On Saturday afternoon, Kit walked in on Elizabeth who was just taking out her violin. "Oh, are you going to practice?" Kit asked.
"Yes, I am."
"I thought you didn't like to practice on Saturdays?" Kit raised an eyebrow, "Are you okay?"
Elizabeth laughed softly. "I don't like practicing on Saturdays or Sundays, but next Friday is my audition for the T.S.O.A."
"The what?" Kit asked, "I'm not in on all the art lingo, you know."
"It means ' The School of Art'," Elizabeth laughed, "You know, it's just the abbreviation for the school's name."
"Wow, how boring," Ki laughed, after all, "The School of Art" was so simple - what fun was that? "Anyway, come on, play something!"
"Alright, I'll play Section 1 of my audition piece."
"I'm all ears."
"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked hesitantly.
"Just practice already! Go!" Kit encouraged her.
Elizabeth got into her position and reached to put her bow on the strings. Slowly, a small, soft tune came out of the violin. It was beautiful, but it almost made Kit feel like falling asleep.
(I know the fingers aren't positioned right on the strings, but it just can't work with the mold of the AG hand)
Suddenly, just when Kit was about to stop herself from leaning lazily against the wall, Elizabeth's hands, in such a refined, beautiful manner, began to fly across the strings into all sorts of positions that made Kit's hands sore just thinking about it. But the melody was beautiful as it rang out from the strings and filled the room with such an amazing tone.
Elizabeth took her bow off the string and Kit sighed, realizing that the tune had been so nice, that she longed for more.
"Wow! If you and Jasmine got together and did a duet with your violins, you'd be fantastic! Elizabeth, you don't even have to practice, you sound so good!"
Elizabeth smiled bashfully and turned away, trying to hide her smile, "Well, my violin did squeak a few times."
"But you have to be confident! Do you want me to do a write-up on you and give it out to all the kids at school? We could get a whole cheer team rallying together for your audition or something! Elizabeth, you could become a violin celebrity - or at least in our school."
"Oh please don't," Elizabeth looked a bit fearful. "I barely want anyone to know I'm auditioning....just in case I don't, you know..." Elizabeth could barely bring herself to say the words, "...don't get in," she finally whispered. "Besides - don't forget what happened last time you tried to start a newspaper!"
"Oh well, I guess your right, and I guess it isn't good to be overly confident! But I know you'll get in!"
Elizabeth smiled lightly, "I, um, have some geography homework to do. We'll talk later, Kit."
"Um, well, okay?" Kit was taken aback by Elizabeth's words and tone of voice.
Elizabeth was in her bed studying geography for her test on Monday. She was getting tired, and was just about ready to doze off. It isn't fair! She thought to herself as she settled down some more into the bed, Kit and everyone else is expecting me to be this music prodigy - but they don't understand that I'm really not. I've only been doing it a couple years and while I do think I'll make it in - I just can't be sure. I wish everyone would just forget about it for a while.
"Hey, how is it going?" Felicity asked. She had just come in from ballet class.
"It's going good...I guess," Elizabeth sighed.
"Well if you're guessing, you must not know!" Felicity laughed. "Kit was telling me you practiced. She came to pick me up from ballet with my mom. How was practicing?"
"It was good," Elizabeth started, wondering if she should continue, "But I think Kit is putting too much pressure on me - I feel like she is going to go blab about my audition to everyone in the world and then, if I don't get in, I'll be embarrassed to face everyone!"
"So in other words, you don't want anyone to know about the audition you've been working months for?" Felicity asked. "I thought you were excited!"
"No, no, no, don't get me wrong - I'm beyond excited!" Elizabeth's tone got excited, "But I just want everything to be perfect, and I don't know how to be perfect!"
"Well, You don't have to be perfect," Felicity began, "but...suppose, just for this week, we worked on making you as perfect as you can possibly be!"
"That sounds good - what is the first step? Practicing?"
"No," Felicity said, "You have all week to practice. We need to get you a new outfit just for the occasion - that'll be sure to make you feel more perfect, right?"
"I doubt it," Elizabeth shrugged. "But it is worth a try!"
"Great!" With that, Felicity was off to settle plans for a small shopping trip with Mrs. Cole.
Mrs. Cole was happy to take the girls out to get Elizabeth an outfit for her audition. In the store, the girls favorite; Land's End, Mrs. Cole buzzed around the girls section finding all sorts of things on the clearance rack that seemed to get smaller and smaller every year.
"What about this cute little Easter dress?" Mrs. Cole asked, "It will look beautiful!"
Elizabeth did like the dress, but it was just like any Easter dress that she already had at home. She had come shopping in hopes of finding something that expressed her style a bit more.
"It's nice - but I don't know..." Elizabeth started, not sure what to say.
"I think Elizabeth wants to keep looking," Felicity quickly spoke for her. Elizabeth nodded.
"Well, alright - I am going to make a few returns in the next store over - if you need anything, just come running. I already gave you two my credit card, right?"
"Yes," the girls nodded.
"Well don't go spending too much - just one outfit," Mrs. Cole gave her final orders before waving and going to make a return.
"Elizabeth? Felicity? Is that you?" a cheerful voice called out. Elizabeth spun around to see Meredith, one of the newer girls at school. She was very nice and outgoing, which quickly put the two girls at ease around her.
"Are you two shopping for anything in particular?" Meredith asked.
"Well, we're trying to find a new outfit for Elizabeth," Felicity smiled. Elizabeth was thankful that she hadn't said anything about the audition.
"Well, I'd love to help you find something, but I have to go see when my mom is picking me up from the mall. See you in school!" Meredith waved.
Both girls looked at each other. They each knew what the other was thinking. Had Meredith really gotten dropped off at the mall by herself?
"Um, cool," Felicity stuttered. "Doesn't she seem so much older than she really is?"
"I guess," Elizabeth nodded, "But who cares? Let's just find me an outfit."
Elizabeth went through a few racks of clothes. She honestly didn't think that clothes were going to make her feel better, and clothes certainly were not everything, but Elizabeth was just grateful that Felicity was trying to help.
"Here," Felicity breathed heavily like she had just finished a marathon. "I found this outfit. Go try it out! I think you're going to like it - a lot!"
Felicity wasn't into fashion at all, but she was into anything when it came to making her friend feel good.
Elizabeth scurried into the dressing room to try out the new outfit.
"I love it!" Elizabeth danced out of the dressing rooms and right to Felicity.
"I love, love, love it! Doesn't Julie have something like it?"
"Yes, but you need your own!" Felicity assured her, which was true, since Julie's didn't fit Elizabeth. "I already paid for it - everything was on sale! Your mom is sure going to be happy!"
Elizabeth laughed. The tags were still on the outfits, but she didn't care - she was going to wear it out of the store since it was paid for!
"The boots are my favorite part!" Elizabeth smiled. "Oh Lissie, you did a great job picking out an outfit for me!"
"I couldn't have done it without your inspiration," Felicity laughed. "Oh look, there is your mom!" The girls ran off to greet Mrs. Cole.
Things were certainly not going to be perfect because of a new outfit, because clothes are not everything - especially in a violin audition, but they were sure to make Elizabeth feel a bit more excited for the big audition date to come.
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