It's in Our Blood

Friday. Today was the day of the Winter concert. The entire school buzzed with excitement, particularly because they were finally going to hear Nyx perform. No one outside of the music class had heard of what Nyx sounded like but even then, they’ve only heard portions of her talent from the gossiping ears of those in the music department.

What would she sound like? What instrument will she playing? What song will she be performing? There was no one in school that knew what Nyx was going to do and that aura of mystery well kept the majority of the school’s attention.

I wasn’t even sure what was going to happen. This morning, I had to call in for Nyx again and handed in a slip Alice got Carlisle to sign saying Nyx, Edward, and Bella were on bed rest for the day. People I did not know would hound me for answers, answers that I did not know and when I would say so, they would huff away, thinking I was lying to them. It was a tiring morning to say the least, one that I was gladly waiting to be over… Well the school day at least.

As soon as I got back home, Nyx was right at the door, prepared with a couple pieces of scribbled on paper to shove into my arms, demanding me to practice. She grabbed my forearm and without another word, she headed off into the music room. I had no choice but to follow her in and she handed me my violin and bow, setting up a stand for me, and placed the sheet music on it. Nyx then, walked off to close the door to the room firmly, with no intentions of letting me out until she was satisfied with my playing.

I looked at her warily, trying to decipher her, but Nyx remained impassive and determined. That unwavering fire that surrounded her aura made me realize that it would be easier for me to just follow her demands and not ask questions.

I picked up my violin, placing it firmly between my shoulder and my head, tucked right under my chin, nestled into my neck. I brought the bow up and looked at the song title scribbled at the top of the music sheets.

The Ocean.

“Kari!” I heard Alice muffle, spitting out the hair that caught in her mouth, “Stay still!”

I inwardly sighed, slightly aggravated by Alice’s actions. When she foresaw Nyx’s intention to play the concert, she came over precisely at 4 to start dressing me and Nyx up. She made these fancy looking, yet still very rock, kind of shirt like dresses to be worn over this ripped, washed out black skinny jeans for Nyx and I to wear. Alice took no questions and forced us to do as she pleased. Of course…

Nyx held up a good struggle for around an hour and half against Alice before she was tackled by the pixie like girl and forced into the clothes.

We had arrived at school around at approximately 6:30 and were rushed into sound check. Luckily, we were last for the talent show which ended at around 10pm and had lots of time to prepare. Alice was overjoyed by this prospect and went to work to ‘beautify’ us more.

She fiddled with our hair, combing it, and styling, and put bits and pieces of make up onto our faces. Nyx fidgeted uncontrollably when Alice put the eyeliner pencil in her eyes, causing Alice to poke her several times. I did my best to stay as still as possible and let Alice to as she pleased… because being in Nyx’s position with Alice didn’t seem like a very good idea at all.

Nyx’s eyes were fixed beadily on the brush that was in Alice’s hand. She stared, hoping to have it combust in air without burning down anything else, however, Alice saw her objectives quite clearly and sent Nyx a heated glare, daring for her to do anything to her precious make up. Nyx cowered in the dark corner, mumbling under her breath of the atrociousness of make up.

“Ashnyx and Katrina,” called a student technician, who by the way, blushed when Nyx came into view from the dark, “Y-you’re up n-n-next.” He managed to stutter out.

Nyx shot him a stunning smile, making me clearly hear his heart palpitations before he hid his red face with the black curtains and headed back to his spot. I suppressed a laugh at him while Alice quickly finished dabbing my cheek with who knows what and pushed me forward.

I stepped out on stage first, the bright lights temporarily blinding me. I could hear the polite applause and occasional whistles from people. Then Nyx came out. Gasps echoed throughout the suddenly quieted room. Nyx’s hair was beautifully tied up, her top half in a sort of terra twist and the bottom flowed out elegantly. Her arms were donned in these expensive looking bracelets Alice placed on and her dress like shirt was in a beautiful blue that brought out her eyes and popped out the red in her hair.

People began to stand, trying to get a good glimpse of Nyx as she walked across the stage and sat at the piano, an instrument no one, not even me, has ever seen her play. A microphone was set up beside her and she looked at it, looking over it to the crowd. The bright lights made it difficult to see a distinguishable face but still, Nyx looked around.

