Eros' Vibrato (Venturesome Trilogy #1)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 : Surprises

"Crap!" I blustered running with all my might. My legs shook while I muttered every curse word I knew.

I was already ten minutes late for rehearsal and on top of that, today was the scheduled arrival for the guest conductor Mister Lee was talking about last time. I just hope he isn't a type of conductor that shouts at people. I closed my eyes, quite intensely.

"Dang it!" I took a look on my watch one last time before leaning at the door. Trying to hear the dialogues that were currently taking place inside the room.

They already started practicing our piece. Should I just stay absent and pretend that I was sick and couldn't attend practice?

No, April. Tao lang din sila. They're professionals. I'm sure they'll understand. I tried to apply a bit of force to the door when another thought suddenly crossed to mind. Exactly, April! They're professionals. I doubt they'll let this slide.

Mariin akong napapikit bago marahang sinubukang maglakad papalabas ng rehearsal room habang bitbit ko ang aking violin case. Pero bago pa man ako makatalikod ay biglang nag bukas ang pinto. Bumungad sa akin ang isang nanlalaki ang mata'ng si Naycie ngunit maya-maya ay may lumitaw na naglalarong ngisi sa kanyang mapupulang mga labi.

I furrowed my eyebrows, unconsciously. "Oh April! We were just talking about you!" she exclaimed, quite loudly.

Hindi ko alam kung sinasadya niyang lakasan ang pag tawag sa aking pangalan basta ang alam ko lamang ay... she's obviously up to no good. My gut is telling me that she's up to no good.

I had no choice but to walk inside the dead-silence rehearsal room. They were all looking at me, some were wide-eyed, others were looking at me with pity, and some just gave me a "yikes" look. Just great. I could only hear Naycie's high heels stomping on the floor.

I kept a blank face but my gestures were definitely betraying the heck out of me. I was shaking a lot. I struggled assembling the chin rest, it was clanking loudly, which I intensely closed eyes upon. Me fixing my note stand this noisily will haunt me forever. What's even more haunting is the guest conductor stare at me. He looked like I did something to his children.. and his children's children.

"Thank you for waiting." I said, Mister Lee looked at me and crooked his lips. "I-I'm sorry for-"

"What's your name?" the guest conductor's tone raised at the end of the question. I could feel my face slowly become beet root red, but I maintained a straight face, trying to keep things cool.

"April, sir." I briefly answered his stare with mine before harshly looking away... somewhere around the room.

Is that a butterfly?

"Play the phrase," he instructed me, quite harshly, making my hands move. I hesitated to pick up the violin but I did anyway. My posture was rigid and my bow was a bit shaking. But I managed to play the phrase correctly.

Or I thought I did.

"Play it louder!" he shouted to the top of his throat. I crooked an eyebrow. "I can't hear you! Pumunta ka pa rito kung hindi ka rin naman pala tutugtog ng maayos? Sinasayang mo oras ko!" he shouted at me.

Beethoven would be delighted to meet you.

"Oh wow, pero sabi sa sheet piano da-"