I adjusted the strap of my bag as I stood from my seat.
Rey glanced between us, clearly picking up on the tension. "Welp. I'd stick around for the drama, but I like my head where it is." She slung her bag over her shoulder, shooting me a knowing smirk. "See you tomorrow, Athens."
I sighed as she walked off, dragging my feet toward the inevitable interrogation.
"So," Jade started, the moment I was within earshot. "Are we finally going to talk, or do we have to pry the truth out of you?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Talk about what?"
Ezzy groaned, throwing her hands up. "Oh, come on. You disappear for a day, barely acknowledge us all morning, and now you're all buddy-buddy with Rey like nothing happened?"
"I wasn't 'buddy-buddy.' We were just working on class assignments."
"Athena," Jade's voice was sharp with impatience. "Enough. What the hell is going on?"
I clenched my jaw, already looking for an escape.
And then I remembered, I had no escape. Because I was staying behind to help Ezzy practice for the festival.
I exhaled, shifting my bag on my shoulder. "Can we at least get to the rehearsal hall first? If I'm going to get grilled, I'd rather do it while pretending to be useful."
Ezzy and Jade exchanged glances before Ezzy sighed. "Fine. But you're talking, Athens. No more dodging."
The moment we stepped into the rehearsal hall, Ezzy wasted no time.
"Alright, spill."
I sighed, walking toward the piano, letting my fingers glide over the keys before sitting down.
I wasn't really playing, just pressing random notes, letting the sound fill the space as I tried to piece together what to say.
How much to say.
"My meeting with Lara after school didn't go well," I admitted, pressing a few more notes, watching the way they barely resonated before fading into silence. "She was not helping. Not with anything. And she was definitely not filling in any of the blanks I had."
Ezzy and Jade stayed silent, waiting.
I inhaled, my fingers continuing to skim across the keys.
"So, I decided to go find the answers on my own."
Ezzy's brows shot up. "Oh, this already sounds bad."
Jade folded her arms. "Where?"
I didn't meet their eyes. "Lune Noire."
Ezzy cursed under her breath, and Jade let out a sharp exhale.
"Let me guess, 'things didn't go as you hoped they would'?" Jade said dryly.
I let out a humorless chuckle, hitting a few lower notes. "That's an understatement."
I flexed my fingers before flattening my hands against the keys, staring at them.
"The worse thing I could ever imagine happened. I was ambushed by an unknown force."
Ezzy inhaled sharply, but she didn't say anything.
"Zarich was with me," I continued. "He got me out. Brought me to a healer to fix up my injuries. By the time I got home, I was too drained to function. Hence why I skipped school."
Silence stretched between us, the only sound coming from the faint buzz of the enchanted lighting overhead.
Finally, I exhaled, leaning forward, resting my forearms on the keys, letting out a few broken, clashing notes.
"Listen, guys. I didn't mean to be a bitch since this morning."
Ezzy and Jade exchanged glances but didn't interrupt.
"It's just been… some weird days. And I'm still wrapping my head around it all."
I didn't look up.
Now that I had actually said things out loud, a heavy weight pressed against my chest, tightening until it felt like I couldn't breathe properly.
I felt overwhelmed.
Like everything was crashing down all over again.
My vision blurred with tears. I clenched my jaw, blinking rapidly, willing them away.
But the moment I shifted slightly, a gentle nudge at my shoulder forced me to look up.
Ezzy's expression had softened.
"Athena."
Her voice was quieter now. Less demanding.
Jade had stepped closer too, arms no longer crossed, her sharp gaze not accusing, but understanding.
"We're not mad at you, okay?" Ezzy said softly. "We just..." She shook her head, searching for the right words. "You're shutting us out, and we don't like it."
Jade nodded, her voice steady but careful. "We just want to help."
I swallowed, my fingers pressing into the keys slightly, feeling the smooth surface beneath my fingertips.
I knew that. I just wasn't sure how much help I could afford to accept. Especially if it meant putting them in direct line of danger.
I wasn't just protecting myself. I was protecting them.
But how long could I keep them at arm's length before they started forcing their way through?
I exhaled, straightening slightly, my fingers pressing lightly against the keys before glancing up at them. "Can you guys… keep this between us? For now?"
Ezzy and Jade exchanged a look before Jade smirked. "Your secret is safe with us, babe."
I felt a small flicker of relief. At least for now.
Just then, the door to the rehearsal hall swung open, and three very familiar voices shattered the moment.
"What secret are you keeping from us, huh, Athens?"
Jax. Typical.
I barely turned before he strolled in, a wide grin plastered on his face.
I sighed, shaking my head. "I swear, you've got wolf hearing."
Jax waggled his brows. "I prefer to call it heightened awareness."
