Je Suis Musicienne | Timothée Chalamet

Twenty-one

- December -

"You guys, we have one week left till our annual RAM New Year's Concert.", Yuri announced from his conductor's podium, "And I want you to make sure to really check all the parts we did in detail today."

General murmuring at the end of the rehearsal as the music students were about to get up.

"That concerns the Celli and our woodwind section above all.", he added with a grin and earned some amused groans from called out sections.

"Otherwise", Yuri continued, "I hope you all have a good start into the new year in two days! And don't forget that we'll see each other again already on the third, this is our dress rehearsal."

Approving words around the students as they got up.

Maia loosened her bow and hung it on the holder attached to her music stand to sort her sheet music. She leaned over her double bass to eye again all of the annotations and marks she had written into her notes during rehearsal.

She was just flicking through the last pages as Sally came up to her.

"It's always us.", her friend grumbled annoyed, "Why is it always us?"

"I don't know, maybe you should practice more.", Maia teased without even looking up from her notes, not able to hold back a cheeky grin.

Sally snickered, taking a quick look up and down her Oboe before stepping next to her flatmate.

"I practiced more than you last week.", she said, wobbling her own sheet music in her hands.

"And still.", Maia said, laying down her double bass to get all her stuff together, "It's the woodwind section."

Both chuckled, Sally took Maias bow and the music paper for her so that her friend could carry her instrument out of the hall without having to come back to get all the rest of her things.

After around forty minutes they both had packed everything and were ready to go after talking a bit with fellow students. The intermediate exams weren't that far away anymore and already some of their friends started stressing about the exam days.

Maia already knew her exam dates too and due to the fact that it was January in two days she had started practicing for it two weeks ago already.

"They're stressing way too much in my opinion.", Sally huffed as both left the main university building, "They'll do alright, everyone of them."

Maia nodded in agreement, looking to her right and left before crossing the street.

"I think their profs have a huge impact on it too. Especially for the graduates.", she said, "But you're right, they all will do a great job."

Maia was able to leave her double bass in the university for the next days till the dress rehearsal and the New Year's Concert by the RAM orchestra which she was enormously excited for. She'd just go there for practicing as she didn't feel like carrying her instrument around over the year change.

"I'm happy when I can just lay down in my bed today.", Sally groaned as the two of them waited in line to get something to eat from one of the take away restaurants, "I love laying."

"You're not going to practice the parts Yuri mentioned today?", Maia asked while paying for the Pizza.

"I mean, I should.", Sally answered, "But I just returned home from Christmas and it feels like the food coma from those days still kicks in every time I pick up my instrument."

Sally had spent the days of Christmas break at home with her family in Manchester and had returned two days ago to attend the two rehearsals they did have for preparing the New Year's Concert which was, in fact, one of the biggest ones the RAM did every year.

This year it'd take place in the Royal Albert Hall which was exciting but stressing same time as the expectations were high as usual when it came to the RAM orchestra. Like the years before they did expect guests from politics, entertainment and generally important people which still was a very thrilling factor for Maia since this would be only her second New Year's Concert with this orchestra.

"Aren't you nervous at all?", Maia asked.

They both just entered the train which would take them home.

"There'll be like a lot of important people happening.", she added, "Like last year."

"Stage lights.", Sally waved it off, "You know it best yourself. I won't be able to see one single of those faces in the audience, not even first row."

She looked through her purse for the money for the pizza to give it to Maia.

"So basically...", she handed her friend some coins, "I really don't care."

"Hm...", Maia pursed her lips, thinking, as she took the money from Sally.

Before she could say something the train stopped at their station and both exited the underground, straight into pouring rain.

"This is just all London.", Sally grumbled, "You drive only three stations and it starts raining meanwhile."

She held tight onto her instrument case, Maia onto the pizza cartons and they hurried over the street, passing two junctions till they finally reached the main entrance of their apartment house.

They had dinner and decided to watch some movies in Sallys room before Maia went over to her room around one in the morning.

She planned to just spend the rest days of this year in the practice rooms of the university to be perfectly prepared for the concert. She didn't have any plans to attend whatever New Year's Eve party and she didn't know if Sally planned to.

Sally most probably would, that was Maias conclusion after thinking about it a second time. Definitely with Dave and the others, Aaron would be there too, she was sure of this.

Maia actually didn't have a lot to do with him besides that Sally here and there mentioned that he had a crush on Maia. She also knew Aaron only because of Sally. He was a Swedish guy, a Horn player, actually one of the best in the university and he and Sally shared some classes and so he kind of got stuck in Sallys bigger friend group.

He usually also was part of the RAM symphony orchestra but had some competitions coming up the same time the last rehearsals and the concert are.

Maia felt absolutely clueless about this situation and didn't know how to handle it. Currently she just did all her best to avoid awkward encounters with him and did a pretty good job with it.

She preferred it to keep it that way as the only thing, next to her studies, which really occupied her mind was Timothée. Still. She just couldn't stop thinking about him.

The first days after him leaving were already mentally very difficult for her. Sally still did her very best to distract her friend from everything regarding this topic.

Maia felt ridiculous, extremely ridiculous. She had expected to be done with thinking about it after two weeks or so but no. The more time passed the more worse she felt, actually.

"About a Hollywood star, sure thing you idiot...", Maia whispered to herself, laying in her bed and staring into the darkness.