Beats per minute

by TheBigJ

Last day of summer

"Ok, you got it?" Vinyl asked, looking up from her own hands to check her friend's. Lyra, meanwhile, nodded, following Vinyl's instructions. "Good, now comes a tricky part. You go like this, and now you go like that, then slide up, hammer-on, stroke here and then mute." Vinyl's left hand slide up and down the guitar's neck, striking every note expertly. She repeated the sequence one more time, so Lyra would fully catch every movement.

"Ok, ok! I got it, let's play it!" Vinyl smiled, watching her friend plugging the guitars in the nearby amps. She wasn't surprised by the impulsive personality of Lyra. Being friends with her represented being constantly exposed to this type of behavior from Lyra. This had caused many good times through the years, but also too many troubles for them, especially because Vinyl wasn't better; she too was impulsive, in a minor level, but yet impulsive

Lyra adjusted the volume of the amps, causing some static sounds to come from them. Once finished, she hurried to place herself in front of Vinyl, who was ready to play. The girls looked at each other, exchanging smirks, and nodding just before stroking the first strings, producing the sound of the notes to fill the room. They played in perfect sync, matching every note, all chords, every movement. Vinyl's eyes burned with passion and emotion. Headbanging at the rhythm, she could feel the music flowing through her. They were done with the most part of the song, and Vinyl waited anxious for her favorite part, the guitar solo. Whit every second passing, she could feel the tension building up. She pictured herself in a large stage, in front of millions of people gathered to see her, but just then a high pitch made her flinch, stopping abruptly, and causing Lyra to stop herself too.

"W-What? Why did you stop? We were going great!" The mint haired girl asked naively, sweeping away the sweat on her forehead.

"Dude, you totally missed that part!"

"What? No way!"

"Yeah, see, it should go like this..." Vinyl recreated the session successfully, pointing her head to her left hand, making emphasis in the said note so Lyra could see her mistake.

"You sure? I thought you said it goes like this..." Lyra once again played the same part, making exactly the same mistake than before, causing Vinyl to frown. "What? That's what you told me!"

"Give me a sec..." Vinyl grabbed her phone, tapping fast on the screen, revealing seconds later a page with the music sheet. "Here, see? You have to do it like I said, not blow our ears with that noise."

"But..." Lyra looked at the screen with a confused expression, scratching her chin. "You told me to do it wrong then?" The mint haired girl crossed her arms, striking an interrogative pose.

"Why in the world would I-" Vinyl stopped, letting her arms drop in defeat and sighing loudly. "You know what? Forget it, I will pass you the music sheet later..." Unplugging her guitar, she proceeded to secure it in its respective case.

"Are you ready to go back to school tomorrow?" Lyra's question echoed inside Vinyl's head, making her flinch just for a second. For a moment she forgot about school, believing she was still in mid summer, enjoying her days hanging out with Lyra, practicing some songs, playing video games, simply goofing around. Most of her summer was that way, but now that it was almost gone, she mourned the every minute passing away.

"Nope, but I can't do much about it, can I?" Her tone was serious, almost angry. She became aware of this, shaking her head and lighting up her voice a little. "But it won't be a problem, is our last year, worst case scenario we would have a bad teacher... or we would have to fight a winged megalomaniac demon girl, nothing we should worry about." She chuckled at her own comment, causing Lyra to laugh softly. The blue haired girl finished to collect all her things, and stood in the middle of the room, gazing around while many memories of the lasts months reproduced inside her head like a movie... A very weird and funny movie.

"Well, don't count on me if that happens." Lyra chuckled, letting herself fall on her bed, resting her head over her hands. "I already finished that video game... I'm done with demons and megalomaniacs. Anyway, can your dad give me a ride to school tomorrow?" Vinyl gave a half-smile, rolling her eyes before nodding. "Awesome! See you tomorrow then!" Vinyl stood in place, a serious expression on her face, watching Lyra on her phone not noticing her there. A full minute of silence passed by before Lyra lifted her gaze over her phone, finding an annoyed Vinyl in front of her, arms crossed tapping the floor hysterically with her foot.

"You still here? Dude, you know where the door is!"

"Would you be so kind to lift your lazy ass and accompany me to the door like a normal person?" Vinyl tried to sound angry, but she failed, hiding a grin behind a hand. Lyra got up, shaking her head and leaving the room without even looking at Vinyl.

"You also need me to take you by the hand, or you can get to your house by yourself" Lyra scoffed opening the entrance door. Vinyl just responded by showing her middle finger, a gesture that the mint haired girl returned with a kind smile. "Text me when you get home. See you tomorrow!" Vinyl nodded, waving goodbye before Lyra closed the door.

