Evie

Chapter one

Running my fingers over the cool ivories of my piano as I began to sway with the music as I started to play along side my partner, Mia. With her slim experienced fingers, she holds her bow firmly in her grasp as she takes the lead the violin as we began to tell a story. I lose myself in the music, falling every note with perfect precision. I glance away from my piano and see my mother staring from the kitchen as she drys the dishes. 

I smile as I finish off the song and begin laughing as I look at Mia who lowers the violin away from her chin.

"I was off, I'm sorry." Mia winces as she put violin back in its case and loosening her bow. 

I roll my eyes at her as she sits down next to me, "No offence but just because you are asian does not mean you need to live up to the stereotype of being a perfectionist." I tease but she simply shakes her head.

"Just because I have black hair and slanty eyes... And may be one of the smartest kids at our school, that has nothing to do with my heritage. I am sadly a perfectionist by nature." Mia explains as she slaps my thigh. 

"One of the smartest? Please, Mia you were destined for greatest. Your last name is Yang for goodness sake!" I exclaim getting up so she can't hit me again. 

"You girls hungry?" My mother calls from the kitchen and I shook my head, going to grab a bottle of water from fridge.

"No thank you Mrs. Langford." Mia called as she picks up her violin case, "I need to get home, I have work tonight." She pouted and I walk her to the front door. Waving goodbye and making sure she gets into her car as she drives off, I close the door and sigh, rubbing my shoulders.

"You play just like your father Evie." My mother muses as she leans against the door and I smile at her, feeling a jab of sadness rush through me. 

"I play for him mum, it's my only way to feel a connection with him." I force a smile and my mother walks over and hugs me, trying to keep herself together.

My father was a incredible man, a real family guy who loved us with every fibre of his own being. With me I found my love of the piano because my dad would play of all hours of the night to relax himself after a long day of training. He taught me how to love the music and how to express yourself through it.

He was a world renowned athlete, representing America in two connective olympics in the 400 metre sprints winning both times. And as soon as my brother was born I think there was no doubt what sport he was going to push him towards and sure enough my brother at the age of seventeen is qualifying for worlds in 100, 200 and 400 metre sprints. 

Last year my dad was killed in a car accident, a drunk driver smashing straight into him at a stop light while he was coming home from the airport. My mother caved into herself with grief and drowned her sorrows with alcohol. She's only just beginning to recover but that doesn't make it any harder to deal with. 

"I need to go and pick up Lachlan from training, I'll be back soon." I kissed her cheeks and before she could say anything that could reduce me to tears, I make my escape grabbing my car keys. 

Driving in my little red hatchback, I tried to keep my mind off my dad because whenever I thought of him, it only brought back the pain of grief. After his death I threw myself into my music and was determine to become the best I could possible be. Mia was the only one who could really get through to me and after seven days of mourning, I finally stopped sleeping on the piano. 

Parking at the athletic track, I got out and walked towards the fence, looking for my brother. My brother was spitting image of my dad, from the dirty blonde hair that we share to the big blue eyes. My mother said that we could pass for twins because we were so close in age and all the same facial features, though I didn't have his growing facial hair thankfully.