Strings and Keys (Band Series #1)

Chapter 7: The Soft Violinist

Chapter 7: The Soft Violinist

Cherry stepped gingerly onto the bridge, knowing the charm awaited from the other side. She was being pulled in by curiosity as she saw Mark lying on the grass, embracing the breeze of that isolated space. At least no one bothers to visit the area that late, especially when it all happened around three in the morning. Cherry's sleep got troubled by the sound of a crashed vehicle no later than that. An accident involved a motorcycle that was bumped into the neighborhood's gate.

She was really exhausted after she got home late with Nicole and Cedric yesterday. So her feet pushed her to go outside when she easily recognized Mark after peeking through the window. She felt concerned and was about to get the first aid kit, but Mark instantly moved to the back column of the compound.

There was no telling what thoughts would come from Mark if he saw her spying on him. That's why Cherry tried to be careful with her steps and found a way to hide in the bushes, still holding her first aid kit. She had to pause and observe because from how Mark positioned himself, he looked like he mulled over a serious matter.

However, Cherry's clumsiness caught her in the act. She accidentally made a noise when she tramped on five crisped leaves. This directed Mark to check the noise at her location.

Cherry's hands were quivering out of nervousness. She closed her eyes firmly before blurting, "I'm sorry! Please, don't find me a creep."

Mark bit his gums within. He scanned her from head to toe, trying to recall if he had seen her somewhere. It took him a minute to realize who she was. He was quite attracted to her mannerisms and her overall external features. Still, given the macabre episodes, he's been carrying recently, his feelings were uncontrollable from being annoyed by her presence. There should have been a time and place, but this wasn't it.

"You disrespected my privacy, miss," Mark uttered. "I don't wish to see you again."

The cold reply sheathed Cherry's body. She twinged from the impact of it.

Surely, Mark would regret being frank to her as he proceeded to leave. He was honestly and secretly interested when he first met her at the auditions. The timing was just off when they met for the second time around. He just had problems to worry about.

Will Cherry give it a chance next time after receiving a bad reaction towards her?

Cherry's a great listener, really great with empathy vs. sympathy and all that, but a human can experience hate. She can hate someone but can't forever hate them.

She's gentle and sweet. Her facial expression in every way artlessly makes her look like an angel. She's the kind of friend who's sensitive to hearing barked critiques. It would definitely have her heart fall into bits.

But come to think of it, it would've worked if they met properly and had herself as someone who could really listen to Mark's hoard of griefs. He devoured pesky demons too much in the dungeon of his mind. Within was a slippery slope, and he was unremitting to dive all the way to the darkest depths. One day, he needs to be okay. If he fumbles in the darkness looking for a light switch, he'll find it when someone is already there.

After what happened, Cherry tried to sleep it off as soon as she got back to her place. Is this the feeling of admiring someone? She thought. She wanted to ditch the chances, forget about the thrill of liking someone, until she decided to disregard her hopes for exceptional things to happen.