Amidst The Dissonance

Her Conclusion

Clink.

Clink. clink.

No matter what restaurant she went to, that was what she always heard; the clinking of china, silverware, and glass against one another.

It would accompany the quiet chatter of the surrounding customers, the tap tap taps of the waiters delivering food, and the occasional WHOOSH of fire coming alive.

Every restaurant was like that. The familiar clink clink clink of glass, china, and silverware echoing across the entire restaurant. The dissonant and erratic clashes would continue to ring in her ears, well after leaving the restaurant.

Kaede continued to listen in, observing the red-cushioned booth she sat down, the chopsticks in front of her, and the small cup of green tea she had ordered. Her un-manicured nails rapped against the black table as she was hunched forward. It felt like hours, hell even days, yet their food hadn't arrived yet. Sighing impatiently, she slid her right hand to her stomach and clutched it, knowing well it'd do nothing to smother its hungry cries.

"You don't want the candies, Kaede?"

At the sound of her mother's voice, the pianist lifted her head. With a timid head shake, she pushed her plate of candies across the table. "I wanna save my appetite."

Pursing her lips, her mother prodded one with her acrylics. "Oh, but I don't like them either...."

Kaede frowned, her cheeks puffing with air. "Then why did you ask me about them?"

Her mother didn't reply. She turned her gaze back to the phone in her grasp and swiped up the screen. Her green eyes focused on the white screen in front of her as it reflected onto the lenses of her reading glasses.

Curiously, the pianist tugged on the red sleeve of her mother's sweater. "What are you reading?"

Her mother smiled warmly, her fingers tapping against her narrow screen. "Almost finished with the book."

Kaede fought back a grin. Poking her mother lightly, she asked, "The same book from last month? Come on now, what's taking you so long with it?"

A noisy vibration followed her question, silencing her mother before she even spoke. The two blondes looked at each other in surprise, before her mother cleared her throat and pressed her index finger against Kaede's skirt pocket. With a tiny laugh, she murmured, "I think someone's left you a message."

The pianist flushed and scooted away from the middle aged nurse. Embarrassed, she shoved her right hand into its designated skirt pocket. As she desperately felt around the fabric for the familiar metal, her left knee jerked up and smashed into the underside of the table.

She jumped back instantly and fell against the booth cushions behind her. Letting out quiet squeaks, she gripped her knee tightly, gritting her teeth as the joint went numb. Her small cup of green tea jolted in the air, splashing small droplets of the lukewarm liquid into her lap. As her left hand traveled to her left knee to soothe it, her right hand finally came in contact with the plastic casing of her phone. Teeth gritted and eyes squinted, she pulled the device from her pocket and placed it on the silver table.

Despite the pain, she refused to look at her mother. Not because she was embarrassed, but because she was definitely judging her. Kaede had wanted the restaurant experience to be more than enjoyable, and the last thing she needed was for her mother to flash that usual judgmental look. The narrowed eyes, the upright posture, the lengthy fingers tugging on her silver rings, or brushing through her strands of hair. The thinned lips, the small exhales through the nose. The occasional "tsk tsk" that would exit her mother's mouth as she glanced up and down at her. It was almost frustrating how so little could be just as antagonizing as the usual "I told you so!", if not more. Just the thought of her mother's potential judging pissed her off ever so slightly. One stare and one "tsk" was all it would take to set her off.