Chapter 3

Those days were starting with me rushing to school, waiting for her but for three days straight she didn’t come. My ego was stopping me from going after her but my heart was getting restless every time I found the music class empty. The fourth day I couldn’t ignore her absence and started to find her. I looked everywhere for her but since I still didn’t know her name it was hard to find her. 

When I couldn’t find her frustrated I skip the rest of the day escaping to where I always hide from the world around me. My safe place.

Inside the woods there was a garden, green like olives with clear crystal like water. Nobody knew about that place, not even my father. I collapsed to this place the day I started running away from the others and everything. It was the day I lost my mother, me and my father both of us were miserable. Dad was putting on a mask for my sake and I was trying to do the same for his sake but I never succeeded. It felt like every day her dead’s grieving was eating me alive. It was hard to forget her. 

Like always I sat under the tree looking around clueless, the place was always peaceful until the person who I was looking for like a mad man appeared, breaking the silence in the woods. It was the same melody she played in the music class when I first met her. Leaving all my belongings beyond, I searched for her. I was being pulled to the source automatically like a magnet pulling the iron. 

Finally reaching to a green wall of leaves painted with the red color of the roses on it. Without focusing on it you would definitely get it wrong with a wall covered by a beautiful plant but in reality it was a way to the other side of the garden.

Passing through the green leaves I reach another part of the garden I didn’t know myself existed. It was even prettier than the other side. Colorful flowers, a high tree and a lot of butterflies surrounded the area around the flower. She herself was sitting next to the lake playing. The music stopped when she sensed a presence other than herself. 

"What are you doing here?” She asked what I had to ask her. 

“I always come here. How did you find this place? My eyes immediately find her hazel ones’. Huffing she turned her face to the water in front of herself not answering.

“I found this place one of the days I wanted to discover this area. We recently moved out here. If you don’t want me here… I will leave.” She tried to stand up but before she could I stopped her.

“I- I was looking for you.” I said abruptly.

“Why?” She replied curiously this time giving me her precious smile. That's what I wanted to see. She was still waiting for me to answer but I didn’t know how to answer. 

“It has been three days; you didn’t come to the music class. So I was looking for you.” I shrugged like it was nothing important, hiding the fact I was worried and more than that I wanted to see her again.

“That wasn’t an answer?” She said, looking at the water smiling but her smile wasn’t reaching her eyes. “But if you don’t want to answer, it's ok, I’m not forcing you.”  I was listening to her words while standing in the same place. 

“Come, sit here with me.” She turned her face to me pointing to the place beside her. Without wasting any second I rushed up and sat beside her. Her focus was on the water beneath her feet, making circles with droplets of water dripping from her feet. She seemed upset, the first time I witnessed her sad face.

“Did you skip school too?” I asked, getting curious to know what saddened her. She nods with her head still playing with the water.

“I was feeling tired so I didn’t bother coming to school.” I hummed to her reply, nodding. Once again silence was everywhere; it was so stressful when she was like that. She was busy with herself and I was busy checking her out. All of a sudden I remembered that I had something to ask her. 

“By the way…” I say to get her attention before asking the real question. 

“What’s your name?” I said when she looked at me giving me her full attention. She giggled lightly before answering, how someone can be this cute and beautiful at the same time. Her mood wasn’t matching her vibrant personality but still it didn’t stop her from being cute.

“It’s strange right? We met before but never asked each other’s names. Anyway… I'm Harmony.” 

‘Harmony.’ I tasted the word in my mouth. Her hand was extended toward me to shake. I wondered how she was still letting me around herself but I was happy she did.

“Axel.” Taking her hand softly in mine, I answered. Her hand was soft like a baby; it was fitting in my big one perfectly. I didn’t realize I was holding her hand longer than normal until she tickled my palm with her index finger. I pulled my hand like it was on fire. She laughed at my sudden reaction, throwing her head back. Without any reason it brought a faint smile on my face too, she smiled that was everything but suddenly she stopped laughing with all her focus on my face. 

“Do smile often, you look more handsome when you smile.” She blurts smiling, the thing she did more often. I gulped down not knowing how to reply. Why did simple communication have to be this hard? But reviewing the situation from the beginning till now, none of it was simple or normal for me. 

“Axel.” She called my name, making me look at her. I hummed in response, waiting for her to continue.

“Do you remember something whenever you hear me play?” I inhaled a big amount of air not knowing how to answer her question, it was a touchy subject for me. Since the day she left I never talked about her with anyone but Harmony wasn’t anyone. She was a complete stranger at the same time she felt like an old friend. I felt like I knew her for years.

I wanted to keep my mouth shut but my tongue was not in my control at this moment. “It reminds me of my mother… She used to play violin. When you play that day memories come rushing back. She was playing like you, with all her heart.” I blurt it out leaving myself surprised and shocked but it feels light to let everything out.

"Where is she now?” She asked, putting me out of my shock. 

"She died 8 years back.” 

"I’m sorry.” Her hand reached out to touch my shoulder but she retrieved her hand back leaving me disappointed. It was my fault; I shouldn’t have treated her that way. 

"You haven't forgiven me yet.” 

"Of course I did.” She said,

"Then why did you retrieve your hand back?” I asked without thinking what I said. My eyes were wide like saucers. Grinning, she slapped my shoulder hard enough to jerk my body forward. Looking at her size I didn’t expect such a thing from her. 

"Just ask…” She closed the distance between us whispering in my ear. “Whenever you want me to touch you.” Smirking, she sat back at her place.

"I didn’t mean that.” Reasoning with her was always useless.

"Than what you meant Axel.” She asked, smirking again. 

"Nothing.” Standing immediately, I wanted to run away from this spit fire who was rolling on the ground laughing at me. Standing her was impossible. Before I could get away, her voice stopped me. 

“Instead of coming to school early let’s meet here; I will play for you here.” At the moment what I felt was pure happiness from what she said. I smiled for the second time again; the day was getting much brighter than I thought. A ray of light was peaking from somewhere, trying to invade the darkness.