To The One

2

The next morning was no different. I walked to the school the way I always did, slowly and too early. I stopped by the parasols to watch the sun rise in its glory. The clouds parted slowly, revealing the blinding streaks of sunlight as it began to reign over the world. It was beautiful. I could almost hear the lilacs smiling. 

Slowly, silence became a clamor of a soundtrack I forced myself to get used to. Morning gossips and laughter filled my ears, as if the world were as easy as that. 

"Hey Sab!" someone called. Before I could turn, he put an arm over my shoulders. I froze. 

"So what do you think about the band? Are you gonna join us? I know you want to. You know how in the alchemist he said that when you want something, the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it? Well, this is it. This is the universe." He said in one breath." I'll see you later at 5." he winked.

I let out the breath I had been holding when he let go. I watched him walk away, wondering if I would ever escape him ever again. 

He was the bassist of The Stoics. Their songs were about how the world would be better if people didn't care too much. I'd guess he was the one who wrote them too. 

I went inside History with every effort to forget that a guy had touched me. But as soon as I stepped in, he was there, staring at me like a madman, mouthing 'welcome to the band' as he smiled. 

He gave me the creeps. But I tried to ignore him. After a while, a crumpled paper landed on my desk. I opened it. 

"Meet us at the parasols. Don't be late!" 

I looked behind and saw him smiling. I gave him a tight smile before turning my attention to the board. 

"I don't want to put pressure on you by telling you this early but your final project is going to be a literary folio. It would be about everything you have learned about life. I want poems and prose, pictures and paintings embedded in one small book. You will work in pairs. I would advise that as early as now, you find your own pair so that you could work together by the end of the term."

I raised my hand. 

"Yes, Isabelle?" 

"Would it be okay if I worked alone?" 

"Of course not!" Theodore shouted. Everyone looked at him. "She and I will be partners, Miss." He winked at me. The professor only smiled. 

"But-" 

My objection was silenced by their questions about the project. I remained silent, defeated. 

The bell rang. 

"Hey, Sab," he caught up. I stopped. 

"I will do prose and poetry. You do the drawings and the pictures. You're good at it, right?" 

He chuckled. "What, that's it?" 

"Yeah."

"No way. You and I are going to have fun." he laughed, going away backwards. "See you at 5! Don't be late!" 

I was worried. Theodore was known for being dangerous. I didn't believe it, but I think I was beginning to.

I deliberately ignored him when I saw him in the cafeteria. I headed to the parasols instead. From there, I could see the students having their own world. I wondered what thoughts transpired in their minds.

I stared at the lilacs from a meadow a little far from the campus. It was in moments like this that I could feel like I could live again, like the world is telling me that there is more to life that I have yet to experience. My mother taught me to appreciate nature whenever I feel sad. It reminds me that among the eternal cosmos, I am but a tiny, tiny dust temporarily trapped in this perpetual timeline. All this will eventually come to an end. 

It was difficult to try to let go of things. But Atarah had always told me to let go. Of all the desires. Of all the pain. Of all the things that do not serve me anymore. She told me I have to let her go too. But I still couldn't. The pain of not having her here is still too new for me. Too real. 

I spent most of my time thinking, staring into space, writing. Atarah did all the talking and I didn't mind listening. Almost always because I didn't know what to say. I guess I'm more of a freak than Theodore is. 

I didn’t see him for the rest of our classes, which was a relief. 

It was almost five, and I was still pondering whether I should go to the band or not. They say to meet them at the parasols but they weren't here yet. I guess I still have time to escape. 

"There you are! Hey Sab! Over here!" Theodore called. He was with three other people. I have no idea who they were. 

I hesitated. But I went. I didn't know what propelled me to come but I did. And I couldn't wait to go home. 

"I guess the universe really got into you, huh?" he smirked. 

I creased my brows, he laughed.

“You know, the alchemist? About the universe conspiring to help you achieve what you want?”

I stayed silent.

"Anyway, this is Leo, the drummer," 

"Hey," he smiled shyly. 

"Marcus, the lead guitarist," 

"Sup," 

"and Leina, the vocalist."  She walked towards me and put an arm over my shoulders,  

"I think we're gonna be best friends." Leina wore a lot of tattoos, and a thick eyeliner, scaring the hell out of me. I didn't mean to be judgemental, but she really looked like someone I wouldn't cross with. 

"Everyone, this is Isabelle, and she's gonna come with us." 

They all cheered and Leina gripped both of my shoulders too hard but I was too scared to protest. 

"To the van!" Theodore shouted. 

"To the van!" they chorused.

Leina pushed me forward. 

The van that looked originally white was spray- painted with bold colors and presumptuous drawings, sloppy yet artistic. A huge "The Stoics" was written across the doors, black and bold, like them, I guess. Everything in the van screamed that they were a rock band. An exceptional one at that. 

I was sitting beside Leo who looked at me apologetically and Leina at the back while Theodore drove and Marcus on the passenger side. 

"So," I started carefully, "Where are we going?" 

"To the stars, Isabelle," Theodore said.