Heart Strings

Chapter 3: Panic and Bliss

author's note: This chapter sets up for the next part and confirms the answer to the question that I think we all knew. A fun new character is introduced...Hayden's agent. Happy reading!

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It was time to go to California for the first week of rehearsals. It was pretty hard for someone to have an elaborate life outside of the orchestra, or so Hayden thought. They would be in California for a week, and then they'd have a week to go back to their homes. That was pretty much the schedule, alternating weeks until two weeks before their tour, when they would practice nearly nonstop. Hayden had just finished packing the last of his things. His family drove him to the airport and they said their goodbyes. Hayden met his agent up there and they spent the next hour after getting through airport security catching up. Hayden was good friends with his agent, Jason. He was a very interesting man that had a lot of stories to tell. You could never be bored around him. He was an African American man who was very into jazz music. He had been to almost any country you could think of and was very experienced in life. He grew up as poor as dirt and played the saxophone for pennies in town squares until he was picked up by a local band who admired his playing. That was what shot off Jason's music career. He was in his early fifties now, but he had the energy of a man in his early thirties. Hayden was very glad that Jason was his agent.

They chatted nearly the entire plane ride. The teenager in the aisle seat listened to music on his phone the entire time, and at every attempt that Jason made to converse with the young lad, he would just shrug and go back to listening to music. "I don't understand children with their technology. I'm too young to be saying that." Jason smiled. Hayden's stomach had been churning, but not because of the plane. He was nervous to find out who the violinist would be. But Jason's smile was contagious and Hayden smiled back. Even the teenager's face lifted into a grin. "Oh I didn't mean to distract you young man, go back to listening to your electronic dubstep music," Jason joked with the kid as he peeked at the phone. The boy took his earphones out and gave the older man a grin. "Okay, well what music would you suggest? Elvis Presley?" The boy retorted jokingly. Jason scoffed, "Hell no son, now if I was your uncle or papa I'd stick some Miles Davis or Clifford Brown in your ears. Have you ever heard of Louis Armstrong?" Jason asked the young man. "The astronaut?" He replied. Jason raised an eyebrow and turned to give Hayden a look. The violist had been trying to keep a straight face, but the corners of his lips were tweaked into a suppressed grin. "Heavens boy, no not the astronaut. That's Neil Armstrong. You know what, never mind. You visiting, or are you from California?" Jason started to make small talk with the teen. The three chatted until the plane landed in San Clemente.

It was a pain lugging all of his things out of the airport, but there was an assistant to help get the things into a car that Jason made sure was ready for their arrival. Half an hour later, they reached the practice hall. Some of the musicians had already arrived so Hayden spent a little while talking to them after setting his things in his room. Demetri's ways were a little unorthodox when it came to practice and hospitality. Most places would have people from the city in their orchestra but Demetri had people from all over the world. Most of the peoples' lives were dedicated to music so availability wasn't much of an issue. The practice building was huge; it was a mansion. There were also living quarters next door to the main building. Everyone was pretty much assigned a room until they either quit or were fired, and neither of those happened often. The rooms were open at any time of the year. Most of the time, people went back to their original homes when there wasn't a rehearsal for a week, but there were a few who took the permanent hospitality from Demetri in the living quarters buildings. Demetri trusted everyone in his orchestra, they were his family. Two mansions were next to the practice hall mansion, and they were strictly for the musician's living quarters. Demetri lived in the rehearsal hall. There were servants and security everywhere within the three buildings. Demetri had so much money, that he had an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a theater room, and a library in the main mansion. Jason said bye to Hayden as he left for his hotel room with the other agents up the road, and said he'd be back in time for the evening meeting.

Hayden went to his room in the second mansion from the rehearsal hall. He was on the second floor of the three-floor mansion. This place really was Hayden's second home, and these people were his second family. Even if he didn't talk to every single musician on a daily basis, they still felt like family to him. Hayden was so happy to be back that he almost forgot to see who the new violinist was! He rushed over to Demetri's living quarters on the second level of the rehearsal mansion to hear the news. He knew it would all be announced at the evening meeting, along with their songs for the next tour, and exact rehearsal and concert dates, but he couldn't wait. He had waited a month to know who the lucky person would be, and a small part of his conscience held onto the hope that it was that interesting man, Everett, from the banquet a month ago.

Hayden lightly knocked on Demetri's door and ten seconds later, the wooden apparatus was nearly torn off its hinges by an excited Demetri Andreadis. "Hayden, my boy!" The Greek man brought Hayden in for a friendly hug. "How has it been?" The Greek asked. "Great. And you?" The young man replied. "I've been wonderful! And I know exactly why you came to talk to me. I just want to thank you so much for giving me that young man's card. He's truly phenomenal! I'm serious; I think he might be better than Shane," Demetri was speaking excitedly. Hayden thought it was great to see him this happy. "Wait, who are you talking about?" Hayden couldn't believe this was happening. "Everett Coulter is our new violinist." Hayden felt his face go pale. "You're-you're serious?" He had to double check. This was all just a trick, he knew it. "I'm not kidding! Hayden, thank you so much for suggesting him. And he's such a nice guy, I know he'll get along with everyone," Demetri said casually. "Everyone?" Hayden asked, having one person in particular in mind. "You know when I say get along and everyone in a sentence, that doesn't pertain to Chase," Demetri sighed. The two laughed. "But no, they'll be fine. Chase is an asshole, but he has his times where he's pleasant to be around," Demetri said. Hayden grunted in agreement.

"Have Chase or Everett arrived?" Hayden asked. "Everett is around here somewhere. I had a one on one meeting with him earlier to familiarize him with things around here. He should be around," Demetri said. "Thanks Demetri, I'll see you tonight at the meeting." Hayden slapped his conductor's shoulder and headed off. He couldn't believe what just happened. His emotions were a battleground of panic and bliss. He couldn't tell which warrior was going to win. And for the life of him, he couldn't tell why he was so affected!    

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well I hope this section didn't bore you guys too much. I thought it was necessary to have this little setup. Please continue to read on! I swear this setup was worth it!

Leandra