The Violinist's Cherrytree

Chapter 1

"Jules, come on!" My roommate, Tina, was trying to drag me to the recital at our school. We attended Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Drama Department.

I had tried to appreciate all of the arts, and not just mine. But I hated musical recitals. The only music I appreciated was musical theatre.

"I told you already, I don't want to go." I told her over my computer screen.

"I don't understand why you won't." Tina pouted.

"Uta Hagen questions for our scene. They're kind of important."

"They're not due for another week! Juliet, they'll take you five minutes. You can do them tomorrow."

"I'm not going, Tina!"

She grabbed my arm, not really giving me a choice. "Uta Hagen can wait."

***

As much as I despised attending such performances that were "not my scene", I still managed to look appealing.

I reapplied makeup while on the shuttle, since Tina had rushed me straight out of the apartment.

I was wearing the same floral dress and black flats that I wore today in class, and my blonde hair was still straight as usual.

We got to the school, paid for our tickets, and took our seats in the auditorium.

Tina looked at the playbill, and then squealed, elbowing me.

"Ow! What?"

She read aloud: "Violin Soloist.....Cameron Gold."

Cameron Gold. His name rolled off her tongue.

"He's not the only violin soloist, you know." I reminded her, annoyed.

"Maybe." Tina held her playbill out to her mouth and whispered: "But he is the best."

Before I could get another word out, the curtain opened and the recital began.

I had to sit through a couple of piano virtuoso, flute geniuses, a few violin masterminds and then him. The violin prodigy.

"Cameron Gold." The music teacher's voice through the microphone echoed throughout the auditorium.

I found myself straightening up, and goosebumps appearing on my arms.

I don't know why Cameron Gold, just another violinist was catching my attention when I already heard three other people play violin.

Maybe it was Tina's fascination over him 24/7 that made me curious about who he really was.

Then he appeared center stage, wearing a nice black suit, with a white button-down shirt and black dress shoes.

He smiled sheepishly at the crowd before the spotlight shined on him. He brought the beautiful instrument to his chin, and the bow to the strings. And then he began to play.

I would never be able to describe the way his music made me feel.

I flipped through the playbill, searching for the name of the song being played.

The song wasn't listed.

It was so beautiful, and I knew that after tonight, I probably wouldn't hear it again except for the YouTube video of the recital.

I closed my eyes and pictured what the music would look like. Strange, I know, but interesting.

When he was done, I was disappointed in a sort, but I refused to let it show.