Chapter Text
"Clarke!" Lexa yelled from her podium. Clarke sighed, this was the 5th time they had to stop rehearsal because she couldn't get her music right.
Lexa sighed and put her baton on the stand. It was two weeks till the concert and she couldn't have her pianist making stupid little mistakes like this. "Just...,"Lexa started as she pointed to a huge black door," just go to the practice room."
Everyone was quiet as Clarke got up from her bench with her music in hand and walked quickly to the practice room.
Once Clarke was in the practice room she looked around. There was various chairs and stands, a drum set and the tools a percussionist may use, and against the far left wall was a black upright piano.
She walked over to it, put her music down, slumped down on the bench and laid her head on the fallboard of piano. "Damn it" she whispered to herself.
Clarke felt like she was going to cry. She was still reading through her music and time was running out.She had only been playing piano since high school and completely she fell in love with it. She didn't get the chance to take any professional music theory classes and there was just so much more she needed to learn. Fortunately,with the help of her friends and the Internet, she learned what she needed to know for the school's audition and finally got into the school of her dreams - Washington University.
But now all her hard work was about to be thrown away if she couldn't pull herself together.
Clarke rasied her head and slowly opened the fallboard. She took another good look at her music and a deep breath as she cracked her knuckles. "Ok, here we go."
It was a full hour of practicing before conductor walked in. Lexa Trikru, despite her age, she managed to be one of the best - wait no - The BEST conductor in the state and a really good student.
Clarke didn't know how she did it. How she could balance her academics, conducting, and keeping herself in shape (at least Clarke assumed from the fact that she could fit in such a slender suit). Clarke was so busy admiring Lexa that she didn't catch herself staring or the fact the Lexa had even said something. ''Clarke,'' Lexa spoke a bit louder to get the girl's attention.
"What," Clarke shook her head a little,"oh, sorry." Clarke's face reddened as she realized that she was just blankly staring at the conductor. Damn it, women get yourself together and stop being such a nerd. Lexa let a huff and crossed her arms,"I said: I want to hear you play though your music." Clarke froze for a second hearing Lexa's words. And just when I thought the day couldn't get any worse, the conductor, out of all people, wanted to hear my mangled and disoriented version of the score. I am so fucked.
Lexa pulled a chair up to Clarke's right side and waited. Clarke felt like Lexa's eyes where daggers piercing into her skin. She cracked her knuckles once more and begin to play.
_Few Minutes Of Clarke Struggling Later_
Clarke finally finished. She sat there waiting for Lexa's feedback. She looked over at Lexa; her eyes said nothing. Clarke breathed in and out slowly readying herself for what's to come. Yep, definitely fucked.
Lexa decided to wait till the end to point out all of Clarke's flaws considering there was way to many to stop her while she was playing. She gathered all of her thoughts. In one breath she said," your ignoring your rest, wrong notes, pay attention to your key signature, and your counting way off. Lexa almost cringed at her last comment. As a conductor. No scratch that: As a conductor. As musician herself, she hated those musicians that are lazy and don't even bother counting. She knew Clarke wasn't one of those people, yet she still couldn't count very well. It did annoy Lexa none the less. No, this needs to be fixed right away.
She could see Lexa giving her The Look. Yes, that look. The look on every conductor or teacher's face when your doing something wrong.
The What FUCKK YOu look.
tHe arEE DOING
She had been given that look by Lexa during rehearsal many times before. She opened her mouth wanting to say something, but Lexa held her hand up to silence her. "Clarke," she started as she got up from her chair and leaned her elbow against the piano. "The concert is exactly two weeks away and your still playing wrong notes. This...,"Lexa gestured to the music, "is a mess." Clarke lowered her head there was no denying that everything Lexa was saying was true.
"When I picked you to be the guest pianist for my next 3 concerts, I expected better from you," Lexa's voice was softer this time. "And it looks like the tutoring lessons Octativa are giving you are not enough."
Clarke was afraid of what Lexa was going to say next. If Lexa replaced her with another pianist, she wouldn't get the credits she needed to pass the semester resulting her being kicked out of the school. Lexa opened her mouth again and Clarke was already thinking about how much her mom is going to tease her about it. "Fine," Lexa threw her hands up," I'll just have teach you myself." Wow I guest this really is the end- Wait, WHAT?
"Wait, what?"Clarke was shocked by words. If she could play that 'DUN DUN DUNNNN!' thing on the piano right now definitely she would have. "We start tomorrow,"Lexa said as she held out her hand,"Give me your phone and i'll text you the details later." Clarke, still baffled by the news, reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone.
After putting her number in Clarke's phone, Lexa give it back and left without another word leaving Clarke in bewilderment.