Chapter:Bonus Chapter

HIM "How do you feel about getting into university soon?" I asked my son, Xavier, as I helped my beautiful wife with dinner set ups. "I can't wait," I sensed hesitance in his voice and looked at him after I was done with setting the table, Evange was cradling her stomach with her soft hands as her eyes were casted down on her belly with affection. Yes, I was a lucky man who didn't deserve all that. God loves making second chances for me. "What's wrong, Xav? You can tell me and I won't tell your mom." I negotiated and he sighed as his eyes soaked in his sitting mom before averting his eyes to mine. "I just don't know if my potential is enough for the piano," he scratched the back of his head as a sign of nervousness and continued, "I know how much this means to you and mom." I placed a hand on his shoulder and got him closer to me. My son was the exact copy of me with colored eyes and similar features. "You will never disappoint us, son, we believe in you no matter what as long as you don't lose hope in yourself." I gave an advice as we all sat for dinner. My Evangeline was exhausted since she was only weeks due. "What your dad said, darling." She agreed with kind eyes. Xavier smiled at both of us and we continued eating our delicious pasta in comfortable silence. Bonus ###Chapter Xavier Adams ❛ Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. ❜ - Pele. They told me that I was destined to be someone who could make a difference in the world but nobody told them that I was destined to what I chose in my life. I might sound like an ungrateful bastard or a snobbish douchebag, but this was the truth. I was destined to be on stage but not with the piano, but with my simple guitar, my choice.  I also wanted a life that was completely ordinary without anyone coming up to me to compliment my piano skills. "Mommy, why did you choose piano out of all the instruments?" I asked my beautiful mom, Evangeline, as her breeze colored eyes met mine with warmth. "Your grandmother taught me, she has this large piano back in Michigan School and she believed in me just the way I believed in you." She replied with a kiss on my cheek when we sat on the piano bench. Her soothing fingers played so swiftly with eyes like the stars as she devotedly closed her eyes to hear the melodies of her heart.  Her face completely relaxed with a small soft smile on her face that was how I remembered mom always, with a serene passion inside of her. "Come on, play with me, darling."  She tenderly ordered, my 9-year-old fingers placed on the piano keys completing her Frederic Chopin, "March Funèbre" that filled the empty music hall, where she had her first audition in Juilliard University, with nothing but complete euphoria. "Hey, Xavier, are you feeling okay?"  Mrs. Gilbert, my piano coach, asked me. Ever since I had been practicing less, I had been scolded one too many times by Mrs. Gilbert. She was the first leading pianist in Juilliard and she received noble awards for playing in orphanages. "Yes, Mrs. Gilbert, just peachy," I replied as my fingers played the classical Claude Debussy, "Clair de lune" and I missed that same note again, I stopped and looked sheepishly at Mrs. Gilbert who tutted at me for failing to play faster. My hands were playing the piano, but my mind was somewhere else. Somewhere with freedom. After that last moment between me and her, the old lady-Mrs. Gilbert- died with an expectation from me to replace her as the leading pianist. I knew I had to do this for my parents, for Mrs. Gilbert and for all the people that believed in me. I was in constant confusion where I had nobody to lean on due to their biased expectations of me. I felt like I was in my own land; a universe that revolved around my guitar and freedom. I was pretty much an independent loner who was loved by many just because of my title. I hated that painful urge to rip my title out of my soul that had been stalled by my family. In one way or another, my dad and mom did look out for me but they couldn't try enough to see past their limitless passion that they thought they passed along to me. I was envious when my eyes would catch the practitioners with their guitars and emotional smiles thrown at their little groups of people who clapped continuously. "You have to remember that this piano is special to my heart. Don't ruin what you had worked for with this piano," My mom said as she patted my back and my fingers continued to play along for her, "You are one of a kind, Xavier." A knock interrupted my train of thoughts and without making an effort to stand up to open it, my annoying sister barged in like she owned my dorm room. As expected, she looked at me cheekily and I knew she was up to something. "I'm not going to ask you what you planned behind my back," I shot straight to the point and she gave me a deflated look before clapping her hands like an excited penguin. "Whatever you have to say, I won't do it so save your breath." I continued my practice on the piano. "Why did you have to be such an emo? you didn't even listen to me," she spoke loudly for me to hear and I rolled my eyes at her. She was obviously the happy child in the family. "Anyway, before I was rudely rejected, I have set up a date for you and you have to prepare yourself." She squealed out and I groaned. If there was to be a reflective experience in my life with my sister, it would be to never take her plans seriously. She tried that move once when she tried to set me up with her friend that was also a drama actress, she tried to fake a whale sound while I played with the olives on my salad, I