The next day, in class, Jiro was absent and the seat beside Stella was empty.
"Here comes my chance!" Darren smiled happily to himself as he slided himself onto the empty seat.
"Darren?" Hebe turned to her right, "Why are you sitting here?"
"Well, I have some problems with the new topic which Ms. Tan taught yesterday, since Jiro isn't here, I might as well just sit here, right?" He smiled, and moved closer to Stella. "I can consult you, anyway." He smiled at Stella in her face. That made Stella uncomfortable and she moved backwards uneasily.
Darren smiled to himself. He was glad that he could have Jiro's seat, even if it was only for a day.
During lesson time, Darren kept talking to Stella, and even tried to move himself closer to Stella. Stella felt really uneasy and kept on moving to her left.
"Oh man! Why didn't Jiro report to school today?!" she cried out sliently in her heart. Darren was driving her crazy. His never-ending blabbering was causing her to be unable to listen to the teachers' teachings.
On the other side, Show was watching. Silently but clearly. He saw the way Darren tried to get close to Stella and also Stella, trying to move away from him. He didn't understand why Stella just kept silent about that irritant.
"That Darren again! I wonder when is he going to stop his tricks.." Show shook his head slowly and continued with his work. He had to complete his homework fast before the next teacher comes into the class.
"If I were to finish all the homework," he thought, "I'll have more time to practice.." he smiled to himself at the thought of the piano.
Show had been interested in playing the piano since young. However, no one wanted to teach him without being paid and so, Show had to learn it all by himself. 'Canon in D' was the first and only piece he had been practicing since months ago.
"If you put in effort in doing something, nothing is impossible..Show." That was what he told Show. and Show always believed that ony with the heart, he could see many beautiful things which many cannot see.
Only with the heart, one can hear the most beautilful melody.
That was what he always believed.
"Darren!" Stella shrieked angrily, standing up from her seat suddenly.
Stella took a deep breath before she continued, "Can you please go back to your own seat?" she pointed to Darren's seat.
"No." Darren stood up, he then leaned forward, towards Stella, "can't you tell that I'm interested in you?"
Stella stared at him angrily, "I can tell. But Darren, I'm NOT!"
The whole class kept quiet. Nobody has rejected Darren before. He was just too rich and handsome to be rejected. Moments later, whisperings were heard and Darren felt humilated. He had never been rejected before, and failure was something that had never existed in his dictionary. Only success.
"It doesn't matter." Darren reply in a I-don't give-a-dam* tone.
Stella looked at Darren with a questioning look.
"Cause you will... SOON." Darren sat down and pulled Stella by her wrist. That made Stella fell onto her seat and towards Darren.
She gapsed. But Darren merely smiled.
"You will...soon." He repeated.
"I will NOT!" Stella screamed. Just then, the next subjected teacher came into the class.
"So quiet today?" She laughed, and started the lesson with a new topic.
During break time, Stella sat by herself in the canteen, but that was before Chun arrived.
"Thanks, Stel!" He smiled and took the seat in front of Stella, when he saw the drink in front of him.
"Why so glum?" he hit Stella on her forehead lightly.
"Glum..me?" Stella asked.
"Yes. Glum, you" Chun stared at Stella, waiting for her reply.
"Nothing much..just that..." she stopped.
It was Darren. He stood right behind Chun
.
"What?" Chun asked.
Stella kept quiet. Chun noticed something wrong and turned around.
"Ahh..it's you" Chun smiled.
"See you in class, Stella.." With that, Darren smiled and walked away.
"He's still wooing you?" Chun sat down and asked Stella shockingly.
Stella nodded sadly.
"And he's sitting with me today.." Stella procceeded to tell Chun the whole incident about Jiro being absent and how Darren challenged her in class.
"Hmms... Wait for me in your class today." Chun said after some thought.
Stella looked at Chun curiosly, "What do you have in mind?"
"Nothing yet, but I'll think of something.." Chun took a sip from his drink.
"Come on, let's continue eating." He nudged Stella on her shoulder.
Stella smiled weakly before continue to eat her sandwich.
At the other table, Show sat alone. It wasn't that Show wasn't popular, but after the girls know that Show is penniless, they ceased to hang out with him.
