"You've got a hold on me, don't even know your power."
....

She's mid af.

I sigh and shake my head as I scroll through my Instagram page and read some of the comments on my dance videos.

I made an account when I was about thirteen years old. I wasn't so good then but now, four years later, I think I'm a pretty decent dancer. I've gone to dance classes practically all my life but I had to stop just this summer because I would have to start going to school.

I was really bummed about it but my aunt and uncle said that I could resume next summer and so I surrendered. I don't talk about dancing as much as I talk about my love for music. They are connected anyway. And I like that fact.

Anyway, I could say I was kinda popular on social media although I only have an Instagram account and it's solely for my dancing. I have almost a hundred thousand followers and a pretty decent amount of haters.

I still dance though. I mean I have to dance to make my videos...

And just like music, it always takes my mind off things. I couldn't explain it, I just loved it.

I went to my home page and scrolled through some celebrity posts, hoping to see that Conan Gray posted something. He didn't unfortunately. His posts always brighten my days. A few memes later and I let out a sigh of boredom and turn my phone off.

I look around wearily just waiting for the bell to ring. It's the last class of the day and for some reason I can't wait for that bell to ring.

I try to push away the thoughts in my head that are telling me it's because of that curly haired boy as I fiddle with the rings on my finger.

"Ugh finally," I murmur under my breath as I get up from the chair I'm sitting on. I grab my backpack and head out of the room, following some students behind.

The hallway is rowdy for some time but it clears away soon leaving only a few students rummaging through their lockers. I'm one of them. But I don't take long.

***

I walk through the empty music room and head straight for the instrument room. As I walk towards the door, Emily and Sam's challenge for me rings over and over in my head. Every other thought vanishes as I focus squarely on the things they said.

Am I scared of falling in love with this boy?

A few days ago I wouldn't need to think about the answer. It would be a solid no. But at this moment, if I'm being honest with myself, I can't say I'm sure.

Surprisingly, I find him playing the piano again as I walk in. I don't try to startle him and I don't shut the door loudly like last time but he still jumps when I call out his name.

When he turns to face me with wide eyes, the chuckle that wants to escape my lips disappears.

"What happened to your curls?" I blurt before I stop myself. My own eyes widen as I realise what I've just said.

"What?" he asks, still shocked from my sudden appearance. He runs his hand through his brushed out hair. It doesn't change his appearance much but he still looks different.

"Your-" I stop myself, feeling stupid for trying to repeat it. But he gets what I'm trying to say anyway.

"Oh..." he replies and touches his hair again. In another world, I'd say that he gave a shy smile. "They annoy me sometimes."

"You look less stupid with them to be honest," I murmur. I don't know why but the fact that he brushed the curls out annoys me for some reason.

His eyebrows shoot up and his eyes shimmer with something I can't place but then he comes back to the present.

"What are you doing here?"

I purse my lips as I try to ignore that his question is very valid. Instead of answering him, I walk over to the violins and pick one up with a bow.

I pause for a second and try to enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by the different instruments. If one catches my eye, I'll just stroll over and play it with no disturbance. I don't know, somehow this room felt different from the one at home.

That one was vast and didn't have many instruments. I understood that this was for the whole school but still. There was this feeling, this calm, peaceful-

"You really want to see me these days Star." I'm snapped out of my thoughts as he speaks and a second later his words register in my head.

I can only scoff. Although, a major part of why I'm even in the room is because I'm supposed to be "spending time with him so I can prove I can't fall in love with him" I also came for the instruments.

"I will be honest with you, these instruments are more charming than you are." I place the violin between my jaw and my shoulder and the bow on the strings.

He actually laughs at me like I didn't just insult him.

"What's so funny?" I say, slightly irritated.

"It's just the determination you put into insulting me. It's actually kinda cute."

My heart skips a beat at his words but I shake my head and raise a brow at him.

"Has anyone told you that before, Star?" He resumes playing on the piano.

"Told me what?" I say carefully.

"That you're cute," he says innocently. At least that's what he looked like with his big brown eyes and his easy smile.

There's a strange fluttering in my chest and it makes me feel uncomfortable. But I know this is just how they are so I ignore him and focus on the violin in my hands. I have a special liking for the violin because it's so small and adorable and the sound it produces is just magical.

I notice that the sound from the piano and the sound from the violin actually harmonises and it produces such a wonderful sound. I smile to myself. I don't know if he notices.

"You know, I was expecting to see you everyday after school from next week. But I mean, you're already coming to see me before then," he says with a chuckle. I try to ignore it but I can't help but notice how soft his voice is.

He speaks so calmly and evenly like he's talking to a child that he's trying to console. It actually makes my heart warm a little.

