Metanoia: A Change of Heart

Chapter XIV ~Thonia

As a higher classman and officer of our club, I had to go practice a piece with my new clubmates. The plan was to set it in my home, but since my two brothers would throw a congratulatory party for passing the first term of their fourth year in college, I'd told Liza, another senior to find another place.

It bothered me because I was not really into going to other people's house, especially when I did not know him or her that well. "Whose house are we going again?" I asked Liza for the third time since we met up in the Love Cup. She held her violin on one shoulder and her shoulder bag on the other. I offered to help her but she refused. "We'll practice in one of the freshmen's house. Not sure who, their names jumbled in my head as their faces," she said in her soft and calm voice. Her apple-cut black hair was shiny and matched her personality.

"I can't find their street!" Liza complained but her irritation failed to raise her soft voice. She was texting our clubmates about the directions. In the end, after a long and tiring walk, we saw a convenient store and told the freshmen to fetch us. Life made easy.

"Why didn't we think about that earlier?" I sat on the hard chair of the store and caught my breath.

"Oh, my," Liza said. "It's nearly five o'clock. I couldn't go home late alone."

"We'll try to make the practice short." I said and bought a drink.

Liza stood when she saw our clubmates. The two of them entered the store. Our club activity's objective was to make friends with other levels. That was why me and Liza were there with the two freshman whose name I could not remember. I thought one of them had a name that started with... N or M?

"May. Patz." Liza smiled at them, finally remembering.

"Sorry, sorry for waiting. Did you have a hard time looking for my place?" The girl with purple glasses and pretty smile asked. She had soft and calm voice as Liza's.

"Yeah, I also lived in a sort of subdivision," I returned her smile, "But a place that wasn't yours was hard to direct."

"We saw this store standing by and decided to give up." Liza added.

"Oh, sorry." The girl said. I remembered then, her name was May. "Shall we go? It's getting dark." The other girl,Patz, said. I was not good with remembering names.

It turned out May's house was only few blocks from the convenient store. It was a big two-storey house with front yard. She led us in.

"It's quiet. Is it always like this?" Liza asked.

May laughed a little. "Oh, no, no. If my brother is here with his clowny friends, you won't be able to define quiet."

I saw a meter-long painting of two newlyweds, that must be her parents. "Where are your parents?"

Her mood seemed to change and she sighed. "They went off this weekend. As usual: business trip." Okay, so no excess topics. I did not want to pry over those family things.

"Where do we practice our song?" Patz asked her. She's cute and still had baby fats.

"In the living room or dining. Anywhere you like."

"What about your room?" Liza suggested.

"Oh, yeah. There will do too." May looked at the ground. "But I prefer to do my things here in the first floor."

"Where do you like? It's your house so it's your choice." I placed my bag down.

She thought of it. "I guess it would be easier if we do it in my room. I didn't know if my brother's friends will come over. I don't want them to hear our song." She said it like when they came, it would be a total disaster, and then she smiled. "Sure," we all agreed and settled in her room.