Pieces of Love

Chapter 6

"Take a deep breath. You are going to do fine," I whispered, trying to console myself. I was currently in the toilet backstage, my hands under the faucet, and a jet of cold water shot out, wetting my hands. I pressed my hands to my face, cooling it. Sweat was running down my back despite the air-conditioned environment. A few strands escaped from my tight bun and I tucked them behind my ear.

"Are you okay?" Jacob called from outside the toilet door. "I'm fine," I called back shakily. I walked out, my high heels clicking against the tiled floor. I stumbled a bit, not used to wearing high heels. Note to self: Never wear heels again unless necessary.

Jacob was leaning against the wall outside, an expression of worry and concern on his face. "I'm sorry I made you do this," he said, guilt evident in his voice. "It's okay," I said, staring at the floor, playing with my fingers. "Let's just warm up," I said after a moment of silence. Jacob simply nodded and we walked towards my violin case lying on a bench nearby. As I took my violin out and tuned it, I recalled the times in which I spent learning this instrument. This competition wasn't for me to win; it was just for me to feel what it is like to perform in front of a big audience. No pressure.

After doing some warm-ups, Jacob and I just quietly sat backstage and waited for our turn. It was nerve-wrecking, especially when you could hear all the other entrant's playing. They were all good, and this thought didn't make the butterflies in your stomach go away.

"Jake?" I asked into the empty silence. "Yeah?" his voice sounded higher than usual. I took his hand and squeezed it gently. I could hear his breath of intake at the contact. "Let's just enjoy ourselves out there," I said. Jacob didn't say anything, but he rubbed his thumb on the back of my hand, making circular motions.

After what felt like hours, it was our turn to perform. Jacob stood up first and he pulled me up too. His face was white but he managed to smile. It was genuine and warm. "Let's go," he said. My heart was thudding so much it was unbelievable. My violin was in my right hand and I was gripping it so tightly that my knuckles had turned white. We entered backstage and the stage manager told us to get ready by the stage curtains.

Without a moment's hesitation, Jacob stepped out onto the stage and walked over to the piano. In a flourishing moment, he sat down and stared straight ahead. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out too. The audience was silent. I looked out into the darkness in front of me. My friends, my parents, my mentor was out there and I knew it. I walked over to the marked spot and stood there, my two feet feeling like lead. Looking back, I see Jacob's hand poised over the piano, waiting for my cue to start. Seeing him like that reminded me of the first time Jacob played for me. This was it. These crucial few minutes ahead of me will decide whether I get my childhood dream fulfilled. Who knew that such a short time can make such a huge impact on me? It was now or never.

I raised the violin to my shoulder. Giving a quick nod to Jacob, I started playing. The audience was still silent as they watched me and Jacob and I could tell their breaths were taken away. I became lost in the music, not giving a care in the world whether there were a panel of judges watching me. It was just me and Jacob, lost in our own world, our melodies weaving together in synchronisation. We were a team and nobody can say otherwise. Before I knew it, I was done, and there was a huge grin on my face. My bow was raised into the air and I could feel sweat trickling down my back, yet I couldn't care less. I never felt better.

But we were only halfway done. The concert hall was quiet save for a few coughs here and there. This time round, I waited for Jacob to start. I looked back and we made eye contact for a moment. I could see beads of sweat on his forehead, and the look of determination on his face. His fingers started playing with fierce gusto, and I soon joined in afterwards, pouring all of my energy into this piece. My fingers moved deftly; swiftly but I made sure not to lose control of my bow. My brows were furrowed due to the intense concentration needed. Towards the end, my whole body tensed as my fingers played the fast-paced notes, and I ended with a striking note.

The audience were clapping like crazy; there were even hoots and cheering. Suddenly, the front row stood up and continued cheering. Like a domino effect, the rest of the audience stood up too. I could not believe it. A standing ovation. For me and Jacob. I turned back to see Jacob looking my way. His eyes were shining with happiness as he stood up and walked over to my side. We bowed, before making our way backstage. The stage manager congratulated us and ushered us to the huge waiting room. It was weird how it was only a few minutes before when we were anxious about the performance. Now, I just wanted to do that all over again.

"That was amazing!" Jacob exclaimed, "You rocked it out there!" I laughed. Everything just seemed so optimistic now. I kept my violin back into its case and when I turned around, Jacob engulfed me into a hug. His arms were around my waist and he rested his chin on my head. "Oh god, my heart is still beating so fast after all that," he mumbled. My head was buried in his chest and I let a small laugh escape my lips.

"I know," I said. My hands hooked themselves around his neck and we stood there for what could be an hour. Sadly, we had to break apart as my hands found their way to his and I removed his hands from my waist.

Somehow, in all this excitement, a small memory escaped from my mind, of the times in which that traitor would wound his arms around me. I was so young back then, and so unaware of the pain that love can bring. While waiting for the competition to end, I received multiple text messages from Lily and Sophie, saying that I nailed my performance and had a clear shot of winning. I smiled and shook my head every time these messages popped up on my phone. They should be watching the performances, not texting on their phones.

Jacob and I only had to wait for thirty minutes before the stage manager allowed us to leave. My parents had agreed to meet up with Jacob's parents for lunch so Jacob and I had to quickly change and meet them at the restaurant they picked on.

I removed the dark blue lacy dress I was wearing and changed into normal jeans, shirt, and hoodie and pulled my hair into a ponytail before proceeding with Jacob to the streets. Other than a small bag and my violin case, I had nothing else on me. Jacob however, kept on insisting on helping me carry my violin. After a few minutes of rejecting, I finally gave in and passed him the case, just to have some quiet and peace. "I'm pretty sure you just want to hold the instrument that made the awesome music that you heard just now," I teased him, only earning a push to the shoulder.

"Hey mum. Hey dad," I waved as soon as I saw them. They were deep in conversation with Jacob's parents but immediately turned around and smiled as soon as they saw me. Jacob carefully propped my violin against the table and took the remaining seat opposite me.

"Nice to see you again, Mr and Mrs Lynch," I greeted, only to be interrupted by Mr Lynch, "Please, Emma, call us Fred and Alice." The table sounded with laughter and I ducked down beneath my brown hair.

"You kids were amazing. I'm pretty sure you guys would win," my dad commented, clapping me on the back. There were murmured approvals and I couldn't help blushing. Even Jacob's cheeks tinged pink! We had a hearty lunch and I was sad to see Jacob and his parents go afterwards. This was a pretty special day, and I wasn't going to forget anything that happened.