"I guess a family's background really matter.." Show thought. But he wasn't at all upset. Since he found out that the girls in the class were all hypocrite. Perhaps not all. After all, he has never spoke to Stella before.
**************************************************
Back in class, Darren continued to talk to Stella, only to be responded by silence.
After class, Stella packed her things slowly, while she waited for Chun.
"Shall I send you home today?" Darren asked Stella
.
"No." Stella replied flatly to his face. That made some guys who were sitting behind then laugh out loud.
"What's so funny?" Darren asked defensively.
The guys kept quiet almost instantly.
"Why not?" Darren asked again, he just didn't want to lose face.
"Stel!" Chun has finally reached. Stella smiled happily and took her things, then went towards
Chun, ignoring Darren's question totally.
Darren was mad. "Stella?" he muttered under his breath angrily. Who was Chun to refer Stella as 'Stel'?
"Come on," Chun gave Stella a smile and took her sling bag from her shoulder ans slide in across his. Chun then put his arms around Stella's shoulder. Stella giggled, she knew Chun wanted to make Darren get angry even further.
"WAIT!" Darren went out of the class and stood in front of Chun and Stella. That made them cease their steps.
"What do you want?" Chun asked cheekily.
It was fun, to Chun, to anger Darren. Especially when Darren only acknowledge the word 'success'. Chun found it a need to teach him what was 'failure'.
"I'm sending Stella home today!" Darren replied angrily.
"Really? But Stella and I always go home together..right Stel?" Chun held Stella tighter. Yes, he called Stella 'Stel' again on purpose.
"It's time for a change then!" Darren stared agrily at Chun. But it didn't matter to Chun whether or not the stare was scary because Chun had nothing to be afraid of. Chun's family is rich, so is Chun's.
"Well, I do NOT see a need for a change," Stella said, emphasising on the word 'not'. "Come on, dear, let's go." Stella smiled at Chun.
"Will you excuse me, Darren? Stella and I are going home together now." Chun looked at Darren with a you-have-lost look, which made Darren even more angry. To make matters worse, the class was standing by the window watching and were whisperings very loudly at the sight of Darren losing out to Chun.
Without waiting for Darren's reply, Chun led Stella away from him, with his arms, still around Stella's shoulder. Leaving Darren standing at the hallway, drowning in the whisperings of the other students.
**************************************************
That evening, Stella's parents and Chun had to attend a wedding dinner. It was Stella's step-father's relative and Stella didn't want to attend.
"Mum, can I not go? You know how those people dislike me.." Stella whined.
"Alright, Stella. If you don't want to, it's alright." Stella's step-father replied.
Stella smiled gratefully at him.
"But you must promise to record the soccer show tonight for me!" He added with a smile before leaving the room. That made both Hebe and her mother laugh out loud.
"Stella! Can you come for a while?" Chun's voice rang throughout the house.
"I guess he needs some fashion advice again..." Stella laughed before gestering to her mum that she's was leaving the room.
"What is it again?!" Stella shouted from the first level of the house.
"I can't decide... " Chun's question trailed off.
**************************************************
"Alright Stella, we gotta go, don't forget to record the soccer match for us!!" Stella's step-father planted a kiss on her cheeks before closing the door behind him.
Stella stood in the empty house and stared at the furniture for a few moments before going back to her room.
She sat in her bed for a moment and headed to the empty room again.
"Dad," she whispered.
"I heard someone playing Canon in D in one of the school halls today." She smiled.
"And I think he did put in effort. Because I think I heard his efforts" Stella placed her fingers gently on the keys of the piano and started playing 'Canon in D'
**************************************************
On the other hand, at the wedding dinner, Chun was busy trying to fight for the limelight. That's what he is like. Always fighting to be in the center of attraction. and well, most of the time, people should get really irritated or annoyed with these kind of people. However, it was different for Chun. Everyone loved him.
"Such a funny and humourous guy. Just hope that he will notice me"
"Oh man, he is just so cool!"
Such comments were heard almost everyday, and Chun is already immune to those compliments.
"I guess we shan't bring Chun along in the future. The groom is getting irritated, I suppose." Stella's mother whispered to her husband.
