Renegades: KotLC

Lessons-7

A beautiful sound rang out as Evander strummed the guitar in swift, fast motions, her eyes could barely keep up as his fingers brushed the strings. Music danced through the air, echoing throughout the city as Sophie sat beside him atop the roof. When he'd finished, she applauded. 

"You'll be doing this by next Friday," he said, grinning as he handed the guitar off to her. She traced her finger along the design. The body was a dark black, while the neck glittered an orange-gold. 

"I doubt that," she told him, eyes not leaving the guitar. "I suck at everything." 

"I doubt that," Evander countered, flashing her a smirk. Her cheeks flushed, her memory returning to Keefe. And then... the moment was gone. Keefe... He hated her. He'd said it himself, not wanting her to ever return. She'd been too afraid to pick up the spyball since then.

"Sophie."

Sophie flinched as the sudden sound of Evander's voice called her. She looked at him, realizing she'd been lost in thought. 

"Sorry. Teach away." He returned her smile, before proceeding to list the parts of the guitar. Sophie did her best to listen, she really did. The body, the neck, the tuning keys... But at some point, she'd lost interest. Keefe would've been able to do it, she thought. He was good at keeping her focused, captivated. And now... Tears pooled. He was gone. And he hated her. 

The sound of music stopped, and Sophie realized he'd started to play again after listing the names of each part.

"Sophie," Evander said. "Are you okay? You look... tired." 

"I'm fine," she insisted. "It's just..." Sophie held her tongue. He'd already suffered through enough of her traumatic story, though "trauma" might've been over exaggerating. She offered a smile, though it probably looked sad in his eyes. "Nothing. I'm tired, you're right. I'll try harder to concentrate, though. Promise." 

He opened his mouth to say more, but Sophie shot him a pleading look, and he went back to teaching, once again repeating the names of each guitar part. Head, frets, nut, fingerboard, strings... The list went on, and her photographic memory recorded it all. When asked to repeat, she did so.

She then watched him play a simple tune, still true music in her ears. Her eyes focused on the strings, which ones made which sounds, and they finished the lesson by tuning guitars, changing it up, and tuning it again. After a while, Sophie found that Keefe no longer haunted her mind, instead letting the music fill the empty space left by his memory. That's right, she decided. She'd forget about him. He hated her, and she didn't need him. She had the Renegades. Maybe not so much Kenna, but she had Rajni, and Koen... and especially Evander. 

Her cheeks flushed, and she shook the thoughts away. She was still getting over Fitz, and maybe Keefe. There was no time for another silly crush, especially being "siblings" now. Very, very close siblings, her intrusive thoughts added. Scolding herself, she watched as Evander left the room, back inside. Sophie stayed, however, letting her thoughts wander wherever they pleased. 

She'd forget about Keefe. He hated her, and she could prove she didn't need him. It would hurt at first, but Keefe had worn a mask all his life. She could do the same. Or at the very least, she could try. She let her mind speed through all her memories of the Lost Cities, but each time a negative emotion would surface, she'd force it away. Convince herself it wasn't real. Losing the Lost Cities and all the wonderful people in it had left a hole in Sophie, but maybe she could fill it. Maybe... Maybe she could move on. 

Maybe... She shoved the thoughts away. It was impossible, and though Sophie had become a master  at doing the impossible, she doubted this was something she'd ever be capable of doing. Even if she wanted.

The door to downstairs opened and Sophie turned to find... "Iggy?" She smiled as the little imp scittered across the platform and onto her lap. He snuggled up to her, probably missing her. That made it so much better. At least someone from the Lost Cities had her back. At least she had something to show for all her trauma back in that place. Gently stroking Iggy's back as his breath steadied, she noticed his magenta curls were faded back into grey.