Operation: Threads of Connection

I'm Sorry

As she spoke, I couldn't help but glance over at Anya. She was already busy measuring out ingredients, her pink hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Her focus and determination were evident, and it made me smile despite the lingering tension.

Alina  nudged me. "Hey, focus. We need to get our ingredients."

"Right," I said, shaking off my distraction. We gathered what we needed and began working on the choux pastry. The process required precision and patience, something I was determined to get right.

As we mixed the dough, Alina chatted away, talking about her experiences with baking and sharing little tips she had picked up. I listened, but my mind kept drifting back to Anya. I wondered if she was okay, if she had noticed how distant I had been earlier.

"Damian, could you pass me the flour?" Alina voice broke through my thoughts.

"Sure," I said, handing it to her. As she continued talking, I caught snippets of her conversation, but my attention kept wandering.

Finally, we had our choux pastry ready and piped it onto the baking sheets. While we waited for it to bake, we moved on to preparing the filling and glaze. The familiar tasks helped to ground me, but I couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

During a lull in the activity, I glanced over at Anya again. She was laughing with one of the other students, her face bright with joy. It was a stark contrast to the uncertainty I felt.

"Hey, Damian," Alina said softly, noticing my distraction "You didn't answer my question earlier... I keep noticing you looking at Anya, do you like her?"

"Of course I do, we've been friends for over a decade... I just don't know what you want me to say Alina," I reply going back prepare the glaze.

As the class wrapped up, we presented our finished éclairs to Mrs. Allgeier for feedback. She praised our efforts, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment

"wow all this baking has gotten me quite thirsty, would you like to join me for a coffee?" Alina asked, her eyes bright with anticipation.

I hesitated, my mind racing. "I... I appreciate the offer, Alina , but I think I need to talk to Anya first."

Her face fell slightly, but she quickly masked it with a smile. "Of course. Maybe another time, then?"

"Yeah, maybe another time," I said, giving her an apologetic smile. "Thanks for understanding."

As Alina gathered her things and left, I took a deep breath and walked over to Anya, who was cleaning up her station.

"Hey, Anya," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Can we talk for a minute?"

She looked up, surprised. "Um, I'm a little busy right now, can we talk later?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "I'll wait for you. Let me walk you home." Please Anya, I want no I need to talk to you...

Her eyes widened slightly, and she nodded slowly. I decided to give her some space and waited outside the hallway, students were passing along giving me strange looks. I decided to get my headphones off and began listening to music. Suddenly, Scarborough Fair began playing. My heart began beating faster, this was the song I played the day of the concert. My chest began burning at the sensation, the song was taking me back to that day...

-8 years ago-

"This years annual winners for the 20th Ostania piano competition are the following:

3rd place: Aruthur Smith

A round of applause followed. I sat there praying to whoever was there to help me, please ket me make father proud.

2nd place goes to: Damain Desmond