Chapter Thirty-Three
Caliegh's POV
"You did what?!" I briefly choked on the tea I was sipping, staring at my sister in shock.
"I may or may not have gotten a detention from Mr. Edelstein." She frowned to herself slightly, shrugging. I furrowed my eyebrows together, pursing my lips. She was seriously stupid for getting detention. I wouldn't have even thought of getting one.
"What have I told you? Mr. Edelstein gets back from coffee break at exactly 11;37 every day so that he can grade papers." I uncrossed my legs and leaned back into the couch in our dorm, taking another slow sip of tea.
"It's funny how you thought I'd listen." Gabby gave me a small smile from her place at the desk, filling out a detention slip.
"Well now you got detention, genius."
"Well…!" She whined, pouting.
"'Well' nothin', you deserved that. I'll have you know that I was trying to find New World Symphony Theme today to practice. And what did I find?" I paused. "Frickin' Mozart Serenade." I set my empty cup down on the coffee table. She ignored me. I groaned, sort of to get her attention. "Dragon Slayer was in the wrong place, too." I stayed silent for a moment, watching her scribble around on a piece of paper. "Are you even listening to me?!"
"Boo hoo for you." She simply muttered. I huffed, crossing my arms and standing.
"Well, I'm just going to go help Mr. Edelstein fix what you did. How absolutely immature it was for you to go and wreck the sheet music…" I glanced back at her, then silently slipped my shoes onto my feet. "Don't miss me too much." I said with a half-grin and a wave, stepping out of the room and locking the door behind me.
I regretted snapping at my sister as soon as I left the room. Often, she would tell me how I needed to be less snappy…Oh well.Why would she even do such a thing? I thought.
I bet this is because of Alfred.
It clicked in my head.
He's changing her way too much.
I shook it off, carefully stepping down the stairs that led up to the girls' dorms, turning the corner at the end to the music classroom. Inside, I rejoiced the fact that the classroom was so close to our dorms. It meant that I could visit whenever I felt the urge, whether it be to play my violin or simply pop in to say hello.
I clicked the door open, peering my head in. "Mr. Edelstein, you here?" I gazed over the room, noticing him sitting on the floor with dozens—no, hundreds—of stacks of sheet music surrounding him. He had his glasses sitting up on the chair next to him, running his fingers through his hair. I stared for a moment, noticing just how worn out he actually looked, and how stressed he must've been. After a minute or so, he looked up at me with a shocked expression.
"Miss Higgins…! Ah, what're you doing at this late hour…" He sounded flustered in my presence, staring up at me with wide eyes. I entered the classroom, shooting him a smile.
"I thought I might help you. Since it is my sister's doing and all." I sat on my knees in front of him, pulling my skirt down over my knees. "Mind if I do?" Mr. Edelstein shook his head.
"I appreciate the help, Miss Higgins." I nodded once, immediately reaching for a box of music in front of me.
"My, my..." I flipped through the music. "Well this isn't the correct song at all."
"Indeed. Could you find the boxes for these as well?" Mr. Edelstein pointed to several stacks of music. I nodded, pulling myself to my feet and practically floating to the large shelves where the music was filed.
"Aha, you have so much…" I could feel a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth; the anticipation of being around so much music was enough to drive me crazy with excitement. I pulled a few boxes out, bringing them back to Mr. Edelstein.
"Thank you…Could you possibly put these back? Please, in numerical order." He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face and handing me several boxes. I gazed down at one.
"Triumphal March from Aida…" I smiled. "I have this on my iPod, the one performed by Vienna Philharmonic." Mr. Edelstein paused while shifting through several sheets and looked up at me.
"Such fine tastes in music you have…They are quite the astounding group, ja?" I grinned to myself, turning away from him. I could feel the giddy blush creeping onto my cheeks.
"Very." I walked back to the archives, biting my lip to keep from grinning so much. I lost concentration, and I noticed I slid a box in the wrong slot. I sighed to myself and took it back out, seeing I had read the number backwards. It wasn't fifty-one, it was fifteen. I paused, looking up at the slot for the said number. It was in the top row. I gaped at it for a moment, then stood on my very tip-toes to reach the space. I cursed under my breath for being so short, practically hopping just to try and reach.
