A wobbly road

“No, absolutely not!” Frank said strictly after Sara asked him if we could play a duet during the annual memorial service on All Saints Day. I had not often seen him that firm about anything.

“But why?” Sara said on the verge of tears. “Why can’t we play at a remembrance service? It’s not like it is an important venue…”

“First of all, if it is in Laken, there is a very big chance the king and queen will be present. Secondly, we do not want that kind of exposure to our students until we are certain they are ready. It is no longer just your own reputations that are on the line, it is ours too.”

“So, you don’t trust us,” I answered a bit hurt.

“It’s not a matter of trust, it’s because you are asking me 2 weeks in advance. Have you even started preparing?”

“I am sure if we work hard, we can make it!” Sara pleaded. I could see she was at the end of her ropes, but Frank seemed like an immovable rock.

“You know they already publicized it, right? Canceling will affect our reputations and the school's too.” I argued. Sara was the one that needed to face the music if we weren’t allowed to play after all. She tried asking one more time. But again, Frank stood firmly.

“It’s better than flunking us in front of some of the most important dignitaries in this country.”

I sighed. I guess it was time for the underhanded methods… There was only one trump card I could think off… “I guess I will have to call Aunt Christina to cancel it then. I’ll just tell her that you would not give permission for me to play at my deceased girlfriend’s remembrance service.” I took out my phone, ready to call her.

Suddenly Frank looked really pale. I could see a sweat pearl form on his forehead. "Not Christina..." he mumbled, before shouting “W-Wait!”

Bingo! Somehow I knew that would work. “You didn’t tell me anything about this being personal. If it is for your deceased girlfriend, I can hardly say no. I’m not a monster. I thought it was just the church trying to use your names to attract a crowd.” He groveled.

“But the school’s reputation?” I asked using his own argument.

“Would be shattered if they hear we do not allow our students to play at a remembrance service for their loved ones,” Frank argued nervously. I got him where I wanted him. He was now defending the idea of letting us play. Aunt, I do not know what you did to him… But thank you, I owe you one.

“Then we can play?” Sara asked with upturned eyes.

“Y-yes. I will convince the school board.” Frank answered before mumbling “If I get to choose between an angry schoolboard or an angry Christina, the choice isn't that difficult.”

Sara gave me a hug with that bright smile of her plastered all over her face.

“But I expect the two of you to practice like crazy. This will be taken into account for your grades, so it’ll better be up to standards!” Frank said, trying his best to regain some of his authority, but Sara did not really hear him anymore since she was so excited.

When I told Tine that evening over a cup of tea about how I extorted Frank into giving in she almost did not recover. “I have to tell Annie about this. Your aunt seems like a really interesting person.” The only one that I felt that weirdly enough didn’t seem so happy with Sara and me pairing up for a concert was Axelle. I mean, she was supportive in what she said, but I could tell by the look she got in her eyes when we told her that we were going to be practicing a lot together that something was bothering her about it.

Sara and I had put our schedules together and every spare moment that we had in common would be spent practicing for this recital. I cut 2 hours from my sleeping schedule so I would still have time to fulfill my obligations for the orchestra. I knew Frank would not forgive me if I started half-assing my other duties and even if I kinda forced his hand, he did go out on a limb for us, so I should not act ungrateful now.

A week had passed in the meantime, and Sara and I were practicing together right before curfew. Even though I knew Sara was working hard, and we spent every moment we could practicing we hadn’t been making the progress we needed to make, and I could see that Sara was growing nervous about it and that nervousness was affecting her sound. Anyone would be able to hear from her music that she was tense.

So, not seeing any other options, I stopped our session. “This is not going to work like this,” I said. Practicing like that is counterproductive after all… “Try to relax tonight and let’s try again tomorrow.” I hoped that a bit of rest would help her. We had been at it for a full week during every free moment after all. We had been getting up early to get some extra practice in at 6 am. I knew she could do it. She just needed to relax.

I could see that Sara was a bit shaken by my words, so I added “I am sure tomorrow we’ll be able to get it right. Don’t worry so much about it.”

After Sara left my room, I continued practicing, but instead of playing my part, I started practicing hers. Maybe I could help her better if I knew that part too. Immediately I noticed that the supportive part in this piece that Sara was playing was actually harder than the lead part she had given me. Maybe I should suggest switching roles…

I was completely engulfed in my session when I was disturbed by a loud knock on my door.

+++++++

Axelle’s POV

When I heard Sara come out of Fleure’s room more than an hour before curfew, I popped my head out of my door to see what was going on, only to see Sara’s face covered in tears. Immediately I rushed to her and asked her what happened.

Sara immediately hugged me and started bawling. I could not understand everything she was saying, but it was clear to me that Fleure had caused this. Fleure monopolizing all of Sara’s free time during the last week had already been rubbing me the wrong way since I had gotten used to Sara’s company and if she was happy, I would have been okay with it, but the fact was that I had to witness Sara grow more and more stressed the closer the deadline of their duet grew near. What kind of spartan methods was Fleure using on a fragile girl like Sara?

I knew Sara had looked forward to playing with Fleure, but this seemed nothing like a good experience for Sara. What on earth was Fleure doing?

I patted Sara and told her I would look at it with her. I am not a cellist, but maybe a pair of fresh ears could help… Sara just nodded, and although she stopped crying, I could see nothing of the sparkly personality she usually had. She was clearly at the end of her ropes, and I could tell her confidence was at an all-time low.

I led her to my room. As I watched while Sara nervously started getting ready to play. I could see that her hands were shaking. If she continued pushing herself like this, I was sure she would freeze up on stage when it mattered. Fleure should know not to put so much pressure on others.