never prayed so hard until that moment when the people around us in the restaurant thought I put dark magic in her. Lesson learned: never again. "No. Off you go now, I'm practicing," I told her quickly. If one thing you should know about Elodie Adams, it was that she never gives up, I hoped that she didn't change my mind like she always had before. "Come on, it's not that bad and she isn't a drama actress this time," she defended when she noticed the grimace etched on my face and I scoffed at her attempt to convince me. She huffed and sat on my bed with crossed arms. We had many similar traits which were our love for the arts this university provided for us and the fact that we were stubborn; we inherited that from our dad. Elodie's aqua eyes glinted with a devious little smile, that was enough indication that she had a plan B I didn't know about. I knew I was done for when she opened her mouth to speak. "You know how you always wanted to learn Hard to Handle by The Black Crowes that you kept complaining about," she reminisced. "Well, I have tickets for their private sessions to help you learn to play it on their exclusive guitars." She bribed and I tried resisting the temptation but I couldn't find any reasons to stomp on that offer except baring another nasty date. "One date only," I decided and she stood up and clapped with a wide grin on her face. "You have to give me the tickets first," I said and she rushed to get her bag that she threw carelessly on my bed the second she barged in. I almost laughed at the fact that she knew I wouldn't give in so easily so she packed the tickets for the lessons to bribe me. My sister's strategic mind never seemed to fail me. She practically threw the tickets in my face before it tumbled down on the piano keys. Elodie began to open my closet in less than a second while I continued to play the piano after putting the tickets in my back pocket. "Hey, don't mess my closet. I recently cleaned it." I shouted at her. She jumped at my loud voice then she gave me thumbs up before pushing her head in my closet to look for something attractive for me to wear. I sighed as I was allured into my thoughts when my fingers tapped on the right keys swiftly. I was supposed to feel what my mother felt when she played with the piano but I didn't feel anything at all because I always felt like I was obligated to play it considering my family's history. Nobody except Elodie knew about my secret thrive for guitars. Taking a rest for my aching fingers, my sister laid out my outfit. "So, this is the least cringe outfit I have found for your date," she told me with thoughtful eyes. "I still didn't tell the girl yet but I did set up the place for your date earlier for tomorrow so it should be fine. Get your needed beauty sleep for now and I will text you the time tomorrow morning." She informed me with a proud, satisfied smile. If she didn't love drama classes so much, she could have been a successful planner but I knew she wouldn't last until she had her favorite acting shawl on her neck and her stage. My mind went to the mystery girl that Elodie sacrificed her tickets for, was she like me? Trapped with no chance of freedom? I sure hoped she didn't have a strange fetish and sixty-five wigs and faces back in her dorm. "Tell me about the girl I was forced into a date with," I ordered sarcastically to the bubbly girl laying on her stomach on my bed. "After all, it's my money that I'm going to spend on her." I teased lightly and she chuckled. "You underestimate me, brother. I chose the best for you," she teased back. "Her name is Rayna Harrington, she is in a vocal arts program and she is new in Juilliard. I don't know her since I only met her yesterday but she was the definition of hot like if only you saw her ass, she was-" "Okay, stop it, I don't want to hear my sister gushing about her female fantasy." I interrupted her with my hands on my ears. I didn't want to admit it to my sister but the thought of the girl possibly being a good person got me even more curious. I placed my hands down on my piano and her eyes caught my hesitant eyes. My heart ached for my hidden guitar in the closet but I knew that I had to sacrifice the career I wanted for the sake of my family and the title I didn't want. At times, I felt like walking up to everyone and playing the guitar in front of them, my catalyst was frustration that desperately urged me to be who I was but the memories of my mom telling me about how she cared for her piano and how they spent a fortune on me to study here made guilt my second skin. Elodie knew the second that she caught my guitar in the closet that I was not into piano anymore. It was something that they forced upon my childhood but with good intentions and that was what I hated the most. I couldn't hold it against my parents. I didn't know who to take my frustration on because I was in so deep in this la la world and I felt like it was too late since the death of Mrs. Gilbert that had mom weeping for days and dad comforting her. "You can't keep doing this to yourself," she spoke after a moment of silence. "You can't keep listening to people anymore. You don't belong in the piano world, you belong with your guitar and a chance of life outside this trap." she declared and I could see the truth in her eyes. I stopped playing the piano and joined her on my bed, laying on my stomach beside her. "I wish I could," I whispered and she caught it. "You know I want that more than anything but I can't keep disappointing anyone." "Fuck that," she cursed, taking me by surprise. "You need to stand up for yourself and find