“Chocolate Violins & Harmonious Eyes”

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A/N: GAH! Chapter two. Still suckish, but it’s okay.
It’s weird because I forgot the way I write. I actually
have little to no planning at all, and not even I know
what's going to happen next ‘cause I’m just that odd.
Anyway, I hope Izzy likes this one, it’s not amazingly
important or amazing, but it’s fundamental, not to
mention that this way I won’t rush the plot like I did
with the other version, heheheh.

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The next couple of days, she spent waiting for a perfect moment to ask her mother about money for the lessons. You see, Izzy had to wait for a most appropriate moment to ask such a question; especially since lessons for these kind of instruments was really expensive. This would mean a lot of money each month, and Izzy didn’t have any way to pay for it, other than by the help of her parents. She knew one thing for sure, and that was that these lessons were crucial. There was no way she was going to let anybody tell her she couldn’t do it. This is why, the day that she decided to finally pop the big question, she was so dismayed at the response.

“No.”

“Whaaat?-!” Izzy whined, throwing her hands into the air exasperatedly. “What do you mean no!-?”

“Exactly what I said. Since when have you been interested in playing the violin? This is the first time I’ve heard of such a thing. And at fifty dollars per lesson, you are mad. Where do you suppose I’d get this money from?”

She sighed loudly. “I said, he offered to discount the first several lessons,” she repeated, accentuating the word.

“Yes, and that is all. These kinds of lessons are a commitment. You can’t stop it once you begin.”

“I am ready for this commitment! You can ask anyone, I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the violin!” this was a partial lie. She’d always had a weak spot for violins, but she never really considered actually playing one before. Besides, all of her friends were off on vacation; there was nobody to ask anyway.

Her mother stood up and began walking away. “I don’t want to hear any more about this. What I said is final. If you are really so set on taking these lessons, Elizabeth, then you will get yourself a job and pay for them yourself.”

Feeling distraught and about to cry, Izzy went upstairs into her room and slammed the door. Though she knew her behavior was partially immature, not all of it was uncalled for. Finally, she had met somebody that she liked. She had found something to look forward to. And there her mother was, perfectly prepared to have it crumble before her very eyes. Izzy sat on her bed and leaned forward, her head in her hands. A job. She didn’t want to fathom the thought of having one. Sure, she’d done a few small jobs here and there, but nothing committed, nothing that would actually pay well enough to get her three hours a week with a chocolate-eyed British boy.

Besides, there was one thing that she knew for sure about jobs, and that was that they were very time-consuming. She didn’t want to spend her summer in an apron in some fast-food joint. All during the previous spring, winter and autumn she daydreamed about relaxation and enjoying the summer. A job sounded like nothing more than a waste of time. She realized that when her mother usually felt this way about something, her opinion could not easily be swayed.

“Just get the damn job,” a familiar voice ordered.

Izzy picked her head up. “Go away.”

“You are quite the slothful one. The decision is not that difficult. If you want to see the boy again, you will get a job and pay for the violin lessons.”

“Since when are you Dr. Phil?” Izzy brusquely asked, pushing her knees to her chest and eyeing her yami. “You usually don’t care about what problems I get myself into.” This was true. She’d only been aware of Hijra’s spirit for about a year and a half. The two rarely interacted on a friend level.

Hijra scoffed. “You are correct. I do not care, I am not sure what I was thinking anyway.” She disappeared.

Groaning, Izzy threw her head back. “What is with her? Must be her time of the month.” She quickly brushed away Hijra’s odd behavior and thought about the previous advice given.

The decision is not that difficult. If you want to see the boy again, you will get a job and pay for the violin lessons.

The way Hijra put it, made things seem so simple. Izzy was sixteen. Getting a job at that age wouldn’t be that hard. Her mind drifted to thoughts of Ryou. She didn’t know anything about him, and that air of mystery intrigued her so much. Still, she couldn’t stand the fact that now she had to wait until she had a job and a paycheck to see him again. Waiting longer would only postpone it even longer, and this gave her the willpower to stand and begin looking for her shoes, and a scrunchie to put up her hair with. Then, another thought hit her. You could always visit him. Just to say hello. This gave her the extra push that she needed. Her entire mood was turned around. It was amazing what a little bit of motivation could do.

“Mom, I’m going out to look for a job!” she called into the living room, where her mother sat watching the news. Without waiting for a response, Izzy left and began her search. Her stomach was beginning to get butterflies again just from thinking about Ryou, so she decided to visit him later once she calmed down.

