51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ088qxYsRvk
By Friday, Naomi had almost convinced herself things were normal again.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GuhMhirws
She wore her calm like a well-fitted jacket—neatly zipped and carefully ironed. Her hair was pinned back, her folders crisp. If she looked put-together on the outside, maybe the chaos inside her wouldn’t show.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8UT4897Dy
She didn’t expect anything new when she walked into the music hall.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6vTnVpzGZ
But there it was—taped neatly to the corkboard:
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfVv83SO4Z
> **DUET COMPETITION: Regional Winter Gala Selection**
> *Finalists to perform live before guest judges. Open to all Music Division students.*
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Bfwpt0ecK
Below the bold headline was a growing list of names.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoAFJVa94o
Her eyes skimmed down the sheet.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ac3Kwb9BD
And froze.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pzA54LfvS
> **Levi Hayes & Maya Holloway**
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEHPO4i3Vk
The names were circled in thick black ink.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKrkTVyW0H
Her throat tightened.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbN5xG8JDe0
Maya Holloway. First-chair violinist. Voice like silk. Always perfectly in tune—on stage, in conversation, in life. Maya wasn’t just talented. She was polished. Public. *Safe.*
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqc95twLNHg
Naomi’s fingers tightened around the folder in her arms. The paper creased beneath her grip.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODsldmDWUM
Someone behind her gave a low whistle.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUm1d7I3pM
> “Guess he’s making upgrades,”
> someone muttered.
> “She’s basically his type. Public performer. People pleaser.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡferaa6witw
Naomi turned sharply, but the voice was gone, swallowed by a group of students filing in with coffee cups and instrument cases.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgu8UhytRb4
And just below the list, someone had scribbled in faint pencil:
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZvBp9JL97
> **#Leomi is over. #Leaya?**
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08hwSyOEw9
She didn’t even realize she was holding her breath until it burned.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjY5sY3LBY
---
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHXRQlPt5n
She found Levi—too easily—just outside the rehearsal room, casually tuning his guitar by a window like nothing had changed.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDeyCs5rIz
“Nice choice,” Naomi said, flatly.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzI43ggFYng
Levi glanced up. “What?”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzeO5G4Ml4
She nodded toward the flyer. “You and Maya.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhXpaoZqaV
Levi blinked. “She asked. I didn’t say yes.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCz0Sb8YGgh
“You didn’t say no either, clearly.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4V4mBz6ay
“She signed us up. I didn’t even see the list until this morning.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48mfx5CGht
Naomi gave a dry laugh. “Convenient.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxaS3oPYeQ
He stepped forward, voice quieter. “Naomi, come on. You know I wouldn’t just—”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptaNmm1aMf
“Pick her?” Her voice cracked just slightly. “Maybe not intentionally. But you didn’t stop her either.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8z1f4Urv5
A beat passed.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUw9CJCSBWy
“She’s not you.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1r7nNeCtDe
“Exactly,” Naomi said, the words sharper than she meant. “She’s not difficult. Or defensive. Or confusing. She's everything I’m not—and apparently, that works better for you.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiWT73BmOo
Levi flinched.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTJRYkMxuh
“That’s not fair.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iGDTIRGP5
“No,” she said, stepping back, her jaw tight. “What’s not fair is that I can’t even figure out what we are, and now I have to watch you duet with someone else like nothing happened.”
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLhPqErkwq
He looked at her like he wanted to explain everything.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJC6FcSn8b
But he didn’t.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8DLzXkOgG
And she didn’t wait.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcn3Gw2913
She walked off, heart pounding in her chest like an off-beat drum.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuapGw8VE0
---
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwp7AAoZro5
That night, Naomi sat in the dim quiet of her room, fingers poised over her notebook. She didn’t try to compose a melody.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ilOun3RY1
She wrote.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1A7GgXc4Nz
Fast. Messy. Raw.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6H7GOSyuPa
Lyrics poured out of her like confession:
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhmiBYNA23
> *You said it was just the music
> But the silence left a scar*
> *And now I’m a note you skipped
> On the way to who you really are.*
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNZWsctV0D
Her vision blurred. She blinked it away.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDcnjNwI9R
She’d never written something so angry. So *real.*
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohwlwEqJZu
And when she read it back, it hurt.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSY9Zv0A4y
Because it wasn’t just a song.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcDcyx1dIc
It was the truth she couldn’t say out loud.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoJsURLhkE
---
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAiKI5CIrG
Saturday came. Naomi arrived early to rehearsal, pretending she felt fine.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcIGjqzUcG
But the room stayed too quiet.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMgrVvMbv7
No Levi.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCzMn0azpO
No call. No text.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LgyVVvx5k
He wasn’t just late.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lYY4KhAK9
He wasn’t coming.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgW5dqjlGR
---
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIUgxkJpR8
She stood alone by the piano, hand resting on the lid, her mind racing.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5Z4daFF2j
Was he avoiding her? Regretting the performance? Choosing Maya after all?
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiO6F7sVKR
Or was something else going on—something she didn’t understand yet?
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SS6r8cf0r
The worst part wasn’t that he wasn’t there.
It was how much she’d hoped he would be.
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2uOscmwje
--
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyB2eiikzyr
Take a wild guess — what do you think will happen next? I won’t spoil, but I’ll be watching your theories! 👀51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTIt0L4Y2I
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwzT2GfbNz
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSNq8TjUfJ
51Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzRDBlHS40
