The Princess Wears Flannel and Boots?

3: I'm not seeing a reason why not..

Somehow, I survived the introductions but my head was still swimming. I sat between my Pop and grandma while Mom bustled around, serving us all coffee and snacks.

"Gabrielle," Aruna called my name and goosebumps rose on my arms. I looked to him immediately. "I hear you were just accepted to the music conservatory, in San Francisco?"

Hearing this, Safiya's eyes went wide and her smile broke out again. I stared at her lips, too drawn to them and I knew it. "That's an elite school," she praised of me, excitement in her voice. "What do you play?"

"What doesn't she play?" Mom interrupted with a dismissive sort of wave of her hand. "All night we hear her banging away on the piano, or the drums. We had to move her to the very back of the property because she was keeping us all awake!'

I felt my face flush brighter red, but neither Aruna nor Safiya seemed put off by this. They were still looking at me with their near identical onyx gaze. I think my Gran had said they were twins, but it wasn't obvious until they were both looking at me this way.

"Only the piano and drums?" Aruna asked.

"O- oh. No. I play the violin and cello, the guitar, and bass guitar, the harp, harmonica, banjo, double bass, and the flute. I'm not great at woodwinds or brass, but I play a few horns and the bassinet. I've been learning the lute, dulcimer, and chimes lately, as well." I stuttered to a halt. I had been rambling. I tried to fix it with an apologetic smile.

"That's- wow. I didn't know a person could play so many," Safiya said.

"I'm not a master of any of them," I said quickly. "Maybe the harp, I've been playing it longest. I play just enough to understand the instrument. I was accepted for composing music, not really for playing it."

The twins gave each other a knowing look. I had read once that sometimes twins communicated in ways different from everyone else- my own little brothers were twins and spoke in gibberish that only they could comprehend, so maybe it was real. I wondered what they were thinking about when their mother suddenly spoke.

"Papa, its stuffy in here," she announced to her husband. He looked confused momentarily, then seemed to catch on.

"You're right, Mama. Perhaps we should take up their offer for a tour around the farm?" He looked between his wife and my parents.

There was a general agreeance from everyone but my grandmother, who argued that we needed to be supervised. Pop vanished around the corner and returned not a moment later with one of our giant, fluffy cats.

"Snickerdoodle will supervise," he said firmly, giving Gran a stern sort of look. I knew that look. He wasn't accepting arguments.

Reluctantly, Gran bustled away to the kitchen and the rest of the adults left to roam the property. I was alone now and my heart thudded in awareness of Aruna and Safiya's gaze fixed intensely on me.