I took my place on stage right, opposite to where Nyx sat on stage left. A music stand was positioned on my left, the few scribbled on music sheets of the new song Nyx had composed was placed on the stand. A microphone on a mike stand was placed before me but I wouldn’t need it until later. I held the violin in my hand tightly, and waited as everyone sat down in anticipation of what would happen next. I waited for Nyx to speak, to see if she would speak. I could clearly hear every breath Nyx had under the heavy lights placed upon us and it made every fiber of my being shudder from the cold.

“This…” Nyx spoke into her microphone breathily, “This song is for everyone who…” She paused, scanning the crowd; she swallowed the pit of saliva in the base of her throat and continued, “This song is for everyone who wished for someone to stay.”

Her words hung in the tense and anxious atmosphere in the auditorium. Her words echoed in my head.

To stay…For someone to stay.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. I mimicked her, closing my eyes and counted off in my head. And then… in unison with Nyx, we breathed together as I started the song.

I dragged my bow across the strings of the violin, using vibrato to drag out a single note before moving it back across and playing the start of the song in a more melancholy tone than the song was originally written as. The twinkling of the piano keys soon followed, a heavy, down to earth tone hidden beneath every note in the chords of the bass, providing a resounding duo melody in the song.

Nyx opened her eyes, looking straight across into her own reflection off the piano and breathed in. Her lips moved and she sang the first line off the song.

“Am I alone in this?”

Goosebumps rose on my arms, I could hear the shudders off of every single person in the room.

“Never a night where I can sleep myself till day.

We must try to figure it out, figure it out.

It won't be that easy,”

She paused briefly, and then continued.

“We lost it somehow.”

A brief interlude of the violin was played, intensifying the atmosphere.

“You come over unannounced.

Silence broken by your voice in the dark.

I need you here tonight

Just like the ocean needs the waves.”

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Nyx close her eyes again, breathing into the next verse.

“Oh, the night becomes the space

That's somewhere in between

What I feel and what I'm told

Sitting on the shoreline

Trying to figure it out... figure it out...

To find out the meaning

And reach it somehow.”

Nyx paused her playing for a bit. I slowed down my part, and did my best to use my Empath gift to figure out how to fit my playing to Nyx’s pattern. The most beautiful thing about Nyx’s music is she plays straight from the heart. She held a chord on the piano before taking in another breath and continued on, her voice stronger than it was before.

“You come over unannounced.

Silence broken by your voice in the dark.

I need you here tonight

Just like the ocean needs the waves.

Fall around me now

Like stars that shine and brighten the way.

I need you here tonight

Just like this night it needs the rain.”

Nyx slowed down her playing, her voice dramatically dropping to a softer tone.

“The season has changed.

The wind it blows colder now, colder now.”

Our playing picked up slightly, her voice becoming stronger and stronger, the note becoming higher and higher.

“The clouds are raised.

The rain it falls harder now, all around.”

I dragged out a note; the piano played a single chord that was prolonged by the use of the pedal. Nyx’s voice held the end note brilliantly. She let the note fade out and I continued with the violin, creating a little instrumental interlude with it.

And then with a sudden silence, I realized that Nyx had stopped playing, fingers still on top of the black and white keys. She was looking straight into the crowd, her eyes never wavering from the spot she was looking at. I adverted my gaze and it was Edward. Nyx was looked at Edward. The females of the auditorium were each soundlessly tearing but Edward…

Nyx and Edward just stared at each other, millions of thoughts and emotions running through.

I repeated the interlude, creating some variations, trying to remind Nyx to finish. Nyx’s mind seemed to move completely on its own now. She seemed to pay no mind to me but her piano part matched mine seamlessly once again. With another breath, Nyx sang.

“You come over unannounced”

She sang this directly at Edward and no one else.

“Will you come over now?”

I whispered, imitating the backing vocals of the song.

“Silence broken by your voice in the dark.

I need you here tonight

Just like the ocean needs the waves”

Nyx stared to pound the same chord into the piano, repeating that single line again.

“I need you here tonight just like the waves”

And then, I joined in with the vocals, Nyx’s voice directing itself more and more to Edward.

“Fall around me now”

“so fall around me now”

“Like stars that shine and brighten the way.

I need you here tonight

Just like this night it needs the rain”

“I need you here tonight just like this night, it needs the rain”

“You come over unannounced”

“Will you come over now?”

“Silence broken by your voice in the dark.

I need you here tonight

Just like the ocean needs the waves”

“I need you here tonight just like the waves”

I created a deep resounding vibrato off the strings of my violin, dragging out the last fading note Nyx played on the piano. I let the sound fade out on its own, never letting the heartbeat like vibrato Nyx had created die out.

