1.1 | daunting medleys

nineteen | shine that rivaled the stars.

Oliver was distracted for most of the day.

The test had gone by in a blur, as did the rest of the school day because Oliver was too busy concerned about Tabitha. Her movements seemed slower and more sluggish, like her energy had been drained. She slipped out of class quietly after handing in her paper, she was one of the firsts to be through and Oliver remained the only one to be surprised. Apparently, it was normal behavior for Tabitha to hand in her paper early and not speak to anyone, something he didn't know because he'd just transferred to AP calculus when school had started.

The slight hunch in her back practically reeked of loneliness and despair, and the blank empty look in her eyes almost ripped his heart out of his chest. Tabitha had a pair of beautiful eyes, like brown marbles with shine that rivaled the stars but now they looked beaten and hammered. Tabitha cocked her head and smiled at him when she turned to leave the class but her smile lacked lacklustre as it disappeared through the door.

The cool air on his skin felt like blades on his skin and the words of scribbled, ineligible numbers only fueled his drive to leave the class and ask her what was wrong. Oliver wanted to know why Tabitha wilted within herself when the violin was mentioned. He knew that with lithe, delicate fingers like hers, only beautiful melodies would resonate. Mr Johnson had never stopped to ask a student to play the violin the way he did with Tabitha, and only fueled his curiosity.

He'd finished early and looked over his answers slowly, satisfied with his answers and handed his paper in. Oliver took no mind of the whispers and walked out, the throng of people making their way past him almost distracting him from looking for Tabitha.

A girl smiled bashfully and waved at him, and he shot her a confused glance. Her wavy blonde hair and bright green eyes didn't match anyone he knew. Oliver passed by her quickly, her grin made him uncomfortable. He moved towards the music room, only when he saw Tabitha leaving, her shoulders shaking, and he wanted to approach her but Mr Johnson shook his head.

"I seemed to have made it worse." He muttered, a rueful smile dancing on his lips.

Oliver was taller than the older man, so he naturally looked down at Mr Johnson confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"I kept pushing her to teach the violin." He walked into the empty room.

Oliver followed Mr Johnson in. " I was meaning to ask if you knew why she looked so scared when you asked her about the violin."

He took a seat at the open chair and gestured for Oliver to sit opposite him. "I don't know why. She's been fantastically talented at multiple instruments since I've known her. She's even better than you, and that's saying something. Tabitha's won so many awards for the school, it's basically uncountable and her favorite instrument was the violin. God, she was a master with the violin and she played from her heart, not that many twelve year olds had that quality." He then inhaled a deep breath and exhaled slowly, nostalgia laced in every word. "Then one day she came to me with her mother and said Tabitha wasn't allowed to play any instrument anymore. Overtime, the ban has lessened considerably but she just doesn't play the violin anymore."

"Do you know why?" Oliver asked, even more confused than ever.

Mr Johnson shook his head. "That's something you'll have to ask Tabitha."

"And also, Eliza wants to see Tabitha tomorrow morning before she starts teaching the kids."

Oliver nodded then walked away, each step heavier than the last.

Tabitha Daniels was an even bigger mystery than before.

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