Page 5 of Shattered Melodies

I ducked my head, feeling my cheeks heat up. “Thanks. You’re pretty amazing yourself.”

“We make a good team,” Caleb said, and the words made my heart skip a beat. A team. Him and me.

We spent the next hour messing around with different songs, laughing and joking and just enjoying each other’s company. It was the most fun I’d had in ages, and I never wanted it to end. But eventually, Caleb glanced at the clock and sighed.

“I should probably head home. My mom will freak if I’m late for dinner.”

“Yeah, same,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment.

We packed up our stuff in comfortable silence, stealing glances at each other when we thought the other wasn’t looking.

As we walked out of the music room, Caleb bumped his shoulder against mine. “This was really fun. We should do it again sometime.”

“Definitely,” I agreed, maybe a little too quickly. “I mean, if you want to.”

“I want to,” Caleb said firmly. “How about tomorrow? Same time, same place?”

“It’s a date,” I blurted out, then immediately wanted to smack myself. “I mean, not like a date-date. Just like, you know, a plan. To hang out. As friends.”

Smooth, Liam. Real smooth.

But Caleb just laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “A friend-date. I like it.”

He held out his fist, and I bumped it with my own, feeling a tingle run up my arm at the contact.

“See you tomorrow, Liam,” he said, smiling that heart-stopping smile of his.

“See you,” I echoed, watching him walk away until he disappeared around the corner.

As I made my way out of the school, I couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off my face.

For the first time since I’d moved to Oakwood, I didn’t feel so alone anymore. I had music, I had a friend, and I had something to look forward to.

And in that moment, that was more than enough for me.

CHAPTER 2

Come Meet the Band

CALEB

The sound of those dang roosters jolted me awake, going off like alarm clocks on steroids. I groaned, burying my face in my pillow for a moment before forcing myself to sit up. Gotta love life on the ranch, right?

I stumbled to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face to wake myself up properly. As I brushed my teeth, I caught my reflection in the mirror. Was that a zit coming in? Great. I ran a hand through my messy dark hair, trying to tame it into something presentable.

The smell of Mom’s famous pancakes was already drifting up to my room, making my stomach growl like a hungry bear. I threw on some clothes - my favorite worn jeans and a faded band tee - and practically tumbled down the stairs, following my nose to the kitchen.

My parents were already at the table, Dad hidden behind his newspaper while Mom hummed as she flipped pancakes at the stove. It was our usual morning routine, quiet but comfortable.

“Morning, sleepyhead!” Mom called out, sliding a heaping plate of pancakes in front of me as I plopped down in my seat. Her apron was dusted with flour, and her smile was as warm as the stack of pancakes.

“Thanks, Mom. You’re the best,” I said, drowning my pancakes in syrup.

Dad peered at me over his coffee mug, his eyes all crinkly at the corners. “So, how’s school going, kiddo? Learning anything good?”

I couldn’t help but grin, thinking about yesterday. About Liam. “It’s great, actually. I met this new guy, Liam. He’s pretty cool. Plays a mean piano, too. We jammed together after school.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a weird flutter in my stomach. Why was I so excited to talk about Liam? Sure, he was cool, but it’s not like I’d never made friends before.

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