yourself in the process. Fuck them, they don't control you, you're much better off with your guitar, I heard you play and I could tell that you die a little more inside when you have to hide it when our parents come to visit, I'm sorry but it's not fair-" she rambled but my arms wrapped around her shaking body to calm her anxiety down. "Calm down, Elodie. You need to take your anxiety pills," I reminded her since it was time for her daily pill. Elodie was diagnosed with anxiety disorder and that was why she found comfort in her drama classes because it taught her how to calm down without taking her pills but when she thought about me and my problems, she would stress herself out too much and it got me worried most of the time. She grabbed her bottle of water and swallowed the pill I brought her. She muttered a thank you to me and came back to my embrace. "So, Rayna Harrington, huh?" I started and that was enough to get her fueled once again as she talked my ear off the rest of the night. Bonus ###Chapter Evangeline Hart What would life give me more? I always ask myself that same question as I appreciated the view of my husband and my son share their experiences while gazing at the sea. Looking back at all the memories of me and my father when we used to sit and talk by the sea, I realized that time was indeed short and I have learnt so much appreciation and commitment to what made me self-fulfilled. Xavier hugged me when I joined them and sat with them along my baby inside of my stomach. Rys kissed the back of my hand and I looked into his passionate eyes, we were never apart since we had the same passion and we never once fell apart even after twenty three years of marriage. I still remembered our special moments together because it meant so much to him since he proposed to me in front of his mom. I took a glance at his mother's ring on my finger and turned my gaze to my son with a gentle smile on my face. "How was your university?" I asked as I played with his hair the way he liked it as a kid before. "It was fine, mom, a lot of pressure but nothing I can't handle." He answered as he sighed relaxingly at my touch. He still loved it to this day and I still get surprised often at how big he has become as a person even in such a young age. Rys came behind me as my back settled on his chest since it wasn't good for the baby when my back was bent forward as his hands hugged our baby intertwining his fingers around her. "I still remember our Julliard days," Rys reminisced with a smile on his face and glowing eyes, "our stolen kisses between classes and our cuddles in the dorms." He winked and I blushed in front of our son because he had to hear his dad rant about his rebellious ways but gave him a playful cheek slap nonetheless. Xavier laughed at our childish banter on who was better with instruments and I got to appreciate my son more since we barely see him, he had tough university obligations and he was a thoughtful boy in the end. We rarely get to see him in weekends due to the heavy piano rehearsals since he was applying for a higher degree in arts. I was a proud mom of two and the third was only months away. Not to forget, a loving wife to my loving Rys. I would have never imagined marrying a type of guy against every rule in the book but fate happened and joined us. "How's Elodie doing? Is she taking her pills?" I asked in distraught. My daughter, Elodie Adams, was a very talented actress and we found her talent when she used to pretend she was Cinderella at only seven years old but she was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder since she was a kid. It was like flashes of heavy breathing, fetus position when she felt alert and sweating at any stressful event. It was hard for us being her parents to see her hurt and curled up like a fur ball but I knew that acting was what healed her because she believed in what she pretended. "Yes mom, I'm taking care of her so you don't have to worry about her." He answered as he placed a hand on my shoulder. It was such a blissful feeling to find my family around me at all times even when they were apart seeking their future. "She also said that she misses you and she couldn't come because she had an important show. She will send us a video when she was done." Ryson added with a kiss on the back of head as he rubbed my stomach lovingly. Ryson and I moved our house to be nearer to our children in London since his job was upgraded and he got promoted for his hard work. He never took a break because he was in this change cycle and we had been going together to see our therapist since we couldn't get over our dads: his being evil and mine being good. I felt good when Ryson got the new glow in his eyes as if he was the happiest guy in the world. "I miss her too, can't we just make them live with us instead of the dorms, I'm beginning to get worried about Elodie, what if she gets those nervous breakdowns all of a sudden?" I ranted and my son kissed the side of my forehead. "Mom, I promise I am taking care of her, there's no need to be stressed about it. I have always kept promises and besides, we won't be able to concentrate when you make these delicious cakes and get us fat." Xavier joked and we laughed as my hormones eased down. I guessed it was mother's instincts, sometimes they are really overwhelming when I find myself wanting my children with me at all times. I guess it was mother protectiveness, I had this condition since the day Xav was born in the middle of the night with a frightened Ryson. We all had weaknesses but it was okay as long as we were a united family. "I know that you