I knew that if I made a remark about it, Sara would just start crying again and defend Fleure while deprecating herself, and that was something I wanted to avoid at all costs. Sara needed a confidence boost right now. I wanted to see that bright smile again on her face before she left my room. I wondered if I could do something to help her relax.

When she started to play, I could hear something was not right. Everything was tense and her sound was nothing like it used to be. Playing at this moment was clearly having an opposite effect on her. I got up and walked behind her and gave her a hug from behind.

“Remember to have fun while playing,” I whispered to her.

“I’m just dragging her down. I did not want it to be like this. I wanted it so much, but now I think I was not ready for it.” Sara collapsed completely in my embrace, and it took me a lot of effort to get her to calm down this time.

After putting her to rest in my bed she slowly cried herself to sleep.

I was furious. What on earth did Fleure do to her? I left my room and made my way to Fleure’s room to give her a piece of my mind. I did not care about that recital or their reputation. There was no excuse to put Sara in this state for it.

At her door, I could hear Fleure was still practicing. It was just crazy how long she could go at it. It’s not because she could do that, that she should just expect it from everyone though. Sara was clearly not made for it and was now suffering the consequences of having to compare herself with Fleure. There were only 2 people still practicing at this hour of the day. Fleure and Nastya. I am sure that if we did not have a curfew, they would practice night and day. Those two really were real monsters on that front.

I got my thoughts straight, took a deep breath, and knocked at her door.

+++++++

Fleure’s POV

“Who the hell do you think you are!” Axelle shouted at me as soon as I opened the door. I could see she was furious but what on earth for? I hadn’t had much contact with her outside of classes during the last week since I had been occupied with Sara.

“Pardon me?”

“Don’t act stupid! You know very well what I am talking about. Sara just cried herself to sleep in my bed.” Axelle pushed me to the side and entered my room.

“What happened? She was fine when she left.”

“Don’t give me that! You put way too much pressure on her. The girl just broke down when I asked her what was up.”

I sighed. “She puts the pressure on herself. I stopped earlier today so she could rest.”

The door to my room suddenly burst open and Nastya entered.

“Leave us, this is between me and Fleure.”

“The way you are shouting made it between everyone who can hear it. I think it is unfair to attack Fleure. She is working hard for something Sara pushed on her and now she gets the blame when Sara is the one that cannot do it. I think that is quite unfair of you.”

Nastya started defending me furiously and soon I stood baffled watching as a fight developed between the two girls inside my room.

“You would not say that if you had seen Sara like that.”

“Why? Would that change the facts?” Nastya threw even more oil on the fire before she started questioning Axelle’s motives.

“Besides, since when do you defend one of your girls like that? Aren’t you the one that says that you ditch them the second they become too much trouble? Isn’t Sara just one of your many? Doesn’t this count as causing you trouble.”

Axelle suddenly looked completely flustered. “S-Sara is different… I can’t stand to see her like that.”

I had never seen Axelle so flustered. Was she actually serious about Sara? If so, Nastya should not trample over her feelings like that.

“So, our womanizing Casanova fell in love for once, and now the world needs to give way.”

“L-Love? Is this love?”

“I thought you of all people would recognize it, in view of the experience you always boast about.”

Axelle suddenly looked toward the floor like she had been found out.

“I-I do not really have any experience. I never had a girlfriend before. I just joke around about that stuff.”

Axelle suddenly looked very vulnerable. Nastya had taken this argument way too far and it had become way too personal.

“Let’s stop this fight already. I agree with Axelle that we need to do something to help Sara and I agree with Nastya that Axelle could just have talked to me normally.” I tried stopping it, but I should probably have tried something sooner.

Axelle looked at me still flustered and lost in thought while Nastya looked at me as if I was completely misreading the room.

“Anyway, I think I already found a solution for Sara’s problem before Axelle entered the room. There is really no reason for this fight at all.”

Axelle silently nodded. It seemed like Nastya really hit the nail on the head there…

“L-love…” Axelle whispered. Axelle had completely lost her bearing. I could see that she could not think of anything else anymore.

So, I said: “I’ll support you if you’re serious about it. I don’t want my best friend to get hurt over nothing.”

Axelle looked at me bewildered. “You’d support me on this?”

“Only if you’re serious. Sara is my best friend and I do not want to see her get hurt,” I repeated myself.

Axelle gave me a big hug and immediately Nastya coughed to let us know she was still there too.

“I think there is someone waiting in your room that would be a more appropriate target for that affection,” she remarked.

Immediately a panic appeared on Axelle’s face. “She’s sleeping in my bed. What on earth do I do now?”

+++++++

Sara’s POV

When I woke up, I realized something wasn’t right. This looked like my room, but it wasn’t. I started remembering coming to Axelle’s room, and yesterday’s events.

I looked around to see Axelle sleeping with a blanket in her armchair facing me. She should just have woken me up. Now I felt guilty, although it felt comfortable to know that someone strong like her had been watching over me.

Seeing her asleep reminded me of the sleepovers I had at Lise’s place. When they were asleep they looked exactly the same. Axelle looked so peaceful. I got out of bed as quietly as I could. I should probably go back to my own room after all.

I stopped in front of Axelle. She had been such a good friend to me. Seeing her like this brought a happy smile to my face. I bowed down over her and whispered, “Thank you, you made me feel better.”

Then I gave her a kiss on her forehead, before going back to my room.

+++++++

Axelle’s POV

W-What was that?

I brought my hand to my forehead. I felt my cheeks redden. She kissed me. Is that a sign that she also likes me? Or is this just another one of those Belgian things?

Why could I not be the cool predator that I always wanted and pretended to be? Especially now that it mattered.

“I guess I will have to confess,” I said out loud to myself. Even though there was nobody to hear my words, they send a rush of embarrassment through my system. How on earth did someone pull this off with a straight face… I would need to find the right moment. It would at least have to wait until after their performance.