here, but I still don’t sense much bad blood. But Sophie looks at her almost forlornly, like she wants to be friends, like she wants to be part of the group.
I know that feeling. It was me and Megan against the world for so long, until Skye came along. But even so, we just collected him from another friend group that dropped him. I didn’t have time to make friends—I barely had time to keep the ones I had—over the last year of practicing, studying, and performing, but I’d watch a group of seniors sneak out for lunch, or dress up with silver and blue face paint for our football games, and a part of me would want to be a part of that.
To be in a big friend group, to not feel so alone.
Shane waves me over, so in parting, I say, “Look. If I’m getting folded into this clique, I could try to bring you along too? Pierce and Rio seem super intense. I think I need someone else who’s on my level.”
She laughs. “Don’t worry about it. That group is locked tight; go have fun with the golden ones. We’ll chat at the pub later?”
“The what?”
Shane’s come to collect me, so I never get clarification on “the pub later.” It surfaces more than a few anxieties, namely the following:
Will there be drinking at this pub? I am not old enough to drink, even here.
I was going to FaceTime Megan tonight since she was half-asleep last time, but I guess that’s not happening.
What if I don’t get along with these people, and I’m stuck with them all night? I didn’t even bring my key, knowing I’d be with Shane.
Ugh.
“Marty, I need to introduce you to someone,” Shane says, waving a quick but genuine hello to Sophie before guiding me away. “She pulled marching band music, so there’s obviously no oboe part.”
“Right, so I’m playing off the flute score?”
“You can do whatever you want, but that sounds easiest, yeah?”
Oboes, flutes, and violins are in the key of C. Which means if I was to play off clarinet—a B-flat instrument—sheet music, I’d have to make every note a full step higher in my head as I play. I’ve done it before, it’s not impossible, but it’s not super easy.
“Do they have a horn part?” I ask Shane, knowing that his instrument is all alone in the key of F.
“Dani didn’t get the horn part, so I’m going off the alto sax one.” Alto sax is in E-flat, so that’s a full step down. He shrugs, with only a little bit of bravado. “It’s not like these pieces are particularly hard. I’ll be fine.”
I’m introduced to Dani, who’s a little frazzled making sure everyone has the right piece, but still exudes a ton of warmth. Her golden skin actively rejects the dim British atmosphere, and surrounding her face is long brown hair, which she has to tie up in a scrunchie to play her instrument.
“I hear you’re from America,” she says. “I try to keep up with politics there because of my friend who works over there, and it sounds like a new mess happens every day. Not sure you escaped to a better country, but I will say London and its people are beautiful.”
She talks about London like it’s a new home for her too, but I don’t have time to clarify because we’re suddenly starting. Though Dani got the music, Pierce and Rio take control of the group, telling us our set list. It’s actually pretty epic. Lady Gaga, Kesha, Rihanna—all icons I grew up with.
There’s a moment in every rehearsal, every performance, where the scattered warm-ups and distracted players all snap into focus, to tune their instruments and start playing as one.
Pierce steps up to play a tuning note for the group, then hesitates. Looks to me.
“Marty, care to do the honors? We don’t often get an oboe in our group. Concert A, everyone?”
My cheeks flush at the offer, and I’m inclined to say no. But I know it’s not just a kind gesture. In orchestra, everyone tunes their instruments to match the oboe, because the instrument tends to stay in tune despite any temperature or humidity changes.
I stand next to Pierce, and everyone slowly raises their instruments to their lips. I play a concert A. It’s spot-on. Pierce joins me, slightly sharp before easing into perfect pitch. One by one, the rest of the instruments fill in, until Shane gestures for everyone to stop. We’re all locked