Elysium Read Free Page B

I crossed territories and ventured into her possessive girlfriend side.
    After lunch I headed to the music room, having about twenty minutes left before calculus class started. Stopping by the door, I glanced around quickly to make sure no one was around. The last thing I needed was someone to catch me sneaking in here and accuse me of stealing or defacing school property.
    I pushed the music door open and stuck my head in. All the lights were off except for a dim light illuminating the front podium. Brass and silver instruments hung from racks on the wall, small lockers lined up beside them. I stepped in and made my way towards the door, off to the side. I moved around the blue, plastic chairs lined up perfectly, pushed the side door open, and took a deep breath. The room was completely black, and I had to blindly feel the wall for the light switch. When my fingers ran over the little raised knob, I flicked it up, and the fluorescent lighting above me started to flicker before finally staying on. In front of me was a cluttered, small storage space.
    I stepped inside and shut the door behind me softly. Setting my backpack on the ground, I made my way past the boxes full of dissected instrument parts. I saw it in the far corner, a small dusty Francis Bacon piano. It was a little sore on the eyes, the green paint chipped, chunks of the wood missing from the side. It was an antique though, made in 1879. I doubted the school actually knew what a prize they had stuffed away in here.
    I brushed off the seat and gingerly sat down. I loved the way I sank into the worn padding and leather. Running my fingers over the off-white and battered keys, I felt every cell in my body come alive with excitement. I never actually played it, not wanting anyone to know I came back here. This place was my little retreat, hidden from the world where I could just be me. I closed my eyes and imagined the music coming from the piano. My fingers moved over the keys, not quite touching, just skimming the surface, letting the imaginary song filter through the room.
    ****
    The rest of the day flew by, and I was thankful when I finally got home. I had avoided Marie and the kids and headed straight to my room. My head pounded something fierce, and I couldn’t even stand the light from the setting sun. I heard a soft knock on my door and knew it was Marie before she said anything.
    “Meadow? Are you okay, sweetie?”
    “Fine, Marie.”
    “Can I come in?”
    I breathed out deeply, not wanting to hurt her feelings, but not wanting to be bothered.
    She didn’t open the door until I said okay, and then she quietly came into my room. “What’s wrong, honey?”
    “Nothing, I just have a bad headache.” I pulled myself up on the bed and squinted at Marie. She stood by the door, looking at me with concern.
    “Still having the headaches? I think we should go see the doctor.”
    I scrubbed my hand over my face, not wanting to have this conversation again. I had told Marie about my migraines a year ago, but they had tapered off. Now that they had come back, I never talked about them. I really didn’t want to worry her. For the past year the pain had been getting worse, and up until recently I had been able to hide them from Marie. It wasn’t that I disliked doctors, but I didn’t want to be poked and prodded, like some kind of experiment.
    “It’s really not a big deal, but if it makes you feel better I’ll go.” I wasn’t going to add the last part, but as I saw the concern etched deep in her face, I felt bad and wanted to make her feel better.
    “I’ll call right now and see when they can get you in. Why don’t you lie down and rest for awhile? I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”
    I nodded and watched her leave, the idea of dinner making my stomach turn inside out. I lay down and closed my eyes, thankful I drifted off to sleep quickly.

Chapter Three
     
    I sat in a chair in a darkened room. I looked around, knowing it was a dream because of