Learning to Fly

[Riley Forrester]

During all her trails and all her hardships, there had always been one thing that had stuck with Riley through thick and thin

Music.

So it should come as no surprise that she was sequestered away in the music room, acoustic guitar in hand as she played a song that popped into her head the moment she entered the door and sat down. Her fingers had moved almost of their own violation, picking up the tune before she had even registered she was playing. But now that she knew she was, she simply let it flow and didn't question it. It was easy for her to do that, to be honest, especially with no one around. Well, no one around that she had any knowledge of. Someone always seemed to be able to find her no matter where she went. Was that a curse or a blessing? Guess it depends on who finds me. She decided with a shrug. 

Eventually she ended the song though, and had the strangest feeling that someone was there. And wouldn't you know it, someone was! Riley blinked at the sudden newcomer. Wow seriously this is becoming something of a thing that keeps happening to me. But I guess music attracts people of all kinds. To either compliment or complain. She figured. Although she really hoped this was a complimenter or just a commenter. She didn't want to deal with complaining today. "Uh, hey! Sorry about that, you need the room?" Riley asked, resting her guitar against her legs.

Please don't be a complainer.

[Piper Galloway]

Piper, it seemed, rarely found herself with much to do when she wasn't in class or doing homework. Her life had devolved into a rather boring, pathetically predictable routine of school and the trappings that surrounded it. Aside from the weekly book club ran by her English teacher, Piper had little else going that didn't revolve around her double major curriculum. She supposed it worked out well enough. It wasn't as if she had many (or any) friends to speak of that demanded her attention. Much like it had been back in the UK orphanages she'd grown up in, Piper was largely alone. An outcast pushed to the fringes of normalcy and relegated to near exile.

Every so often, though, Piper did find the time to wander the halls of Bellefonte. Even after having spent the last three years on campus it still didn't feel right. She couldn't shake the feeling alienation and isolation. It didn't feel like home. Then again, it wasn't as if she'd know what that felt like to begin with. Piper had never experienced any sort of 'home' and she didn't figure Bellefonte would be any different.

The muffled sound coming from the music room caught Piper's attention. She hurried over toward the door and leaned in close, pressing her ear to the glass so she could get a better listen. She didn't dare open the door and step inside whilst whoever was engaged in the fantastic performance was still going, lest she trigger the ever present noise sensitivity that kept her from leaving her room most days. Once the song had ended, though, and the notes faded, Piper did steel herself and venture inside. With eyes wide she peered around, quickly spotting the performer and carefully, almost gingerly making her way closer. "Oh!" She exclaimed when the young woman noticed her. "No, don't mind me." Piper said softly, a small, yet warm smile touching her lips as she looked to the young woman with the guitar. "That was lovely!" She said, her British accent still thick even after years of living among Americans. The small girl's words came out barely above a hushed whisper. Her tone was soft and almost pleasant to behold. "Did you write that?"

[Riley Forrester]

Wow this girl was....soft. For some reason that's all that came to Riley's head when she observed her sudden visitor. Soft. Maybe it was from a mix of her demeanor and appearance in the first five seconds she came into Riley's view. Although once she started talking, that British tone of hers had Riley's mind unwillingly recalling someone else. She shoved it down hard and buried it deep. Jeez Riley. Is this going to happen every time? Are you just going to avoid British people from now on? Her brain scolded. Since it (admittedly) had a point, Riley looked at the girl with a fresh view and tried not to remember.

Luckily the girl did not seem like a complainer (Yes!) and instead praised Riley in a soft voice. It only cemented her thoughts on the strange 'softness' to the girl. "Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it." Riley said genuinely, smiling back at the girl. "Sadly no, I didn't make that. It was just a cover to a song. 'Learn to Fly' by the Foo Fighters." Riley explained. "I usually play covers when I'm just hanging out." She added before shifting more to face the new girl. Then she gave her little trademark two-finger salute from her temple with a lopsided grin. "By the way, my name's Riley." She introduced herself.

"So can I ask what brings you to the music room? I hope I wasn't disturbing you or anything." She said. The walls were thick enough to block out sound, or at least so Riley thought.

