Page 8 of Shattered Melodies

He took my hand, and I swear, I felt a little spark where our skin touched. “Wouldn’t miss it,” he said, smiling that shy smile of his.

The rest of the day crawled by slower than a snail on a salt flat. I couldn’t focus on anything my teachers were saying, couldn’t even fake interest in my friends’ conversations. All I could think about was getting to the music room and seeing Liam again.

The minute the final bell rang, I was out of my seat like a shot, weaving through the crowded hallways like a man on a mission. I had to get to Liam before Jake and his goons did. As I rounded the corner, I nearly collided with Sarah and Mark.

“Whoa there, speed racer,” Sarah quipped, steadying herself. “Where’s the fire?”

“Music room,” I panted. “Band practice, remember?”

Mark’s eyes lit up. “Oh yeah! We finally get to meet this Liam guy you’ve been going on about.”

I felt my face heat up. “I haven’t been going on about him,” I protested weakly.

Sarah just rolled her eyes. “Sure, keep telling yourself that, Romeo. Come on, let’s go make some noise.”

The three of us made our way to the music room, Mark twirling his drumsticks and Sarah humming a baseline under her breath. When we burst through the door, Liam was already there, sitting at the piano with a faraway look on his face. Relief flooded through me at the sight of him, safe and unharmed.

“Hey, you,” I said softly, not wanting to startle him.

He looked up, and his whole face just melted into this beautiful smile. “Hey yourself.” Then, noticing Sarah and Mark, his smile turned a bit shy. “Oh, hi. You must be Caleb’s bandmates.”

Mark stepped forward, extending his hand. “Mark. I’m the one who keeps the beat and these goofballs in line.”

Sarah snorted. “I’m Sarah. Bass guitar and occasional voice of reason.”

Liam shook their hands, looking a bit overwhelmed but pleased. “It’s great to meet you both.”

I wanted to warn him about Jake, to tell him to be careful, but I didn’t want to scare him or ruin our time together. I decided I’d walk him home after we were done, just to be safe.

“Alright, gang,” I said, clapping my hands together. “Let’s make some music, shall we?”

We spent the next hour running through our usual setlist, with Liam adding piano parts that somehow made everything sound ten times better. It was like he instinctively knew exactly what each song needed, filling in the gaps we didn’t even realize were there. Mark’s drumming provided a solid foundation, while Sarah’s bass lines intertwined perfectly with Liam’s piano and my guitar.

During a water break, Sarah sidled up to me. “Okay, I get it now,” she whispered.

“Get what?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

She just gave me a knowing look. “Why you’ve been walking around with your head in the clouds. That boy is something special.”

I couldn’t argue with that. Watching Liam play, lost in the music, his fingers dancing over the keys it was mesmerizing.

As we launched into our newest song, I found myself gravitating towards the piano, my guitar and Liam’s playing weaving together in perfect harmony. Our eyes met over the instruments, and I swear, the rest of the world just disappeared.

It was just us, just the music, just this indescribable connection that made my heart race and my soul sing. When the song ended, we were both breathing hard, grinning at each other like we’d just discovered the secret to the universe.

“Damn,” Sarah whistled, her fingers still resting on her bass strings. “That was intense.”

Mark nodded, twirling a drumstick. “You two have some serious chemistry going on. We should definitely work that into our performance for the talent show.”

I felt my face flush, but before I could respond, Liam spoke up. “Talent show?”

“Oh yeah,” I said, suddenly remembering my idea from earlier. “I was thinking maybe we could all perform together? Show the school what we’ve got?”

Mark and Sarah immediately agreed, but Liam looked hesitant. “I don’t know, guys,” he said, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. “I’ve never really performed in front of people before. What if I mess up?”

I moved to his side, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Dude, you’re not gonna mess up. You’re insanely talented, and we sound awesome together. It’ll be a blast, I promise!”

Mark chimed in, “Yeah, and if anyone does mess up, it’ll probably be Caleb anyway. He’s got a habit of tripping over his own feet on stage.”

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