"Point taken." He wiped his perspiration on his forehead frantically.
"Chun! Stop it!" He went over and pulled Chun back to his seat.
"The groom is irritated already." He whispered with a hint of uneasiness in his voice.
"Alright dad." Chun smiled. It was fun to see the groom getting irritated with him.
"Snapped"
"Chun!" Hebe's mother tugged his sleeve nervously.
"Alright Alright!" Chun kept his smiled at the picture of groom which he had just taken and kept his phone in his pocket.
"Stella's gonna laugh her head off" he winked cheekily.
**************************************************
Back at home, Stella pressed the record button before making a glass of orange juice for herself, and a glass of milk for Chun.
"Chun's gonna go crazy when he sees this" she giggled to herself while she put the glass of milk in the fridge.
Stella surfed the internet for a while before it was time to stop the recording of the show. Just as she pressed the stop button, the door burst open.
"STELLA! YOU REALLY GOT TO SEE THIS GIRL!" Chun yelled and took out his handphone.
"Man, what did you do again?" she laughed when she saw her parents' expressions.
"Well, I didn't do much actually.." Chun scratched his head with a wink.
"Right. He caught EVERYONE'S attention and stole the groom's limelight. What do you think?" Stella's step-father replied weakly.
"And he claimed he didn't do much..." Stella's mother laughed.
"Stel, look at this! Look at the groom's expression! BUAHAHAHA!!!" Chun took out his handphone and showed Stella the picture which he took at the wedding dinner.
"Right, Chun. To punish you.... go drink up the milk I 've prepared in the fridge." Stella pointed to the kitchen.
"Oh man, Stel, you gotta be kidding, right?" Show flashed his pearly white teeth at Stella.
"No. And you better finish it all up before you can watch the soccer game which I've recorded." Stella pushed Chun over to the kitchen. It was known to all that Chun hated milk very much, and there was a reason for everyone to make Chun drink up glasses of milk everyday.
**************************************************
That night, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't sleep. She walked around her room, and finally out of it and into a spare room. It wasn't just a room. It belonged to her dad.
"I wonder how you are now..dad" She whispered softly to the black piano sadly.
Yes, she missed her dad a lot.
Her parents divorced when she was young. Only eight. She touched the keys of the piano softly, thinking of her dad. Not only she missed her dad, she missed the "Canon in D" he always played for his little princess when she wanted to hear it, live.
"Why did mum and dad have to separate?" she would often ask. Granny says, she should ask that question in front of her mother. And she obeyed.
[Flashback]
"Why did mum and dad separate then?" She would ask.
"Well, little princess, adults may have problems that not everyone can solve. When they can't solve it, they think separation is the best choice."
"You agreed with the separation too?"
"Because granny can't think of better ways to solve it either." Granny smiled sadly.
[End of Flashback]
"Stella, shouldn't you be asleep by now?" Stella's mother walked towards her and walked her to her room.
"You have school tomorrow..go on and sleep." Stella's mother tucked Stella in bed before closing the door behind her.
She laid in her bed for a few moments before sleeping.
**************************************************
"Stella! It's time for school! Today's your first day in this new school, you better not be late!" mum's call rang in my ears, waking me up from my dream.
I smiled. I dreamt of dad and him playing my favourite Canon in D with his precious piano again. I love this dream totally. It just fills my day with colour.
"Morning Mum, Dad" I greeted my mum and my step-dad as I made my way to the dining table. Mum re-married when I was nine.
"Wow! What made you so happy today?" Dad laughed, chewing his sandwich.
"Secret!" I laughed, and lifted my shoulders up.
"Here, have a sandwich." Mum passed the bread to me.
"Thanks" I held my glass of orange juice up for mum.
"Real juice?" I asked.
Mum nodded.
I don't drink orange flavoured juice. I prefer drinking the real orange juice.
"Morning everyone!" a cheerful greeting came from the stairs.
"ah! another happy one!" dad smiled.
That's my brother. Well, he's the son of my step-dad. By right he's my step-brother. But who cares? I say he's my brother. So, he is.
"You better hurry up, I don't want to be late today!" I took a bread from mum and placed it in his plate.
"Sis!" he placed both his hands on his waist. "Since when did I cause you to be late? It's always YOU!" That made the family laughed!
