be thinking about leaving,” she says, her tone now having a little edge to it.
I blink, now realizing my blunder “I… oh. Yeah I guess I should go.”
She sighs, turning back to face the piano. Her shoulders tense. “That would be best.”
There’s more I want to say. Something to explain myself. Apologize again. But I shouldn’t push my luck. She clearly wants to be left alone. I just nod and turn gently, pulling the door shut behind me with a soft click.
I didn’t mean to intrude, I really didn’t, but it probably doesn't matter now. She seems to be annoyed enough at me. It's better if I just leave her alone for now.
Still, as I walk back down the quiet hallway, part of me can’t help but hope I’ll see her again.
Maybe tomorrow I can apologize for real.
If she’ll even give me the chance.