Page 7 of Shattered Melodies

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Nah, just you know, people watching.”

Sarah’s eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh. And I suppose the fact that your new pianist friend isn’t here has nothing to do with your sudden interest in ‘people watching’?”

I felt my face flush. Was I really that obvious? “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mumbled, suddenly very interested in my mystery meat surprise.

Mark plopped down across from us, his tray piled high with what looked like every dessert option available. “What are we talking about?”

“Caleb’s little crush on the new guy,” Sarah said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

I nearly choked on my milk. “What? We just met yesterday.”

Mark leaned in, his curiosity piqued. “Oh yeah? You two seemed pretty into your jam session in the music room. Spill the beans, man.”

I felt my face heating up, but I tried to keep my voice casual. “It’s nothing, really. We just got talking about music. He’s pretty talented.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And that’s why you guys were still there when we passed by an hour after school ended?”

“We lost track of time,” I started to explain, but Mark cut me off.

“Dude, you were totally in the zone. It was like watching two people speak a secret language.”

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “Guys, come on. It’s not like that. We barely know each other.”

Sarah’s tone softened a bit. “Hey, it’s okay if you hit it off with him, you know. We’re not interrogating you.”

I looked up, meeting their eyes. “I appreciate that, but seriously, there’s nothing going on. Liam’s just interesting to talk to. That’s all.”

Mark shrugged. “If you say so, man. But for what it’s worth, you two seemed to have some serious musical chemistry.”

“We’re just getting to know each other,” I insisted. “As friends. Can we please talk about something else now?”

Sarah laughed. “Alright, alright. We’ll drop it. For now.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit unsettled. Were they right? Was there something more to my interest in Liam?

As my friends moved on to other topics, I found my eyes scanning the cafeteria. Almost unconsciously, I was looking for Liam. I spotted him through the window, sitting alone under the big oak tree in the courtyard.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I was standing up. “I’ll catch you guys later,” I said.

Sarah and Mark exchanged a knowing look. “Not interested, huh?” Sarah teased.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m just going to see if he wants company. That’s what you do for new kids, right?”

“Sure, sure,” Mark said, clearly unconvinced. “Go be a good welcoming committee.”

As I walked away, I could hear them snickering behind me. I tried to ignore the flutter in my stomach as I headed outside. It was just friendship, I told myself. Nothing more.

But even as I thought it, a small part of me wondered if I was trying to convince them, or myself.

“Yo, Liam!” I called out, jogging over to him with what I hoped was a casual grin. “Ready to make some more musical magic today?”

He looked up, and I swear, his whole face just brightened. It was like watching the sun come out from behind the clouds. “Hey, Caleb. Yeah, definitely. I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”

I plopped down next to him, setting my guitar case in the grass. “Me too, man. I’ve got some new song ideas I think you’re gonna love.”

We spent the rest of lunch talking about music, swapping stories about our favorite bands and the instruments we wished we could play. It was so easy talking to Liam, like we’d known each other for years instead of days. I found myself watching the way his eyes lit up when he talked about classical composers, the graceful way his hands moved as he air-played an imaginary piano.

When the bell rang, I jumped up and offered him a hand. “Meet you in the music room after school?”

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