Strings To Your Heart

Chapter 6: She Knows

The next day, I found myself walking through the school halls with a sense of unease. I couldn't believe that River had invited me to watch their band practice. And as much as I wanted to brush it off, something inside me couldn't help but be curious. I hadn’t expected him to actually follow through with the invitation so quickly, but here I was—heading toward the school’s music room.

As I approached the door, I hesitated for a moment. I had never been to a band practice before, especially not for a group I barely knew. But River had been nice enough to ask me, so I wasn’t going to back out now.

When I pushed the door open, I was greeted by the sound of instruments being tuned and the occasional chatter of his bandmates. I had never known this room existed until now. Last year, I was more into solo and group singing contests. I had tried auditioning for the Battle of the Bands, but I didn’t get accepted. Maybe because there were people better than me—and that’s okay.

The room was spacious but had a cozy vibe to it—enough space for them to set up and practice, with a few rows of chairs lined up on the side for watchers, though it didn’t seem like anyone ever really sat there. It felt like the heart of the music department, a place where the band could let loose and be themselves.

River spotted me right away, waving me over to one of the chairs near the back. I walked in and took a seat, scanning the room. There were three other people there, all busy tuning their instruments—a drummer with messy hair and a laid-back attitude, a bassist with a serious expression, and a guitarist who might be their rhythm player and looked like he could be River’s twin, just with shorter hair.

"Hey, Jade," River greeted, giving me a casual nod. "You're just in time. We're about to start."

I smiled awkwardly, unsure how to break the ice with his bandmates. They all looked up at me curiously, a few whispering to each other before the bassist spoke up.

"You look familiar," he said, eyeing me with interest.

I froze for a moment. "I do?"

"Yeah, weren’t you the one who won during the intramurals last year? You were amazing!" the drummer chimed in, his voice full of playful curiosity.

I blinked, caught off guard by the mention of the intramurals. It felt so far removed from everything happening right now. "Yeah, that was me," I said with confidence. I glanced at River, who looked confused.

That’s what you get for not watching—but at least his bandmates did... Hmph!

"Damn, you were a beast out there," the bassist said, laughing.

I blushed slightly, shrugging off the compliment. "It wasn’t a big deal."

River glanced up at me from his guitar, a smirk playing on his lips. "So, you're not just good with a guitar. You’ve got some serious athletic skills, too?"

I rolled my eyes. "It was just a school event."

The drummer chuckled. "Hey, whatever. We’re all impressed."

Before I could say anything else, River gave a small wave, signaling that it was time to begin. The band launched into a song, and I couldn’t help but get lost in the music. Their energy was contagious, and for the first time, I wasn’t thinking about how awkward I felt. I just let the rhythm take over, listening to them play as if I had done it a thousand times before.

After they finished the song, River turned to me with a grin. "So, what do you think?"

I was still processing the performance, but I nodded enthusiastically. "You guys sound amazing."

"I’m not surprised you think that," the guitarist teased. "You’ve got the ear for it."

I shrugged, trying to play it cool, though I was secretly a little flattered by the compliment. "You all make it look easy."

The bassist raised an eyebrow. "You play, right?"

I hesitated, my nerves creeping back up, but I nodded. "Yeah, I play guitar."

"Well, why don’t you show us?" the drummer asked, clearly eager for me to jump in.

I looked at River for confirmation. He just gave me a nod, so I stood up and walked over to the guitar they had set up for me. My fingers brushed the strings, and I could feel the weight of their eyes on me. I wasn’t prepared for this, but the challenge felt too good to resist.

"Guys, are you okay with a spontaneous song?" I asked them nervously. When they agreed, I immediately turned on the overdrive effect pedal and strummed a chord—it seemed like they already knew what I was about to play.

Well, I thought for a moment about a song that would fit their style—something energetic and edgy, but still true to my own sound.

As I started playing, I noticed the band watching closely, nodding to the rhythm. When I began singing, they seemed impressed. River was giving me an unreadable look, but the rest of the band started to smile, their teasing comments starting up again.

When I finished, the room was silent for a moment. Then, the bassist broke the quiet.

"Damn, Jade. You’re amazing!" he said, his voice filled with surprise. "Why didn’t you audition last year?"

"Well, I didn’t get in. Maybe there were just a lot of people better than me," I said.

"Nah, maybe the ones who got in just had connections!" the drummer joked, and I just laughed it off.

River leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "You know, I think we need a new frontman."

Whoa, that was a quick one. I wasn’t ready for that statement.

"You should join us," the drummer teased. "We’d make a great team."

I laughed, feeling slightly embarrassed by the attention. "I don’t think I’m ready for that yet."

"Don’t be modest," the guitarist chimed in. "You’ve got the skills."

The band continued to joke and tease each other, but there was an underlying sense of camaraderie that I couldn’t ignore. They all genuinely seemed to enjoy playing together, and it was clear they had a bond that went beyond just music.

After practice, I packed up my things, still trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. River’s band had been surprisingly welcoming, and their energy was something I couldn’t deny. I had felt like part of something, even if just for an hour.

As I walked out of the music room, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a message from Diana.

Diana: "Hey, I'm at the coffee shop. Want to meet?"

I glanced at the time. It was 4 p.m. I had stayed for the entire practice, but it felt like no time had passed at all. Diana was already there, and I hadn’t expected to be out this long.

I quickly texted back.

Jade: "Aren’t you supposed to be home by now?"

Her response came almost immediately.

Diana: "What about you? Why haven’t you come home yet? Meet me here."

My stomach dropped. I’d known Diana for years, and I knew she wasn’t the type to let things go.

"Jade." I assumed that was River.

I didn’t get the chance to look back because I was fixing my things. "Yeah?" I just said.

"You were great. Thank you for coming."

I faced him. "Yeah, thanks." I smiled at him.

"Take care." Then he left.

I just looked at the door where he exited—I shook my head and quickly grabbed my things, heading toward the door, my mind racing.

There he goes again, saying things that leave me speechless.

Until I remembered Diana. This wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. Would Diana ask me about River? Or was she going to confront me about something else?

Whatever it was, I knew one thing—things were about to get a lot more complicated.