For the seventeenth time today I swipe the call to ignore, and then turn my eyes back onto the professor. I don't ignore the call because I'm in the middle of a lecture though. The reason why I ignore, and have been ignoring his calls, is because I have no wish to talk to him. Or even see him.
At least, that's what I tell myself every time his caller ID pops up on my screen. I have no obligation to keep helping him as I have already done more than enough. It was time for him to go back to playing on his own, like he has done for so many years before he met me.
The professor, Mrs. Fay, has her back turned to us while pointing at something on the white screen. While her lectures are normally one of my favorite ones, today I can't seem to focus on her words. All I can focus on is the fact that it has already been two days since Nate revealed exactly how he felt about me, and I still can't wipe him out of my mind.
Another buzzing sound of vibrations fills my ears, but this time I keep my eyes on the professor instead. Or at least I try to.
I last for about five seconds before my eyes snap back down to the wooden desk in front of me. With only a second of hesitation I swipe Nate's eighteenth call to ignore and then turn the phone around, so the screen is facing the dark desk instead.
"Who the hell keeps calling you and why won't you answer?" Warren leans over to me.
"No one." I focus my eyes back forward.
"I'm not blind nor deaf." He keeps his voice in a low whisper, so he doesn't disturb the lecture that is still going on around us. "I know someone has been calling you all day. So, what's going on?"
I pinch my lips shut and focus my eyes forward. Just when I think Warren has given up, something sharp prods my side. I squirm away and then snap my eyes to him. He has his index finger still extended and prods it into my side again.
"Stop it," I whisper-yell.
"Not until you tell me what's going on."
A few students turn toward us with pointed glares, so we both lean closer toward each other.
"You've been distracted all day. What's going on?"
"It's Nate."
"Nate?" It takes him a second to connect the name with the person. "Oh, you mean the violinist. What's going on? Why is he calling you? And why aren't you picking up? Did he do something to you?"
For a moment I'm not sure which question I should start with first. Then with a sigh, I give in.
"No, he didn't do anything. I just don't want to help him anymore. End of story."
"That can't be it." Warren shakes his head, and then rolls his eyes at the student in front of us who hisses at us to keep it down. "You're not one to change your mind because of useless things. Something definitely happened."
"I've changed my mind. That's it." I keep my eyes on the professor. "Accept it and move on. I have."
I feel Warren's eyes burning a hole in the side of my face, but I continue to pretend like he isn't here. Nate is the last person I want to talk about right now.
What feels like an eternity later, the professor finally announces the end of the lecture and wishes us a relaxing afternoon to charge our batteries. While everyone around me hurries to empty their desks and fly out of the room, I continue to motionlessly sit. Only after a few heartbeats I lift my backpack off the chair next to me and begin to stuff my notebook inside.
When my phone is the only item still on the desk, the now already annoying sound of vibrating fills my ears. With a glare I reach forward to screen the call to ignore when Warren snatches the phone from me.
"Violet's phone," he answers after he rests my phone against his ear.
"Warren!" I hiss, and lunge at him.
With one quick pull I tug the phone away from him. My eyes land on Nate's name on the caller ID and I find myself hesitating. Should I end the call or should I once and for all deal with him?
I glare at Warren, who shoots me an innocent smile, and then lift the phone to my ear.
"Hello?" Nate's deep voice reaches my ear.
"What do you want?" Despite the little flip my stomach does at his voice, I force my voice to sound as cold as possible.
"Violet?" The way he breaths out my name has my traitorous heart clenching. "Who was that before?"
"None of your business. Now, tell me why you keep bothering me before I hang up."
Warren shakes his head at me, but I turn away from him. Who cares if the cold person I'm acting as right now isn't really me. I am, after all, nothing but a means to an end.
"What's going on? Why didn't you come to yesterday's practice? I tried calling you, but you wouldn't pick up. What happened?"
"Nothing happened. I was busy. I'm a college student."
"But why wouldn't you pick up? Did I do something wrong? Is it about the k—"
Before he can even finish the word, I cut in. "It's not about that."
