The roses in the flower vase seemed to turn their faces at Bianca as she played music on the piano. The air around her was filled with the sweet sound of the melody, which was slow yet so mesmerizing that it made her heart race against her ribcage. She closed her eyes and felt the music ripple around her, felt his heated gaze, those lovely features. She played every note remembering every feature of his face, she played it like she was sketching a grand painting. She played notes one after the other, folding them, mixing them and melting them. Bianca had created passionate music, which filled her with joy, with love and with sorrow. The music filled her, made her feel complete. She didn't know that her cheeks had become wet until a tear splashed onto the piano.

She ended the music with a slow lilting note.

​​

Bianca rose to her feet and walked to the window of her room from where she caught a glimpse of Lifye flowing quietly far in distance. Its surface speckled with the reflection of a thousand stars hanging in the inky blue sky above it. And for the first time in her life, she felt tethered to nature, as if she was born to flow with nature, as if she was a part of nature or as if nature flowed from her, as if she was the river… of life.

A sigh escaped her and she couldn't wait to meet the mysterious man who had entered stormily in her life, who had swayed her off her feet and then held her. Bianca looked at the half-open red roses, walked over to kiss them and then went to her bed with so many dreams of a lovely future. Little did she know that the roses she had just kissed bloomed completely as soon as she left them.

Bianca woke up earlier than usual the following day. She joined her mother in the garden who was strolling and inspecting the little saplings that had just sprouted.

Dawn was extremely surprised to find her over there. "You've woken up so early today?" she remarked.

"Yes!" Bianca said excitedly. She wanted to talk about the mysterious man with her desperately but then held herself because she wanted to know what kind of commitment that man had.

"That's nice Bia. I hope you get into the habit of getting up early. It is going to be very helpful," said Dawn as she looked at a little sapling, which was wilting. She picked it up to straighten it, but the plant drooped. "Why is it wilting?" Dawn muttered. She hated to see her plants dying. She tried to prop it up once again but it didn't stand, so she gave up and walked away to inspect others.

Bianca looked at the sapling sadly and tried to prop it up. She immediately removed her fingers from the plant feeling a sharp twinge of pain, as if it had pinched her on her finger. Was that a figment of her imagination? She shook her fingers, glared at the sapling and then went after her mother. Perhaps there was an insect hiding inside it. As soon as she went to her mother, life in the little plant seeped to its roots and it straightened up. Its leaves turned to face Bianca.

"Mother, I have to go to the school early," she said. She knew that if the man was there in the cafeteria, she would be able to meet him again before the school starts because people at the cafeteria started working early in order to prepare for the day.

"Why?" Dawn asked, moving further towards a freshly dug flower bed.

"I… there's an extra class," she replied glibly.

"Uh-huh?" Dawn turned to look at her and frowned.

Bianca bobbed her head quickly.

"Then why are you standing here for?" Dawn berated. "Go on. Grab some breakfast from the kitchen and go to the school!"

Bianca jumped. "Yes!" she chuckled. "Oh! Can I take my Bentley?"

Dawn stared at her again. "Duh?" She flicked her head. "Of course, you can. Your father has bought it for you."

"Oh thanks mommy!" Bianca hugged her mother.

"But remember that if you get in an accident, there's no more car for you!"

Bianca tightened her lips at the warning under those words. "I will drive safely."

"And slowly," Dawn added. She wanted the guards to follow her closely.

"And slowly…" Bianca agreed.

"Good," Dawn said with a smile.

Bianca left her and ran to the kitchen to eat something even though she wasn't hungry. She took her car keys and walked to the parking area to search for her new Bentley Continental. The two-door coupe, yellow convertible was standing in all its glory, beckoning her to drive it. With a huge smile, Bianca walked to her Bentley and traced its smooth edges with her fingers. She sighed at the sheer beauty of her car, which was priced upwards from $250,000.

As soon as she was on the road, she had an urge to speed it up, but then she remembered her mother's words. Moreover, she saw from the rear-view mirror that her guards were trailing her.

"Next time baby!" she said to her car as if apologizing for driving it at 40mph.

She reached school almost an hour early and after parking it, went to the cafeteria. It was closed, so she sat down on the steps and waited for it to open.

The place opened, but there was no sign of Brantley. Bianca sat over there till her first class was about to start but he hadn't come. Perhaps he was going to be late. She walked back to the class while turning her head back at every fifth step to check whether he had come or not. With a heavy heart, she reached her class and with a sulky face, she was in her place. Lydia and Eddie were already there and so was the teacher. When she opened the door, the teacher glared at her all the way up till she walked to her chair.

"Gosh! You are so late!" Lydia whispered.

The classes took all the time in the world to get over, but as soon as they were over, Bianca ran back to the cafeteria. Brantley hadn't come that day or the next day or the next. The cafeteria owner told her on the seventh day that Brantley was just a temporary guy who had filled for his friend that day. And Bianca's heart ached as if it was about to sink in an abyss. "Did he give his number or address?"

"No," said the owner. He pointed to a girl on his right. "You can ask her. He filled for her."

She fought her tears back and then walked up to the girl.

"I don't know anything about him. That day he just gave me five hundred dollars and said that he wanted to fill it for me! How could I deny that money coupled with a day's off?" the girl informed. "But the guy seemed genuine. I mean he was so hot and handsome!" She chuckled.

Bianca's face fell. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying out. She bit so hard that it was short of drawing out blood. Her heart ached so badly that she thought her head was swimming in the fire that exploded inside her. "This can't be," she said in a frail voice, which resembled her wounded heart.