College Days [Elizabeth Olsen]

Part 28

I returned to my room. I felt devastated. Broken. This gig meant so much to me but clearly not to Lizzie.
I quickly got changed into something that brought my body comfort and headed out. It was now raining so my hood was up as I walked back past the guild which was perfect timing as my flatmates gathered outside.

"Where's the star of the show gone?" I heard the American ask. I glanced in the corner of my eye to not gain any attention to myself.
"More like Where did you go?" Naomi sternly asked back, Naomi gave me a discrete sad smile as I continued to walk away. I took my beats headphones from around my neck and placed them over my ears as my walk turned in to a run.

It took me half an hour to a lap from campus down to the docks and back up. I had to put my phone on airplane mode with the amount of calls I was getting through. Especially from Lizzie and Ed. As I reached back to uni I still didn't want to go back to my flat knowing that Lizzie is probably there as I'm not answering my phone.
I go through the back entrance of the guild and down the stairs towards where they hold band rehearsals as it was late on a Saturday all the rooms were free except for one that I could see a light on.

I was into one of the dark rooms and search for the switch in the wall. The room filled with a dark calm light, and exposed various equipment around the room. This is where I needed to be. I took the stool by the drum kit and picked up the sticks that someone had left.
I began to play a simple tune that I knew. Easy Lover.
Every beat I hit released some anger and sadness that I felt. I then put my beats back in and played along with a few more tunes. I only stopped when I felt the palms of my hand go raw. I slid my beats off and held my head in my hands.

"Not bad" a voice appears from behind me, I jumped.
"Fucking hell! You scared the shit out of me!" I exclaimed as I turned to a girl stood with her back leaning against the door behind me.
"Sorry, I tried to get your attention before but you were to into your music, Cara" she held her hand out towards me.
"Ingrid, sorry about the swearing" I offered my hand back.
"I know, I just watched your set! It was amazing" Cara commented, it brought a smile to my face.
"Thank you! I really appreciate that"
"So how come you are already back in here practicing?"
"Trouble in paradise" I simply replied. "Were you also practicing?" I tried putting two and two together.
"Yeah, I'm actually a really keen drummer and guitarist" Cara informed me.

"Please take it away" I handed the sticks to Cara. She did a trick with them between her fingers, which made me giggle.
"So you're a fan of Phil Collins, I have just the song and I can teach you after" Cara then began to play in the air tonight. The most famous drumming song ever!
"Wow!" I exclaimed when she finished.
"You want me to teach you?" I nodded eagerly. She moved from the stool so I could sit back down and handed me the sticks.

It took me absolutely ages to get the timing perfect but you could tell that Cara was determined to get me to master it. She pulled a stool next to me as I finally got the tune right just needed the timing.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Noooo!" It turned comical as it was the same beat I missed everytime.
"One more time!" I reassured Cara and she let out a chuckle. I began again and managed to hit the whole song perfectly.
"Finally! You smashed it" Cara called out. I almost forgot all the pain I had felt before.

"Don't fancy do this again soon?" I asked, Cara would definitely be a great member of my band I thought.
"Yes! I thought you'd never ask" I handed Cara my phone and she put in her contact details.
"Can I take it off airplane mode to ring myself?" Cara asked.
"Of course" a sense of deflation came to my stomach. I knew I know had to go back to facing reality.
We pack our stuff up together and walk out of the guild.
"I am this way" I pointed as I put my hood back up to shield my hair from the rain.
"And I'm this way" Cara pointed in the opposite direction.
"See you soon!" I smiled, she smiled in return and then we both when our separate ways.