Palpable | Latent 2

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sophronia

Dustin and I practiced the songs we chose to sang for the trial run at the cafe a lot. I was hoping it was enough times, though. I was a bit nervous about it, especially because it took me a long time to convince Dustin to stop playing video games with my brother so we could practice.

Luckily for him, he was winning major boyfriend points for loving to spend time with my little brother. It was cute seeing the two of them together and seeing how much Raymond looked up to Dustin. Mom and Dad really liked it too and thought I chose the perfect boyfriend.

Trust me, I knew.

After everything Dustin had done for me, even before we were officially dating and before we liked each other, I think it was safe to say that he really was the best person ever. He was always so thoughtful, thinking about others and always be willing to help out.

Well, unless it came to his ex-girlfriend and ex-friend because trust me, if you were on Dustin's bad side, nothing good ever came from it.

It was the nicest people you always wanted to be aware of because it took a lot to get them mad, so when they were mad, they were mad.

I was glad I could never make Dustin mad, especially because I would never want to hurt him.

Dustin and I had to go to his house first so he could grab his guitar before heading to the cafe. After he got his guitar and his mom wished us good luck for the trial run, we got into his car and he drove us to the cafe.

We made sure we got there a few minutes before six to make a good impression on the manager. We didn't want to be too early, but we also didn't want to show up a minute before six.

Needless to say, it worked. Since it was a few minutes before six, the manager told us we could start setting up on the stage and right at six, we could start our first song.

There were two microphones on the stage, as well as two stools so I sat down on one and brought the microphone closer to me, adjusting the stand so the microphone wasn't way above my mouth. I made sure to tighten the stand as well so it wouldn't randomly fall down while I sang.

While I was doing that, Dustin was plugging his guitar into the amplifier beside the stage so his acoustic guitar wouldn't be too quiet. I got off the stage and went to the amplifier, knowing Dustin was going to want to test the volume first.

He smiled softly when he saw me there already and nodded his head, so I turned it on and turned the volume down all the way. He strummed one of the strings as I slowly turned up the volume until he nodded at me to tell me the volume was perfect.

I got back on the stage and sat on the stool as Dustin adjusted his microphone stand. By the time we were all ready, it was six o'clock so we turned on the microphones and Dustin started talking.

"Hello, everyone," he said. "My name is Dustin, and this is Sophronia. We will be singing you a few songs, so we hope you like it."

He looked at me for the cue and I nodded, so he started strumming his guitar to the first song we planned to sing. Dustin and I didn't really sing together too much, unless he was just fooling around with his guitar and I knew the song he was playing, so if we got this job, I was really going to love it.

Not only was I going to get money doing something I love, but I was going to be doing it with someone I love. It wasn't even going to feel like a job, and those were one of the best jobs.

I was looking at the people in the cafe, trying to see if we were going to get positive or negative reviews in the end and so far, it seemed like we were going positive reviews.

Especially after we were done the first song and we got some applause. I was starting to feel really confident about us getting the job.

After the second song, the manager brought us both a glass of ice cold water to rehydrate before singing our last song for the trial run. We both thanked him and while we were drinking the water, I started looking around the cafe to get an even better look at the reactions of our singing so far.

While I did so, I just so happened to glance outside and thought I saw a very recognizable person standing out there. Someone I didn't want to see ever again, and someone who shouldn't even be walking around town.

"Soph," Dustin said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Are you okay?"

I looked over at him and nodded. "Yeah."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Because you have that... worried look on your face."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said. "I was just thinking about something." I took a sip out of the glass of water and looked away, hoping Dustin wouldn't ask about it anymore. I was probably just being paranoid. Maybe I was just very dehydrated after singing two songs straight.

Yeah, that was it. Paranoia. Nothing more.

Dustin, thankfully, didn't say anything else. We knew better than too push each other into talking about something we really didn't want to. When we were ready, we would.

I placed the glass of water down on the stage beside my stool, as did Dustin. I took a deep breath, hoping I would be able to concentrate on the last song without the paranoid feeling I got when I thought I saw my aunt. Dustin and I really wanted the job, and he needed it.

So that was what I made myself think of. How much Dustin needed the job. We were doing this mainly for him and I was not going to blow it just because I was probably feeling paranoid.

I was able to concentrate on the last song and sang it how we rehearsed it, maybe even better. Once again after the song, everyone in the cafe applauded and we thanked them for listening before getting off the stage.

The manager walked over with a smile, making me feel even more optimistic about it, if that was possible. "Well, it's safe to say you two definitely have some talent in singing," he said. "Everyone seemed to love you, so how would you like to have the official job?"

Dustin and I both smiled. "We would love to."

"Then it's official," he said. "You're hired." He then began going into detail about the job, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was too busy thinking about whom I possibly saw outside of the cafe.

Because something was telling me I wasn't being paranoid about it.

When the manager finished going over anything, Dustin and I left the cafe and headed to his car. He put his guitar in the backseat while I got into the passenger seat. He didn't start up the car when he was in the driver's seat. He just looked at me. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. "I don't want to push you into telling me, but you really seemed distracted when he was talking to us."

I sighed. "Promise you won't think I'm paranoid?"

"Why would I think that?" he asked.

"Because I think I saw my aunt before we went to sing the third song," I said. "She was standing outside of the cafe."

Dustin didn't reply for a while. Finally, he said, "Soph, she's in prison. I'm not saying you're paranoid, but you don't have anything to worry about."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Positive," Dustin said. "But if you really are worried about it, we can go to the police station and you can tell Blake's dad about it."

I thought for a bit before shaking my head. "No, you're right. There is nothing to worry about and I think my family would have been notified if she wasn't in prison, and it's nowhere close to her sentencing being over."

"Exactly," Dustin said. "There isn't anything for you to worry about."