Eroica was in the thick of the semester and was busy with her senior recital preparations. There was no time for anything extra. She wondered if she picked too many difficult pieces to perform. She knew she could learn them, but she wasn’t sure if she had given herself enough time.
Eroica was so involved in practicing that she accidentally left her CTR ring on the piano in the practice room. She had gathered up all of her things, which took a while, and was wondering if she had overpracticed a difficult passage in her Chopin piece. If she took a break before her piano lesson, she thought she might be able to play it correctly.
It wasn’t until she had finished her sandwich and apple at the cafeteria, and was contemplating buying an ice cream bar, that she remembered her ring. In a panic she hurried back to get it. She had lost other rings before, including the one that her parents had given her on her sixteenth birthday. She had never been sentimental about jewelry. And as soon as her parents figured that out they started giving her other things. But her CTR ring meant something more to her. And now she had lost it.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” Eroica began to the person that was next in the practice room. “I left a ring in here. It was just a simple CTR ring.”
She tried to sound casual, even though she was anxious.
“So that was your ring. I was going to take it to the music office, when I ran into Allisun Miller. I asked her about it, and she said that she thought she knew who was in here before I was. She said that you two had chamber music together. So I gave it to her. She is practicing the violin somewhere around here.”
So Allisun Miller had her ring. She hoped that Allisun wouldn’t mention it to Mark. When Eroica got to the hall where most of the string musicians practiced, Allisun was standing next to the bulletin board talking and laughing with a group of students. Eroica was a little envious of her carefree personality.
“Eroica,” she called, “Hi. I’ve been watching for you. This is your ring, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Thank you for getting it back to me.”
“I was glad to have the chance to talk with you. I’ve wanted to get to know you better, but everyone is so serious and stuffy in chamber practice. Even Mark is all business and no fun.”
“He is the teacher,” Eroica laughed. Too curious to stop herself, she asked, “Have you known Mark long?”
“Oh, forever. I grew up around the corner from his family. His mother has been the young women’s president for a long time. When I was in young women’s we all just loved her. I go over to their house all the time. Mark’s little sisters, Daphne and Blythe, are always calling me to come over and make cookies with them. Plus, I give them violin lessons every Saturday morning.”
“Do you live at home, then?”
“Yes. I’ve been trying to save money for when I get married. So how long have you known Mark?”
Because Allisun had said marriage and Mark in almost the same breath, Eroica didn’t know how to answer the question. She didn’t want Allisun to think that she was competition.
“I really don’t know Mark very well. He’s just my theory teacher. And he’s in charge of the faculty accompanists. This semester I have only been involved with the chamber groups, so Mark hasn’t had to do a lot of scheduling for me.”
Allisun was surprised. “I thought that you had known Mark for a long time.”
“No.” Not knowing what to add to this, she asked, “Do you drive up to school with Mark?”
“Not very often. He leaves too early for me. I usually drive myself to school, and barely get to class on time. I ought to come with Mark, but I’m not a morning person. Besides, he always stays at school so late doing who knows what. And I get too hungry to wait for him. I like coming home and eating dinner, and he likes to stop and grab a cheap hamburger to eat on the way home. I’ve had it with hamburgers.”
Eroica and Allisun both laughed at this. Eroica was not about to tell Allisun that she knew just what she meant.
“Well, I’ll see you in chamber practice,” Allisun called as she went back to her practice room.
As Eroica headed towards Dr. Fife’s office for her piano lesson, she thought it was odd that Allisun didn’t drive to school with Mark. This must have been what Mark was referring to when he said that he didn’t want to rush her. Still, she was trying to save money for their marriage. But they just didn’t act like a couple in love. What did Eroica know about love though?
She went into Dr. Fife’s office and pulled out her Chopin piece. She knew as much about love as she knew about getting through these difficult measures—not much.