"Why don't we talk face to face about it at today's practice, okay? It'll be much easier to clear any misunderstandings in person."
"Seriously, Nate?" I rest my hand over my wringing heart, and force the next words out of my mouth. "Can't you take a hint? I'm done being your muse."
"What? Wh—"
"Goodbye, Nate." I end the call before he can even finish his question.
The last thing I want is to give him a chance to change my mind. Or for any of our friends to bully me into continuing to help him out.
"V—" Warren begins, but I shake my head to stop him.
"Don't."
Silently Warren and I leave the lecture hall and make our way to the front entrance. Because this was our last lecture of the day, we are free to finally make our way home. Just as we are about to pass through the glass doors, I come to an abrupt stop.
On his usual spot by the bikes stands Nate. He has his hands deep in his pockets, while he ignores the most courageous young women who walk up to him. Once again he has a pair of dark sunglasses shielding his eyes, despite it not being that sunny outside. What catches most of my attention though, is the absence of his trusty pal.
Before I can start to wonder if something else is going on with him, I tear my eyes away from him. Instead, I grab Warren's forearm and pull him back deeper into the building.
"What are you doing?" he asks.
"Nate's out there." I motion to the outside world on the other side of the glass door. "I don't want to see him, so I need you to help me out."
He glances between me and the door. "Fine. I'll distract him, while you slip away. But you owe me one."
"You're the best."
I shoot him a wide smile and then wait in the safety of the building, while Warren walks up to Nate. I know that getting my bike without Nate noticing would be impossible, so the moment he isn't paying attention to the entrance I slip out. And instead of to my bike, I head into the opposite direction.
So far so good.
*
The next day passes without any calls from Nate, which I immediately find suspicious. A part of me doubts he would give up this easily. Not when I am his muse.
This is why when Warren and I make our way to the front entrance after the last lecture, I make sure to stop on the safe side of the door and check the outside for any danger. Today, however, I don't catch a single sign of him anywhere near my college.
With a sigh in relief I take a leap of faith and exit the building. I'm just about to reach my bike, with Warren still right beside me, when a voice calls my name.
"Violet?"
I freeze at the sound, but then my brain registers that the voice calling my name isn't the voice I'm both afraid and hopeful to hear. I turn around to find Penny come to a stop a step away from Warren and me.
"Looks like I'm just in time." She breaths out and rests her hands on her thighs. "I was afraid I'd miss you."
"How did you—"
I'm about to ask how she knew when I would finish my lectures when my eyes land on Warren. He is scratching the back of his neck, while looking at anything other than me.
"So, you're on their side now?" I glare at my supposed best friend.
"I'm not on anyone's side." Despite his words he steps around me and positions himself right next to his girlfriend.
"None of that matters right now." Penny straightens back up. "What's important is, that today is the annual performance of our college and Nate needs your help."
I grit my teeth into my tongue and turn toward my bike. Before I can take a single step away though, Penny continues.
"Please, Violet." She grabs my hand. "I know you and I had a rough start, but we need you to do this for Nathaniel's sake. He's a wreck today. His playing is even worse than normally."
Hearing that he's not as unaffected as he seemed yesterday almost melts my resolve, but in the last second I pull myself back together.
"No."
I tug on my arm to free it, however, Penny's hold proves to be much stronger than I would expect from someone her build. I open my mouth to order her to let go of me, but before I can do that Warren grabs my other hand.
"What are you—"
Together the two of them pull me forward, and because of their strong grips I have no choice but to stumble behind them. They drag me all the way to the edge of the road, where a taxi is waiting for us.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way," Penny says.
Warren opens the back door and together they push me inside the vehicle.
The moment my butt lands on the back seat, I scoot to the other side. I reach for the door, but I'm already too late. The door opens and Warren enters inside, just as Penny does from the other side.
With two loud bangs they close the door on both sides of the car and trap me in between their bodies.
"Did you two seriously just kidnap me?"
***
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- E