Cosima was an unconscious, hungover heap in her bed when her mother barged into her bedroom late in the afternoon.
"Honey, have you been in bed all day?" she asked, lips creasing into a frown.
Cosima groaned and peeked out from under the blankets, squinting with one eye open. "What?"
"It's 3 o'clock, we have to leave for your brother's recital in an hour!" Cosima groaned again, trying to form words. "Cosima I can't understand you when you do that."
Cosima sighed and took the pillow off her head. "That's today?"
"Yes! We've been talking about this for months! You were so excited about it!"
"No, no, I am excited, I just…forgot." Cosima threw off her blankets and stumbled out of bed, scrunching her face when a splitting pain shot through her head.
"Okay, just be ready in an hour!"
"Got it!" Cosima called after her mom as she left and shut the door behind her. "Shit." She rummaged through her desk drawers, looking for that bottle of Advil she kept for occasions such as this. What even happened last night? she thought. She remembered… arriving at the party with Sarah and Felix. She remembered dancing with that hot guy after her third drink (although, thinking about it now, she can't even remember what he looked like). She remembered having a joint with Felix. Then she started to lose track of things around the seventh drink or so.
Cosima checked her phone and according to her last text message from Sarah ("just made it home. i nominate anyone else to be DD next week") she had probably been dropped off a little before 4 in the morning. That would explain sleeping in so late. Cosima popped two painkillers in her mouth and swallowed, hoping that would help ease the splitting headache she had.
For the second time since she had woken up, someone barged into her room. This time, it was her 12 year old brother, Dylan, dressed up in a little suit and tie, obviously ready for the recital earlier than anyone else.
"Cos, what are you doing? You're not even dressed yet!"
"I know, I know! Sorry, I slept in," Cosima apologized, waving her hands around as she spoke. "But don't worry, I will be ready on time!"
Dylan frowned at her for a moment, then said, "Fine. But make sure you shower first. You smell!" His face broke into a grin before he darted out of the room.
"Brat!" she shouted after him.
Nonetheless, Cosima lifted her arm and took a sniff. Ugh, maybe the kid was right for once.
An hour later, Cosima was freshly showered, in one of the two "nice" dresses that she owned (most of her dresses were far too provocative for events like this), and her headache had died down ever so slightly. She made sure to eat a few slices of cold pizza before finishing her make up.
Her family piled into the car, with her dad behind the wheel, and her brother's violin case got its own seat in between the two of them. "You ready, kid?" her dad asked Dylan. Dylan nodded excitedly.
"You're gonna do great!" Cosima said, as the car moved out of the driveway and down the street.
When they arrived at the auditorium, it was still over an hour before the show. Dylan had to get there early because he was performing. "Cosima, honey, why don't you save us some seats while we take your brother backstage?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Cosima said. She pulled out her phone and her earbuds to listen to music to kill time. The auditorium was empty because it was still so early, so she snagged a few seats in the front row; her parents would be pleased.
Cosima lost track of time, but eventually her parents appeared, taking their seats and snacking on pastries. "Where did you get those?" Cosima asked.
"Backstage," her mother said between bites. "They've got a table set up with food for all the performers and families."
Cosima stared at them, hoping they would offer her something, but they didn't. "Well, I'm family! You didn't think to get me anything?"
"Sorry honey," her father said. "Why don't you go back and get something and see your brother really quick before the show?"
Cosima huffed, but still stood up and made her way backstage. The back room was filled with a ton of kids, well, maybe they all weren't kids, but everyone was under eighteen. This was a recital for "young talent", so basically it was a showcase of child prodigies, like her brother. Her family had discovered Dylan's musical talent when he was eight years old when he picked up their aunt's violin and started playing. He wasn't good, by any means, but he was only eight and had never had a lesson. Their aunt had seen the potential and insisted on paying for his lessons. He learned fast, and he was something their entire family was proud of, showing up at all his recitals, giving him gifts, throwing him parties. But because of that, no one really paid much attention to Cosima. There was the child prodigy that everyone adored, and other kid who did nothing significant. Sure, she was a straight A student, but that didn't matter when her brother has been on tv. She was… forgettable. Cosima had gotten used to it, though, and she enjoyed the perks of having a prodigy for a brother, like her parents not caring where she went at night, and especially the free food at events like this.
Cosima looked around for the food table and spotted it across the room. Standing in front of the food was a girl that looked just about Cosima's age, sixteen, and damn, was she gorgeous. Her blonde hair fell in lavish curls around her shoulders and her perfect posture made her at least a head taller than Cosima, but slightly less while Cosima was in her heels. Cosima headed across the room, not taking her eyes off the girl.
She grabbed one of the pastries and smiled, but before she could take a bite, and before Cosima could get there and talk this girl up, a middle aged woman, assumingly her mother, took the pastry from her hands, silently scolded her, and led her away from the table. Cosima frowned.
Cosima arrived at the food table and before her thoughts could linger on the girl for too long, arms encircled her waist from behind, and a voice yelled, "Cos!"
