章 16: 16. Daniel
I had arrived at my room with a hamburger in my hand, ready to devour it. As soon as I sat down at my desk, the phone vibrated. It was Liam. I didn't hesitate to answer it.
"Daniel, you've found the perfect opportunity," Liam said in his deep, serene voice. "Once in the library, talk to her about romance."
"Romance? Really?" I asked incredulously.
"Not exactly my forte" I replied as I nibbled on the burger.
"That's why I'll give you some advice," Liam assured.
"Hey, but how did you get teacher Lorena to team us up" I asked intrigued. "It couldn't have been a fluke."
"I'll tell you later," Liam replied mysteriously. "For now, practice what you'll tell April."
"Okay" I agreed, even though my mind was blank. I didn't know what to say to April, much less how to talk to her about romance. But before I could ask Liam for any advice, the door to my room opened and David appeared.
"Sorry" I mumbled to Liam into the phone. "I'll call you later."
David entered with a radiant, carefree smile. His blond hair shone in the dim light of the room.
"What's the matter, Daniel, love problems?" joked David. I knew nothing of my mission, so I simply smiled at him and prepared to meet the challenge Liam had set me.
"David, I don't have a girlfriend," I quickly replied, feeling my cheeks burn a little at the thought that someone might think that about me, "She's just a close friend from my parents' farm."
"Come on, you don't have to hide it" David joked, winking at me. "Remember how April reacted to the piano boy."
"That audio shouldn't have existed" I argued, remembering how my music had reached everyone's ears.
"Relax," David assured me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "No one videotaped it and no one will say anything, so no one will find out about you."
I was somewhat reassured to know that my identity as a pianist was still a secret, but on the other hand, I knew April had been curious about it, and perhaps I could take advantage of the opportunity.
"Hey, David," I asked, looking for a way to continue to get closer to April without giving away my secret. "Could I play the piano again, but without anyone finding out? I want to record myself so I can start gaining confidence and be able to play without crying."
"Sure" David replied with a sympathetic smile. "I'll arrange everything so no one will see you touch" I felt grateful for his support and relaxed a little, knowing that I could count on him in this complicated situation.
At that moment, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled out my phone and saw a text from Liam congratulating me for taking the initiative.
When I arrived at the library, my heart was pounding in my chest. I sat down at one of the tables and waited for April to appear. It didn't take long for her to arrive, and when our gazes met, I blushed involuntarily. I was finally carrying out the plan to get close to her.
"Hi, Daniel!" greeted April with a shy smile.
"Hi, April! Ready?" I replied, trying to remain calm.
"Sure, let's get started" she nodded, and we began reading the boring book we had been assigned. As time went on, we couldn't even get through the first translated chapter. I plopped down on the table, defeated, and looked at April.
"Daniel" she said, noticing my frustration, "we can continue reading later. We have three months to submit the project, so we'd better organize a work plan" I suggested.
"Okay" I agreed, trying to hide my relief. We set to work on a sketch, but in my mind, I berated myself for not fulfilling my role as a Casanova.
"Hey," I asked April, looking for less heavy conversation, "do you identify with the character in the book?"
"What do you mean?" asked April, confused.
"I mean," I explained, "about a girl who has problems in her life like dresses going out of style or what flavor of cake she's having for dinner that night."
April let out a laugh at my comment.
"Truth be told," he admitted, "it's not my style of reading. I'm more into fantasy stories, where heroes manage to defeat powerful villains" His face lit up as he spoke of his interests. "I'd recommend a book called 'Gunter and His Three Magical Damsels'."
When I heard the title, I thought she was telling me about a harem, but April began to tell the story with enthusiasm. As I listened to her, I realized that there was much more to her than she appeared, and I became even more confused about my feelings for her. But I could not forget my goal, I had to carry out my revenge, even if it meant hurting her in the process.
"My reading style," I confessed, looking for something else in common with April, "is love stories."
I looked down, feeling my face redden again.
"I don't know how to talk to girls" I admitted.
April let out a soft laugh and looked at me with a knowing smile.
"I don't think you need to talk to them" he joked. "You're handsome enough to drive everyone crazy."
Suddenly, April stood up in embarrassment, covering her face with her hands.
"Don't listen to me!" he exclaimed before running out of the library. I stood there, smiling slightly at her reaction. I knew April had feelings for me, but she was too shy to even trust herself. Too bad I was just using her to accomplish my goal.
My phone vibrated and I saw a message from Liam congratulating me with several emojis sending me kisses. I put the phone away and walked out of the library, knowing that the next step in my plan was to meet up with David.
Upon arriving at our room, I found David sitting on the floor, surrounded by junk food while watching a movie on his laptop. I snuck over and stole a handful of chips from him before sitting down next to him.
"What are you watching?" I asked, chewing on the potatoes as I tuned my attention to the screen.
"An action movie," David replied, not taking his eyes off the laptop. "How did it go with April?"
"I think well" I replied, remembering April's smile and her embarrassment at her praise of my appearance. "But there's still work to be done."
I looked at David, seeking comfort in his friendship. "Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome," David said with a smile. "That's what best friends are for."
Night had fallen and darkness enveloped the campus. David looked up at me from his position on the floor, surrounded by junk food, and said with determination:
"It's time to act."
I nodded silently and we both gathered our things quickly. We slipped out our bedroom window, making sure not to make a sound as we left. The cool night air hit my face as we walked through the shadows, creeping closer to the music department building.
"Are you sure no one will see us?" I asked David quietly as we walked forward. His blue eyes sparkled with confidence, and he nodded slowly.
"Trust me," he replied, pulling a key out of his jacket pocket and carefully unlocking the door to the building. We walked in together, closing the door behind us as stealthily as possible.
We walked through the dark corridors until we came to a room whose door was ajar. David pushed it gently and we entered a huge living room, lit only by the moonlight streaming through the tall windows. In the middle of the room, a black grand piano gleamed as if waiting for me.
"They've set it up for you," David told me, a proud smile on his face. "You'll be able to play as many times as you want here, without anyone bothering you."
"Thank you" I murmured, feeling a mixture of gratitude and nervousness. I walked over to David and ruffled his blond hair in an affectionate gesture.
I approached the piano, feeling the urge to play it growing inside me. I sat down on the bench, and my fingers began to move across the keys slowly, as if awakening from a long sleep. The first chords echoed through the room, filling it with a sweet melody that seemed to take on a life of its own.
When I finished playing, I looked up at David, who was looking at me with eyes full of excitement.
"I missed that sound" he whispered, and I knew it wasn't just the sound of the piano that I missed, but also our friendship and complicity.
I left the music building with a sense of optimism that I hadn't felt in a long time. Despite having recorded several songs, I didn't cry that time like last time. Maybe it was because David was by my side, giving me that confidence that made me feel less vulnerable.
"Do you want to talk about what you feel when you play the piano?" asked David as we walked back to our room.
"Maybe another day," I replied, promising to tell her everything at some point. For now, I preferred to keep those feelings to myself.
The next day, I was surprised to hear my classmates talking about the new recordings of the secret piano guy. I couldn't help but smile as I realized that my plan was working.
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