First Step

"What's he doing here?" it was Derek's uncle they did not keep in touch with.

"He came to visit me," Amy replied.

"Well ask him to leave before i tell father about it," Derek threatened his mother and walked into the room without greeting his uncle who had fought his father and hurt him once.

Amy took that warning and did not let his Uncle Greg stay for long. Half an hour later he left. But Amy turned into an angry bird. "How dare you behave rudely in front of the elders?" she asked him and slapped at the same time. Derek controlled his temper. He tried to hold on to his little happiness he found hours before and remained while his mother went on shouting about what a disobedient child he is.

He ignored it and shut the door. He locked them and took his phone out. He captured the membership card's in his phone and sent it to Taaliyah and his father. "Enrolled," he sent the text along.

Taaliyah congratulated him while John did not see the message. He smiled and walked into the washroom to take a shower.

Days progressed. Guitar classes began. He was happy.

"Come have breakfast," Min Ah would always call him to the dining area. The maid would have served the food for two on the the table and Min Ah would drag him and make him eat them. It was like she knew that Derek has been skipping breakfast. She made sure he are well and also eat lunch together with him most day. The more he tired to keep distance, the more she got attached herself to him. Tim will never be home on any days leaving by 9 am and coming backing after 6 pm. John made sure he checked on the children often. And Min Ah often called John and texted him about their classes.

It appeared that Min Ah is doing her best while Derek already picked up.

Derek went to the library everyday. He had learnt the basics of guitar and as well as vocal training he learnt online.

"Goodafternoon sir," Derek walked into the music room one day getting Sitar.

"What are you up to today?" Sitar asked him.

"I want to hear what my voice is like while I sing in this recording set up, in a microphone," he said. He wished to record badly.

"Do you want to record and try? Do a cover song?" Sitar asked.

"Yes sir," Derek said and smiled.

"Let's try then," Sitar turned on the systems.

"Think of a song you know well," Sitar said while he sat down to record.

Derek walked into the recording section and decided to sing Global star and his senior Flynn's 'Only you' song. He passed the decision to Sitar and Sitar tired to find a good instrumental (piano) karaoke for Derek.

He downloaded them and asked Derek to prepare.

Few minutes later, the recording began. The rest was history.

When Derek Finished the song, Sitar started mixing and editing. He handed the file to Derek before he left the building. Derek shared it on his YouTube channel. He shared it with Taaliyah who instantly saw the link. She watched it. And she called him the next minute. She sounded excited more than him.

"This is great, this is so good, Flynn will definitely get comments and criticism you wait and see, he will be flipped, oh my god, you have sung it beautifully, every emotion, you are tooo good Derek," she went on.

He missed her. And he missed spending time with her. He felt that and he turned excited like her. He felt hopeful and he felt proud of himself for the first time, like he had achieved something on his own. He felt courageous and did not care about what his mother would say. He walked home. He connected his phone to television and he played the song loudly. Any looked at him for some minutes.

"Nice voice,' she said. She had no clue that it's her own son.

He smiled and walked into his room. He slept peacefully after days for the first with a sense of accomplishment.

Days passed again. Training continued, guitar class continued. "Derek can you come with me for shopping today afternoon?"

"I will be busy, sorry," he had no interest going out with Min Ah.

"Please, please come with me Derek," she said and looked upset. "Please,"

"Another time Min Ah," he said rudely and ignored her.

He texted Taaliyah then. He was informed something that made him take time to digest the news. "Will you really come today?" he still had no belief in Taaliyah's words wondering if she is playing with him promising to meet him.

"Yes," she replied instantly.

Derek and Taaliyah had put a plan to meet at the library by 2pm and he was excited. He was going to meet her after a whole month and it was their first time meeting alone in a place. To him, it felt like it's his first secret date. He decided to take it that way. He imagined a lot of things from taking her on a tour around the library to eating snack and coffee from the snack bar.

After their guitar teacher left, Derek got up and said goodbye to Min Ah. But he did not notice the fact that he had left his notes behind.

He was at the bus stop when realized that. He had time to reach before 2 at the library. "Let me go get the notebook then," he said and ran back to Min Ah's. He saw the gates were open and the car parked in the front. The driver was back. He saw that the door were locked. He instead of ringing the doorbell he walked towards the side door to the patio that leads to the dining hall. He took his shoes off and touched the door handle.

"Please," he then heard Min Ah shivering whispers. "No," He took a few steps backward and looked through the window. His heart stopped.