Vinyl began her walk through the sidewalks. Lucky for her, she lived near from Lyra, just a couple of streets away, a route which she already knew by heart and was more than used to travel. She walked quietly, the streets were quite quiet in that part of the city. It was already getting dark when she finally arrived at her house. A very beautiful building, mostly painted white, and where the main door stood out, which was the same shade of blue as her hair. With a quick and expert movement of hands, Vinyl took the keys out of her pocket and, selecting the correct one, opened the door entering the house.

"I'M HERE EVERYONE!" Vinyl shouted from the entrance, leaning in to untie her shoes while waiting for the usual response.

"VINIL, IS THAT YOU? WELCOME HOME HONEY!" A female voice responded, probably from the kitchen according to Vinyl's predictions. The girl smiled, walking towards the person who owned the voice. A woman a little taller than Vinyl, with light blue hair tied in a ponytail. The woman, who was washing the dishes, stopped her work to receive her daughter with a hug.

"Hiya mom, how are you?" Vinyl said, breaking the hug and searching for some water in the fridge.

"Well, besides your brother and father and their genius idea to mix basketball and skateboarding in one single sport, everything is good." Vinyl almost spits her drink hearing her mother, who was an expert in the passive-aggressive voice. "What about your day? Did you have fun today?" The woman finished her chores and turned around facing Vinyl, resting herself against the table, mimicking her daughter, who was resting against the fridge.

"Yeah, same as always." Vinyl finished her drink and depositing the glass in the sink. Her mother gave that kind of face moms do that make everyone know they did something wrong, and Vinyl returned to clean and dry the glass. "Here, done. Do you know where is dad?"

"He is in the backyard with your brother, probably figuring out why their idea of a new sport didn't go the way they wanted."

"I bet you they are blaming the weather..." Vinyl joked, waving a goodbye as she left. As she approached the back door, she could see her father, a tall man with messy short silver hair, playing with her younger brother, a twelve year old kid with dark blue hair. "Hi guys! Guess the little experiment with the board and the ball didn't work out well, did it?" Vinyl beamed, peeking from the door.

"So your mother told you..." Vinyl's father frowned comically. Vinyl just nodded, causing a small smile to form in the man's mouth. "The truth is that it was not our fault. Yesterday there was a little rain at night, and that's why nothing went well today!"

"Yeah, you're right!" The boy joined the conversation, supporting his father while adopting the same pose as him. "We almost had it, but there were wet areas, and that's why we fell so many times!"

"See? Even Bass here says the same!" Vinyl's father held his posture, trying to make his reason sound, and trying even more to stay serious while doing so. "Your mother is the one who thinks that what we do is crazy, but you know that she is the boring one in the family..." The man winked at Vinyl, causing her to laugh.

"I don't think you should ever tell her face ..." Vinyl shook her head, remembering the main reason she was there. "Hey, can we take Lyra to school tomorrow?"

"She asked you to tell me?" Vinyl nodded. "Sure, no problem, but I paid with a bag of chips."

"Sure, I'm going to tell her." Vinyl retired, leaving both to resume their game. Feeling a little tired, she decided to retire to her room to rest. Entering her room, she closed the door behind her. She approached her desk to activate her CD player, playing background music. She dropped into the desk chair, staring at the ceiling. She stayed there for a long time, without thinking about anything, just listening to the music, but after a couple of songs under her eyes, seeing her backpack in a corner, and reminding her of the reality she was in: That was the Last day of summer, the last day of vacation. The next morning he would have to return to the pressure of the school, classes, exams and projects, which would result in less time for her music, her friends, to rest, or simply do whatever she wanted.

Suddenly, Vinyl held a challenging look, full of determination. She wasn't going to let that depress her. She would find time for the things she liked, she always did. The music accompanied sher all the time, and she would have classes with Lyra, so she would see her all the time. A carefree smile formed on her face, and putting on a pair of headphones she started working on her computer. There were still a few hours before starting classes, and she wanted to make the most of each one.

---

Music filled the huge room, combining perfectly with the classic and serious style of it. Octavia executed note after note perfectly, with an unmatched grace and beauty. her cello rested lightly on her body, her long black hair fell without interruption on her back, and her eyes were closed to focus on her technique. Her face, although at first sight serious and inexpressive, reflected serenity and class, while her lips arched forming a very slight smile. She had already lost track of time, something that often happened to her when she played in her spare time. Captivated by the melody, she did not realize that someone had entered the room.

He was a tall man, perfectly dressed and groomed. His posture was dominant, and he wasted style and category for each pore. His hair was dark gray, and a couple of wrinkles could show on his face. The man smiled, listening to Octavia play the huge instrument. After a minute, he cleared his throat, trying to get the girl's attention, and seeing that he was unsuccessful, he tried to do it a couple more times; It was not until the seventh attempt, when it already passed from a slight sound to almost an exaggerated noise, that he managed to get Octavia's attention.

