"Welcome to creative chaos," said the professor from behind his screen, greeting us with a smile.
We settled into our spots, adjusting headphones and notebooks.
I positioned myself in front of my synthesizer and guitar, while Oriol was already testing some sounds on his keyboard. "Okay, Ren… you first," he said, with a confident smile.
I glanced at him and then at his keyboard, remembering that I also wanted to learn piano… but a keyboard would work too. "You know what? You go first," I said.
"Sure?" he looked at me, waiting for my nod.
I set my guitar aside. "Of course, you go first. I want to see what you come up with."
Oriol placed his fingers on the keys, focused. His hands moved with surprising ease, the sound transmitting clearly to my headphones.
"Hey, listen to this…" he murmured, making the melody a little more playful, almost comical.
I couldn't help but smile. "Okay, that was… unexpected. Clumsy."
He leaned toward me with a mischievous grin. "Wasn't that you? Twerpy Tempo."
I picked up my guitar and focused on the synthesizer in front of me. I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and let my fingers follow the rhythm Oriol had created.
Little by little, the melody began to transform. My version added small variations, notes that made the sound lighter, but with Oriol's theme in my mind, it morphed into a musical joke.
The headphones slipped off with my exaggerated movements, and our classmates turned to look at me, trying to suppress laughter at the type of music we were making.
When I finished, Oriol applauded, laughing. "Only you, Ren! The nickname fits you perfectly. Twerp Tempo."
I just rolled my eyes and smiled inwardly, feeling the music fill the lab with a more relaxed, fun atmosphere.
The professor raised his voice, breaking my concentration. "Today we'll work on mixes and layers. I want you to experiment with simple melodies and then transform them by adding effects."
Oriol focused on his work, playing with his synthesizer, creating strange sounds that made me laugh. His hands danced across the controls, forming a cacophony that somehow had rhythm. I removed the headphones from his console and concentrated on mine.
I sighed and connected to mine. I closed my eyes for a moment, recalling the energy of the subway and the small joy I had shared there. If I could bring that feeling into the lab… maybe I could write my own song soon. I inhaled deeply and began playing a soft riff on the guitar.
Oriol nodded his head to his music, clearly enjoying himself. The professor approved with a nod, jotting notes in his notebook while listening on his own console, which could be linked to anyone's.
I decided to experiment a bit more, altering an original melody and adding a comic touch to the rhythm. It felt strange but good, nothing definitive.
We continued testing chord and rhythm combinations, exchanging ideas, and laughing at the most absurd sounds that arose. The class became light and fun; each mistake seemed to turn into something creative.
Time passed. When the professor finally said, "Alright, everyone, that's enough for today," Oriol shot me a knowing look. "Let's go grab lunch soon. It's Tuesday, and Dani can't get us a table."
We walked out of the lab, leaving behind the scent of coffee and the consoles. Oriol walked a few steps ahead, moving his hands as if still conducting the melody we had created.
"Ready, Ren? What do you want for lunch?" he asked, turning toward me.
"Anything… as long as it's not spicy," I replied.
Laughing, Oriol opened the cafeteria door. We saw an empty table nearby and set our things down. As we sat, Christina, the girl who worked as a waitress, came over.
With her order pad in hand, she pointed at Oriol. "A 600ml soda and scrambled eggs with beans and extra tortillas."
Oriol smiled and replied, "You know me so well! How about we go out today, Christy?" I rolled my eyes.
Christina smiled and looked at me. "Lemonade or hibiscus? Today we have chilaquiles, but I can ask Doña Rosa to make them with tomato for you, Are you ok with that?"
I put my hand to my chin. "Lemonade, please. And if you could make them special, that would be great."
Christina finished noting it down and was about to leave when Dani arrived and said, "Hey Christina, the usual for me, please." The girl gave a thumbs up and went to place the order.
"Hey, Dani," I greeted as we sat. "Did you get anything interesting done today?"
"A couple of ideas," he replied, looking between his notebook and laptop. "But I'll need your opinion later, Ren. I need a second perspective."
Oriol burst out laughing, then made an exaggerated indignant face. "And I'm just here for decoration, huh!"
Dani sighed, pretending to be annoyed. "Not today, Oriol… today is productivity day."
Christina brought the food, and we ate quickly, laughing and sharing small jokes. The conversation stayed light, filled with trivial topics.
When it came time to ask for the bill, an idea struck me. "Hey Christina, want to come with us to karaoke?" Oriol shot me a knowing look and whispered, "Ren, don't push it, she already said no."
Christina looked slightly surprised and, blushing a little, nodded. "I get off at 4, are you coming to pick me up?"
I nodded, smiling. "Yes, and if you can invite a friend, even better."
Christina smiled. "Of course, I'll tell some friends. How many of you are going?"
I looked at Oriol, and he answered, "The three of us, and Lalo, but I'm not sure if Lalo is really going."
We wrapped up the conversation and agreed to meet after classes. Leaving the cafeteria and entering the hallway of the classrooms, Daniel and Oriol stopped me. "Who are you, buddy?"
I pushed them aside. "Leave me alone, idiots."
Oriol grabbed my shoulders. "Seriously, man? You asked Christy out and she said yes!"
Daniel adjusted his glasses. "Seriously, Ren, that was awesome. If one of the girls she brings is Luz, I'll build an altar for you and pray to it every day."
The three of us laughed. "As long as you don't turn into a stalker like the one chasing Football Head, all good."
Daniel looked at me and then hit me on the arm. "I take it back…"
The three of us headed into our core classes, hoping they'd end soon.