She passed through her town and the neighborhood supermarket, but her eye was specifically out for Help Wanted signs. There was a mini-mall aside from the supermarket, with small places such as a nail salon/spa, a hardware store, a pizza parlor, and various other small shops. None of these places caught Izzy’s attention at all. Besides, none of them appeared to be hiring. The entire process of job-hunting in and of itself was very discouraging. This was when Izzy decided to stop at the music store. It just so happened to be coming up, and it would be out of her way on the way home, anyway. Feeling more confident than the time before, she strode forward and her heart beat fast.

She pushed open the door, and a bell rang. Ryou came out from a room in the back and smiled warmly at the sight of Izzy. “I didn’t think you’d come!”

“’Course I would!” she said, leaning on the counter casually.

“Are you here for the lessons?”

“Uh, about those lessons…” she nervously touched the back of her neck. “It’s going to be a little while until I can afford those.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” she began, “I asked my mother about lending me the money, and she pretty much refused. That’s okay, though! I’m out job-hunting, so I can afford them!”

“That’s extremely dedicated of you,” Ryou said. “Hey, I have an idea. How old are you?”

“Sixteen!” Izzy eagerly replied. “I turn seventeen in the fall.”

“Oh, that’s perfect!”

“Perfect for what?”

“I know of a place where you can work.”

“Really? Are you sure they’re hiring?”

“Positive. You see, I’m friends with somebody who works there and I know for a fact that someone just quit. The spot is open and they’re looking for help.”

“Ah, that’s amazing!” she exclaimed. “Where is it?”

“It’s Dollar Mania,” Ryou said. “It’s down a little bit past the plaza. It’s right next to the Japanese cuisine place.”

“I love the food there!”

“I do, too. It’s my favourite place to eat out.”

Izzy smiled and felt the strong butterflies again. They had a lot in common already.

A small boy holding a violin case and wearing glasses walked inside. “Ah, I’ve got to go,” Ryou told Izzy. “Come by another time, okay? Let me know if you got the job and maybe we can start early.”

Izzy nodded. “Absolutely!”

“If they give you any stuff about applying, tell them Ryou sent you, they’ll understand. I’ll see you!”

Izzy tried her best to hold in her excitement as she left the store. Not only did she see Ryou, but also the boy seemed genuinely interested in her! And now, she might have found a place where she could actually work. It seemed like everything was going perfectly. It seemed too perfect, however, and this is where Izzy wondered. She headed towards the dollar store, feeling quite self-assured, more so than she’d felt ever since before she moved. She felt invincible. Nothing could go wrong.

She arrived at the dollar store soon after, and walked inside. Nobody was standing at the counter, but there was a push bell. She rang it and waited for somebody to come out of the storage room in back. She was surprised at who unexpectedly came out. It was a girl with long waist-length lavender hair wearing a yellow ribbon. The same girl who took regular violin lessons at Ryou’s shop. Izzy felt a spark of jealousy. So they’re friends.

“Hello, can I help you?” the girl asked, smiling pleasantly.

“Yeah, actually you can! I’m looking for a job here. I heard there was a position available.”

“Yep, there is. Hold on for a second and I’ll get you an application form.”

Izzy watched as the girl went back into the closet. She was probably giving out unspeakable sex acts, she figured. She laughed quietly to herself.

“Here you go, just fill this out,” she said, handing Izzy a pink sheet of paper and a pen.

Izzy smiled sweetly and nodded. “Of course! By the way, Ryou recommended me the job. Are you familiar with him?” She allowed herself one glance at the girl, who seemed to have gone a shade paler. This confirmed it. Competition. Izzy filled out the form.

“Oh, Ryou? Sure! We’ve been friends forever.” Her tone was subtle yet sharp.

She didn’t sound too jealous. Not yet. This was good; it gave Izzy an upper hand. “That’s cool. I just moved here. I’m going to be taking lessons from him.” She pushed the application towards the girl. “By the way, my name is Izzy, Izzy Howley.”

“I’m Miho Nosaka, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” They shook hands. “I’ll show the application to my boss right away, we’ll contact you if you get the job. The pay isn’t all that great, but it gets you by.”

Izzy smiled once more, not feeling much in the mood for small talk with her. “Okay Miho, I’ll see you again, hopefully.”

She left the store feeling confused. Okay, so she may have just landed a job with a girl named Miho who also happened to be chummy with Ryou. Perhaps, she thought, this could be used to her advantage.

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TBC