"Huh? Oh, excuse me father, I didn't hear you come in..." Octavia was the first to speak, pulling a strand of hair from her forehead.

"Do not worry." Octavia's father offered a soft smile, giving the girl peace of mind. "How long have you been playing now?"

"I couldn't really say exactly ..." Octavia took her chair, determined to take the cello to its corresponding place in the room. Seeing the clock on the wall, her face showed astonishment, while her cheeks turned pink. "I think two and a half hours, maybe a little more."

"Wow, I see ..." The man was clearly amazed, raising his eyebrows. Octavia smiled in shame, causing the man to let out a small laugh, which he hid pretending to cough. "As always, your dedication deserves recognition, and it is clear that so much work has borne fruit in your technique, but I hope you are not pressing too hard. Remember it Octavia, you should always look for the balance between work and rest."

"I know, Father. Although I must say that this really does not represent a major effort for me." His father gave her an unbelievable look, seeing how Octavia showed her stubborn part, which she had inherited from her mother. "I'm used to playing for so long, and besides, if I didn't press my limits I wouldn't keep improving, right?" Octavia was confident of her argument, leaving the room closely followed by her father.

"Maybe so, but pressing your body so much can lead to an injury as well." Octavia frowned, seeing how the point exposed by her father had the potential to refute hers. "Anyway, I didn't want to talk to you about your practice habits, we will do that on another occasion. I wanted to tell you that tomorrow I will accompany you to school, and that maybe you should prepare all your things before bedtime."

"Thank you father, although it was not necessary to remind me that last..." Octavia's father nodded, implying that he understood. "And thank you very much for joining me tomorrow. Although I hate to admit it, I feel both anxious and nervous to start in this new school."

"You don't need to worry. Canterlot High is one of the best schools in the country." The man noticed Octavia's insecure expression, so he placed a hand on her shoulder, comforting her with a hug as they walked through the huge house they lived in. "I know that these last years have been hard, with so many removals... But I want you to enjoy this last year. Make friends, go out, have fun, make as many memories as you can. I don't say stop studying or stop being your , I just ask you to enjoy your life beyond music, your mother and me."

"I will... Thank you father." Octavia hugged her father tightly. She loved the way her father always encouraged her, filling her with emotion and confidence. Both continued walking for a stretch before arriving at Octavia's room, where the Man decided to leave his daughter alone, telling her that like her, he also had to fix a couple of things before sleeping, saying goodbye kissing her on the forehead.

Octavia entered his room, a fairly large and tidy one. That summer had been, like others, very hectic and stressful. In the last five years, her family had moved six times, and she had gone through five different schools throughout the country. The first two removals made her understand that, in her particular case, the friendships did not last long, so she gave up making new ones to avoid the pain of farewells; instead, she took refuge in music, devoting every free minute to the practice of her instrument. Over time, it was common to see her more time with a cello than talking to someone.

Octavia glanced at her room, noting that, in general, she had everything ready for tomorrow, except for the clothes she would wear. The first day of school was important, she had to make a good impression, even though she didn't expect to make many friends. Approaching her closet, she checked her clothing collection in detail for a set that would attract her attention. minutes passed, and among many options she chose a simpler set, separating it from the rest of her clothes and placing it organically on the chair at her desk.

Dropping into her bed, Octavia felt the weight and fatigue of hours of practice falling on her. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine her new life in that city; A new school, full of different people, full of possibilities. Her father's recommendations crossed her mind. Perhaps she should try to make new friends, even for a year at most. Her father had assured her that this was going to be the last move, and that they were going to settle in that city, so the idea of ​​sharing more time with people didn't seem so far-fetched. That way she rethink her life in her mind. This year, she would make a group of good friends, with whom to share her love for music, go out and have good times. Taking a long breath, Octavia fell into a deep sleep, full of hope for her new beginning.

Author's Note:

Hi Y'all, the first chapter of the first story I write! (Whoa, this is so cool!) Well, I must say that I feel really excited about this project, it is something that had time in my mind, but that because of shyness and lack of free time I could not carry it out before.

Ok, having said that, I must clarify certain things before continuing... First of all, as I said, it is the first story I write. Next, although I speak English quite well, this is not my native language, so if you see any errors or spelling-grammar horror, a thousand apologies in advance.

very well, before finishing, I would like to ask you to comment if you like history, if you see something that caught your attention, if you want to make some constructive criticism, or simply if you want to say hello! I am addicted to comments, and I would love to know what you think of my work, that way I will know if I am doing well or if I need to improve on something, and you will have a better story and product in the end!

Without further ado, I say goodbye in the hope of seeing you in the next chapter.

A hug to y'all!

Comments

[narusakufan]

This sounds good so far. Keep up the good work.