Sitting on a wooden stool, harp resting between her legs, her wild, untamed mass of hair, with her back to me and her head leaning back, is Anca.
Lost to the web she’s weaving around her, around me, binding us together with the notes coming from her fingers as they dance over the strings.
I’ve never heard the harp played this way before.
And we’ve played with symphonies and orchestras all over the world.
Prodigies and proteges.
Expertly plucking those strings as if they were extensions of their own body.
But nothing like this.
Like it’s replacing her own voice.
I spin around. Our instruments are laid out, ready for our rehearsal later. I pick up my viola and bow, not caring about the tuning. I raise it to my shoulder and wait.
Wait for my opening.
And then, as if the song is taking a breath, there’s a moment. I pull my bow and join her.
A little twinkle, trill, just an octave above her melody.
It thrills me.
I see her startle and she tilts her head a fraction to the side, but her fingers never stop.
I ignore her, avoid her eyes. This isn’t about me or her. It’s between her harp and my viola. I clear my mind of all thoughts, and just let the song take charge. We soar into the chorus, a beautiful arc of sound, building and building as the melody pushes harder and harder to a climax. I see the lyrics dancing over my mind like a silent play. And then, like the tide, it recedes. Some songs crash to a sudden silent stop. Leaving the brain to fill in the blank. Her harp decides to fade, note by note, drawing a path in the brain to beautiful, quiet conclusion. I pull the bow for the last time, until there’s no more string and no more sound and no more breath. And it’s gone.
I squeeze my eyes shut. Not wanting it to end. Songs can linger forever, if nothing replaces them. Like heartbreak until someone else comes along to repair it. Music just floats in your mind until another sound imprints itself.
In this case, it’s the sound of a French neanderthal.
“DUDES! THAT WAS DOPE!” I open my eyes, and the rest of the band, Dennis and Cadence have gathered around us.
I rotate on my heel away from them, busying myself with putting my viola back in her case, taking a deep breath and pressing a finger to my temple. It suddenly aches.
“Marius?” I hear Cadence call out to me and I take a beat before joining the group, deliberately not looking in Anca’s direction.
“Babe, that was… wow. Have you guys been working on that song? It’s pretty bloody perfect, hey.” Cadence gushes, her Australian accent coming on strong whenever she’s excited.
“Er, no. I um, I just heard Anca playing and thought I’d play along. I just joined in near the end, she actually was playing it before I… um, well, I was sleeping. In there. That room. Yeah.”
You can see what I mean by not being able to form a sentence.
She gets up from her stool, finally, and stands behind Jez, who moves over and lets her into the circle. “I hope you don’t mind. Jez said I should warm up a bit first before I audition for you guys later. I don’t have a lot of experience performing non-classical music, but I’ve always loved that song and I thought it worked well with piano, so strings and harp wouldn’t be too far a stretch. And, um, I, er, I didn’t mind you joining in. It was, um, it was better than I expected.” She lifts her lashes at the last words and looks up at me.
Something short-circuits in my head and I try not to move in case the move is to grin like an idiot.
A sharp elbow finds itself dug into my side and I lose my balance.
“Say something,” Cadence whispers through her teeth.
“Oh. Yeah, thanks,” is about all I can say.
“Anca, I’m Dennis, boss of these here idiots. I don’t know about the guys but, that’s all the audition I’m going to need. We’ll have a chat but judging by everyone’s reaction, we hope you don’t have any birthday parties to go to in the next few weeks, because we’d love for you to come with us.”
No.
“Um, guys. Shouldn’t we um… talk about things,” I hear my voice say.
“I did say that, Marius. But well, I think we all know each other enough to know, Anca will fit right in.” Dennis says, a frown on his face.
“But…” I start, not sure how I’m going to finish.
“What is WRONG, Marius?” Everyone looks at me, not quite sure what I’m trying to get at.
“Um, I think what Marius is trying to say but not say is… he’s scared I’m going to upstage him.” Anca cuts in, her lower lip tucked under her front teeth as she bites it coyly.
There’s a huge guffaw from the group and Brad chokes on the beef jerky stick he’s gnawing on.
“Yep, she’s going to fit right in.” Dennis winks to Jez.
I’m not as amused. “Is she always like this?” I ask Jez, throwing my hands up.
He shrugs, “Pretty much.”
“Then, no! I don’t fucking want her on the tour with us! She’ll ruin everything!” I yell, much louder than I mean to, and everyone falls quiet.
Jez frowns at me, his mouth falling open.
There’s a deep, red blush rushing up Anca’s face and her eyes glisten. She turns and runs out of the room, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.
I curse under my breath and wonder whether I should wait to hear the abuse from the group or just chase after her now.
“What the hell? Dude. That was really uncool. Why would you say that?” Sebastian demands, shaking his head.
“I’m sorry! I told you guys we need to discuss it, but you wouldn’t listen.”
“But you didn’t have to be so fucking rude.”
“Ugh, I know. She just… ugh she was just all…” I grind my fist into my palm, like rubbing salt into a wound.
“Dude, she was probably just trying to fit in, she didn’t say anything worse than the shit we fling at each other every day.” Jez jumps in, defending his sister.
“I know, I’m sorry I overreacted. But we still need to talk, guys. I don’t… I just don’t want her in the group.”
“So, talk.” Even Dennis sounds upset with me.
Cadence shakes her head and waves her hand, stopping the conversation. “No. Someone should go after her.”
Everyone’s eyes turn to me. Wide. Judging.