Rush nodded, moving a little so he didn't crowd Jesse as he sat down. He shuffled around his own sheet music until he came to the only piece he had currently that he was skilled enough at to play with his hands crossed. It was a relatively simple French baroque piece that he had first come across a few months ago. He slid it further towards Jesse, who was likely unfamiliar with it, and crossed his hands in preparation to demonstrate.
"The hardest thing," he said, "is making sure you're using the correct hand. Uh, as you'd imagine... Anyway, you just have to think of the notes more than the hands. If that makes sense."
Rush demonstrated for about half a minute and stopped. He turned to his left and began explaining a few more tricks to remember which hand to use at what time.
Before he realized, it had been fifteen minutes or so, which was probably the first time in a while he had managed to have a conversation with a stranger that didn't result in them becoming annoyed at him for correcting their grammar or statements of fact. It was a good experience.
To Jesse's absolute surprise and bewilderment, someone else was effectively instructing him and yet he wasn't filled with either derision or resentment. Maybe it was that Rush's manner was altogether unassuming, almost meek: he had tolerated Jesse's bad humor and forceful personality rather well. The blond was also clearly intelligent and talented, two traits Jesse prized a great deal. Finally, in Jesse's mind they were no longer in public; he could admit, for once, that he didn't have all of the answers, and that someone else might, might have some small advantage over him.
Within another ten minutes Jesse was playing the opening of the same baroque song, at a more sedate pace but with his arms crossed at the wrists.
"I think I've got it!" he said with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, turning to Rush excitedly. He sobered instantly, schooling his features into his usual mask of arrogance.
"Maybe you're just... good," Rush returned with a shrug of one of his shoulders. "Or you're being cocky because you learned the beginning of a relatively easy song..." He smiled -- a bit less nervously than he would have had they not been together for about half an hour already. "But I'm sure you could do the whole song in no time, if you're that confident."
Rush straightened his music carefully, turned away from Jesse for a few moments. He then turned back, and said lightly, "Maybe we should meet in a few days and see if you've mastered it...?"
Jesse's eyes narrowed again at Rush's quip, but he was smiling this time. Maybe he needed someone to remind him he wasn't God's gift from time to time.
"I don't need a few days, but sure," he answered with consciously exaggerated confidence. Jesse's expansive ego, it seemed, was becoming something of a running joke between them.
"Who knows, maybe I'll have something to teach you by Thursday."
"Maybe," Rush replied, putting a playful inflection on his words that implied that he doubted it. "Anyway, I'll see you then."
He turned back towards his music and shuffled the baroque song to the back so that he could continue learning the song that he had been practicing before Jesse had so rudely intruded on his practice time. Rush placed his hands on the keys and began playing, now fully immersed in his own world again.
"The hardest thing," he said, "is making sure you're using the correct hand. Uh, as you'd imagine... Anyway, you just have to think of the notes more than the hands. If that makes sense."
Rush demonstrated for about half a minute and stopped. He turned to his left and began explaining a few more tricks to remember which hand to use at what time.
Before he realized, it had been fifteen minutes or so, which was probably the first time in a while he had managed to have a conversation with a stranger that didn't result in them becoming annoyed at him for correcting their grammar or statements of fact. It was a good experience.
Reply
Within another ten minutes Jesse was playing the opening of the same baroque song, at a more sedate pace but with his arms crossed at the wrists.
"I think I've got it!" he said with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, turning to Rush excitedly. He sobered instantly, schooling his features into his usual mask of arrogance.
"It wasn't nearly as hard as you made it sound."
Reply
Rush straightened his music carefully, turned away from Jesse for a few moments. He then turned back, and said lightly, "Maybe we should meet in a few days and see if you've mastered it...?"
Reply
"I don't need a few days, but sure," he answered with consciously exaggerated confidence. Jesse's expansive ego, it seemed, was becoming something of a running joke between them.
"Who knows, maybe I'll have something to teach you by Thursday."
Reply
He turned back towards his music and shuffled the baroque song to the back so that he could continue learning the song that he had been practicing before Jesse had so rudely intruded on his practice time. Rush placed his hands on the keys and began playing, now fully immersed in his own world again.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment