Categories > Original > Drama > The Talent Expedition
"Wake up, Jacob! Wake up!"
Jacob slowly opened his eyes and saw his mother staring at him from above. He got up with ease, which surprised her mother. Jacob was back home in his cottage. Confused, he asked her mother for all of the details.
"Today is the day of the recital. I took care of all your minor injuries earlier," said Jacob's mother. "Are you ready? It starts in one hour."
"I'm ready," said Jacob as he got himself something to eat. He felt as if his mother wasn't telling him something.
His mother said, "As usual, I can't come with you. Get ready to walk there alone."
Jacob finished his snack and got dressed for the recital. He didn't like recitals, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't like piano. In fact, he loved piano, it was just the fact of the attention. He could live with one recital per year, but more made him go nuts.
He was all ready to go with a half hour to spare. Jacob spent that time warming up his hands on the piano to get ready. It was only twenty minutes later when he started to feel bored, so he just started on his way to the recital to get there early.
The transition from the forest to the city was loud, but Jacob kept walking along. There were lots of stagecoaches riding around like a yipping dog, and one almost hit him. Why are they in a rush? Jacob asked as he started to run there. After about five minutes, Jacob realized he was lost. He hadn't been in the city too often and didn't know the streets very well. He ran along the allies that suddenly became silent from stagecoaches and people, hoping to find his way soon.
After the next ally, he saw a girl in the distance with honey-colored hair on the ground, crying. There were 2 boys getting in her way. Jacob ran up to the boys and said, "What do you think you are doing?"
The boys looked at each other with worry. It reminded Jacob of Morris and Leiner. How tricky they were, and mean at the end. Only a few seconds passed when they ran away, probably afraid to get caught.
"Hey, are you okay?" Jacob asked. The girl looked up at him, seeing he was the one who stood up to the bullies. "I'm Jacob. What's wrong? Do you need help?"
The girl sniffled, "Just a little bruised is all." She tried getting up, but failed.
Jacob leaned in and inspected different bruises around her arms, legs, and face. "Well, it doesn't look too bad," he said as he pulled out a handkerchief. Jacob wetted it with his water bottle and applied pressure with it to different bruises. The girl just sat there shaking. "There we go," said Jacob. "That should keep it from looking too bad."
The girl looked down at it and said, "It still hurts!"
She could not get up, so Jacob took her hand as he pulled her up. She swung up and looked surprised as she landed in his arms. "Thanks," she said, blushing, as they backed up.
Jacob started asking lots of questions like, "Who were those guys?" and "Where are you going?" The girl explained everything to him.
"Those guys are dangerous bullies who own this ally. It was too crowded to get to where I was going one way, so I took this way. I am going to the piano recital just down this ally. My name is Serena."
Jacob seemed to understand everything. "I am going to the recital as well! Nice to meet you, Serena."
Both Serena and Jacob walked to the recital down the ally with nobody to bother them. On the way there, Serena noticed that Jacob looked completely normal, like nothing just happened. She was still worried about the performance, and she was walking there with a BOY! She tried to look normal herself, but failed.
"You look nervous, Serena. What's wrong?"
Serena refocused herself and responded, "I am playing a duet with a friend of mine, but I am nervous about the recital."
"It's okay to feel nervous," said Jacob. "Who are you playing with?"
Serena said, "Shannon Slin."
Jacob stayed silent as he was thinking. He spoke up saying, "I think I know Shannon. Is she blonde and about your age?"
"How do you know her?" gasped Serena.
Jacob explained, "She said she was going to come over to the forest tomorrow with me, but her mother said she was sick. Do you need her?"
"I am playing the piano with her, and now with no one else to help..." she cried, dropping on the ground.
Jacob knelt beside her. "I'm sorry. It seems like you have been practicing a song for a while." Serena continued to cry softly. What song were you going to play?" asked Jacob.
Serena took the sheet music out of her sachel without a word and showed him the song. Jacob's eyes suddenly lit up when he saw the song. "I've played this part before! It's a piece of cake! Serena, is it okay if I play this with you? That way, you'll be in the recital!" Serena then felt better and said she would as she got up.
They got there in a breeze just as the last people were filing in. A number of people played with great pieces, but then, Jacob's solo came on. Everyone was looking intently at him as he played. That made Serena confused. Did these people know him?
After he played, he got a big applause, and Serena congratulated him on his performance. After another number of performers went, Serena and Jacob were called up to play. The audience seemed very interested that Jacob was playing again.
While they played, Serena was feeling very worried. She was sitting next to someone kind of cute who was excellent at the piano. Serena herself had been practicing for weeks and was still nervous. A new friend to play with, a tricky song, a large audience, lots of bruises from bullies, how much more complicated can it get? She glanced at Jacob several times. He wasn't noticing what was really going on, but looked like he was at peace. This comforted Serena, and she finished the song strong, blushing.
The two got a trememdous applause as they sat back down. The next player started to play while Jacob and Serena started to whisper.
"Jacob, you did ammazing!" said Serena.
"You were even better. I didn't get any practice with this. You got two weeks!" responded Jacob.
"No, Jacob. You saved me from the two boys, helped me by playing the other part, just admit it."
"Okay, how about we both did equally great?"
Serena giggled. "I can agree with that." They stopped in silence as the players finished one by one.
When the last player hit the last chord, an applause went out, and the man who was conducting the recital announced refreshments. Everyone was rushing through to the next room in such a hurry that Jacob and Serena got seperated. Serena kept looking throughout the crowd of rushing people, calling Jacob's name when a hand grabbed her. She turned her head to see Jacob pulling her in his direction.
Jacob guided her around the crowd until they reached the table of the scented sweets. As they talked and laughed, the audience got less crowded as people started on their way home. They heard a grandfather clock ring 12 times and knew it was time to go home for lunch.
"Bye, Jacob. It was fun spending time with you," said Serena.
"You're welcome. I'm glad we could play together," said Jacob finishing a glass of water. "I hope Shannon gets better."
At that last phrase, they parted ways. Serena and Jacob walked opposite directions. Jacob walked back to the forest, grinning, and Serena skipped all the way home, blushing like mad.
Jacob slowly opened his eyes and saw his mother staring at him from above. He got up with ease, which surprised her mother. Jacob was back home in his cottage. Confused, he asked her mother for all of the details.
"Today is the day of the recital. I took care of all your minor injuries earlier," said Jacob's mother. "Are you ready? It starts in one hour."
"I'm ready," said Jacob as he got himself something to eat. He felt as if his mother wasn't telling him something.
His mother said, "As usual, I can't come with you. Get ready to walk there alone."
Jacob finished his snack and got dressed for the recital. He didn't like recitals, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't like piano. In fact, he loved piano, it was just the fact of the attention. He could live with one recital per year, but more made him go nuts.
He was all ready to go with a half hour to spare. Jacob spent that time warming up his hands on the piano to get ready. It was only twenty minutes later when he started to feel bored, so he just started on his way to the recital to get there early.
The transition from the forest to the city was loud, but Jacob kept walking along. There were lots of stagecoaches riding around like a yipping dog, and one almost hit him. Why are they in a rush? Jacob asked as he started to run there. After about five minutes, Jacob realized he was lost. He hadn't been in the city too often and didn't know the streets very well. He ran along the allies that suddenly became silent from stagecoaches and people, hoping to find his way soon.
After the next ally, he saw a girl in the distance with honey-colored hair on the ground, crying. There were 2 boys getting in her way. Jacob ran up to the boys and said, "What do you think you are doing?"
The boys looked at each other with worry. It reminded Jacob of Morris and Leiner. How tricky they were, and mean at the end. Only a few seconds passed when they ran away, probably afraid to get caught.
"Hey, are you okay?" Jacob asked. The girl looked up at him, seeing he was the one who stood up to the bullies. "I'm Jacob. What's wrong? Do you need help?"
The girl sniffled, "Just a little bruised is all." She tried getting up, but failed.
Jacob leaned in and inspected different bruises around her arms, legs, and face. "Well, it doesn't look too bad," he said as he pulled out a handkerchief. Jacob wetted it with his water bottle and applied pressure with it to different bruises. The girl just sat there shaking. "There we go," said Jacob. "That should keep it from looking too bad."
The girl looked down at it and said, "It still hurts!"
She could not get up, so Jacob took her hand as he pulled her up. She swung up and looked surprised as she landed in his arms. "Thanks," she said, blushing, as they backed up.
Jacob started asking lots of questions like, "Who were those guys?" and "Where are you going?" The girl explained everything to him.
"Those guys are dangerous bullies who own this ally. It was too crowded to get to where I was going one way, so I took this way. I am going to the piano recital just down this ally. My name is Serena."
Jacob seemed to understand everything. "I am going to the recital as well! Nice to meet you, Serena."
Both Serena and Jacob walked to the recital down the ally with nobody to bother them. On the way there, Serena noticed that Jacob looked completely normal, like nothing just happened. She was still worried about the performance, and she was walking there with a BOY! She tried to look normal herself, but failed.
"You look nervous, Serena. What's wrong?"
Serena refocused herself and responded, "I am playing a duet with a friend of mine, but I am nervous about the recital."
"It's okay to feel nervous," said Jacob. "Who are you playing with?"
Serena said, "Shannon Slin."
Jacob stayed silent as he was thinking. He spoke up saying, "I think I know Shannon. Is she blonde and about your age?"
"How do you know her?" gasped Serena.
Jacob explained, "She said she was going to come over to the forest tomorrow with me, but her mother said she was sick. Do you need her?"
"I am playing the piano with her, and now with no one else to help..." she cried, dropping on the ground.
Jacob knelt beside her. "I'm sorry. It seems like you have been practicing a song for a while." Serena continued to cry softly. What song were you going to play?" asked Jacob.
Serena took the sheet music out of her sachel without a word and showed him the song. Jacob's eyes suddenly lit up when he saw the song. "I've played this part before! It's a piece of cake! Serena, is it okay if I play this with you? That way, you'll be in the recital!" Serena then felt better and said she would as she got up.
They got there in a breeze just as the last people were filing in. A number of people played with great pieces, but then, Jacob's solo came on. Everyone was looking intently at him as he played. That made Serena confused. Did these people know him?
After he played, he got a big applause, and Serena congratulated him on his performance. After another number of performers went, Serena and Jacob were called up to play. The audience seemed very interested that Jacob was playing again.
While they played, Serena was feeling very worried. She was sitting next to someone kind of cute who was excellent at the piano. Serena herself had been practicing for weeks and was still nervous. A new friend to play with, a tricky song, a large audience, lots of bruises from bullies, how much more complicated can it get? She glanced at Jacob several times. He wasn't noticing what was really going on, but looked like he was at peace. This comforted Serena, and she finished the song strong, blushing.
The two got a trememdous applause as they sat back down. The next player started to play while Jacob and Serena started to whisper.
"Jacob, you did ammazing!" said Serena.
"You were even better. I didn't get any practice with this. You got two weeks!" responded Jacob.
"No, Jacob. You saved me from the two boys, helped me by playing the other part, just admit it."
"Okay, how about we both did equally great?"
Serena giggled. "I can agree with that." They stopped in silence as the players finished one by one.
When the last player hit the last chord, an applause went out, and the man who was conducting the recital announced refreshments. Everyone was rushing through to the next room in such a hurry that Jacob and Serena got seperated. Serena kept looking throughout the crowd of rushing people, calling Jacob's name when a hand grabbed her. She turned her head to see Jacob pulling her in his direction.
Jacob guided her around the crowd until they reached the table of the scented sweets. As they talked and laughed, the audience got less crowded as people started on their way home. They heard a grandfather clock ring 12 times and knew it was time to go home for lunch.
"Bye, Jacob. It was fun spending time with you," said Serena.
"You're welcome. I'm glad we could play together," said Jacob finishing a glass of water. "I hope Shannon gets better."
At that last phrase, they parted ways. Serena and Jacob walked opposite directions. Jacob walked back to the forest, grinning, and Serena skipped all the way home, blushing like mad.
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