Soulful Cadence

Chapter 1

As the orchestra played, the theater was quiet. The music soon comes to an end with an exciting stop. The room is quiet as the applause of the crowd grows louder and louder as some cheer. Ms. Johnson bows and then stands up straight again. Starting to speak, the crowd grows silent again.

"Thank you, everyone, again for attending this lovely ceremony. As I'm afraid this is our last performance for my students because they'll soon be gold metal musicians." Ms. Johnson says with a smirk as she faces the audience.

"Before they leave for their important and wonderful journey to success, I would like to give them a chance to show their appreciation." Right after she says this, she cues the orchestra to stand and take a bow. As such, the audience cheered and applauded. Ms. Johnson continues her long but short speech, and then the curtains close again. The sound of the audience talking and moving around can be heard on the other side as the band takes a sigh of relief.

Heading backstage to put their instruments and music away Ms. Johnson came to congratulate them on their performance. She stalks towards them, the high heels seemingly not bothering her, and stands in front of the crowd of students.

"You've all done a wonderful job, but it could've been a little bit better," She said with a soft smile. The students mumble in disagreement in front of her. They knew she was just showing tough love.

"Now go home and rest. You've got to be in the band room by 7 in the morning," she smiled and said as it was followed by collective groaning from her students. She ushered every one of them to their family but not before dropping off their instruments. She did say for them to rest and what they would need their instruments to do that. She met with each of their family members, congratulating the first years especially. Then she made it to the family she congratulated each time they played at a concert since middle school.

Her sixteen personal students greeted their family like friends with hellos, and he's asking about one another, hugs, and kisses. She showed that last student Flora to her parents, waving at the mother and father individually to respect the separated parents. She made her way from the auditorium and to her own family, her husband dark-skinned, 6'0 "holding her toddler Mavley. She smiled and made her way over there, taking her daughter from her husband.

"Mama! You were amazing!" Mavley said with a giggle as Ms. Johnson kissed her on her cheek.

"She is right, my celestial. You were astronomical. You blew everyone to outer space," Mr. Johnson said, hugging her waist from behind, laying his head in the corner of her neck. He had a job as an astronomer, so the space jokes weren't so out of place.

"Thank you, my astronomer, but let's continue this at home because I would kill to be in bed with someone with me," She said with a smirk as she felt the hands around her waist tighten.

"Eww," Mavley said as she squirmed in her arms. They laughed at their daughter's reaction and let up against each other.

"Don't worry, my comet, you'll always have my love," Mr. Johnson exclaimed, coming around and blowing raspberries into his giggling daughter.

"Daddy! Stop!" She said, giggling, as he relented his pace.

"Alright, alright, let's go home," He said as he grabbed his wife's free hand, leading her towards the car, and headed home.

*The Next Day*

Flora POV

"It is 7 in the morning on a Saturday, I wanna sleep, I'm supposed to be in my bed," Cleo whined as she leaned on the wall in her purple sweatpants and sweater with a mix of purple, blue, and white, pressing her dark brown skin to the cold bricks looking like she came back from the dead. I watched her as I stood next to her and slumped against her shoulder her hand coming to rest around my shoulder and brushing against my cream cardigan and white shirt along with my dusty tea rose pink jeans, we watched Sam walk through the corridor holding a bag as she stalked towards us looking sane in her cream turtleneck with a brown cardigan and blue jeans contrasting her pale complexion.