"Hold the door, please!" I hollered to Matthew as I scrambled towards the band room with my flute case in one hand and my jug in the other.

       Matthew flashed me a devious grin before closing the door behind him. You've got to be kidding me. I increased my pace, despite my drawstring bag and backpack both slipping off my shoulders.

Luckily, Mi Yun emerged and held the door open for me. Thank God. I sent my friend a grateful look while her gazed locked on the stocky boy with a blushing problem.

"You think you're cute, don't you?" Mi Yun narrowed her eyes at him, and he stuck his tongue out at us. I entered the band room.

"Grow up!" I shrieked while placing my things down. I pulled down my pencil skirt and tugged on my shirt before fluffing up my hair.

Band boys were so immature. I couldn't even.

"Forgetting someone?" Mi Yun approached me, and I opened my arms.

"Mimi!" I met her halfway, and we engulfed each other in a hug. Mi Yun's trademark bangles jiggled next to my ear while her rings pressed into my back. "It's so great to see you."

We pulled away and examined each other. She looked cuter than I remembered. Mi Yun redid her brown highlights, and the smoky eye makeup definitely complimented her fair skin.

"Estella. Mimi," someone else called out to us, and we both peered back to catch a glimpse of the person.

The familiar black cardigan with the matching headdress gave her away, and I knew it was my girl. "Sadaf!" Mi Yun and I greeted as she made her way over.

The three of us pulled one another into a group hug, and I squeezed my girls close because we hardly ever saw each other over the summers. Mi Yun was always in Korea, and Sadaf was always in Iran.

Me? Plain old U.S. As if I hadn't lived here my whole life.

When we parted, we entered the storage room in search of our little corner, which was a small space near the flute shelves.

"How was Iran, Sadaf?" I asked once we placed our things down. We stood in a circle, and we were ready for the details on one another's summers.

Sadaf took a second to think, and Mi Yun winced. "That bad?"

"No," she said with a finger on her chin. "It was like all the other summers. Visiting family in Tehran. Going to mosque. I also went to the Isfahan Music Museum a couple times, but I mostly stayed indoors. I enjoyed the street food though."

"I've always wanted to try street food," I said.

Creek Rowe didn't have street food. The closest experience I could even compare to eating "street food" was trying out the different samples at Sam's Club or Farmers Market. That was it, and that wasn't even the "street."

"Whenever you travel, you should," Sadaf prompted while adjusting her hijab.

"What about you, Mimi?" I shifted the focus on her. "How was Korea?"

Derek chose that exact moment to start playing his trumpet. I wanted to groan. We were in the storage room, but his whiny sound still penetrated through.

Was it a crime to have a conversation without someone playing their instrument as background music?

He always played. In class. Before class. After class. I wouldn't have been surprised if he played in his sleep. Like damn.

Did his lips ever get tired?

Mi Yun ignored Derek's disruption. "It was nice. Jin Wook and I visited our parents, and we mostly ate and went sight-seeing in Seoul."

I'd only met Mi Yun's parents three times, and that was because they were visiting America. Mi Yun lived with her twenty-eight-year-old brother Jin Wook, and even though he didn't talk much, he let us be whenever Sadaf and I visited.

I crossed my arms. "You guys make me feel bad." I turned around to exit the storage room, and Mi Yun and Sadaf were right behind me. "While you ventured off to Iran and Korea, I was stuck here." I turned around to face them.

"Wait a minute." Mi Yun slit her eyes at me. "I saw your Instagram photos, and your story on Snapchat. Didn't you go to Vegas with your dad?"

Oh, that.

"What?" Sadaf crossed her arms with her mouth opened in disbelief. "You went to Vegas?"

Daddy and I spent two weeks in Las Vegas. He didn't want to have the cliché Vegas visit that consisted of debauchery and gambling, so we chose to sight-see instead. We did the Big Bus Tour. We went to Madame Tussauds. We even had a package deal that took us to the Grand Canyon, along with many more activities. It was fun, but it wasn't Korea or Iran.

"A lot of people in Creek Rowe go to Vegas," I said. "How many people go to Korea or Iran?"

"I've never been to Vegas," Mi Yun pointed out, and she turned to Sadaf. "Have you been to Vegas?"

Sadaf shook her head. "Uh-uh."

I rolled my eyes and walked past them, leading the way to the set of chairs laid out in the middle of the band room.

"Good morning, girls," our band director, Mr. Dwyer, greeted us as we passed him.

"Good morning, Mr. Dywer," we greeted back in sync.

As soon as we were a good distance away, I whispered to my girls, "Did he gain weight?"

"He's married now," Sadaf said. "He's being fed well, and he doesn't have to impress anyone anymore."            

"That's no excuse to look like slop." Mi Yun sent our friend a funny look. "I'll still look hot as hell even when I'm hitting fifty."

"You say that now," Sadaf held her ground.

"Speak for yourself." Mi Yun scoffed, and I nodded in agreement.

