# Don't Ask Me Why: Chapter 11, Part II



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Tanya was excited for the evening, in a new way she hadn't been before. Marcus wasn't going to be there, but she didn't mind. All she cared about was Ernest being there. But when she came onto stage and saw Ernest talking with Marie, her heart cringed.

"What's he doing? Talking to her? He's wasting his time," she thought to herself irritatedly. "He can't possibly make her like him... or could he?" a horrid thought came in her mind, which she wiped away immediately.

It was as ordinary as any concert was for the choirs. The School of Music was prestigious for its large number of choirs and extensive training for its students. It was actually considered one of the best vocal performance programs in the country, for a state school anyhow. These concerts drew in large crowds of students, performers' families, and outside concertgoers. Repertoire was always interesting, a mix of classical and modern, depending on the choir. The choir Tanya usually participated, the largest group, tended to do classical pieces more than most. Dr. Johnson was its director, who was renowned in the country.

Tanya took many glances at Ernest where he was sitting, and wondered if he was looking at her or not. She couldn't tell from so far away.

"He's a fool if he thinks he can have Marie," she kept saying to herself, more in an effort to convince herself of it than with actual confidence. "And she wouldn't possibly have him! She told me already... I wonder when I ought to tell him that," she wondered.

About forty minutes later, Tanya's segment of the program was over, and she went into the audience and found Marie, not glancing at Ernest herself. She didn't have a chance to talk since there were no real intermissions in this concert, so she just smiled at Marie as she sat down next to her.

As soon as the concert was over, however, Marie went into great compliments.

"You guys were great! I really loved that piece that the chorale did, the Faure Chant de Jean Racin! It was brand new to me, but really lovely."

"Thanks! I enjoyed it too, it very much fit my presumed Thesis project. But I'm starting to have different ideas now..."

"Oh?"

"Yeah... that new Russian composer I just discovered, he made some really nice choral works, and I kind of want to research them now. I talked to Dr. Johnson, and he thought it was an excellent idea, although he said I have my work cut out now. I have to do more research all over again," Tanya rolled her eyes.

"That's too bad. But do you plan to conduct a Russian work then?"

"Yes! I found the perfect work actually, Three Vocal Quartets by Arensky, for choir... and solo cello," Tanya added with a sly smile.

Marie stared for a second, before standing up suddenly.

"Solo cello? How bizarre..." she and Tanya walked out of the concert hall then. Ernest did not stay, but was waiting for them in the lobby. He was talking to some other singers, but then turned to Marie.

In a split-second, Tanya made up her mind to take Marie out of there immediately.

"Marie, I'll let you know about the ensemble auditions for next semester, I'll email you the information," Ernest started saying.

"You want to enter an ensemble, Marie?" Tanya interjected quickly. "Well, that would be an exciting use of time, but wouldn't that conflict with your work hours during the day?"

"Not Lab Orchestra," Ernest replied.

Tanya flung a hostile glance at him for a second, "That's only for experienced music majors to do, not likely for her. Marie, I just remembered," she suddenly lightened her tone of voice, "I wanted to bring you to a great club I discovered last week, let's go now, it's only 9:30. Sorry to end the chat, Ernest," she spoke casually, and she took hold of Marie's hand to lead her out. Marie glanced at Ernest, who looked very taken back, but was staring at her very intently. Marie was in a lot of confusion now.

"I knew you didn't want to talk to him, right? so I found an escape route," Tanya whispered in her ear outside.

"Right... thanks..." Marie said slowly but rather reluctantly.

"Besides, I had already made this plan a while back," Tanya half-lied. "You'll like it, they sell non-alcoholic drinks, but really phenomenal ones too."

Marie consented, but was still rather flustered. Tanya drove Marie to the club about 10 blocks away from the main campus exit.

"You want to go the the Finals for the Concerto Competition together?" Tanya spoke up again in a light tone when they arrived. Smooth jazz was playing in the background, a very classy club if anything.

"Oh certainly. I'm rooting for Alex, that cello player," Marie made herself say.

"Oh?" Tanya looked at her from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, he's really good, so I've heard, a lot of bets on him. He deserves it too," Marie said quietly.

"Yeah, a cellist in the top 3 is a great sight. Do you know what he's playing?"

"Elgar."

"Ah, a very good one, that one is unusual. Did you know it?"

"Not very well until now."

It hadn't quite struck Tanya yet that Marie may have liked Alex. Tanya really didn't know what had happened between them, and after all, Marie kept it to herself, usually veiling her words. Now Marie was conflicted whether or not to give away her secret.

"By the way, how are you and Marcus doing?" Marie spoke up again.

"Oh," Tanya looked down. "He's almost done with his composition for me to sing next semester. He has to be done with it quickly, in order to get it published and then give the orchestra time to rehearse it. He won't let me see a single note of it. Makes me suspicious..."

"How?"

"Like he wrote something I wouldn't like."

"Are you a fan of avant-garde?"

"To a degree. I do like Marcus' music but... he better have gotten this right... anyhow... singing in Russian should be a neat feat, I've not done that before. I ought to get to practicing it a bit, even for my conducting project."

"You have a vocal and a conducting project, how busy you will be! Won't it drive you nuts?"

"Who knows," Tanya's eyes glowed in the dim light. "But one thing at a time, right? Anyhow, symphony concert again tomorrow, you're going to that one right?"

"Definitely."

"Good! I was too... we can keep each other company again, from you-know-who," Tanya winked.

Marie smiled sadly. "I hate... leading someone on... especially a very nice guy too..."

"Yeah," Tanya frowned. "Why don't you like him, by the way?"

Marie stared at the table in front of them for a long time.

"I adore someone else," she said quietly.

"Adore who?" Tanya's eyes went wide.

"I will tell you another time," Marie frowned. "No guessing..."

Tanya sat back, and frowned herself. "Very well..."

Tanya drove Marie back to the campus so she could get back to her own car. It was almost midnight now and Tanya was very tired. She went home and to the bedroom without a word to Marcus, who was lying on the living room couch fast asleep.

Laying down, she found herself humming the main melody of the Elgar Cello Concerto to go to sleep.

Then it hit her.


----------