"DAD!" I pouted. "Look at your son!" I pointed at Chun.
"Alright Chun, stop disturbing your sis. But Stel, your brother is kinda..right!" That made everyone laughed again.
"Alright kids! It's time to go. Grab another sandwich and finish up your milk Chun!" mum grabbed Chun by his collar.
"MUM! You know I hate milk!" Chun pouted angrily. Since so many years ago, Chun hated milk a lot.
"Just one mouthful before you leave?" Mum held the glass of milk to his face.
"Alright...alright! Only one mouthful!" He did as he was told and left.
**************************************************
"bClass, we have a new classmate today, and her name is Stella." My class form teacher introduced me to a class of 38 unfamiliar faces.
"Do you want to introduce yourself?" She smiled to me, pushing me forward. I thought I had a choice?
"Er..hi everyone, I'm Stella." I said uncomfortably. "Hope to know you guys better.." I gave a tiny smile before they clapped.
"Alright, Stella, you'll sit beside Jiro" She smiled before giving me a little push and left the classroom. The problem is, how the hell do I know who's Jiro?? I looked around embarrassingly before a guy with short hair raised his hands, giving me a smile. I suppose, he's the one my new form teacher is talking about. I walked towards him and sat down on an empty seat beside him.
"Hi, I'm Jiro." he smiled again.
"Hi" I smiled, reaching out my pencilbox, ready for lesson.
**************************************************
Stella looked around the class.
The lesson was seriously boring. and everyone seemed preoccupied with their things. Even Show, the guy who sat behind her, the guy whom Stella thought was the most quiet person in the class. The boring lesson somehow seem to permit Hebe to slowly drift off to her fairyland. And you are right. Stella was busy daydreaming again.
She remembered her father, a man she had always looked up to. To her, he was the greatest. She remembered how she would always praise her father about his beautifully played piece of melody.
"It wasn't that I played well, it's because you're listening attentively to me." That was what he would always reply to Stella's praises.
"Do you think I can play as well as you, too?"
"Well, if you put in effort, anyone who hears your effort will love it,"
Stella giggled.
That is how important he is to Stella. A 'Canon in D' with addition to a smile will simply drive all Stella's troubles and sadness away. This is something only he could do it.
That afternoon, while waiting for Chun, Stella wondered around the school. She walked through the several quiet halls, down through the hallways. And she found a piano in one of the halls. It was occupied by someone. It was beautiful. Not the piano, but the melody the boy was playing. Hebe could recognised the melody almost instantly. It was her favourite 'Canon in D'. She stood quietly at the door, not wanting to disrupt the boy.
Just then, her handphone vibrated. It was Chun.It was also time to bid goodbye with the beautiful melody.She left.
**************************************************
"Stella! Where did you go?"
That Chun, he never remembers that I'm older than him by one year.
Just as I was about to walk over to Chun, who was at the opposite side of the hallway, a boy came over to me.
"Hi, I'm Darren." he smiled nervously.
I looked at Chun.
"I'm your classmate, and sit two seats behind you." he smiled again.
"Okay.." I didn't know what to say.
"Are you going home? Maybe I can go home with you?" he took a step towards me.
I stared hard at Chun, aren't him gonna come and help me out?
Chun laughed and walked towards us, finally.
"Stella, are you done?" Show gave me a wink and took my bag off my shoulder and sling it over to his.
"Er.. Darren, I think I can go home with Chun." I smiled apologetically and slipped my hands over to Chun's arm. I think I saw Darren's dejected expression. But there wasn't anything I could do, isn't it?
"Thanks dude!" I said once outside the school.
"I see, first day of school and my gorgeous sister has got admirers." he laughed playfully ay me.
"Right, what about my handsome and cool brother? Doesn' he have girls falling at his feet already?" I gave him a nudge and pointed to our right. A bunch of girls were there, eyeing at Chun and staring at us, I suppose.
"Fine." He gave me a 'lame' look.
I laughed.
**************************************************
TITLE : Melody Of Lies
CHARACTERS : Stella * Show * Jiro * Cyndi * Chun * Darren
http://www.winglin.net/fanfic/rS2
JUSTME (:
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