[notes: day 7, part 2!! my brain rot is so bad I cannot stop writing it's impossible!! also i ended up making this part of a longer fic :) ]
xinyan is the best violin player in the entire orchestra. venti told me she's in his choir class too.
we sit on opposite sides of the room, me trying my best to play the right note on my clarinet and her focused on the teacher. she makes it look effortless, the way the bow glides across the strings, the way her expression changes with the song.
i heard her sing at the school's christmas concert. she had a solo.
her voice was strong and clear, with just the right amount of emotion behind it.
that was the moment i was sure she'd stolen my heart.
i didn't get to talk to her until spring!
it was after our spring concert. she was about to leave, she was still wearing her uniform for orchestra. i ran up to her and grabbed her by the shoulder. she turned around and i forgot my name.
fuck.
"um." shit fuck shit archons what the fuck "i. um. i play clarinet. and. um. do you want to.. get food with me?"
she's silent for a second and i'm about to panic and run away.
"you're xiangling, right? sophomore?" she asks. i nod, earning a small chuckle from her. "sure, just let me text my mom. where are we going?"
fuck. i didn't think that part through at all.
"um.. mcdonald's?" it's the first thing that comes to my mind and it sounds stupid..
"hell yeah. sounds fuckin' perfect." she types something into her phone and stuffs it in her pocket. "lead the way, xiangling who plays clarinet."
i swear to god i've never met someone as cool as her.
i don't have a car, but it's not too far away. the silence as we walk is nearly stifling but i can't think of a single thing to say.
"hey, xiangling," she says after what seems like ages. "i never told ya my name, did i?"
"i know it," i half-whisper. "it's xinyan, right?"
"that's right! xinyan who's gonna get a fuckin' milkshake." she laughs and i get the feeling she's trying to lighten up the situation.
the mcdonald's in our town is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. even around seven pm it's busy. xinyan and i order separately- she gets a happy meal with a milkshake and i settle for just some chicken nuggets.
after we sit down, hidden at a table in the corner, everything starts to get easier. xinyan has no problem leading the conversation and i have no problem just listening to her.
everything she has to say is something interesting.
