Our Symphonies | satosere

28 ;

「 twenty-eight 」

"Kinda zoned out there"

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The upcoming week was more hectic than I had anticipated it could be, and when I say hectic I mean sleeping a maximum of five hours and barely managing to consume two meals a day.

Those preparations were a pain in the ass.

And the biggest factor, to hide everything from Lillie, was just the reddest cherry on top of it. Sneaking into the school for violin practices at night, playing the song again and again to perfect the synchronization, skipping my lunch breaks for group rehearsals.

Oh and Lillie and I had made up over a late Sunday dinner. I had been feeling out of line all week, felt the void in my chest eclipsing every time we would steal glances at each other like cold blooded strangers. Living under the same roof as Lillie hadn't felt that much maddening - until we had to break the crystalline ice.

Both of us had apologized at the same time over a plate of seasoned fish and sticky rice, somewhat like, I'm so sorry Serena, I should've considered your feelings too - Lillie, What are you talking about? I was the one who had smashed the door on your face that night! Please forgive me, I promise I won't ever repeat that.

Lillie had eventually rejected the idea of inviting our divorced parents for the dinner, and I had wrapped my arms around her petite frame and she had run fingers through my blonde curls at the news. I had missed that sentiment - her sickly sweet voice, campfire like warmth and freshly laundered, caffeinated scent. Somewhat unknowingly, I was homesick for my sister.

And just like that it was Friday, one day before the dinner at that newly opened place called Golden Spoons.

Everything was in order - May and Korrina had requested the restuarant's manager to arrange a little stage, mic stands and a few other things (and also to keep it as a secret from Lillie and Selene). They were way too generous to us.

Today seemed like an extremely tiring day, too (surprise, surprise!). I had to run ten merciless laps of the playground in the physical education period, I was not able to touch my lunch during recess because practice, practice, practice, and then I had to go shopping with Lillie in the evening, for my forgetful older sister didn't realize she had nothing to wear for tomorrow until she dug through her dungeon of a closet last night. Double the headache.

Ash had been - quiet. To say the least.

Sure, he was showing up for practices regularly, he wasn't messing up the notes, but he was still very quiet. Even during our water breaks when the band would indulge in small banters here and there. (Korrina even tried tying him in a few conversations, "Streets are saying that Taylor Swift would release new music soon! Ash was such a fan of her back in midde school. So exciting, right?" - "Yeah." followed by a little nod of acknowledgement, was his monotonous response).

Something felt off, and that disappointment reeked of rusted iron and I wanted to get rid of that musty smell once in for all. To get rid of the cold shoulder that he had been showing to the loyal friends that have looked out for him since elementary school, also towards me.

"Earth to Serena?" Lillie was shaking me to and fro, one sleek brow lifted and confusion swimming in her emerald eyeballs.

Oh, yeah, shit. I was supposed to be an assistant to her during shopping. I was being neurotic like a silly little schoolgirl with a crush, and that was embarrassing, really. "Sorry... kinda zoned out there."