Gladiolus

It is said that music acts like a time machine. A simple verse of lyrics, a melody, a chord progression, can take you back to a moment in time like nothing else can.

If it's true, what moment would you go back to? Would I be in that moment, frozen in time, making music with you?

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Leonard is thirteen when he first meets Alexis. He walks briskly in an almost anxious manner down the corridor. Maybe, he thinks, there’ll be no one there this time. But the moment he pushes the door open the tiniest bit, he hears that the piano is already in use.

He steps in, expecting one of the teachers to be doing a little bit of practise, and the last thing he was expecting was to see a girl younger than him at the piano with her left-hand dancing in and out of his line of sight as it tackles a series of arpeggios.

The young girl with the straight black hair sways to the music and even when she leans forward, her fingers still touch the keys lightly and delicately, not showing any signs of slipping off the black notes. Leonard almost forgets to breathe when he recognizes the piece.

It’s the slower section Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu in D-flat major, but with so much musicality that Leonard had yet to hear in a live performance.

Then, the girl launches into the final section of the piece and her fingers seem to skim over the piano keys. Her foot soundlessly presses the pedal ridiculously on time for someone her age playing at that speed.

Not more than fifteen seconds in, Leonard can’t help but gasp quietly in amazement as she soars through the octaves and everything in between. The control she had over both hands while maintaining her musicality was breath-taking.

However, the girl freezes mid-phrase the moment the sound escaped him. She turns slowly to him and he smiles sheepishly back at the pale oval of a face with eyes that seemed too large for it.

“Quickly take what you want and go,” the girl says sharply. “Don’t disturb people when they’re practising. Don’t you know that?”

“Well, I don’t think that piano can fit through the door if I even manage to carry it,” Leonard jokes as the girl returns to the piano keys. She pauses. “You’re not here for the guitars?”

Leonard walks forward. “I play the piano, too, and I’m sorry I interrupted you. I know how tuned in to everything one can be when playing so I shouldn’t be so surprised that you picked up my gasp of amazement.” He grins at her and she frowns.

“’Amazement’?” She repeats incredulously. “What’s there to be amazed about? My semi-quavers were uneven. Wasn’t it obvious?”

“Not at all. It was brilliant, if anything.” Leonard extends his hand and the girl shakes it hesitantly and briefly after he says, “I’m Leonard.”

“Alexis.” The girl lets go and returns her hands to the piano stool. “What piece are you working on now?”

“Nothing showy-- Brahms Intermezzo No. 2.”

“Cool.” For the first time, Leonard sees Alexis crack a smile. “I learnt it a while ago. Quieter bits are more difficult for me than the loud, fast bits. Mind playing a little bit of it for me? I wouldn’t like to think that the person who interrupted me had no proper reason to want to practice.”

So Leonard sits and plays on keys that have less resistance than he is used to, but he can feel Alexis’ eyes on his back and on his hands so he continues and urges himself to adjust quickly.

Leonard plays through the left-hand arpeggios and the series of smooth chords. He focuses on the music, trying to ignore Alexis' attention on him. He finishes the piece with the arpeggiated chord and now he can breathe freely.

To his pleasant surprise, he sees a grin to match his own on Alexis’ face. “So, you can actually play.”

Before Leonard can say anything, he hears the sentence that sealed their friendship.

“Why don’t we meet here again tomorrow? I have some piano duets that we can learn.”

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Years fly by after that. They get sent to the same Mathematics tutoring class, join the school band, hang out after school in practice rooms or at each other’s house—which are a convenient five-minute walk away from each other.

One morning, five years down the road, the incessant buzzing of Leonard’s phone fills his room. He keeps his eyes resolutely closed because sleep was luring him back in and he was still so tired… but the buzzing starts again after a brief pause. With a groan, Leonard opens his eyes and within seconds, his breath freezes in his lungs. Today was no ordinary day; not for him, at least. He lunges for his phone and presses the green button before it could stop vibrating again.

“Leo, I’m so sorry for waking you up now. I-I know you had a long day yesterday and you’re tired, but…” Alexis rambles in a hushed whisper into the phone, stuttering slightly.

“Don’t apologize, Lexi. Are you okay?” Leonard can hear her swallowing and he sits up, almost fully awake already.

“Not really, no. Leo, I-I’m freaking out; I feel like I’m going to throw up and I c-can’t breathe. I’m so nervous, I can’t…”

At this, Leonard leaps out of bed. Alexis had insecurities but rarely ever admitted them to anyone. She had only ever confided in him about them before the final round of a major competition so Leonard doesn’t hesitate to say, “I’m on my way over. Relax, breathe, don’t panic. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Okay,” Alexis whispers before she hangs up.

After a whispered plea to his half-awake mother for permission to leave the house so early in the morning, Leonard grabs his jacket, shoves his phone into his pocket, and sprints down the road.