"Hey, kid! Get off!" she said, laughing and trying to push her little brother away.
"You just came back here for the food, didn't you?" Dylan asked.
Cosima's eyes widened and she gave the most overdramatic gasp she could muster. "What? Are you crazy? The only reason I'm back here is to support my little brother." As she said this, she snuck a pastry off the table and hid it behind her back.
"Oh yeah? Then what's that behind your back?"
"I dunno what you're talking about."
"You literally just grabbed a pastry and put it behind your back."
Caught, Cosima slowly revealed her hands and the pastry in one of them. "How the hell did that get there?!" she questioned.
Dylan just rolled his eyes. "Idiot," he said, and swiped the pastry from her hands. He took a bite and ran off before she could catch him.
"Brat!"
Cosima heard someone giggle from a few feet away. She looked up, and there was mystery girl, watching that interaction between Cosima and her brother. Cosima felt the color rush to her cheeks, but she smiled and waved at the other girl. Before she could bring herself to talk to her, the same woman from before dragged the girl off to another room. Cosima huffed while grabbing a new pastry for herself and she headed out of the room to rejoin her parents in the audience.
Cosima got back to her seat just in time because as soon as she sat down, the lights dimmed, and a booming voice welcomed them to the event and announced the first performer. Some scrawny-ass kid with glasses came out with a cello that was probably bigger than him and he began to play. Cosima yawned. As much as she loved her brother, she hated the classical music the kids always played at these recitals. She needed something with synthetic beats that her body could move to, or smooth lyrics that she could pay attention to. This classical shit always blended together and she could hardly tell one note from the next—not that she was musically knowledgeable in any way at all, but still. She found it hard to keep her eyes open, and by the third performer, she was falling asleep on her dad's shoulder.
A strong finger poked her in the side and Cosima jerked her head up. "I know you don't like these concerts much, but at least try to stay awake," her father said.
"Yeah, yeah, sorry," she said. "Won't happen again."
The current performer finished his song and while the audience applauded, the next girl was announced, and she came out with a saxophone. She started her song and it was a little more jazzy, which helped keep Cosima awake.
"How long until Dylan performs?" she whispered.
Her dad flipped through the program until he found the order of performances. "He's fifth to last, so more toward the end," he replied.
Cosima stifled a groan and turned her head back to the stage.
It seemed like an eternity, but ten performances later and after Cosima had dozed off at least two more times, the announcer said the name she had been waiting for. "Up next…Dylan Niehaus." Her parents cheered enthusiastically, and Cosima joined them. She was happy for her brother, after all.
Dylan came on and he looked so small compared to the vast stage surrounding him, but as soon as he started playing, he made up for that. That kid's skills with a violin could put… some famous violinist to shame… Cosima didn't actually know the names of any famous violinists. And after listening to him practice his performance for months, not so much struggling, but definitely improving each time, she was proud of her brother, finally getting to perform the finished product on this stage in front of hundreds of people.
When he finished, Cosima stood up with her parents, and she clapped and she whistled, and Dylan beamed at them, obviously thrilled from an excellent performance. The announcer saying the next performer was her cue to sit down.
"And now we have Delphine Cormier."
After Cosima took her seat, she glanced back up at the stage, and her breath was taken away when she saw mystery girl from earlier stroll into the spotlight. Delphine. She carried no instrument and instead walked up to the piano that was set up onstage. Of course she's a pianist, Cosima thought.
Cosima's heart thrummed faster in anticipation as she waited for Delphine to start playing, and when she did, wow. Cosima was breathless for the second time since she walked onstage. This girl was good. Her eyes were closed like she was feeling the music and her fingers moved nimbly across the keys. Despite the fact that she played that same classical music that Cosima usually hates, she found herself captivated the entire time.
Delphine's performance was over far too soon for Cosima's liking, and as she walked off the stage, Cosima found herself standing up and muttering to her parents, "I'm gonna go hang with Dylan the rest of the show, if that's cool."
Her parents nodded. "Thanks for sticking through so much of if," her dad said, but she didn't hear him. Cosima was already walking down the aisle heading for the backstage room.
When she arrived, her brother was nowhere to be found, probably in the bathroom, but neither was that woman that kept intercepting Cosima when she wanted to talk to Delphine, thank god. She had just gotten back into the room and grabbed a bottle of water to drink. No one was around her so Cosima took her chance and headed straight across the room to talk to her.
"Hey!" she said, startling the other girl, who almost spilled her water. "Whoa, sorry! I just wanted to tell you, you were really good out there."
Delphine's mouth opened ever so slightly in shock as she formed a reply. "Oh, um, thank you."
And she's French, Cosima thought. Shit.
"Yeah, totes," she said. "I'm Cosima, by the way. Cosima Niehaus." She held out her hand and Delphine shook it.
"Delphine Cormier," she replied. "Enchantée."
Cosima grinned. "Enchantée," she said, not caring if her accent sounded stupid.
"Niehaus, you said?" Delphine asked. "That is the name of one of the other performers."
"Yeah! My little brother, Dylan," she said. "Violinist extraordinaire."
