That Melody

Chapter 14

Dinner with her mother and brother seemed to go by in a haze, the thoughts of what had happened earlier in the day still burning its way into her memory. She couldn't even remember what Nathan had made for dinner and it was a shame, she bet it tasted delicious. Chloe didn't know if she was angry, disappointed or utterly thrilled. That annoying rich kid ended up being the one that played the music she fell in love with. Now they were expected to play together.

Excitement and irritation coursed through her veins. Chloe closed her eyes and it was as if she was transported back to that room with his tie over her eyes. She could almost smell the trace of cigarette smoke and some sort of cologne she's never smelled before. It was both sickening and intoxicating but it had a strange way of stirring her senses.

"Amber's been asking about you lately. When's the last time you talked to her?" The sound of Nathan's voice brought her out of her trance and she took a moment to understand the words he said.

When was the last time that she talked to Amber? It couldn't have been that long ago could it? It didn't feel like that long ago, then again, she has been pretty busy lately. She could have lost track of how much time has passed and not talked to her in a while. Chloe frowned. "I should call her." She replied simply, not giving a definite answer to her brother's question. Her brother looked at her skeptically but didn't push it any farther.

"That's good. We've been wondering how your classes were going." She had a feeling that this wasn't the first time this question has been brought up during dinner.

"I'm learning a lot. Math is a pain, but thankfully the professor is good about answering questions." It wasn't the answer he was exactly looking for, she knew, but it would have to do. By the look in his eyes, she knew he knew that she was hiding something. It didn't take a fool to find that out, let alone her brother.

The rest of the meal and conversation seemed to go by in a haze. They sent their mother off with a wave and a 'drive safe' as she left for the night shift. The two of them sighed without a word at yet another overtime shift, then went their separate ways in the house. Chloe sent Amber a text and Nathan sat down to watch some sort of cooking competition on TV. She couldn't help but find a little humor out of how much of simpletons they were immersing themselves completely in one thing. Their mother with work, Nathan with cooking, and herself with music. Yet they all worked so cohesively together.

Not even a minute after the text was sent, Chloe's phone was ringing. She supposed that Amber missed her as much as Nathan was letting on. "Hey." That was all she could think of to say, and apparently that wasn't enough.

"What's up?! Nu-uh! That has to be the lamest text ever. Oh no. You don't get to leave me with a what's up after all but ghosting me these last few weeks." Amber was clearly upset but Chloe couldn't stifle the laugh in time. Instead of Amber getting lost in her dramatic hysterics, she simply sighed.

"Sorry, I guess I got caught up in the whole college life schedule that I forgot about everything else." It was a lame excuse, but it was the closest thing to an honest answer that Chloe could give her friend.

"You know they have a name for that, right?" Amber paused for a second before announcing the answer. "Tunnel vision. You have tunnel vision." As serious of a tone and statement as she tried to make it, it was lost when she snorted. "I miss you." Chloe could hear the pout over the phone and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I miss you too. I have so much to tell you!" The two of them talked for hours catching up on both trivial and monumental moments. Chloe listened to all the new things that was going on with her friend's life. She got a new part time job at some hipster coffee shop near Chloe's University and she gets a lot of rich snobby types from there. They laughed about how entitled they felt that they were, and the moments of revenge dressed like compliance.