Leonard holds a trembling Alexis with a one-armed hug as they sit on the floor, leaning against the wall of her bedroom. The sun fully emerges from the horizon, stretching its orange fingers into the room and over the pair huddled together practicing a simple breathing exercise.

Alexis apologizes over and over again for waking Leonard up, but she just had to have her best friend next to her because he understood.

He did understand, and had understood for as long as they had been friends.

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Ever since they had become friends, Alexis made it clear that she wanted nothing more than to study and perform music.

"When I perform at Carnegie Hall someday, you'll be the first one I'd invite," Alexis declares, lifting a filled watering can out of the sink.

Leonard smiles and switches off the tap before following her out the door. "Will I get my invitation soon, then?"

Alexis stops at the first row of plants with a snort. "I said someday, not today. Hey, stop laughing!"

Leonard muffles his giggles with his sleeve as Alexis moves purposefully forward, tipping the right amount of water into each pot.

"I have to get into Uni first," Alexis says, almost hitting Leonard as she turns around with the watering can. "Julliard or Curtis?"

At this, Leonard's knees nearly give way as he buries his face into his hands. "'Julliard or Curtis?'" Leonard chokes out. "Lexi, while you are having a tough time deciding between two of the most prestigious schools in the world, the best I can do is get into the local conservatory."

"That's why I said I'll invite you, because you'll be in the audience. Not part of the orchestra, not the conductor, just-- oh, shush, you."

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That was why Leonard stayed at Alexis' side for as long as he could on the day of her audition for a place at Julliard.

"You'll do your best," he had told her for the 40th time, "And your best will be more than enough, I'm positive."

"I hope you're right." Alexis had wrung her hands. "Oh, here's the room."

They had gone in and Alexis sat herself down at the piano, warming up her fingers with scales and running through the trickier parts of her audition piece.

Leonard could see the way Alexis' fingers fell naturally onto the keys and could hear the curve of the music, no doubt. But he also didn't miss the tension in her shoulders and how she had shaken her head slightly after a run.

Half an hour passed and as they walked down the carpeted hallway, a large pair of polished, white doors came into view. There had been a row of chairs near them and that was where Leonard had waited while Alexis did her best behind those double doors.

It turned out that Alexis had nothing to worry about.

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Seven years after Leonard and Alexis first met and two years after they parted ways to study at two different universities, Alexis decided to return home for a day or two during her term break.

A grin immediately spread across Leonard's face when he received her call.

"Lexi!" Leonard exclaimed when he recognised her voice. "You haven't called in months! How are you?"

Alexis sounded almost... weary when she replies, "Hi, Leo. I'm fine. Listen..."

A day later, Leonard lead Alexis into his apartment and she sat down on the couch with her bag while he got drinks for both of them.

Leonard launched into conversation as he leaned comfortably against his couch. He told Alexis about what he learnt in med school and what he liked about it, but soon, he realised that she was sitting perfectly still and was barely responding to him.

"Lexi?"

Alexis hummed softly and Leonard saw her fingers tapping against the arm of the couch. To anyone else, they looked like they were moving at random, but after learning the piano, Leonard knew that Alexis was playing something on her imaginary keyboard.

"Lexi?" Leonard repeated, touching her shoulder light.

Alexis' eyes shot open and she curled her fingers back into a loose fist. "Sorry," she said, "I was thinking about Chopin's piano concerto, you know, the one in E minor? Carry on."

Hesitant, Leonard took a sip of his drink then continued. However, when he noticed that Alexis had closed her eyes again and was playing what looked like a scale on the arm of the chair, Leonard broke off.

"Lexi?"

"No!" Alexis huffed impatiently, her fingers stilling. She put her cup onto the table. "I forgot how the next part goes. Hang on, I need to find my score..."

"Lexi, slow down." Leonard grabbed her wrist before she could reach into her bag. Alexis winced and Leonard frowned, holding her wrist up to eye level so he could see it.

"Your wrist is swelling, Lexi," Leonard told her worriedly. "It looks like tendonitis. I'll go get some ice for it."

"Leonard, sit down. It's fine. It'll go away in a while. It always does," Alexis said indifferently.

"'It always does'? What do you mean? You're a musician and you're overusing your hands and wrists? Don't you know that you could do some permanent damage? "

"I can't avoid it, Leonard." Alexis withdrew her hand.

"Yes, you can." Leonard couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Lexi, as a doctor and as your friend, I don't want you to practise for the next two days while you're here and do something that won't injure your joints like reading or watching a movie. No practicing while you're here."

"You can't do that!" Alexis shouted suddenly. "I set a goal for myself to play at Carnegie Hall by the end of the year and I won't meet that goal if I don't practice every day."

"You need to rest," Leonard insisted, equally as loudly. "You need to find the balance between music and your life. Look after your body, please!"

Alexis stood up, eyes blazing, and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Music is my life," she said coldly. "You're not the Leo I remember. Goodbye, Leonard."

"Lexi!"

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