Chapter 27 - 27: Sunday With Friends II
When Serena and Milly entered the private room, they saw the three boys, who seemed to be having a conversation, waiting for them.
The three turned to face the door after hearing it make a creaking sound.
"Hi, we weren't late, were we?" Serena asked.
"No, you're just on time" Leonard answered first as he approached them.
Charlton's eye lit up when he saw Serena. He gave her that dazzling smile, which never fails to make her heart pound, as he stood up.
Leonard guided Serena and Milly to sit on the shorter side of the couch, while he and the other two sat on the other side.
Charlton and Serena threw each other funny looks, remembering what just transpired yesterday in this very same room, and couch.
"Serena, last time, you mentioned that you don't have a Sheet music for your song." Leonard who sat adjacent to her started. "I brought some blank ones here. Do you think you can you write the notes?"
Serena shook her head, she can read, but has no confidence in writing one.
"No... I just have the melody in my head..." she said as she made a self-depreciating smile.
"I can write it for you if you like..." Charlton offered sweetly.
Leonard raised his brow as he took a glance at Charlton, finding him strange. Choosing to ignore him, he continued to talk to Serena. "Although not a music genius myself, I can still do this much. Perhaps, afterwards, Charlton and I can polish it. Can you play the song on the piano once more? While doing so, I will start writing." Leonard suggested.
"Okay." Serena agreed as she stood up.
She sat in front of the piano while Leonard placed the sheet on top of it using it as a make-shift desk. Serena and Charlton's eyes met as they recalled another episode.
Serena started playing while the others stood around the piano. Leonard asked her to pause and repeat some parts as he wrote on the sheet. Upon completion, he asked Serena to sit back on the couch.
"Kylo, you go try and play this on the piano while Charlton and I will try to see the parts we can improve on." Leonard instructed Kylo. Although Kylo's music instrument of choice was the guitar, he still learned to play the piano.
While Kylo was playing, Charlton and Leonard listened carefully. Afterwards, they started their deliberation on how to improve it.
Meanwhile, Serena and Milly were both enjoying the eye candies in front of them.
"I have to say, you truly have great eyesight. All the three boys there are very handsome, but I must admit that your lover boy is without a doubt the hottest." Milly commented.
"Why else do you think would I pick him? Not only is he the hottest amongst the three, one can even say that no man can compare to him in this whole school, or should I say, empire?" Serena said unabashedly as she continued to ogle Charlton who was busy working with the other two.
"Not even the crown prince? Who, should I remind you, is still your fiancé?" Milly teased.
"Ha! Not even in the slightest!" Serena exclaimed with a grin.
"Alright, alright, your boyfriend is the best." Laughingly said.
After awhile Serena told the boys that she and Milly would go out shortly. The three, understanding that the two girls must be bored of waiting, voiced their agreement.
--
Charlton looked up and turned to face the door when he heard it open. He saw that it was Serena who just came back with her friend carrying what he assumed were snacks. He didn't notice the time, but looking at his watch, he saw that it was already 4 in the afternoon. Meaning it has already been roughly three hours since he and the boys started discussing the song.
"Hey, let's have a short break. The girls are back." Charlton suggested.
Leonard, seeing his sister nodded.
"Ha! I'm so not joining you on your practice ever again. I just came here to have some fun and provide some support, I didn't sign up for you two working me like a dog!" Kylo complained. He has been asked to play the notes over and over while the two wrote on the sheet. Then they will have a short debate, make him play again, nod to each other, then make him play again, until such that the sound was to their satisfaction.
Serena and Milly placed the snacks on the table as they sat back on the couch.
The boys joined them.
"Are these for us?" Kylo asked, already feeling quite hungry.
"Yes, please help yourself." Serena replied.
"Sorry, I didn't expect that our discussion would take this long." Leonard said.
"Don't mind us brother. In fact, I appreciate you and Mr. Kylo helping Mr. Charlton and I with this. Anyway, how is it progressing?"
"Slower than I would have liked. Later, you can try playing it again using the music sheet we prepared." Leonard said as he grabbed a sandwich.
"Okay."
--
After they had their snack, Serena played the song on the piano. She just left it to them, and the song now sounds better. Her version was very simple, just enough for someone to sing with it. However, the boys made it sound better, to put it in better words, they made it sound good enough to not have a singer singing along.
After playing it, Milly clapped "Wow! That was amazing."
Serena agreed and smiled as she complimented the boys saying "This is so much better than my version"
"No, you're the real star here. You made that song, we just barely helped. Also, it's not complete yet." Leonard replied.
"Leonard's right, Ms. Serena." Charlton agreed, feeling proud of his girlfriend.
"Oh, I know! Mr. Charlton, would you mind playing the song for us using your cello?" Milly requested.
"Alright. Please pardon my incompetence in advance." Charlton said with some humility.
Charlton grabbed his cello and sat on the sit beside the piano. He smiled at Serena and started playing the song, their eyes meeting from time to time.
Everyone was surprised. A prodigy is a prodigy indeed. He just heard the song a few times, and although he worked on the Sheet music, it is still impressive that he can now play it on his own, and wonderfully at that.
Serena felt like Charlton was serenading her with the song making her feel the butterflies in her stomach. When he finished playing, seeing that the others were not looking at her, she met his eyes and blew him a kiss.
"Ugh, you don't have to rub it in. Fine, I bow down to you. You're really good at this" Kylo proclaimed exaggeratedly after Charlton finished playing.
Milly looked at Serena with a knowing smile as she clapped.
"Okay, this time, let's try to hear it together with the piano." Leonard, who seemed to be the only one not affected stated.
Although it was their first time playing together, Charlton can easily be in tune with Serena. There's room for improvement but it's good enough.
"There's still some room for improvement, but I think that singing the lyrics with the Cello will cause friction." Leonard reviewed honestly.
"I agree with you on that, I will talk to Sir Felix about it." Charlton replied.
"Eh? But both your cello and Serena's lyrics sounds fantastic. I can't pick one over the other!" Milly cut in.
"I agree with her" Kylo seconded.
"Alright, how about this, we play the cello and piano at church, then during their reception, we can play this song again without the cello, just the piano with Charlton singing!" Serena suggested. Just the thought of Charlton singing made her eyes twinkle with mirth.
"That's a great idea!" Kylo and Milly said at the same time.
Kylo, thinking the thought of Charlton singing in public too funny to pass up.
Milly, well just honestly thinking that it would be so romantic.
"Huh? No, no, it's better if you sing it." Although Serena is his beloved, he can't imagine himself singing in public.
"Come on... pretty please? I would really love to see and hear you sing." Serena said acting pitifully cute.
How can he say no to that face?
"Alright... but you have to sing with me." At least if he's not singing alone, it won't be too embarrassing.
Leonard, finding it funny that Charlton will be singing couldn't help but say, "Alright, how about we try that now? Serena, please play the piano again. Charlton, you sing."
"What? I don't even know the lyrics." Charlton rationalized flustered.
"I'll write it down for you" Serena continued to tease.
"Oh look at the time. It's almost dinner. Perhaps we should continue with our practice on another day." Charlton said as he pretended to look at his pocket watch.
Everyone laughed at him. After a while, Serena took pity on him.
"Okay, it is indeed getting late. Perhaps, we can continue next week after you talk to Sir Felix. We're not even sure if he will approve our arrangement" Serena said while keeping her tears of laughter in bay.
Everyone nodded and called it a day.
--
TBC