And in the last few moments before the instrumentals of the song died, Nyx lifted her lips up to the microphone once again, breathing the last line with every fiber of her being.

“Just like the stars that fall around me now.”

Dead silence rung throughout the auditorium.

Nyx breathed heavily, barely 5 cm away from the microphone. Her head was hung down, her hair shielding her face like curtains, fingers trailing the notes of the keyboard and down to her lap, curling her fingers into white as sheet fists. She dared not move her gaze from the floor, unaware of the deafening cheers around her.

Everyone stood up in applause, whistling loudly, but Nyx paid no mind. I put down the violin in my hand and walked towards Nyx. I rubbed my hand on her shoulder soothingly, and looked at the black reflection of myself off the piano. I interlocked my fingers with hers, placing my bow and violin in one hand. I led her to the front of the stage and we bowed.

We stood up and Nyx locked eyes with Edward once more. I could hear the muffled cheers as I watched the two of them, their gaze unwavering, and the pounding of Nyx’s heart.

However, if I listened closely enough, it wasn’t just one heart; it was both of their hearts pounding together harmoniously; something that was nothing short of a miracle because Edward was part of the undead. Nyx shut her eyes, squeezing them tightly together, and tore herself away from the scene, exiting stage left.

I felt my shoulders sag and glanced back at Edward once more and followed Nyx off the stage. I arrived just in time to see her scurry out the door, away from backstage. I placed my violin in its case, locking it shut quickly and hurried after her with my violin in tow. She slammed her palm on the lockers, making a huge dent along with a cry of frustration from her lips. She fell against the wall, sliding down to the floor and curled her head in her arms.

I bent the locker back into its original shape and bent down to Nyx. I grabbed her by the shoulders into my embrace and let her sob her emotions out. After a couple of moments, she stifled her sobs and rubbed her eyes. She peered at me behind her wet lashes and whispered a simple ‘thank you’. I gave her a smile while she got out of my grasp. She dusted off the invisible dirt of her clothes and smoothed out the wrinkles on her shirt.

Nyx opened her mouth to speak but people began to spill out of the auditorium. Nyx was swept into a flurry of praise and awe. I felt her spirits lift, basking in the glory of her art however, it soon quivered. In the corner of my eye, I saw Edward staring so intensely at her and when I looked directly at him; waves of regret and sorrow hit me hard.

He noticed my gaze soon enough and with one last glance at Nyx; he turned out of the area, gone within a millisecond. I brushed by people who were rushing up to Nyx, trying to reach to Edward, yet the moment I stepped outside, I only felt the presence of cold air rush by me.

The parking lot was void of the Volvo.

Someone came up behind me. I turned my head to see Alice, holding a jacket out for me. I gave her an appreciative smile and slipped it on.

“You did well.” She said, “You both did.”

“Thank you.”

Alice looked out into the darkening sky. Her body went still and her eyes became blank. I stared at her curiously.

“Don’t leave.” She suddenly rushed out those words.

I blinked a couple of times, “Leave?”

“I had a vision. The two of you left and… Everything fell apart into pieces.”

She turned back to me, a deep ferocity shown on her face.

“You cannot leave.”

Alice looked at me.

“Promise me you and Nyx won’t leave.”

I nodded my head hesitantly.

“Promise.” She demanded firmly.

“I promise.”

Alice seemed to relax slightly and turned away from me once again. I bit my lip, praying Alice wouldn’t see the doubt I had within me. Even though I promised… It’s one that I don’t know if I can keep. I will follow Nyx anywhere at any given time and if she decides that she has to leave, then I will go with her. The pain with Edward might become too unbearable for her to withstand and distance might be the only answer.

The two of them had so many things left unspoken between them and if only… if only they could find someway to talk to each other…

My eyes widened, a sudden idea popped into my mind. Alice turned to me, nodding her head eagerly, seeing the outcome of my idea in the future.

“That could work!” she whispered excitedly, “That could work!”

She jumped up happily and ran out, no doubt to find Edward. I rushed back inside the school, pulling Nyx away from the crowd. She staggered backwards, people looking at us with a confused and slightly miffed off expression since I pulled Nyx away from them. Nyx turned to me, a questioning expression over her face.

“Kari…” said Nyx apprehensively, “what’s going on?”

I smiled widely at her, “We’re going to the school dance on the 28th.”

And with that, people around us cheered, even though Nyx’s eyes popped out of her sockets.