Suddenly, the prince had dark blue eyes and curling black bangs on skin that was as milky as hers.
The campus clock tower struck six. With a gasp, she grabbed her black ballet flats and her music folder.This princess can’t be late for the ball, not when she’s also the entertainment.
“THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!”
“You were effing awesome!” Brooke Mendenhall high-fived her.
Jonas pumped his fist at her and made a war-whooping noise that Sophie took as a form of congratulation.
“You shone like a diamond! I told you!” Professor Grigoryan, who had donned a wizard's cap and long midnight blue robes over his black suit, wrung her hand. “You stole the show. That cadenza!”
“I — I wasn’t trying to steal anything. When I saw Fiona’s string broke, I just... I don’t know. I improvised as best I could.”
“You helped. You stepped in. The orchestra is a team, you know. This is your sport. The violins think they are the quarterbacks, but...” he winked, “sometimes the cellos are the ones who score the touchdowns!”
Sophie nodded, feeling the happiest she could ever remember feeling in the last two months. No, maybe the last two years.
“Go eat mini candy bars and drink the horrible orange punch!” His smile faltered suddenly. “We have a very safe campus, but I know you’re new this year. Did you come alone?”
“Yeah, but I’m in Pettiford. It’s not far.”
He still looked hesitant. “Yes, yes, but The Friars’ Society and the Abbe Society will make sure anyone who wants an escort home gets one. You will walk home with someone, yes?”
This guy issonice.
Which means my father and mother would tell me not to trust him. Well, he didn’t offer to walk me home or try to get me to get a ride in his car, or something creepy.“Thanks, I promise I’ll ask for a buddy if I want one.”
With a sweep of his cloaked arm, he bowed to her and moved away, waving at a few other faculty advisors who were in attendance.
“You want a coke?”
Sophie jumped and turned. A guy was standing behind her, holding out an unopened can of soda. “Oh. Thanks.”
“I’m Rick.”
“Hi, Rick. I’m Sophie.”
“I know. Um. I don’t like classical music.”
“Oh?”Well, that’s awkward....
“But you guys blew me away. I didn’t know the cello could sound like that! How long have you been playing?”
“Since I was seven,” Sophie answered, and for a few minutes, thoughts about the princess escaping back to her tower and thoughts about a certain pale prince completely vanished.
“I’M IN THE FRIARS’Society. I can walk you if you want. We usually pair up. If you want to wait, I can get one of the Abbe girls to come with us?”
“Thanks, Rick. I’m fine. I’m from Philly. I used to ride the subways alone a lot later than this.” Okay, so it wasn’t technically a lie. She just hadn’t done itoften.
“Rick! You can go! Professor Van Dyke wants to stay until the end to lock up!”
“Okay!” Rick waved and called back to the group of men and women standing by the exit door. “I’m off-campus, but I parked my car in the Student Services lot. Pettiford is on the way if you want company?”
Sophie hesitated. She’d had a surprisingly relaxed and fun evening. She loved to play and she loved hearing Grigoryan play. Half of the kids in the hall were decked out in Halloween costumes or some sort of black, either as a nod to the holiday or their position in the chamber group.
Rick had talked to her off and on for about an hour. They mostly talked about music, which was the one area she was comfortable talking about to begin with.
What the heck? A five-minute walk was no big deal. “Company’s good.”
