Rapid Winds of Memories

"Why are you here?" I uttered coldly and crossed my arms, trying to melt a certain rock near his feet with my scorching gaze.

"You know, that's not very polite…" he answered quietly.

"What?" I spat the word and looked at his face. Wrong move. The very moment that my eyes met his, I was again, imprisoned. His eyes looked dead, unlike just an hour ago, when he hugged me.

"That's better, you should look at the one you're talking to, not some stray rock scattered around…" he explained and sighed.

"Whatever… so what are you here for?" I asked again, looking at him but seeing right through.

"This… I think you dropped it when you pushed me away…" he handed me my purse. Oh, the weird stuff is my wallet, I didn't notice. His hand brushed mine and the electricity from that simple touch shocked me, just like what it never fails to do before.

"I see… thanks…" I muttered and turned my back to him to go back inside and hide. I was about to open the door when he called me.

"Blaze…"

"That's Irish, don't call me by that stupid nickname anymore, it brings back nightmares, reminds me of a horrible past…" his tear streaked face didn't escape my eyes when I stole a look at him before slamming the door close.

I didn't notice my lips quivering as tears flowed, another round of crying for me.

---

"Hey, that's mine…" 15 year old Lance stated from behind. I jumped back from surprise and turned to him. He looked kind of generous, what with that brown, straight, chin length hair parted at the middle, warm brown eyes, soft looking lips, fair and slight pale complexion. Not to mention, that long sleeves white shirt and pants. A halo and wings are the only missing ones to complete the look.

I probably looked like I've seen rare specie or something; I can almost feel my jaw planted on the ground. Who cares? He is a definite jaw dropper anyway.

"Excuse me?" he said and thankfully, my daydreaming stopped. He has this uncomfortable look on his face. He must have felt really conscious from my stare.

"W-what?" I stuttered and blushed. I looked down from embarrassment. A long second passed and I thought he's angry. Instead, I heard a light chuckle. I looked up only to see him walking towards me, in my eyes though, he looked like he was floating with grace. His eyes shone like citrines, illuminated by the stained glass window behind me. His perfect smile almost blinded me with its beauty.

For the first time, I felt my mouth hanging wide open. My heart thumped like there's no tomorrow, like I ran 50 kilometer nonstop. I thought I'd die from aneurysm. It seems like my heart is slowly blown away every step he took. Finally, the angel reached me and the piano. A second passed and without tearing his eyes off mine, he asked,

"Do you play?" I was stunned for a second or so, tongue-tied from his angelic voice. I needed to shake my head and blinked a few times to regain my senses.

"Um… I know how to play some piece, but I'm not that good… I don't have my own keyboard at home…" I murmured in a quiet voice, still blushing.

"Oh, I see… do you want to play a few keys?" he said and finally tore his eyes off of mine to stare at the piano. He stared at it like it was carved from diamonds instead of wood. I smiled.

"Don't mind me…" I said, waving both my in front to emphasize my point. I heard another chuckle and a movement of chair. He looked at me again and smiled.

"Would it be okay if I play?" he asked as he pulled his sleeves up to his elbows, preparing I think.

"I-I would love to!" I answered in exclamation; the excitement in my voice was evident. It's embarrassing! I mentally hit my head. His head snapped up and looked at me curiously.

Oh, heck.

"I-I mean, I-I would like to hear you play… to, hmm… you know… to get some pointers, ideas, or something?" I stammered, my head tomato red from shame.

"Seriously… are you really a blushing person? I mean, do you blush that often?" he chuckled and sat on the piano bench to play.

I didn't move an inch; I didn't know what to do next or where to place myself. He looked at me and smiled.

"Are you planning to stand there and hear me play?"

"I, uhm… if-if you don't want to, I'll just go… sorry…" I said incoherently, ashamed of myself. I am about to turn around and leave when he laughed. I halted and once again looked at him, his face full of amusement.

"What are you saying? You are so weird… ha-ha…" he laughed again. I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Did he just lose his mind?

"What's funny?"

"I was just going to offer you a sit here beside me since the space left is still huge…" he answered when he managed to tame his laugh.

Oh, I thought he wanted me to leave.

"Oh… is that really okay?" I asked dumbly, my heart thumping like crazy.

I stared at the bench, true enough, there is still some place left for one person. Still, it will be too close. I don't know if I can survive from heart attack once I sit side by side with him.

Looking down, I slowly walked towards him, deliberating. When I finally reached it, I gulped hard and sat stiffly on that space, careful not to make any body contact with him, it would be too awkward to be so close.

"Relax… I don't have any plans to eat you… ha-ha…" he joked.

I can see the afternoon sunlight dancing with the piano keys, anticipating his hands. I was mesmerized to say the least. I didn't know that a grand piano can be this beautiful, maybe it's because some vague miracle is sitting by its front, ready to present another splendid magic.

"Okay… what song do you want?" he asked me. I finally tore my eyes off the keys and stared at him.

"Anything… anything would be great…" I whispered, dazzled. He flashed me another smile and finally performed his magic.

For the second time that day, my jaw dropped, kiss the rain flowed from his hands like the temperate blowing of the wind. My heart found its tune, my soul found its music.

I found someone to spend my life with.

"Irish? Hey…" Rico shook me gently and woke me up from my slumber. I blinked a few times, only to squint it close again when the first morning light peeking through an opening of the car window temporarily blinded me.

"We're here…" he continued. I forced my eyes to open again and the first face I saw was Lance's.

Wait, what? My eyes widened and I gasped. His citrine eyes are full of concern, maybe worried because of my audible gasp.

When my adrenaline pumped heart finally calmed down, I remembered that we are on Rico's car, driving to the church where the wedding will take its place - the same church where Lance and I first met.

Lance is the driver, and my seat is at the back of the driver's seat, and Rico is beside me. I guess Lance turned from his seat to check on us when the car stopped, signaling our arrival.

"Did I fell asleep on our way here? Sorry… I didn't get enough sleep last night…" I apologized, rubbing my eyes and retrieved my eyes from Lance to look at Rico, but mind you, that thing is hard to do.

"Don't worry about that… Did you have a bad dream?" Rico asked, touching my hair. I can feel Lance's uneasiness.

"The usual… I always have a bad dream… something in the past that I still can't forget… maybe because it pained me so much that it haunts me still…" I answered, my voice coated with bitterness. After hearing those things, Lance turned to his seat and didn't speak.

"Are you really okay?" Rico asked concernedly, his eyes full of questions, I smiled at him.

Heck I'm not okay, I'm all over the place.

"Don't mind me…"

---

"Are you ready?" my dad asked. We are on the far end of the aisle, ready for the practice wedding march. Everything is a whirlwind of old pictures, blowing me away.

"Yeah…" I can't answer coherently. My head is quite spinning, my migraine is attacking. Another big blow on my tortured head is hearing Lance play again. All the memories are coming back like the rapid turning of the pages of a beautiful scrapbook. He plays astonishingly, more perfect than before. I mean, who wouldn't be? He's a Julliard instructor after all!

But you know? Whatever.

"You don't look well, you're sweating bullets and look really pale…" my dad held my arm gently for support.

"I'm okay dad… really…" I answered weakly.

I can hear the chorus of Kiss the rain, my cue to walk. My knees are shaking, ready to give out any minute. On the middle of the aisle, I collapsed and the last thing I heard was the banging of piano keys.