THE LOVE WE NEVER FORGET

The Dream That Started It All  At seventeen, most people were still trying to figure out who they wanted to become. But the six of them had already decided. They were going to become stars. The old basketball court behind their childhood neighborhood was almost empty that evening. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the buildings, painting the sky gold and orange while music played from a small speaker sitting on the ground. Six friends stood in the middle of the court. They had grown up together, fought together, laughed together, shared secrets together—and now, they were standing on the edge of the biggest decision of their young lives. "Again!" a boy shouted. That was Jaden Knight, the group's rapper and resident troublemaker. Jaden had an endless supply of confidence, an even bigger supply of jokes, and absolutely no ability to stay quiet for more than thirty seconds. He pointed toward the speaker. "We're doing it again. That last performance was terrible." A girl immediately threw a water bottle at him. "Then you do better!" That was Joan Robbert, their dancer. Joan was bright, energetic, and impossible to intimidate. She could turn almost anything into a competition—and somehow enjoyed winning more than breathing. Jaden caught the bottle. "I was born better." Joan rolled her eyes. "You're so annoying." "Thank you." "That wasn't a compliment." "I accepted it as one." The others laughed. Nearby, Jake Williams sat on the edge of the court with headphones around his neck and a laptop balanced on his knees. Jake was the group's producer—the quiet observer who usually noticed everything before everyone else did. He shook his head. "You two have been arguing since you were eight." "And we're still going strong," Jaden replied proudly. Jake smiled. "Unfortunately." A soft laugh came from behind them. It belonged to Jessica Coal, one of the group's vocalists. Jessica was elegant, outspoken, and usually the first person to tell the others when they were being ridiculous. She folded her arms. "Can we please finish one rehearsal without Jaden and Joan starting a war?" "They started it," Jaden and Joan said at the same time. Everyone laughed again. Everyone except one person. Julius King stood a little farther away, holding a microphone in one hand. At twenty-one, Julius was the oldest of the boys and the group's main vocalist. He had a naturally confident presence that made people pay attention whenever he entered a room. Yet beneath that confidence was someone far more sensitive than he allowed people to see. His eyes weren't on Jaden. They were on Juliet. Juliet Brian, nineteen, stood beside the speaker with her hands wrapped around a bottle of water. She was the group's other vocalist, sweet and shy, with a gentle nature that made people feel comfortable around her almost instantly. She looked up. Their eyes met. For a second, neither of them spoke. Juliet quickly looked away. Julius smiled to himself. "What?" Juliet asked, noticing. "Nothing." "You're smiling." "I smile." "Not like that." Julius raised an eyebrow. "Like what?" Juliet hesitated. "I don't know." She turned away before he could answer. Julius chuckled softly. Neither of them understood why moments like that always felt different. They had known each other for years. Juliet had been there when Julius broke his first guitar string. Julius had been there when Juliet cried after failing her first singing audition. They had celebrated birthdays together. Graduations. Victories. Failures. Everything. They were best friends. At least, that's what they told themselves. "Enough!" Jessica suddenly shouted. "We're wasting time." Jake closed his laptop. "She's right." Jaden groaned. "Fine. One last performance." Joan moved into position. Jessica adjusted her microphone. Juliet took a deep breath. Julius stepped beside her. The music began. And suddenly, everything changed. The laughter disappeared. The teasing disappeared. The six friends became something else. Jaden's rap cut through the music with confidence. Joan moved effortlessly across the court. Jake's carefully arranged instrumental filled the air. Jessica's voice rose beautifully above the melody. Then Juliet began to sing. Her voice was soft at first. Then stronger. Julius joined her. Their voices blended perfectly. For a few minutes, the six of them forgot about everything else. They weren't children from an ordinary neighborhood anymore. They weren't six friends practicing on an old basketball court. They were performers. Artists. Stars waiting for someone to discover them. When the final note faded, silence filled the court. Then Jaden screamed. "WE'RE GOING TO BE FAMOUS!" Joan burst out laughing. Jake shook his head. Jessica clapped. Juliet smiled. Julius looked at all five of them. Then he said quietly, "Next year." Everyone looked at him. Julius smiled. "We'll audition for Harmonia Music Academy." The laughter stopped. Harmonia Music Academy. The most prestigious music academy in Aurelia. The school where future singers, dancers, producers, composers, and performers trained before entering the professional entertainment industry. Getting accepted wasn't easy. Thousands applied. Only a handful were chosen. Jaden stared at Julius. "You serious?" "Completely." Joan's eyes widened. "All six of us?" Julius nodded. "All six." Jessica looked at Jake. Jake slowly smiled. Juliet looked around at her friends. Her heart began beating faster. "Together?" she whispered. Julius looked directly at her. "Together." One by one, they placed their hands in the middle. Jaden. Jake. Julius. Joan. Jessica. And finally Juliet. "Whatever happens," Jessica said, "we stay together." "Deal," Jaden said. "Deal," Joan agreed. Jake nodded. Julius looked at Juliet. "Deal." Juliet smiled. "Deal." Their hands came together. Six friends. One dream. One promise. None of them knew how much that promise would cost them. None of them knew that fame would test their friendship. None of them knew that love would find them when they least expected it. And none of them knew that one day, one of them would disappear from their lives... Leaving the others to wonder if their promise had ever meant anything at all. For now, however, they were young. They were together. And they believed nothing could ever separate them. The next morning, the six friends would submit their applications to Harmonia Music Academy. And that was where their real story would begin.