"Here, allow me, Miss." Mr. Edelstein came from behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder and taking the box from me. He reached over my head and slid the box perfectly in place, calmly smiling down at me.
"Ah, geez…sorry about that." I coughed into my fist, blushing once more. I couldn't help but think…damn, Mr. Edelstein was gorgeous. I really didn't understand why Miss Héderváry divorced this man.
The room was silent for quite a while.
"I must say, Miss Higgins. I am rather impressed with your wide knowledge about music." Mr. Edelstein said, adjusting his glasses. I laughed airily, sitting in one of the chairs beside him. "I was quite taken with you when I first saw you perform. I must say, your fluid hand movements along the piano keys were gorgeous, and your voice is beautiful. Like an angel, dear."
"Th-thank you…!" I laughed nervously, bowing my head slightly. "Not really, but…"
"You're much more of a violin player, aren't you?" I froze.
"How can you tell, sir?"
"When you play piano…your movements were a little odd for that of a pianist. You look as if you'd like your whole body to move, that you wish the instrument to move with you. Am I right?" I stared at my lap. How could he tell something like that about a person just by observing their movements?
"Yes…yes, sir. I prefer my violin."
"As I thought." He smiled for a moment. "You certainly do feel emotion in the music you play, though."
"It…gets to me, a lot of times."
"And that's very good, Miss Higgins. I could especially tell during our last performance assignment recently." I immediately covered my mouth, eyes wide.
"Oh my goodness, no…I missed a note when I was playing my composition! And I made a crescendo when I wasn't supposed to…" My heart began racing, remembering the horrid performance I did in front of the whole class.
"I noticed." I paused for a second.
"But…I got a one hundred on that."
"You did." He was smiling to himself, writing with a permanent marker on a box to label a new box, taping it shut.
"Why."
"Because I was absolutely enraptured by your performance technique, I didn't think it mattered that you changed your piece a little to suit your tastes better." He looked up at me, flashing that rare smile once again. I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what to say.
"Uh…thank…you…" I really was at a loss for words. Maybe it was partially because it was late, but mostly because I felt rather…nervous, I guess, around him. Yet oddly happy. I mean, he was my favorite teacher, but was this really necessary?
"Ah, Miss Higgins! It's nearly nine o'clock!" I snapped my head up.
"Seriously? I managed to stay here for that long? Oh, sorry, Mr. Edelstein…" I stood quickly, smoothing out my skirt. "I guess I'll be going now." I quickly bowed, shuffling to the door to leave. Mr. Edelstein also stood, following me to the door.
"Nein, thank you. Really, Caliegh, I appreciate the help." He placed a hand on my shoulder, once again smiling for what seemed like the millionth time today.
"You're welcome, sir…Goodnight, Mr. Edelstein." I smiled kindly at him.
"Goodnight, Miss Higgins. Now hurry off." I nodded, then rushed back up the stairs to the dorm room. When I entered, Gabby was coming out of the bathroom, rubbing her hair with a towel.
"Took long enough, Kay. Lose your virginity yet?" My eyes widened, and I shook my head rapidly.
"Excuse you?!" Gabby rolled her eyes playfully.
"Oh, please. We all know how you and Mr. Edelstein secretly have sex during your little meetings." I shot her a glare.
"That's illegal. I would never."
"Because we all know you never enjoy breaking rules."
"Unlike you." I opened the bathroom door, slipping off my shoes and undoing my tie, flinging it onto the bed (it didn't land there, but whatever). "You aren't afraid to be a total badass, eh?"
"I'm the badass? Now watch it, you. You were the one who threw your tie onto the floor!" Gabby grinned. "That's pretty badass if you ask me."
"Ah, yes. I forgot." I chuckled under my breath. "I'm taking a shower. Hope you left hot water." I slipped quietly into the bathroom, praying in my head that my little…attraction for Mr. Edelstein wouldn't last long.