When the Violin Sings

Chapter 38

August, 2 Months Earlier

Noel woke up excitedly on her first day of school, which seemed like an oxymoron, but she was thankful that the long summer had finally come to an end. No longer would she and Riley be separated, and soon enough she would be back to playing violin more frequently. Even over the summer, the city orchestra had lulls in its schedule. Noel was excited to start this academic year with a new outlook on her music. Having a girlfriend to help her through the year wasn't so bad either...

Noel stepped onto campus and breathed in the sweet scent of morning air. If only Riley wasn't stuck in classes early this morning, she thought. She wished they could've gotten some breakfast together or at least had a coffee. She supposed it couldn't be helped. They'd see each other at practice regardless.

Noel's primary goal at the moment was getting to her first class of the day. Though the morning air was slightly cold, as Noel began to walk to class, she felt the summer heat creeping in as beads of sweat began sticking to her through her sweatshirt. Noel turned a sharp corner, letting out a quiet squeak when she nearly smacked into someone.

"S-Sorry!" Noel exclaimed, quickly trying to rush past the individual when she looked up. "Oh. L-Lucy!" 

Noel always knew that Lucy attended the same university as her, yet their schedules never seemed to sync. They spoke infrequently throughout the year, only a few times at best. Noel still enjoyed attending soccer games, but she knew that whatever friendship she and Lucy had once sustained in high school had long vanished.

"Oh. Morning, Noel," Lucy said. "Off to class?"

"Yeah. My first class of the day," Noel explained. "Have you had any classes yet?"

"Just one an hour ago. I have a break now," Lucy explained.

"Oh," Noel said. She lingered in place for a moment. "How's soccer going?" she asked.

"Oh. It's been going good," Lucy said. She looked away from Noel, glancing in the distance. Noel could tell Lucy wanted to wrap up the conversation. Noel had always been able to sense what Lucy was thinking from her body movements. And yet, Noel wasn't quite ready to let go just yet.

"Are you excited for this year?" Noel wondered.

"I guess. Feels kinda weird we're already in our third year. How's orchestra? You still play, right?"

"Yeah," Noel said. "We had a concert last spring. Did you come?"

"Oh. I don't think I could make it," Lucy said.

"Oh, that's too bad. I'm sure we'll have another concert soon and—" Noel let out a yelp as someone threw her arms around her neck from behind. She glanced behind her, realizing it was Riley.

"Good morning!" Riley exclaimed. Her cheeriness was enough to break up the tension that had been lingering between Noel and Lucy.

"R-Riley!" Noel exclaimed. "Uh, Lucy, this is Riley. We're in orchestra together."

"Yeah. I know," Lucy said.

"You two know each other?" Noel questioned, looking back at Riley. She still had her arms wrapped around Noel, seeming unwilling to let go.

"No. But I've seen you two around," Lucy explained. "Um, nice seeing you, Noel. My girlfriend's waiting for me at the dining commons. I'll see you around."

"Oh. Yeah. See you!" Noel said, giving a wave. As Lucy faded, Noel glanced backward at Riley. "You can let go now, you know."

"S-Sorry!" Riley exclaimed. "That was Lucy, right? Your friend from high school? I've never seen you interact with her. You usually only talk about her. I honestly thought she was a myth at this point."