Da Capo

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Kyle

It was finally Friday, and Kyle had heard through the grapevine that some of the staff were going out for drinks at a nearby pub called The Leopard. It was apparently a rather upscale and bourgeois establishment that the teachers liked to go to while the students tended to frequent the local college pubs. Kyle remembered all the New York City bars and clubs he and his friends used to go to during his Julliard days, and he realized that that was really the last time he had gone out for drinks with his peers.

Has fame really cut me off from other people that much?

It had been years since Kyle had been in one place long enough to do normal things like go out to a pub with friends. Perhaps it was time that changed? It was never too late to start again.

The music composition teacher - a nice young Scottish bloke named Dave - had been the one to approach Kyle and ask him to come out for a drink with the professors that night, and Kyle immediately agreed.

"Chloe's not going to be there, though, is she?" Kyle couldn't help but ask, unable to hide his hesitation. He did want to go out for a drink with Dave and the others tonight, but he was afraid Chloe would be there and likely ruin the whole night.

"Oh, no she's not," Dave assured him with a knowing grin. "She was invited, I think, but she said she had a fan meet-up or something over in Camden tonight."

"Good," Kyle said, smiling in relief. "I've been doing my best to avoid her since we both started teaching here, but lately I feel she's been throwing herself into my path wherever I go."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Dave laughed. "The look on your face whenever she's near ought to dispel any rumors of the two of you getting back together!"

"Very true. So who's all coming then?" Kyle asked as he and Dave walked down the corridor toward the teacher's offices.

"Just you, me, some of the music history teachers, Kier from the choral department, and Lydia the music theory professor. Maybe a few others as well, but I haven't heard anything."

Kyle's ears perked up slightly when Dave mentioned Lydia. If she was going, then surely Stephanie was too? He was suddenly quite eager to go out tonight. "Sounds like fun."

Kyle's mind had strayed to Stephanie more than once in the past few weeks. He thought back to when he last saw her a few days ago, practicing her violin upstairs in the performance hall - unfortunately Chloe had been there too, but Kyle tried not to pay her any attention. He had been much more interested in talking to Stephanie and hearing about her getting one of the fine tuners in her violin taken out. He knew how much time and effort she put into practicing her violin; she was undeniably good, and he wasn't sure why she felt so insecure about her musical abilities since she was so obviously talented. He was at least happy to know she was pushing herself more in an effort to expand and discover her own capabilities.

But then she had said something that gave him pause. During their conversation, he had made a stupid joke, and she had insinuated that she wasn't single. He hadn't asked, technically, and he supposed it wasn't really his business, but he very much wanted to know who her boyfriend was and if it was serious.

Honestly, it was hard to believe someone as amazing as Stephanie was still single.

Kyle had been reluctant to admit it to himself at first, but he was really starting to like Stephanie. Quite a lot, in fact. He thought she was pretty, without a doubt, but there was just something else about her that intrigued him like no other girl had done for him before. Perhaps it was her passion for music, or maybe it was the way she spoke to him: she was sassy, snarky, funny, and unintimidated by his fame. She was a refreshing change from all the fangirls he came across on a daily basis.