Zion stepped in beside him, smirking. "More like an annoying sixth sense."
Riven followed, silent as ever, his gaze flicking toward me briefly before shifting away.
I narrowed my eyes at them. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
Jax flopped into one of the empty chairs, completely at ease. "We're here for moral support."
Ezzy let out a dramatic groan. "No, you're here to be annoying."
"That too." Jax winked before adding, "Babe, you'll be singing in front of the whole of Lowmere. Might as well get used to a small audience."
Ezzy looked like she was seriously debating throwing something at him. "That is not how this works, Jax."
Zion shrugged, grinning. "Not the worst idea, though."
I sighed, dropping my bag onto the side bench. "Fine. But if you're staying, shut up and don't distract her. Ezzy actually needs to rehearse, not deal with your running commentary."
Jax placed a hand over his chest, mock-offended. "Athens, I am deeply wounded. I am a very respectful audience member."
Ezzy snorted. "That's a damn lie, and we both know it."
Jax just grinned wider.
Riven, who had been silent so far, just leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He wasn't looking at me, but I could tell he was listening.
Unlike Jax and Zion, he wasn't joking around or trying to get a rise out of Ezzy.
And something about that silence unnerved me more than anything Jax could ever say.
Once the uninvited audience members had finally settled, I turned back to Ezzy, shaking off the lingering tension.
"Alright, Ezz. Show me what you've been working on so far."
For a split second, panic flashed in her eyes.
Her gaze flickered between me and the guys before she inhaled slowly, exhaling through her nose.
"You okay there?" I asked, brow arching.
She let out a short, nervous laugh, then made her way over to the piano bench beside me, flipping open her notebook.
"Okay, don't judge, but… that's all I have for now."
I glanced down at the pages.
The multiple scratches, chaotic scribbles, crossed-out verses, and tiny paper tears were a dead giveaway, she'd been struggling hard with this.
Really hard.
I dragged my fingers over the pages, taking in the frustration practically etched into the ink.
Ezzy sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I can be good at singing, but Gods, do I suck at the composing part."
I huffed a small laugh, tapping my fingers against the edge of the piano. "Let's see what we can do, then."
She blinked. "You're really going to help me with this?"
I smirked. "Didn't I promise after-school sessions?"
A slow, relieved grin spread across her face. And just like that, we got to work.
Ezzy and I had barely gotten started when Jade slid into the mix, leaning over the notebook with a thoughtful hum.
"Alright, move over. Let me see what you've got so far."
Ezzy shot her a look. "Since when were you in on this?"
Jade smirked. "Since I heard you struggling and figured you could use my genius lyricism."
I snorted. "She's not wrong. Jade's got bars."
Ezzy rolled her eyes but handed over the notebook.
Jade scanned through the mess of half-formed lines, scratched-out ideas, and chaotic notes, tapping her fingers against the piano.
"Okay, first of all, this part right here? Trash." She pointed at a verse, then quickly followed with, "But this? This has potential. We can tweak it."
And just like that, we fell into a rhythm.
Jade was brilliant at pulling together rhymes that actually made sense, taking Ezzy's original ideas and refining them without losing her voice.
I focused on structuring the verses, making sure everything flowed naturally while keeping Ezzy's style intact.
By the time we had a solid draft, all that was left was the most important part: laying down the notes.
Ezzy took a deep breath, staring at the pages like they were going to compose themselves.
"Alright," I nudged her. "Let's put this together. See what sticks."
She nodded, flexing her fingers over the piano keys before pressing down, the first notes breaking through the silence.
And just like that, the song started to take shape.
Ezzy sang the piece flawlessly, her voice weaving through the melody effortlessly, until she stopped abruptly, her hands hovering over the keys.
She frowned. "Okay, this is good… but it's missing something. It feels too normal, too ordinary for the festival."
I stared at her for a moment, the wheels in my head already turning.
Normal. Ordinary. We could fix that.
"I have an idea."
Ezzy and Jade both looked at me as I sat up straighter, already running through the arrangement in my mind.
"If it's okay with you both, I want to suggest that Jade raps the part after the bridge. Then, Ezzy, you come back in with the chorus. For more weight, let's add some drum beats. I'll bring in the guitar in as from the first chorus for extra impact, then build into a crescendo after Jade's rap part till the song ends."
Silence.
They both gaped at me.
But I was already on the move, heading toward the drum pad, booting up the system and working in the beat variation I had in mind.
Behind me, Jax let out a low whistle. "Damn, Athens. When did you turn into a full-on producer?"
Ezzy snapped out of her daze. "Damn. Who are you?"
Jade, on the other hand, shook her head as if she couldn't believe her ears. "Wait. Rap. Me?"