[Piper Galloway]

"My name's Piper, it's a pleasure to meet you." Piper didn't seem disappointed in the slightest to learn the other girl hadn't written the song herself. She nodded slowly even as the name of the band Riley offered did bring out a soft snicker. "I'm terribly sorry." Piper said politely, attempting to stifle the smirk that just wouldn't go away. "Did you say 'Foo Fighters'?" She asked, her eyes shining brightly. "What is a 'Foo Fighter'?"

"Oh!" Piper almost looked surprised that Riley would ask such a thing. It was as if she'd been taken off guard by such an innocent and expected question. She turned slightly, glancing toward the door she'd just walked in through before her gaze returned to Riley and another smile spread across her face. This one was far more sheepish and nearly apologetic. "I like to hear people play." She admitted with a shrug of her tiny shoulders. "I pop in here and there to see if anyone's around. I keep my distance, I don't know if any of them know I'd been listening." Piper's features suddenly grew serious as her eyes widened. "I hope you don't mind. It was such a lovely song. I didn't mean to intrude."

[Riley Forrester]

"Nice to meet you too Piper." Riley stated with a friendly smile. So far Riley's visitor seemed like an ok kind of girl. She really wasn't complaining that the girl didn't seem like a mean one. Although the little snicker made Riley raise an eyebrow and smirk slightly. Now what's so funny huh? She wondered. Then the girl asked her question and Riley understood. "Oh, it's a band. Rock band to be more precise. They're pretty darn good! I'd ask if you knew any of their songs, but seeing as you didn't even know they were a band..." She trailed off with a chuckle, shrugging. It would be pointless to ask if the girl hadn't even heard of them.

Whoa did she say something wrong? The girl seemed so surprised at Riley's question, the punky girl was half worried she'd said something bad. However she eventually smiled, so Riley could breath with relief again. She seemed sort of sheepish when she admitted to listening to people play. Riley chuckled and waved it off though. "Nah, I understand." She said before the girl went on. The serious face only made Riley chuckle again and shake her head. "No no! It's all good! I somehow always have a sudden audience anyhow. Really I should be used to people popping up by now." She stated. Then she blinked.

"Wow. That sounded really conceited." She realized with a face palm. "Ugh what I mean is people usually walk in on me playing. You're good, trust me." She reassured the girl with a smile.

[Piper Galloway]

Piper gave a sheepish shrug of her shoulders. Sadly she didn't know much of anything Riley spoke of. Pop culture, on the whole, had escaped Piper for many of her years and being from England didn't help matters in the slightest. She felt a little out of place for not recognizing the song and even a bit foolish for snickering at the name of the music group. "And you'd be correct." She said with a curt nod. "I'm afraid my exposure to American music is limited, to say the least." Piper admitted shyly. "But I'd like to learn sometime." She said hopefully, curiously studying Riley.

Piper then issued a soft giggle, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth as Riley facepalmed. "No, it's fine." She said quickly, not wanting Riley to she'd said anything wrong. "I understand what you're saying. Do you get a lot of people walking in on you?" Piper asked curiously. Her eyes gleamed brightly as she watched Riley. There was almost a childlike wonder in her gaze. She couldn't help but glance down to the guitar Riley still held in her hands. "Do you like the audience?" Piper's attention lifted to Riley again as she spoke. "Don't some artists like that?"

[Riley Forrester]

Riley felt bad that the girl suddenly looked so shy about not knowing the music. From what she could see and hear, the girl seemed like she hadn't been in America all that long. Cause damn her accent was pretty thick (and still reminding Riley a little too much of someone else, although he was covering it well). When Piper said she'd like to learn more, Riley's eyes instantly lit up and she grinned widely. "Well I'd be happy to introduce you to a few songs and such. Music should definitely be shared. What kind of stuff do you like?" She asked with a chuckle.

A smirk grew on her face. This chick wasn't half bad at all. "Yeah, surprisingly. I've got no idea how. like seriously sometimes the places I go I figure no one would be around but 'poof' there they are!" Riley made the whole poof motion with one hand before chuckling and shaking her head. "Nah, the audience is alright but I don't really crave it like crazy. Like some of those other artists you see who're stuck up and all." Riley had to roll her eyes as she thought of a few. "Yeah some artists like it, but really I just love playing and making people happy. But I don't solely play to gather an audience." Riley ran her fingers through her hair instinctively. She didn't know if she was exactly helping to explain. "You get what I mean? Sorry I feel like I'm botching this up. Not the best at explaining."