always do, Xav, I trust you." I held his hand and smiled at him as Rys showered me with delicate kisses. "I'm going to grab your vitamins, mom, you need to take them." He reminded me and I nodded at him before he went to fetch them. He was the kindest soul and he reminded me so much of Ryson with his cute smile and his attitude. It was a serene silence as we gazed at the beautiful sunset and felt the soft grass under us in our wide backyard where our beautiful small mansion glinted with the sunset giving an outstanding blue and white contract against the hiding sun as the sea glowed and designed by the floating leaves. "Evange, I feel something weird in the way Xavier is acting," Ryson admitted and I looked up at him from the side of his neck. I got that feeling as well but I didn't know the reason. "What do you mean? Did he tell you?" I asked worryingly. I was a very hands-on mother concerning my kids. I couldn't let them breathe without me knowing but since they were in university and I had a kid on the way, I eased up a little bit. "I feel like he is assuring us but in a fake way," he explained and gave a little peck on the lips to calm my mind down as he continued, "I feel like he isn't happy with playing the piano." I laughed at his answer. Xavier was very content in choosing the piano and he made that decision. "Rys, there's no way, our son loves the piano. I am sure he would tell us if he didn't want that." I reasoned and I could tell he didn't seem too convinced as he played with my curls. "What if he is only assuring us because he doesn't want to disappoint us?" he voiced his thoughts and I frowned. I never had the opportunity to think about that since I was too busy planning my kids' future and my marriage. I thought Xavier was the only one who wanted to follow my legacy. "He would have confronted us, why go on for a full year of piano lessons if he doesn't want it?" I voiced my thoughts as well as Rys sighed looking into the crystal water. "Baby, that's our passion, we shouldn't let our son feel like he was forced into this. I am sure that it doesn't make him happy, maybe he felt like we were pressuring him into this." He discussed and I found myself agreeing with him. "Let's just leave it until he tells us if that's what he really wants." I decided and Rys nodded as we stared into the sea with our minds filled with our kids. Bonus ###Chapter Elodie Adams. "I hate you," I screamed to Brandon Carian as I punched his chest repeatedly and he grabbed my hand tight as I thrashed around, "I never want to see you around me ever again." I continued screaming as my hair flowed crazily from side to side. "Say that one more time, I can't hear you baby girl," he seethed into my face as his dangerous brown orbs shined through the stage lights like he was evil incarnate, "you still want me even after what I did to you." He smirked as he stated that, grabbing my hands tighter than ever. I kneed him in the crotch as he went down in a full groan like he lost his life and kept wiggling in agony on the stage as the crowd gasped, feeling our emotions radiating. I bent down and clutched his hair with my demented cat eyes. "I don't repeat myself, Brandon," I muttered, "this is a girls' world and you will never belong in here." I seethed in anger as everyone went silent with mouths open wide at the quality of our act. "Watch out for me, little girl," he warned as he stood up, fixing his pants as I gave him an innocent smile and he went confused as he looked around back to looking at me with a question, "what are you smiling for?" "Aren't you a fan of counting?" I whispered into the microphone for the crowd to hear as they noticed the masked guy appearing behind him, "One, two…" I counted with sinister eyes as Brandon went down after a bullet crossed his head and blood spiraled out of his brains. "Opps, I was impatient honey." I winked at the crowd after I said my last line and the masked guy removed his mask, declaring himself as Derek Louis to the people and kissed me feverishly as the people clapped and we received a standing ovation. We high-fived each other and bowed to the cheering crowd as we ran to the backstage with the crowds still clapping hard. "Why did you have to hit me so hard, El?" Danny Grey complained, he played Brandon the Sleaze in our ‘GIRLS' show. "My girl definitely knows how to sabotage balls," Landon Garcia, my dazzling boyfriend that played as Derek, joked as he placed an arm around my waist and bent down a little to give me a peck. "You deserved it after what you did to Monica, you loser." I defended myself using his crazy ex, who was texting me nonstop about Danny. That vixen couldn't take a break from all of her stalking. The girl was right to nag though because Danny was a straight player hence the awful break up due to him cheating on her with his class mate. "Gosh, don't remind me, I have to go tend to my aching balls." He said painfully as he sprinted to the medical room. "You were amazing out there, Elle," He complemented me as his olive eyes shined in appreciation, he always loved to call me Elle because I was his inspiration to act, we motivated each other to no end. I gave him a kiss as we gazed at each other with a satisfied smile on our faces, we have been five months together since the start of my university. It was the most special days in my life. "You were amazing as well, my rock." I whispered to him once he hugged but then we chuckled as my drama teacher came sprinting to us ready to bear-hug us. "You guys make me the proudest mama ever," she squealed like a teenager at us and we laughed even more at