“Why? It’s not like there’s anything you can do about it.”
“Actually, there is.”
Now it was my turn to be shocked. “What are you talking about?”
Violet smirked and brushed a long curl over her shoulder. “So you know how you wanted to take a tour of campus when we were in New York but all the time slots were full?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, I mentioned it in passing to Jewel Peck that weekend. Apparently her cousin is on the admissions board, and she said she could get us a private tour, but then you disappeared with Xander, so I never brought it up. I can’t promise you anything, but she might be able to pull a few strings.”
“Are you for real?” I asked as an inkling of hope rekindled inside me.
“Believe it or not, knowing me has some perks.” Violet winked and pulled out her phone. “Let’s see about getting you an audition.”
Chapter 20
Violet waltzed into the music room as I coaxed a final note from the song I was working on.
“Wow,” she said, halting halfway to the sitting area, a mesmerized expression on her face. “That was beautiful, Indie.”
“Thanks.” Not sure what else to say, I slid my bow into its holder. The spinner was getting loose, so I made a mental note to find a screwdriver and tighten it later before gently placing my violin into the velvet shell of its case.
Two days had passed since Violet’s birthday party, and while we’d accepted each other’s apology, things were still a bit awkward between us. Which was to be expected. I knew we might never be able to return to the same easygoing relationship we shared beforeImmortal Nights. Nearly five years of enmity were impossible to erase overnight. We were going to have to work at being sisters again.
“I’ve never heard you play that before.” Her feet unfroze, and she gracefully lowered herself onto the sofa. “What’s it called?”
After shutting the lid, I snapped the silver latches into place. “Not sure yet,” I told her.
“Wait.” An astonished look returned to her features. “Youwrotethat?”
Wrotewasn’t the right word to describe what I’d been doing. This was more of a battle than the idyllic state of creativity. Ever since helping Xander and Alec at the recording studio, the suggestion of a song had been swirling at the back of my mind, just out of reach. But unlike the melody for “Indigo Skies,” which had come to me in a matter of seconds, I’d been teasing this piece out one note at a time. It was a frustrating process, but the awe in Violet’s voice when she asked if the song was mine? That made my efforts worth it.
I offered her a shrug. “It’s nothing. I’m just messing around. What’s up?”
Suddenly reminded of why she was here, Violet broke into a smile. “I finally got a hold of Jewel. She said she’d be happy to talk to her cousin about your Juilliard application. No guarantee it will result in something, but it’s worth a shot, right?”
“About that…” Tucking my bangs out of the way, I sank onto the leather cushion beside her. “Tell Jewel thank you for me but not to bother.”
“What?” Violet’s eyes went round. “Why in the world would you want me to do that?”
“Because I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting these past few days and, well—I don’t think it’s the right move for me.”
“I’m sorry, but in what world is Juilliard not the right move for you? Have you heard yourself playing? You’re incredible.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I replied, flapping my hand dismissively. “I’m talking about using your connections to get me into school. This whole situation is my fault. I need to own mymistake, and I can’t do that if you swoop in to solve the problem for me.”
“Indie,” Violet groaned, dragging a hand down her face in a dramatic, oh-come-on sort of way. “I understand you’re trying to turn over a new leaf, but don’t punish yourself by giving up Juilliard. This is your dream.”
I hesitated, then said, “It is…and it isn’t.”
A breath hitched in her throat. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The whole concert violinist thing. It’s not that I hate performing—truly, it’s really fun—but it doesn’t excite me,” I explained. “That was always Mom’s passion, not mine, but she’s such an inspiration to me, I guess my dreams got tangled up and confused with hers. I think that’s why I struggled so much with my application. Part of my heart wasn’t in it.”
The room was quiet as she processed my confession. “Okay,” she replied, and surprisingly, her voice was full of acceptance. “What are you going to do instead?”
“I got into to the Academy of Cinema Makeup. Now before you freak out, the program only takes a year to complete, and I’m not even sure I see a career path in makeup, but this is something that excites me. I’m really, really good at it, Vi, and I want to explore that. Meanwhile, I’ll have plenty of time to give my Juilliard application a good overhaul.”
