Dustin ignored the constant beeping of his phone and continued to pluck the strings on the electric guitar he had bought yesterday at Del's Music Store. He would be using this one at the after-party. It felt just like the one to escalate him to the level he knew he wanted to be when he hit that stage.

The other members of his band listened to him as he displayed his skills with the musical instrument. He was a very gifted young man and the journey he took everyone on had them marvelling.

They listened as he strummed the strings bringing forth sounds that caressed your very soul. At times the sound that erupted from his skilful fingers were sometimes quick and tantalizing other times they were slow and sensual. He was like a snake master that mesmerizes the creature with tranquil sounds that compel total captivation. He had everyone effortlessly feeling all the emotions he stroked from the guitar that seemed to be an extension of him. It was as if he and the instruments were now one.

He was the Pipe Piper playing and leading his band of a spellbound audience on his alluring journey as he gave to them all the emotions that ripped from his skilful fingertips.

When he was done cheers and applause filled the room. He ended on two strums that sent the room vibrating with mystical musical sounds. There was not a single person present that was not left touched by the sounds that early caused feelings to swell into emotions and bring them now to being his once again awed fans and adoring band members.

"Aww man, that was awesome!" Linda chimed wishing she could express just how much she was overjoyed by his splendid talent.

She always thought of him to be like the Legendary Prince. To her, he was a legend in the rising, but like the others in the room, she just had to contend herself with words of praise. Deep down she wished she could bridge the gap that separated them and caused her to have to be the adoring big sister and band manager.

For a minutes she wondered how it would feel to be bold like Misty, reach out and take that which she needed without fear or doubt but she knew she didn't want to taint the friendship that she shared with Dustin so she refrain from any pull to cross the border between her and her brother because that what he was and that's how he saw her, like family.

Her mother and father had made Dustin and Misty a part of their lives close to a year now and as she had gotten close to Dustin and gotten to know him she found herself moving from the caring protective sister to the young woman who was shackled to ever love him heart body and soul. She wished she could protect him and shadow his vulnerability from a lover's stance than that of a sister who could never break the vow to protect Dustin any and every way that she could.

She just wished she could say the same for Misty, the girl she was so excited to have as a sister, but the other girl had no intention to share anything with her except contempt and animosity.

Her mind was pulled away from her brooding by Dustin's voice. "Hey Linda comes over here," he called, waving her over to where he sat.

She moved from where she stood leaning against the far wall of their makeshift studio and walked to him, her feet wobbly, her heart pounding with feelings she could not express.

"I think everyone should thank this wonderful woman right here, that you just heard me play is a composition of hers," he inform pulling her to his side causing her to leap with awareness.

"Wow!" Danny who was the drummer in the band and taken with Linda beamed, "that was a gem and Dus you did it justice."

"Think you guys could come together on your instruments and really send it soaring," he said, glancing around the room.

"Hell yeah, we can!"

"You bet your sweet ass we can do it!" Richard purred giving his bass guitar a provocative thrust that had the group whistling and cheering some more.

Various sentiments like this rang out and Dustin felt his heart soar with joy. His dream was finally falling into place. Pretty soon he could send a demo of their work to the radio station and continue to have their work viewed both on his Facebook page and YouTube channel.

These people who had let him in made him a part of their world and placed themselves within his dream made his heart filled with love. He had long ago given up being a part of someone's life seeing that his past had often jolted him down the slough of despondency leaving him feeling like Christian upon his Pilgrim's Journey.

He said inwardly. Ha! past no longer will you control me.

The knowledge that he can be an overcomer filled him with such vitality. Also knowing that he had the band put out their all; pulling from their inner being their ultimate best was an added incentive that pleased him. When the rehearsal was over they had the lyrics and tune well compiled into a masterpiece.

"That was like a splendid dream," Linda beamed, still feeling the rise of the beautiful rehearsal as they pulled down the rolling door that closed off the makeshift studio from the back lawn that their father had made for them.

"I want to thank you," he said, pulling her to him for a hug of gratitude but Linda who was thirsty for his attention and affection clung to him and kissed him with all the feelings she had pent up in her.

It was the sound of Misty's voice that had them pulling apart and Dustin was surprised to find that he was annoyed at her turning up.

"Linda, Linda, Linda," she snickered her dark eyes filled with vile amusement, "I would expect a much more respectable behaviour from you seeing you are such a moralistic young lady, but here you are practically devouring your brother."

"Misty y ----"

"Save it, Dustin," she snapped as her brother made to reprimand her. "I don't care who you fuck, it's the both of you who care about who I do," she glared at them before adding. "Anyways mum says dinner is ready."

Dustin watches as she marches away. "At times I wonder how the hell she's my twin," he said then sighed before following in her wake leaving Linda to follow with her creamy cheeks burning red.

************************************
Hope you have enjoyed chapter 7 😁
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And do comment what you think of Linda reaching out to Dustin like that.

Question: Do you not just love to hate Misty? 😏😏