I was going to always look cute. There was no excuse for letting yourself go just because you got hitched. It was almost like giving off the vibe that you only dressed up or kept yourself in shape for other people, instead of for yourself.

There was only one person this girl looked cute for, and that was herself.

We arranged the chairs in a circle and sat down, grinning at each other. "So, Mimi," I started off, "what's the news?"

The three of us had a GroupMe, and Mi Yun messaged us that morning that she had exciting news. Her message was in all caps, so it had to be good.

"Okay." My friend's grin brightened, but she paused. "Well, it's good news for me and Estella." She peeked over at Sadaf.

"I don't care. I wanna know," Sadaf said, and we huddled together.

"So," Mi Yun started, "you guys know my social media stalking skills are on point, and you all know who I stalk the most."

Sadaf and I groaned, "Sabrina Fraser."

Mi Yun had the biggest crush on Sabrina ever since freshman year, and she wasn't alone. Sabrina was hot cake at Villa Ridge High, and I didn't get it. She looked rather plain if you asked me. Her outfits were never that stylish. Her hair was flat, and she had little to no curves.

What was the appeal?

Why was Brice even with a girl like that?

"It's a good thing I didn't slack off this summer," Mi Yun continued, "because I found out some note-worthy news."

"What is it?" Sadaf asked with her eyes round.

"Brice and Sabrina broke up," Mi Yun informed us.

I inhaled slowly. Oh my God.

I jumped out of my chair and squealed at the news. I caught a couple people's attention, but I couldn't care less.

I'd been waiting to hear those words ever since Brice and Sabrina got together the end of their sophomore year.

"Estella, calm down." Sadaf yanked me back down into my seat, and I tried composing myself.

"I was doing my happy dance for ten minutes straight when I first found out," Mi Yun said.

I wanted to do my happy dance then.

Sadaf snickered. "I can't believe you guys are this happy over a breakup. A relationship ended."

        "So?!" Mi Yun and I said simultaneously.

        "That's exactly why we're happy," Mi Yun made sure to add.

        "You guys are foul." There was laugher in Sadaf's voice.

We brushed her off. "This is our opportunity, Es," Mi Yun said, focusing on me. "Sabrina is available for me, and Brice is available for you. It couldn't be more perfect."

I squealed again, beating my feet against the ground. This was fantastic. While Mi Yun had her eyes on Sabrina, Brice Abrams was the only one on my mind.

He was a fine specimen of a man with a killer smile, amazing swag and hot-ass dance moves that could get any girl hot and bothered. Everyone loved Brice because not only was he fine as hell, but he was a talented dancer in the hip-hop company. He was everything a girl could ask for and more, and he and Sabrina finally broke up.

I giggled in glee. "This is the best day ever."

"Because of a boy?" Sadaf watched me in disbelief.

"He's not just a boy," I said. "He's Brice Abrams."

Sadaf shook her head and turned to Mi Yun. "And you?" Mi Yun pointed at herself. "What makes you think Sabrina is into girls, anyway?"

"Only one way to find out." Mi Yun and I gave each other five.

Sadaf raised her hands in defeat. "Do what makes you happy."

Mi Yun and I were too far gone to pay her any attention. Sadaf listened to her J-Rock playlist while Mi Yun and I plotted. We did this until wind ensemble started.

I was on cloud nine the first half of the day at the fact that Brice was single. Ever since my freshman year, he was always unattainable. He was always dating someone, and we never had lunch or classes together.

This year, the odds were in my favor because as soon as I stepped foot into my AP psychology class, my eyes gravitated to a familiar light-skinned boy with nicely groomed hair.

Brice Abrams.

My breath hitched.

Unfortunately, all the seats around him were taken. I couldn't even be mad because just having him in my class was a pleasant surprise. Brice was a junior, and I was a sophomore, so we'd never had any classes together before.

I sat a couple seats behind him, and I tried being discreet about my staring. He sat comfortably in his chair with a sexy smile on his lips and one arm on his desk and his legs parted as he nonchalantly chatted with the people around him. His jawline was strong and defined. His lips so pink and soft in appearance, and those dimples.

He was so cute.

I didn't even focus much on what the teacher said because my mind was centered around Brice.

You better not let your grades slip, Estella.

I continued to stare anyway.

Once class ended, Brice was out the door before I could even grab my stuff. It was fine. I had plenty of time to talk to him later.

I was not letting Brice Abrams slip out of my grasp this year.

After psychology, I had French I, so I fast-walked to the class. It was a stretch, but maybe Brice and I had that class, too?

I smiled at the thought as I entered the classroom. It was colorful and well decorated with various French phrases plastered around and photos of different locations in France littered on the wall. There were slips of paper with names written on them taped onto each desk, so I searched for mine.

Estella. Estella. Estella.

I caught a glimpse of the line of desks in front of the window. Aha!

Estella Gillon.

With a proud smile, I took my seat and set my backpack down, waiting patiently as the other students piled in. Just out of curiosity, I snuck a peek at the desk beside me.