[Piper Galloway]

Piper always seemed to expect rejection from everyone she met. It had been the mantra for the vast majority of her life and she didn't see a change to that anytime soon. Often she felt it had started from birth, being cast away by her parents before being bounced from foster home to foster home. Every step of the way it felt as though she was being treated as little more than a burden. This made even the most outwardly simple things, such as a stranger offering to introduce her to new music, seem like a major event. Piper's eyes positively lit up at Riley's words. A smile crept onto her face that was reminiscent of a child's after being told they would be going to Disneyland. "Oh, that would be lovely!" She exclaimed, even going so far as to clasp her hands together in glee. "I'm afraid I don't know much American music beyond what's on the radio."

Piper let out a soft giggle as Riley continued speaking. She nodded hastily, the gleam in her eyes and the smile that forever played at the corners of her lips never wavering. "I do!" She said, happy that she did, in fact, understand what Riley was talking about. "You're doing fine." She assured with a curt nod. "I'm just glad I finally met one of the less stuck up ones." She admitted.

[Riley Forrester]

Oh wow.

Wow.

Was the girl really this happy about Riley just introducing her to some music? Her eyes lit up like spotlights when Riley made her offer, and Riley definitely was not expecting the reaction to be that strong. At the very least she figured Piper might be happy or would politely decline, but she was even clasping her hands together as she agreed heartily. Riley felt her heart melt a little as she smiled, shaking her head. "That's alright. The radio's a pretty good place to start. It's the more mainstream stuff that everyone usually knows about and likes. Have you heard any songs you've like from the radio? We can go all 'hipster' and get out of mainstream from that." Wait had she really just said that? 'Go all hipster?' Oh god Riley you butt. Her brain scolded. What a dork.

The soft giggle managed to make Riley smile a little more. Piper really seemed like a sweet girl. The fact she got what Riley was failing so hard to explain kind of clued Riley in even more that she was nice. Or at least understanding of a babbling musician. And the compliment managed to put just a hint of color on Riley's cheeks. Why was she always so bad with compliments? "Heh. Thanks. There's a lot of better musicians than me out there though." She did appreciate the compliments but Riley never really knew what to do with them. Other than redirect them in a way. "But hey if you liked the song I could play you another one. I don't have much else to do right now."

[Piper Galloway]

It may have seemed such a minor thing to someone like Riley but to Piper it meant far more than she could ever put into words. She nodded hastily, offering a bit of a laugh as Riley spoke, paused, then backtracked once again. Piper waved a hand dismissively, her head shaking. "Oh, I wouldn't know the difference." She admitted with a hint of sheepishness touching her voice. "I don't listen to the radio much. Or at all really." She shrugged, though her attention remained locked on Riley. "I know it must be weird my getting this excited over something so small." The smile returned then. "But I've never had anyone offer to show me."

"That may be true." Piper said in reply to Riley's modesty. "But other musicians don't have the time of day for someone who's interested in what they do." She felt the need to point out curtly. Piper let out a short laugh and nodded hastily. "If you don't mind an audience you're welcome to play whatever you like. I'm sure I'll love it." She said, forcing herself to pull her attention away from the other girl in order to look around for a comfortable place to sit.

[Riley Forrester]

At least Riley kept the girl laughing and smiling. That was a good thing right? She still didn’t really think she was doing much by introducing the girl to music. Although when Piper mentioned she hardly listened to the radio either, Riley found herself maaaaaybe changing her mind. “Really? Well that just gives us more to work! We’ll have you rocking out to something in no time!” It took Riley a few seconds before she realized how dorky she sounded. She smacked her forehead. “Sorry that was….bad.” She apologized with a half smirk. Although it faded when Piper mentioned no one offering to show her. “Seriously? Well that sucks. I’ll show you some.”

Every time someone praised her Riley couldn’t help but blush a little. Piper was no except, and Riley found herself smilingly dorkishly and running her fingers through her hair. “Umm….thanks.” She managed to say. Although when Piper mentioned her minding an audience, Riley shook her head. “Naaah. It’s fine! I love to play.” She said before thinking. “Hmmm…. Alright let’s try this.” She said before picking another song to play. It felt good to be playing for someone else, although eventually it came to an end and Riley Grinned at Piper.

“Tadaaaaa."