Pulling his hands quickly from the piano keys, Rush turned around and raised his eyebrows -- not in a combative way, of course, as he didn't really know Jesse (but he knew of him). He loathed being heard practicing more than could be identified outside of the practice room, because when he practiced alone, he begun with songs he knew well and progressed to things he had yet to master, and as somebody who took his instrument very seriously, he didn't appreciate others hearing any half-finished skills.
"Is it?" Rush asked politely, but in a way that suggested he didn't quite believe it. "I practiced here last Tuesday and I didn't see you."
Still, he was prepared to get up and leave, being somewhat passive. Rush did think that there was the chance that he was wrong, and that Jesse had just been sick that day or something.
"Although," he added as an afterthought, "you probably do need it more than I do."
Jesse bristled visibly at the jab. His eyes narrowed slightly and his grip on his backpack tightened as he eyed the stranger with considerable dislike.
"I very much doubt that," he shot back. "I've been playing the piano for eight years now, not that it's any of your business."
After a mere moment of hesitation, Jesse withdrew a few sheets of music from his backpack and began to arrange them haphazardly on the piano, rudely ignoring the other boy's presence. Finally he drew back and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
Well, are you going to leave?
Apparently not. Jesse took a seat at the bench anyway. He wasn't about to let some arrogant misfit with too-bright hair prevent him from practicing.
"I've been playing eight too," Rush replied snappily. He would, of course, have been more polite had Jesse admitted to his lie and gone off to use one of the (far inferior) keyboards in another practice room, but now the other boy was settling in on his piano bench for a reason he simply could not understand. Not that he had problems sharing when it was called for, but he had gotten here first, and there was no need for his parade to be rained upon by somebody so pushy and rude.
Rush instinctively moved aside when Jesse sat down, annoyed at himself for being so accommodating. Jesse's sheet music was covering his own and, while he often played by ear rather than reading it anyway, he was quite annoyed at the intrusion.
"Too bad," came Jesse's gruff reply. His fingers were already arranged on the keys in starting position, wrists lifted elegantly. He sighed when he realized the other boy wasn't just going to leave.
"Fine. Let's settle this, okay?" He shifted on the bench so that he was facing Rush.
"We've both been playing for eight years, so we should be fairly evenly matched. I'll play something, then you will, and whoever is better gets the piano today. Then we can work out a schedule for the future."
Jesse's conciliatory attitude came mostly from the fact that he was annoyed and wanted the source of his annoyance to go away. However, he always appreciated a challenge, and Jesse was, as always, extremely confident in his own abilities. He also had a secret weapon: his voice. This kid could probably play, but could he play and sing, and at the same time?
Comments 16
"Is it?" Rush asked politely, but in a way that suggested he didn't quite believe it. "I practiced here last Tuesday and I didn't see you."
Still, he was prepared to get up and leave, being somewhat passive. Rush did think that there was the chance that he was wrong, and that Jesse had just been sick that day or something.
"Although," he added as an afterthought, "you probably do need it more than I do."
Reply
"I very much doubt that," he shot back. "I've been playing the piano for eight years now, not that it's any of your business."
After a mere moment of hesitation, Jesse withdrew a few sheets of music from his backpack and began to arrange them haphazardly on the piano, rudely ignoring the other boy's presence. Finally he drew back and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
Well, are you going to leave?
Apparently not. Jesse took a seat at the bench anyway. He wasn't about to let some arrogant misfit with too-bright hair prevent him from practicing.
Reply
Rush instinctively moved aside when Jesse sat down, annoyed at himself for being so accommodating. Jesse's sheet music was covering his own and, while he often played by ear rather than reading it anyway, he was quite annoyed at the intrusion.
"I don't remember asking you to join me."
Reply
"Fine. Let's settle this, okay?" He shifted on the bench so that he was facing Rush.
"We've both been playing for eight years, so we should be fairly evenly matched. I'll play something, then you will, and whoever is better gets the piano today. Then we can work out a schedule for the future."
Jesse's conciliatory attitude came mostly from the fact that he was annoyed and wanted the source of his annoyance to go away. However, he always appreciated a challenge, and Jesse was, as always, extremely confident in his own abilities. He also had a secret weapon: his voice. This kid could probably play, but could he play and sing, and at the same time?
Reply
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