I don't reply to him but he goes on in that sickeningly sweet voice. "Aren't I such a lucky guy, Star?" I can hear the smile in his voice. And I can also feel my cheeks burning like crazy.

"Ugh," I murmur, actually to myself but he catches it and when I look up to see if he heard he looks away.

I'm not falling for no boy! I say over and over to myself before I get myself back eventually. I will admit I feel like throwing up though, because all these things I'm feeling...I've never felt before. I read about them in books and things like that but the actual feeling is...scary but it kinda feels good at the same time.

No no no! I take a deep breath and focus on the violin. Luckily I always have music to take my mind away from anything.

"It's alright," he says quietly and I almost don't catch it.

"What's that?" I ask as I lower the bow.

"You don't have to prove anything."

"I don't have to wha-" Then it suddenly hits me what he's trying to say. That I don't have to prove I'm so great at music. I wasn't even proving anything. I wasn't even playing it for him, I never play for anyone else except it's something professional or I'm with my teacher.

Yet I say haughtily, "I'm hundred percent sure I'm better than you at any aspect of music."

He scoffs and turns around to face me.
"You forget I'm the one who got you into the music club."

The clenching feeling around my heart is back but I don't give it much attention. I don't give him any thoughts. I drop the violin, feeling something really familiar, anger, I think as I walk over to another piano at the end of the room.

I sit behind it and begin to play. I'm playing something I came up with a few days ago, my face scrunched up in concentration when I notice he's walking over to me.

For some reason, I tense up and my heart is beating a little faster. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself and soon he's behind me.

"Hey, what're you playing? What's it called?"

I ignore him, shaking my head slightly because he's literally the same person who just said I wasn't that good.

"Hey, hello?" He walks over and stands at the opposite end of the piano, waving vaguely at me.

"Hey...I'm sorry." I pause and look up, a bit surprised that he could actually apologise.

The way he looks down at me makes my heart to race again and at this point I'm screaming at myself, asking what the hell is happening to me and why I'm feeling this way.

The slightly concerned look on his face changes to a confused expression.
"Star?"

I shake my head and blink.
"What?" I snap.

"What're you playing?"

I run my hands through my hair as I shake my head. "It's not...it's something I made, not really anything."

His eyes light up like a child you just told you're getting ice cream for and it's kinda adorable.

"Really? That's cool. I actually think it's a great...in fact it's-". He bites his bottom lip in thought and the excitement in his eyes makes me a bit uneasy yet curious.

"What?"

"Play it again." Then he adds. "Please."

So I do and when I'm done he looks really excited. He doesn't have that usual smirk or lazy smile. Instead there's really wide grin spread out on his face.

"It's perfect for the song I'm writing," he whispers.

Now it's my turn for my eyes to light up. And once again I'm reminded that this boy who I detest, loves music a lot. He even writes songs.

"What song?" I ask excitedly despite myself.

"It's um," he runs a hand through his straightened hair. I will admit I miss the way the curls used to bounce when he does that. "Just something random I started. Want to see it?"

I nod with a smile and he gives me one back before he walks off to his backpack that's leaning next to the piano.

He rummages through it and finally gets out a black notebook and walks back to me. He flips through the pages before finally stopping at a page and hands the book over to me.

"Be...careful. It's really important to me," he tells me before handing it over.

I smile and nod before taking it. At least someone gets it.

I see some lines of a half written song scribbled on the page. The last line I see is:

Said you were mine
From the moment I saw you

I smile and shake my head. But then a line pops into my head and I can't help but blurt it out.

"Damn you looked fine
There's no reason to argue."

I look up at him and once I lock eyes with him we burst out laughing.

He has to lean on the piano to hold himself from falling.

"Hey," he says after he gets himself. "That's actually really...I like that. I'd add that. Can I use it?" He juts out his bottom lip at me and I'll admit his puppy dog eyes made me blush a little.

"Yeah, whatever," I say and look away, focusing on the piano in front of me.

"Hey," he says. "Could you...it would be cool if you actually co-write the song with me?"

My heart swells and I whip around to face him. Maybe it's because I don't know anyone else who's as enthusiastic about music as I am. Maybe it's because he's somehow getting to me, making me like him. Maybe...I don't know but I really want to say yes so I do.

His face lights up. "Awesome!"

He walks over to drop the book back in his bag and then slings it over his shoulders.

"I guess I'll...see you next week?"

I remember the first day, when he said he'll see me around. I was disgusted. But at this moment I'm actually looking forward to next week like it's my birthday or something.

"Whatever," I say and then I do something I didn't know I'd ever do. "Hey kyle!"

He pokes his head into the room.

"You'll need my number right?"

He grins at me. "Yeah."

♬♬♬
Mercy - Shawn Mendes