I smirked. "Yes, Jade. Stop pretending you don't secretly rap in front of your mirror while doing your makeup everyday."
She gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "I would never..."
Ezzy snorted. "Oh, you absolutely would."
Jade grumbled under her breath but didn't argue.
I grinned, taking charge. "Okay, I got it. Ezzy, stay behind the piano. Jade, get ready to spit those bars. I'll drop the beat when you hit the chorus."
I reached for the electric guitar from its stand, sliding the strap over my head, fingers already itching to play.
I met Jade's eyes. "Let's do this, girls. Count us down."
Jade exhaled, shaking out her hands before nodding.
"Three, two, one."
Just like that, we launched into the song.
It was a real pleasure seeing Ezzy's eyes widen when the beat dropped, her fingers pressing deeper into the keys as the energy shifted.
And when I came in with the guitar, the added layers of sound morphed the entire song into something bigger, bolder, something that actually felt like a festival piece.
I backed Ezzy up throughout the song, harmonizing where needed, adding weight to her vocals.
The cherry on the cake was when Jade came in. The moment she started rapping, I swore, I felt actual chills.
She added her own twist, her own flavors, her voice smooth but sharp, blending seamlessly with Ezzy's chorus.
It suited the song so perfectly that for a moment, I completely forgot this was just a rehearsal.
When we hit the final note, breathless with adrenaline, laughter erupted, raw and unrestrained. Not from failure. Not from nerves. But from the sheer, exhilarating shock of how damn good it was.
Through the echoes of our laughter, Zion's voice cut through.
"Okay, I'm not sure if it's normal behavior to laugh like that after finishing a performance, but damn, girls, you absolutely killed it."
He approached the stage, moving straight to Jade, sliding an arm around her waist before kissing her temple.
"And damn, can my girl rap."
Ezzy and I exchanged glances. Oh stars. He actually just called Jade his girl.
It was about damn time.
Jax, never one to be left out, suddenly dramatically threw himself toward Ezzy, clutching her from behind.
"My incredibly talented, stunning, gifted superstar." he declared, resting his chin on her shoulder.
Ezzy laughed, leaning into his embrace. "Damn right, I am."
Lucky me, smack dab in the middle of all of it as always.
I shook my head, laughing as I randomly strummed a few chords on the guitar, experimenting with a few riffs for the first time. It wasn't perfect. Hell, it was barely decent. But I was getting better.
As I played, I could feel Riven's eyes on me. His gaze pressed against me, heavy with something unspoken, but I refused to acknowledge it. Instead, I kept my focus on the guitar, on the notes that weren't quite right yet.
Beside me, Zion had Jade tucked against him, murmuring something that made her smirk, while Jax had Ezzy wrapped in his usual shameless display of affection, completely unbothered by the fact that they weren't alone.
I took it as a clear sign that rehearsals were over.
Letting the last note linger, I slid the guitar back onto its stand, rolling my shoulders in an attempt to ease the tightness creeping into them.
I barely had time to grab my bag before the door swung open.
"There you are, love. Took me long enough to track you down."
The lazy, confident drawl sent every head in the room snapping up.
Calder Ashenford.
Leaning against the doorway like he owned the place, arms crossed, smirking like he had already won whatever game he was playing. I froze.
I narrowed my eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Calder gave me a slow once-over before tilting his head toward the others. "What? No warm welcome?"
Jax snorted. "I mean, we can throw something at you, if that helps."
Zion chuckled under his breath. Ezzy just sighed. "Oh, heavens."
But I wasn't focused on them.
I was focused on the one person who had yet to react. Riven.
He hadn't moved. Hadn't spoken. But his jaw was tight, and his fingers twitched slightly where they rested on his arms.
Calder must've noticed it too, because his smirk widened ever so slightly.
He looked straight at me. "Come on, we had plans, didn't we?"
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
Calder grinned, slow and deliberate. "Told you I'd be picking you up. You didn't think I'd forget, did you?"
Before I could even formulate a response, Riven finally spoke, his tone smooth, but laced with something sharp and mocking
"That's funny. I thought there was nothing between you two."
My jaw tightened.
Calder, of course, didn't miss a beat. He just grinned, his gaze flicking lazily between us before settling on Riven.
"Oh, Athens and I have plenty between us. Just not sure she's ready to admit it yet."
The tension in the room thickened. Jax's gaze flickered between us, clearly enjoying the show. Zion didn't bother hiding his smirk.
Yeah. No. Not doing this today.
I had enough shit to deal with, I wasn't adding pointless drama to the list.
I grabbed my bag without another word and headed straight for the door, brushing past Calder as I stormed outside.
I needed out. I needed air.
Calder followed, of course. Because of course he did.