her strong, positive vibes. She named herself our mama in drama class and she was twenty eight years old, a mom of three and happily divorced, "I cried a river, I swear." She sniffled and we hugged her warmly. We were the best team out there, acting was indeed my shelter. Despite my overwhelming energy around people, I still get terrible shivers inside of me due to my anxiety, it took me my life to be able to utter a single word or express myself but my school's plays gave me solace, gave my disorder closure. It was still there but it was bearable right now. I squeezed Landon's hand in alert as I started to hyperventilate and he realized my condition hit me surprisingly so he excused our teacher and carried me away from wandering eyes. He was the only one who knew about it and he was the only one who I felt comfortable about. Even Danny didn't know about this. It wasn't something I was proud to show, Landon saw it the first time we met, he saw me in a fetus position after I screamed in the empty girls bathroom and he tumbled in like the great hero he was. That was our first day knowing each other. He was my rock and my prince for my dad was the king in my eyes. "Keep on breathing, princess, just like I taught you." He calmly said since he was used to my anxiety tantrums. People kept staring at us as Landon pace got faster and he quickly tucked me in his car's backseat reaching for the extra inhaler used for reducing my anxiety and I clutched it with shivering hands as my body started to relax. "Thank you," I croaked with tears in my eyes, I usually hate to show Landon this weak side of me but he always protect me from anything, "I hate being like this, when is it going to stop? This was supposed to be a happy day for us. I ruined it for you." I whimpered and he sat next to me. "Elle, you are all I need, we can't let something like this stand in our way," he said as he placed me on his lap and I sighed into his chest, "I know you can do it baby, I promise I will always be there." He kissed my forehead and my body felt tired, it usually feels tired when I was done with my anxiety attack. "I can't believe that I forgot my inhaler," I groaned, "mom is going to be so pissed off if she was here." I said nervously as Landon caressed my hair with his hands. "Well thank god she isn't here right now but I am here and you can't ever miss your inhaler or I will punish you." He joked with a wink and I giggled as his relaxing eyes glowed even more at the sound of my laugh. We watched the sunset from his car in pure glee, we were such a cheesy couple but I wouldn't have it any other way. I hoped the same thing would happen to my brother, Xavier, with his date Rayna. "I was going to see my family today," I said after moments of silence and Landon looked down at me cuddled up on his lap, "but I'm too late, I wish I could see them." I voiced out. I haven't seen my parents in so long due to university issues and today was one of them. It wasn't about the distance but it was about the due dates, the meetings, the shows and everything. I had a feeling of missing them a lot each time. "It's still 6 pm, we can still go, I am sure they missed me and you as well." Landon insisted and I brightened up at that idea. Landon met my family before three months and they were so fond of his care and love for me. My mom tried to make him propose to me and I got so embarrassed but it was a funny memory when she made him practice kneeling down. "Okay, let's go then." I smiled up at him and he bent his head down to kiss me lovingly. We drove to my parents' mansion and I was feeling excited about surprising my parents, I was sure Xavier was with them so we go out of the car hand in hand and we went to the backyard sneakily since I knew my parents loved being outside in this weather. My eyes saw my parents all cuddled up and Xavier sitting next to them in a perfect family portrait in front of the sunset. Xavier spotted us when he turned his head to the side and I gave him the ‘shush' sign as I crept closer with my boyfriend. My mom's long hair was brushed by my father as they laughed about something. "Surprise!" I screamed as I cuddled my parents from behind and both of my parents widened their eyes when they spotted us, Xavier helped mom stand up as my dad hugged me so tight and twirled me around. "We missed you, Elods." My dad kissed the side of my head as he gave me a welcoming hug, I wanted to tear up at how much I missed them but I knew they were doing that for my own good. Unlike my dad, my mom was an emotional wreck once she saw me and wrapped her arms around me so tightly as if she never wanted to let go of me, she even made me cry a little as she sniffed my hair and continued to cuddle me. "Mommy, as much as I miss you, I don't want something to happen to my sister." I retorted as we both laughed a little and Landon greeted my father. "How was your classes, son?" my dad liked calling Landon his son because he felt like he had a bad boy connection between them which was weird considering I was his daughter. "It was alright, Elle makes it better." He winked at me and I blushed as mom cooed at us. Xavier made a gagging sound behind us and we all laughed at him. Landon hugged my mom in greeting and we all sat down on the grass as my mom kept asking me about my inhaler and my disorder making sure I was alright, I shared a glance with Landon regarding what happened before and Xavier raised an eyebrow at us sensing there was something we hid from him. We decided to let that go as we shared our special memories with my parents as we all chattered away into the glazing night.