Page 38 of From Drummer to Gamer

My lips twitched as I fought a smile.She was crying because she was embarrassed?

Sierra Chan was truly an enigma.

Definitely not for the fainthearted.

Raphael dropped his hand, stepping away. “Evil. Absolute evil.”

I shook my head and returned to the notes while Raphael made a coffee for himself. I was surprised that he was actually up this early. He was more committed to the craft and his music than he let on.

I did make a good choice after all.

“Can we please forget the last ten minutes ever happened?” a meek voice asked from my right.

My gaze wavered, struggling to keep the amusement in my eyes. “Yes,” I replied.

“Great.” Sierra let out a relieved sigh. “I don’t know why I keep embarrassing myself in front of you,” she mumbled.

“I have the same thought,” I muttered dryly.

She faltered, blushing before going back to the notes.

Ten minutes later, we had a few more names brimming in our heads. That was the most progress I’d made in the past weeks.

Sierra yawned, her cheek flush to the marble counter as she regarded me. “What about True Beats Record, Matty? It’s so simple, but it suits you. You want to make real music, and you’re a drummer.”

I paused, the name rolling off my lips. It did sound good. And his name wasTruman,but she didn’t know that. “I like it. And you’re right, it does suit me and my vision. We can go with it.”

“Really?” Her spine jerked upright, her eyes sparkling. “We can go with it?”

“Yes. I like it.”

“Yay.” She beamed, crashing into me before I could even think. I caught her soft weight as her arms threaded around my neck. “I thought it was going to take forever. But we did it.”

Even sitting, I towered over her, her tiny frame hardly reaching my chest.

“Yes, we did,” I mumbled.

Flushing, she stepped away, yawning. “I think I’m going to go crash now. I’m exhausted.”

I nodded.

“Sierra,” I called out just as she was exiting the room.

“Hmm?” she asked, spinning around.

“Thank you.” My tone rang with sincerity.

She flashed that wide smile again. “Don’t mention it.”

And with that, she skipped away.

Hmm, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

CHAPTER 10

SIERRA

The day of the qualifiers was here.

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