Little Sunshine [Ghost~Copia x Female POV]

Chapter 20

 As I strolled around Berlin on my own after settling into my hotel room, I took in the mesmerizing architecture and design of the city. Everything was so much different than it was back home, and I longed for a life different from the one I had lived until I met Copia in the bar that night, anyway. I tried German food for the first time in a pub that had had a band playing that drew in quite a large crowd. So large, in fact, that when their set was over people flocked around them begging for pictures and autographs. They weren't even able to sit down and have a beer without somebody trying to interact with them in some way. It was difficult to squeeze my way out through the sea of bodies, and when I got outside in the clear a wave of relief washed over me as I was finally able to breathe. The idea of that happening to me made my stomach churn. A heightened sense of worry flooded my brain as I made my way back to the hotel knowing that I needed to start being more careful about the things I did when people could see my face.

Back on the floor, we were all staying on, I heard a cacophony of different sounds coming from one of the rooms. It sounded like a few people were arguing over a segment of a song that was being played on repeat. I knocked, and everyone went silent.

"It's just Rose," I heard before the door opened and Cumulus stood in front of me, grabbing my arm and yanking me inside as she shut the door. Terzo, Sodo, Rain, Mountain, and Copia all looked up at my sudden arrival. A mess of instruments filled the room leaving little space to move anywhere.

"Good, maybe she can talk some sense into all of you," Copia stated as he fiddled with something on his laptop. "Rose, which one do you think sounds better- this?" He hit a button to play the same tune that I had heard from the hall. When it ended, he hit something else, "or this?" More music started playing. It was very similar to the first track, but was a bit slower and sounded more haunting. The first had been more upbeat and almost cheerful. I scrunched my nose for a second, thinking about which I liked better.

"The second one," I answered. Cumulus, Copia, and Terzo all shouted in unison at the other three that they had told them so. "What's going on?" I asked before they could start fighting again.

"We just finished the instrumentals for the song you're going to sing!" Cumulus exclaimed, hopping up and down excitedly, handing me a sheet of music that had lyrics on it. As my eyes scanned the lines, I noticed that the bridge was not in English.

"I don't speak Italian," I frowned, turning the paper towards them.

"Well it's time you learn some," Terzo said, taking the paper from me and motioning for me to sit on the edge of one of the beds next to him. Sodo, Mountain, and Rain packed up their instruments and took their leave as Terzo taught me how to pronounce the Italian portions of the song. Cumulus and Copia put headphones on and finished piecing together the track, occasionally shouting their thoughts at one another because they couldn't hear themselves. Once Terzo was satisfied with my pronunciation, he let me study the sheet of music. I attempted to hum the notes, unsure if I was even getting it right.

"Some of this is too high for me," I declared, tossing the paper onto the bed and standing up. Copia noticed and averted his attention from his laptop and pulled his headphones down.

"What's wrong?" He looked at me concerned.

"The notes. I can't reach the ones at the end," I said, rubbing my forehead.

"Yes, you can. I wrote it in your range," he answered simply with a confused look on his face.

"I'm telling you, I can't hit those notes," I argued, putting my hands on my hips.

"And I'm telling you that you can. You haven't warmed up yet, be patient," he commanded in a calmingly gentle tone. I sighed frustratedly, already regretting agreeing to do this. I had heard my attempts at hitting high notes while singing in the shower or in the car on my own, and it was never pretty. Copia tapped Cumulus's shoulder, signaling her to take her headphones off. "It's finished," he stated, and she nodded, looking over at me excitedly. I gave her a look that was less than confident.