His Unwilling Muse

Chapter 8: Disapproving Friends

I enter the practice room only to find it completely deserted. I swing my backpack to my front and pull out my phone. A loud groan wheezes through my nose when I realize I'm fifteen minutes early for today's practice.

A week ago I would have felt uneasy inside the small room on my own, yet here I am more bothered by the fact that I will have to spend an additional fifteen minutes trapped in here.

I drag my legs over to the wooden chair and plop down onto it. Like always I plug in my headphones, however, for the first time I hesitate before starting the music. Penny's words about how I need to learn some manners echo through my mind, which causes me to hoover with my thumb over the play button.

The second I realize what I'm doing though, I hit the play button. Who cares what Penny or anyone else thinks? They should be kissing my feet for being willing to spend my afternoons here, and not slander me behind my back.

Ten minutes tick by before the door finally opens. In walks Nate, with his trusty violin case in his right hand.

"You're here already." His words are muffled because of the music playing in my ears, but I'm still able to hear him. "You should have called me the moment you arrived. I don't want to make you wait."

I open my mouth to answer him when the door opens again. In walks Penny with her brown hair tied in a neat bun at the back of her head. The muscles in my stomach tighten and I fight the urge to groan aloud.

"Violet." She freezes the second her eyes land on me, and pinches her mouth into a tight line. "How nice of you to join us."

"Penny." I greet her back.

I fight a look of horror when I notice a folding wooden chair nestled underneath her right armpit. With everything I have I hope that I'm not about to be forced to spend two hours trapped with her in this crammed room.

"Penny decided to join us today," Nate says, while moving over to the note holder. "One of her classes was canceled."

Even through the string of rap I cringe at the scraping of the chair against the floor as Penny drags it across the tiny space. Despite the small size of the room, there are still two other corners she can choose from. Yet she drags her chair right over to me and rests it a foot away from my chair.

"At least someone has to appreciate his talent." She mutters while she makes a show of sitting down.

Despite being able to hear her every word, I pretend like I don't hear her and instead focus my eyes on Nate. The said guy is already immersed in his own world as he draws his bow against the strings and occasionally tightens a peg near the violin's end. Then with a soft smile at the two of us, he focuses his gaze on the notes and begins to play.

The slow and eerie music somehow fits the atmosphere inside the room perfectly, but before I can hear too much of it, I focus on my own music instead. I lean even further against the chair's back and close my eyes. Now, all I have to do is pretend like neither of them are present here with me, and I just might make it through the two hours without losing my mind.

"Insolent bitch." Penny hisses from right beside me, but even through the headphones I notice that she's speaking in a hushed tone. "You should be honored to be present during Nathaniel's practice. Sleep should be the last thing on your mind right now."

I push against my own instincts and force myself to remain motionless. Let her rage on as much she wants. Her opinion of me doesn't concern me even in the slightest.

"I know you can hear me."

Not a single twitch or a flutter of my eyelash proves her words. I make sure of it.