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Purple Hair swivels in her seat as if she’d beenwaitingfor a chance to fight me. “Learning in front of an audience and performing in front of an audience are two different things.”
“You have to start somewhere.”
“Ma’am,” Purple Hair speaks in her best,I’m about to call your managertone, “if you can’t remain calm and quiet during our session, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
I scoff. Who exactly does she think she is?
Rather than let the tiger jump out of me, I glance at Niko and calm myself. After a deep breath, I respond in a similarly condescending manner.
“Ma’am, if you can’t convey the point of your lesson without getting impatient and snappy at your student, maybe you should pursue a different line of work.”
Red steals into her cheeks. Her eyebrows join in the center of her forehead. “Maybe you should learn to keep your mouth shut.”
“What are you going to do if I don’t?” I fire back.
Purple Hair half-rises from her chair.
Niko, sensing the tension in the air, turns too. Her beautiful eyes lock on my face. There’s a wrinkle between her arched eyebrows and a tightness to her lips that signals discomfort.
She doesn’t understand what’s happening and we haven’t been speaking slowly enough for her to read our lips.
A twinge of remorse hits my chest.
I shouldn’t be starting fights in front of children.
Feeling slightly ashamed that I lost my temper, I bend to Niko’s level. “It’s okay, sweetie. Your teacher and I are just having a discussion about… Mozart.”
Purple Hair flares her nostrils, but her voice is still that sickly-sweet tone. “Who exactly are you again?”
“I’m just a friend.”
“Well, MissFriend, are you a licensed music teacher?”
“No.”
“And,” her eyelashes flutter non-stop, “do you have a Bachelor’s Degree in ASL?”
“No.” I shuffle my feet.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t speak on things you don’t understand.”
“Your methods are flawed. You shouldn’t be so defensive when people point it out.”
She gestures to Niko. “Since you’re so full of advice, would you like to take my position?”
“I would actually.”
Her eyes widen. She didn’t expect me to agree.
Too bad.
I never back down from a challenge.
Ever.
I approach the piano. Purple Hair doesn’t move out of the way at first and I have to wedge myself between her and Niko.
Niko shifts nervously. “I’m sorry I can’t play it better,” she signs.