Delphine nodded. "Yes, he was very good! I enjoyed his performance very much."
"So, do you live around here?" Cosima asked. "Usually we'll see the same kids at least every few recitals, but I've never seen you before. And you're like, really good."
Delphine smiled and her cheeks tinged red ever so slightly. "Yes, although not for very long. My family moves around a lot. We go wherever the opportunities are. We have only been in San Francisco a few months. Although my father says it seems promising here so we might stay for a while."
"Cool! So are you enrolled in school yet?"
Delphine shook her head. "No, I am homeschooled. It allows more time for me to practice piano."
"Wait, wait, wait, you're homeschooled and you're new in town? How are you supposed to meet people? Ya know, like, friends?"
"I do not have time for friends," Delphine said, and Cosima felt her heart break a little. "My parents say relationships are trivial, especially when I need to be practicing. And since I move around so much it can be hard to keep any friends I do make."
"Well, that's bullshit, so I'm gonna be your friend now, mmkay?" Cosima said. Delphine giggled and Cosima made sure to commit the sound to memory. "For real, though, you're young! Let's hang out. I'll show you the places with the best food and we can go to a party and I can introduce you to some of my friends. Have fun for once!"
Delphine smiled, and opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, another voice intercepted. "Delphine, darling, what are you doing?"
It was the same woman from before. She wore a fancy dress and spoke with a snooty attitude to match.
"Oh, maman, I was just talking to Cosima. She has a brother who also performed tonight. She is very nice."
"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Cormier," Cosima said, trying to sound as charming as possible. She offered her hand for a shake, but Delphine's mom ignored it and simply looked her up and down.
"Yes, thank you," she replied. "Delphine, sweetheart, are you ready to leave?"
"The recital is not even over yet," Delphine said. "Besides, I am talking to Cosima."
"Well your father needs to get home. He has some work to do. And you need to be practicing for your next performance, dear!"
"We don't even have anything scheduled yet, maman," Delphine said. Cosima could hear the frustration in her voice.
"You can never have too much practice," she said, with a tone of arrogance in her voice.
Cosima was about to butt in, but was saved from embarrassment when her parents and brother joined the conversation.
"You ready to go, hon?" her father asked.
"Uhh," Cosima started. She wanted to keep talking to Delphine, but if both of their parents wanted them to leave she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this conversation going, but she was going to try. "Mom, dad, this is Delphine. She was the pianist that went after Dylan."
"Oh, Delphine!" her mother said. "You were wonderful!"
"Very good," her father added. "You have a talent."
"Thank you," Delphine said, smiling politely.
"Anyway, Delphine was just telling me that she's new in town and she's home schooled, so I thought I could show her around a little and introduce her to some people. If you'd like, Delphine?"
"Oui, yes! It sounds like fun!" Delphine nodded her head excitedly and glanced at her mother, who frowned.
"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, Delphine," Mrs. Cormier said.
"Please, maman?" Delphine asked.
"You know," Cosima's mother interjected. "You probably won't find a better tour guide than Cosima. She spends so much time out exploring, she probably knows this city better than our house!"
"Yeah," her father continued. "And it'll be good for Delphine to make some friends while she's here."
All eyes were on Mrs. Cormier and she was backed into a corner. "Alright, I suppose it should be fine," she sighed.
Thank you, mother, Cosima thought. Thank you, father. Thank you thank you thank you.
"How's Friday?" Cosima asked with a grin.
"Friday is perfect," Delphine said.
"Delphine, you have practice until 6 on Friday."
"Then I'll come by at 7," Cosima said. "We can get dinner. It'll be great. Can I get your number?"
Mrs. Cormier realized she couldn't argue anymore, so she simply said, "Your father and I will be in the car," and briskly walked out of the room.
"Yeah, we'll meet you in the car Cosima," her father said, and Cosima's family left the room.
They stood in silence for a moment as their families left. As soon as they were gone, Delphine spoke up. "I am sorry about my mother," she said.
"Nahh, don't worry about it," Cosima reassured. "I've dealt with worse parents, believe me. My ex-girlfriend's family absolutely hated me and I'm still not sure why!"
"I can't imagine," Delphine said, with her lips quirked up into the smallest smile, "you are quite charming."
"Hey, I try." Cosima flashed a grin and Delphine giggled again. "So, phone number? Don't wanna keep them waiting too long."
"Oh, yes! I do not have my phone with me, but I can write it down for you?" Delphine said. She grabbed a napkin from the snack table and found a pen, elegantly tracing the numbers onto it and handing it to Cosima.
"Cool, I'll text you!" Delphine nodded and smiled. "Shall we?" Cosima asked, gesturing to the door.
They walked out to the parking lot together and turned to each other before going their separate ways.
"I will see you Friday?" Delphine asked.
"Yeah, totes."
Delphine giggled again. "Au revoir, Cosima," she said, waving as she headed to her car. Cosima grinned as she watched Delphine walk away. Who'd have thought she would end the night with a hot French girl's phone number? Best concert ever.