Chapter 26

The best part of this music festival was how happy it made Opal. Herry never realized she had so many teeth. She had so much passion on the subject, passion she spewed onto him through elated lectures just about as technical as any of Odie's, for which his comprehension was tied between the two. He didn't care. She could talk to him about instruments for hours, so long as he could hear that excitement in her voice.

The main attraction of the festival was a competition. Up on a stage instrument names were drawn from a hat and any member of the audience could perform for the honor of championship. Opal narrated everything to him, notes that were flat, sharp or missed, sections she found particularly spectacular, and she did it for every instrument. He didn't understand how her mind worked. To him it was all just noise, but she heard every note as simple as he heard syllables in words.

The announcer confirmed the flute champion when no one took him up on his offers to the audience for a challenge. That was the signal for the hat to draw the next instrument, violin. There was a flurry of bows that shot up into the air and the announcer chose a woman closest to the stage. He asked her name and then gave her the floor. When she finished a lanky teen was quick to challenge. He beat her by a smidge and held his place for one round. The man that replaced him was stocky and plump round the middle. He held the top place for four more rounds, as dictated by the cheers from the crowd.

"Anyone else want to challenge?" it was the second time the announcer asked the crowd and it appeared like the violin completion was over.

But then, "She does." Opal sent Herry a horrified expression.

"No she doesn't," she whispered back to him, tugging down hard on his shirt clutched in her fist.

The whole crowd was staring at them now. Herry placed his hand on the small of Opal's back and gave her a light nudge forward.

"I don't have my violin," she said, and three were tossed in her face. She hunched her shoulder, sent Herry a glare and took the instrument closest. She climbed up on the platform and introduced herself. Herry wasn't worried about her; she would do magnificently even if she was caught off guard. He recognized the song she started to play, he knew it was a classical song, but had no idea what its title was. The audience turned completely silent, the constant bubble of whispered conversation disappeared. They were completely captivated. When she finished the crowd erupted, clear who they considered the better performer.

"My dear, that was the best performance of Beethoven's pastoral symphony on the violin I have heard in a long while," the announcer told her and she smiled modestly, she was so cute when she smiled like that, the announcer turned back to the crowd and said, "Is there anyone out there crazy enough to take this girl on?"

Silence.

"Congratulations," he told her and she nodded a thanks as she shook his hand. Hopping off the stage she returned the violin to its owner and wove her way back to Herry.

"I can't believe you just made me do that," she whispered, walking away from the excitement as she shook out her hands at her side, keeping her eyes downcast on the grass.

"What, I couldn't let you deprive those people of good music," he jibed, "I'd knew you'd win."

"How did you know?" she asked, taking in a deep breath to hold for a count of three

Because you're a descendent of Orpheus. He smirked and said, "I just knew." He padded along beside her as she paced, settling her nerves, "You doing all right over there?"

"I can't believe you made me do that," she repeated.

"You were great," he said, "I'm sure that was far from the first time you've preformed in front of people."

"Yeah but usually I have weeks to practice," she said, tossing out her arms as she looked up to him in exasperation. He bit back his smile as she resumed her pacing. They walked to a quieter section of the park, free of celebration, where Opal dropped down on a bench in front of a pond. She spread her hands out on her knees and let out a slow breath.

"Okay," she said, back straight as a board, "I think I'm good now."

"Oh yeah, you look completely relaxed," he smiled, sitting beside her on the bench. He leaned his arm over the back of the wooden bench and crossed one leg on the seat, sitting to face her. She let out another breath and slouched down on the backrest. He studied her as she watched the pond. He always kind of liked how she never seemed to care what she looked like. She let her hair do whatever it pleased, as far as he could tell she never covered her face with products. He liked her round face how it was, there was no need to paint it.

