Unraveling [BXB]

Chapter 7

A week later, Chase was still struggling to figure out how to add more expression to his music. He'd watched videos on it, and he'd been making attempts to add vibrato, use facial expressions, and emphasize certain notes, but Ms. Vyshinsky's critique had been the same in the past two sessions. He was overexaggerating, or it felt inauthentic, or it was still too hollow and cold. How was he supposed to recreate a feeling in his music when he already barely knew how to feel his own emotions anyway? In their session earlier, she'd asked him what was something he really longed for, and Chase said he wanted to get into Juilliard. That was what he'd always truly wanted, wasn't it? The truth was, he didn't quite know how to answer that question, he didn't often let himself want things. Desire and impulsivity always tended to cloud judgment, so he didn't leave room for things like that, he kept his mind on whatever he needed to do next to get where he was going. He didn't take time to ask himself what he'd do when he got there. He hoped he'd feel happy.

At the moment, he was leaning over the counter of The Fable Cafe, his cheek resting in his palm as he stared at the opposite wall in thought. It was a small place, a little 2-in-1 bookshop cafe. They didn't get a ton of customers, but it wasn't usually this quiet. No one had walked in in the last two hours.

"Do you think it's possible to die of boredom?" Taylor asked as he walked over to stand next to his best friend. "I just reorganized the entire poetry section and I'm going to lose my mind if this is the rest of our shift."

"I'm sure someone will come in soon," Chase said, though his dull tone didn't do much to instill faith in that claim.

"Do you think Serena would let us go home early if it's still dead in an hour?"

"I doubt it. You know what she'd say. If the roads are open and the world hasn't ended, people will be drinking coffee and buying books," Chase said with a long sigh.

"Jesus, I'm not paid enough for this," Taylor groaned, running his fingers through his hair.

A moment later, though, there was a familiar chime of the bell above the door and Chase looked over to see Trey, Wren, Harper, and Kai walk in. Football practice must've just finished a bit ago because Wren's hair still looked damp from the shower and Harper was still wearing her blue cheerleading uniform.

Taylor nudged Chase in the ribs with his elbow when he saw Wren, but Chase just kicked his foot and stepped up to talk to the group.

"What can I get you?"

"I think I'll have the sarcastic remark and uh...throw a little bitter arrogance in there," Wren started and Chase rolled his eyes.

"You know, one would think you have enough arrogance already," he said, pulling up the order menu on his tablet.

"And still I don't even hold a candle to you," Wren said, casually leaning over the counter with his eyes trained on Chase.

"Black coffee then? Cool, who's next?" Chase asked, putting him down for it because there was nothing else Wren would order.

"Can I get a medium caramel frappuccino?" Harper asked.

"With or without sprinkles?" Chase asked as he typed it in.

"Oh, with. I didn't know it could come with sprinkles," she said with a brightened expression.

"Yeah, it's a new thing we're trying. Can I get you anything else?"

"No, that's all."

"I'll get a white Americano," Trey said, nodding to Chase with a small smile.

"And get me a black iced coffee," Kai said.