Spare Some Talent

[Lennox Marshall]

Learning piano had been one of the easiest things Lennox had put effort into doing. Singing, she hadn't needed much teaching, but she'd taken piano lessons since she was young. Her father was a pianist, it was only natural that she pick up his talent for it as well. Singing had come easily, she'd been in choir all throughout her time at Bellefonte and back in New Orleans in elementary school. After manifesting with a musical ability, one would think she could pick up any instrument and it would just work, and for the few she'd tried in orchestra, they had.

Her biggest struggle came from the guitar.

The desire to learn the stringed instrument had come from the ease of portability, the popularity in music and the variety of styles in music. It also helped that she had someone in her life that could teach her without much judgment. Katrina's older brother Destin played both piano and guitar, which only made her envy him and frustrated her to no end. He seemed to pick up the instrument with ease, like he was just made to play it. Meanwhile, as Lennox attempted to press her fingers down for the bar chords, she looked ridiculous with her tongue stuck out and her nose scrunched up. Her fingers hurt, and were cramping, but she had to get it!

One strum and a few clanks made her cringe and she huffed, "How do you do this? My fingers were not cut out for bar chords or the guitar!" Lennox looked up at her best friend's big brother and frowned. If he told her it was all about practice, she might pull one of those classic rocker moves and smash the guitar over his head, but then, not really. She frowned, "I don't know what is so difficult about this. Piano didn't take me any time at all and I can literally play anything you put in front of me, why is this so different?"

[Destin Bellefonte]

Destin tried not to laugh as Lennox struggled with her guitar. The younger girl was clearly trying her best but just hadn't picked up the knack of it yet. He could remember similar months of fumbling and cursing when he was still learning. Luckily, guitar had come pretty naturally to him, and he knew from the times he'd heard Lennox play the piano that she definitely had musical talent as well. So it was funny. But he would try not to laugh to spare her feelings.

The boy tossed his head, trying to get rid of the few strands of hair hanging in his eyes. He placed his own guitar in his lap and braced his elbows upon it, leaning closer to Lennox to examine her fingerwork. He'd agreed to help her because she was his kid sister's best friend but he hadn't been counting on it to be so difficult, or entertaining. He rested his chin on his palm and smirked. "I have patience," he chastised gently, still amused.

He scooted closer across the ground and lifted up his guitar again. "The chords are similar, but everything else is entirely different. I wager you learned piano faster because you didn't know any other instruments at the time. Now that you're trying to learn guitar, you've got your knowledge of piano playing messing your head up." He was patient though, and taking time to coach Lennox gave him an excuse to dodge classes more often, which was exactly what he enjoyed doing. He put his fingers on the strings in the G Chord then glanced at Lennox with a raised eyebrow. "One thing at a time, you'll pick up the chords quickly. Copy my fingers here. Can you recognize the chord?"

[Lennox Marshall]

"Well I sure am glad that you have the patience that [/i]I'm[/i] sorely lacking in this instance," She grumbled before cracking a smile up at him. Even in her most frustrated state, she wasn't an irritable person, nor was she one to unnecessarily take it out on the person who had agreed to teach her his ways. It was quite irking though that she was struggling with an instrument. Lennox rarely struggled with music of any kind, but she knew she wasn't best at everything. There was also some severe distraction going on while she was with Des. One of those little crushes that every girl has on her friend's older brother. Especially when they looked like him.

When he scooted closer with his own guitar, she did her best to not stare and instead watch what he was doing. He wasn't wrong, she'd learned piano first because it had been had her disposal when she was young. She'd had a teacher in her father rather than being forced to pay for lessons. She always just figured most instruments were the same. Perhaps not exactly, but close enough. She was beginning to learn that wasn't the case. Lennox pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes before mimicking his fingers on the guitar in her own hands.

Lennox's fingers pressed down on the strings and she chewed on the inside of her cheek as she thought. She had to know this one. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember her chord chart that she'd bought in order to practice. She wished for some wonderful memory, but she didn't have one and she was clearly blanking. "Uhm, a...a G?" She was almost certain, but not really 100% about it. "This is impossible."