She reached up a hand to shove her bangs from her eyes and looked over to ask, "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah," he smiled and reached out a hand to ruffle her hair. His heart began to pound in his chest constricting with nerves, sweat started to bead on his brow as he hunted down and trapped the courage to say on a wisp of a breath, "It's hard not to when I'm with you."

Opal's cheeks flashed red and she quickly looked back to the water, watching the ripples on the pond she asked in a clear attempt to change the conversation, "Is your arm feeling better."

"Yeah, it's so great to finally get out of the house," he said, babbling as he ran with the escape, "You should have heard Jay this morning, if it wasn't for Theresa I'm pretty sure you would have been stood up today."

"Jay sounds like he worries a lot," she said, sparing him a quick glance.

"Yeah," Herry said with a half hearted smile and looked out to the water. His heart froze when he felt the ginger brush of fingers over his bandaged forearm, soft and gentle. He didn't acknowledge Opal's touches, afraid she would stop if he looked over. He liked the little electric pulses her fingertips were creating on his skin, the way she was so easily making his pulse race.

"Is there stitches?" she said, letting her hand rest fully on his wrist.

"Do you want to see?" he finally looked down at her, a smirk on his face.

Her nose crinkled in disgust and she shook her head.

"I get them out soon," he told her, "I can't wait, they're so itchy it's driving me crazy."

"Yeah?" she asked, "Is it normal for stitches to be itchy?"

He was concentrating on her hand on his arm, deaf to her question. She cleared her throat and he snapped his eyed up from her nails, manicured as short as his own. He shook his head and said, "What? Stitches, yeah all the ones I've had before have been itchy."

"Hmm," she said as she turned back to look at the water, placing her hand back in her lap, "I've never had stitches,"

"I can tell," he said with a smile, reaching his hand over to rub his wrist, suddenly cold with the absence of her warm palm.

"And I've never broken anything," she said with a childish innocence.

"Or had a concussion," he added with a light laugh.

"Or that," she returned his laugh.

"What about a bruise, have you ever had one of those?"

"A bruise?" she asked, glancing up at him through narrowed eyes, "What is this you speak of?"

He laughed and she smiled, covering the giggle that followed with her hand. Everything she did reminded him of a little mouse, something adorable and precious he couldn't help but feel like protecting, like he could make her his to protect. He scrunched up his nose and looked to the pond. Every time the idea of her being his crossed his thoughts Cronus popped up his damn head in his mind, he just couldn't risk him finding out about her.

There was a flock of ducks paddling through the weeds on the far side of the pond. He watched them poke their heads under the water and cruse around on the surface. A panic arose in the birds from a stone being tossed in the middle of their group, honking as they splashed the water with their wings. Glancing up to the banks Herry spotted Archie and not Atlanta. What? He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at the couple to get a better look. Yeah, that was definitely Archie, but the woman with the long hair and sharp features was not Atlanta.

"What are you looking at?" Opal asked.

He pulled out of his mind and looked back over to her, "Nothing, I just thought I saw someone."

She nodded in acceptance and looked back to the water.

He would definitely be speaking to Archie about this later, but for now it was probably best if he didn't run into his friend and his mystery date. He cleared his throat and said, "Are you hungry?"

"Sure," she peeked over at him through her hair.

"Why don't we go somewhere," he got to his feet and offered her his hand. She slipped hers in his with a slow, delicate motion. When she was on her feet he motioned to let go, but she gripped his hand tighter. Ice formed in his stomach and his heart started pounding in his ears again, it took him a moment to find his voice to ask, "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yeah," she blinked up from their interlocked hands and quickly retreated hers, "Sorry."

"No worries," he said and set the pace of their stroll back to his truck. She was quiet as they walked, it wasn't necessarily out of her character to be quiet, but today she had been rather chatty. He let it slide for now, he was happy enough just walking beside her. He sucked in a deep breath of warm afternoon air, so much better than brownstone air he had been stuck with for the last while. It was beautiful outside and he was with an adorable girl, this day could hardly get more perfect.