Why You Pull The Trigger

Vladimir Sky

Vladimir Sky

“Really? Glad to hear it! Well Vlad will be your concurso partner as practiced” he said while flashing his i-just-won-in-the-lottery smile.

I made my way to the stage. I picked up my violin that was on top of the grand piano Vlad was playing a while back. This concurso is practiced for us both to have a shot in the recital to try our luck on Julliard.

I looked at Vlad who was pretty amused. I knew it, he knows when I just said something stupid.

“Great job on the reply back there.” He said sarcastically and laughed.

I shrugged and gave him a glare. “whatever Vlad.” I said rolling my eyes at him.

“Don’t get grumpy, what piece?” he asked while procrastinating over a thick folder of piano sheets.

“24 Caprices of Paganini in E major” I said while lifting my violin onto my shoulders and supporting it with my chin.

“well, that’s a tough one. You sure?” he asked while pulling out 15 pieces of paper from his thick folder of his piano pieces.

I nodded. He sat in front of the grand piano and did three chords of introduction, and then I started to play.

24 Caprices of Paganini in E major is one of the most difficult violin pieces of all violin concerti of Beethoven, Schoenberg and Mozart. Aside from it being Serene and at the same time dangerous in theme, there aren’t some open strings in E major and the sequences are quite difficult to play. But it is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever heard in my 17 years of existence, so in those 5 years of learning violin secretly, I have been practicing this song practically every day since the day that I started learning.

As I played the last note, I realized my classmates’ jaws dropped literally. I’m sure they were satisfied with the practice performance we have showed them. I commend Vlad for making my violin sound even more beautiful, without him it wouldn’t be complete.

I smiled at the audience and some others clapped and some even stood up. I knew it was just 30 people in this theatre but I got more confident in playing in front than I was before.

“Great job! You are definitely going to be accepted for Julliard.” Mr. Kruez praised us. I smiled at him as a reply.

“sir? Can I – I mean – we use this for the next two classes?” I asked pertaining to the theatre.

“why?” he asked puzzled.

“uhm.. practice! That’s right we need to practice!” I blurted out. man, I’m so bad at lying!

“okay. Sure, Vlad, accompany her okay?” he said convinced with my reasoning. I may not be an expert in lying but at least that worked.

He looked at Vlad intently until he made him nod. Vladimir Sky, my concurso partner as well as my best friend ever since I entered Titan High. He was the first one who saw me, or should I say caught me playing the violin on the school’s rooftop. And later did I know that we were both formerly from Brooklyn, so we got along nicely.

The class went on as Mr. Kruez discussed more details about our semestral project; we would be writing our own poems and would be reciting them it was due the next day, so basically it was a one-day project.

When the bell rang Vlad and I stayed behind, in the huge theatre.

“so? What’s the real reason you made me stay behind?” Vlad said smirking. He knows me too well. And I hate it, I become so transparent to him, on other words, I was easy to read.