The Songs in Our Hearts Book One: Reaching Out

Chapter Seven: Strangers' Eyes

Taking in a deep breath, Harmonia looked into the bathroom mirror and began reciting, "Hi, I'm Harmonia— Coda's broth– SISTER!" Her face turned a bright red as she corrected herself. Harmonia's lips formed a slight pout as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Tonight's gonna be a disaster," she mumbled hopelessly.

"Harmonia, we gotta go!" Coda called as he knocked in the wooden door.

"Just a few more seconds," Harmonia said back. Looking back into the mirror, the girl whispered to her reflection, "Into the unknown." With that, the girl turned to the door and opened it.

"What were you doing in there?" he asked while laughing.

Hanging her head a little lower, she answered a bit shamefully, "Rehearsing." Coda laughed more at her response.

"Oh come on, Ni," he said between giggles. Harmonia flinched as her brother threw an arm around her. "You don't need to do that. Just act natural," he explained.

"Alright," Harmonia sighed, her brown gaze fixated on the hard wood floor.

Taking something out of his pocket, Coda reminded her, "Don't forget this." A small, purple neiro flower charm rested in his palm. Remembering the day Coda had given it to her made her smile.

"Thanks," she chirped, taking the charm and putting it in the pocket of her flute case. As Coda walked descended down the stairs, Harmonia slowly followed behind. Tonight would be the first time she would hang out in a friend group. Trying to ignore the knot in her stomach, she sped up a little bit.

"You two are heading out already?" the girl heard her dad ask.

"Yeah, but we should be home before the storm starts," Coda reassured the man. Turning to Harmonia, the boy called, "C'mon, Ni. We have to go before it gets too late!"

"Coming!" she chimed, running to catch up her brother. When Harmonia stepped outside, she could see the sun setting on Northpointe's ocean. A strong wind blew Harmonia's hair into her face. The Orchestra District was the highest district on the cliff. Harmonia never looked at the sunset like this before, and she began to wonder what else she had missed. Besides walking through the woods, going to lessons, and occasionally visiting either the Electronic District or arcade, she rarely stayed outside the house.

"Nervous?" Coda teased, nudging her gently with his elbow. There was a mischevious grin on his face.

"You're just catching on now?" Harmonia joked back, narrowing her eyes a little bit. Coda laughed, making Harmonia giggle too. She stopped after a few seconds and asked, "Do you think I'll be okay?" The curly-haired boy huffed at her question.

"I know you'll be fine," he reassured her. Coda started again, "Now, let's head for the Dead Tree," looking off into the direction of the park.

"That tree that never sprouts any flowers?" she questioned incredulously. A huff escaped her parted lips. "You can't get any edgier than that," she laughed, giving her brother a light nudge.

"Look who's talking," Coda lightly retorted.

The walk to the Dead Tree was tense for Harmonia; even Coda couldn't seem to keep her spirits up for long. It was cold too. While Coda wore his usual gray and cerulean sweater, Harmonia chose to wear the blouse her brother had gotten as to look decent for his friends. It was a thin garment with short, lacey sleeves and a "coat tail" trailing behind her. With the wind blowing rather strongly, the icy cool of the ocean easily washed over Northpointe.

After walking about five minutes, Harmonia noticed four people gathered around the Dead Tree. There were two girls who appeared to be twins, and they were wearing similar vests that were opposite to the other. Their wavy, blonde hair fell just below their jawline, and their dark blue eyes looked rather dull. Harmonia immediately recognized one of the boys: Octavius. Octavius was a few inches taller than Coda, with a strong, squared off jaw and messy black hair. His skin was tanned, making his gray eyes glow against his face. The other boy was just about Coda's height. He wore a black bandana around his neck. The boy's hair was colored auburn, and, like Octavius, his green eyes shone against his darker complexion.