Iago Velasco.

The Velasco sounded familiar, but the Iago? Not so much.

I let it go and took in the brightly-lit classroom until a backpack with a silver dragon design and band logos stitched onto it slammed onto the desk beside me. I jerked in surprise and looked up at the owner of the backpack.

A tall boy with tanned skin and a firm expression stood before me, and his brown eyes flickered to me due to my staring. I gulped when I realized who he was. 

Jax.

That was why the Velasco sounded familiar.

Jax Velasco was my desk mate. The same Jax who happened to be one of Brice's closest friends. Even though Brice had many friends, there were three guys he mostly hung out with, and Jax was one of them. Whenever I saw Brice around school, he was usually with one of them.

It must have been nice—getting to spend so much time with Brice.

Something stood out to me though.

Jax's name was Iago?

Huh.

He took his seat and leaned back in his chair, having one of those douchebag postures. The one where they took up more than half of the space with their legs parted and their arms on the desk and a bored expression. As if his time was more important than everyone else's. He took out his wireless Beats headphones and toned out the world with his obnoxiously-loud music.

I tried to ignore the prominent noise that emitted from his headphones—I really did—but I couldn't. Once I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore, I tapped on his shoulder, and he glanced my way with that same bored expression.

"That's really bad for you, you know." I pointed to his headphones. "Listening to music that loud will damage your hearing in the future."

He removed his headphones with a brow perked. "See these?" Jax grabbed onto his ears. "Are these your ears"—he peeked down at my desk—"Estella?" I shook my head, and his hands rested on the desk again. "Okay then, so don't worry about it."

"Well, sorry." I narrowed my eyes at the obnoxious boy in front of me. "I was only looking out for you."

"Why don't you look out for someone who actually cares about your opinion?" He placed his headphones back into place and toned me out this time, making the music even louder.

The audacity of this boy.

Who did he think he was?

My heart was in the right place, so his sass wasn't necessary.

"Fine," I said, and he moved the headphones from his ears to around his neck. "Blow out your eardrums for all I care."

"Is this how you make friends?" He focused in on me. "Nagging people on things that don't concern you?"

I gasped. "Listen here, Iago"—I pointed a finger at him—"I don't nag." He sent me a sideways glance. "I just—" Why was I defending myself to him? "Forget it."

"Why are you on my case, anyway?" he continued, eyeing me. "Aren't you in band?" I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. "You're talking about me having hearing damage when you're the one who constantly has instruments blasting in your ears. If there's anyone who should be concerned about hearing damage, it should be you."

I clamped my mouth shut, thinking about it. Well...

"Okay, okay." I turned in my seat to face him, ready to defend myself. "If I do have hearing damage in the future, that's out of my control. I have no power over how loud other people's instruments are." He smirked and crossed his arms, that spark in his eyes infuriating me. He thought he had won the argument. I don't think so. "On the other hand," I kept going, "if you get hearing damage, that's on you because you're choosing to blast your ears off. It's not the same thing."

"If you say so." He didn't look convinced.

"Hello, everyone," a female's voice cut in before I could respond, catching all of our attention. At the front of the classroom stood a brunette with frizzy hair and thick glasses. "My name is Madame LeBlanc, and I'll be your instructor this year. This is French I, so if that's a surprise to you, you're in the wrong class. Is anyone in that boat?" Her gaze moved around the room and when no one spoke up, she clasped her hands together with a grin. "Perfect. Let's get started then."

Madame LeBlanc proceeded by telling us a little about herself. She was married with three kids, and she was a French native who moved to the U.S. when she was thirteen. I tried to listen as best as I could, but one question burned in my mind from my and Jax's conversation. 

When I couldn't keep it in anymore, I leaned towards him. "How do you know I'm in band?" He glanced my way, and I watched him closely. "You and I have never spoken until now."

"I saw you around last year," he replied, calm as ever. "Whenever I stayed after school with the boys, you were always running around with the band kids. Marching band, right?"

"Yeah."

His friends meant Brice and the other boys. While I had marching band practice, Brice had hip-hop company practice. I saw Jax around, too. He was always either with Brice and the others or wondering by himself.

"You don't look like a band kid though." He gave me a once-over.

"What do you expect band kids to look like?" He fought back a smile. "Don't answer that."

"I didn't say anything." He raised his hands in innocence.

"You two." Our heads snapped to the front of the classroom. Madame LeBlanc was staring directly at us with her lips in a thin line. "What are your names?"

He bobbed his head at the teacher. "Jax."

I placed my hands into my lap. "Je m'appelle Estella, Madame LeBlanc."

"Showoff," Jax huffed, and I glared at him.

Madame LeBlanc smiled, her cheeks lifting her glasses slightly. "Jax and Estella." I nodded while Jax watched her with that bored expression. "I'm glad you're both getting to know each other. I really am. But while I'm speaking isn't the right time to socialize. Be quiet please."

I sunk a little into my seat. "Yes, ma'am."

Jax only nodded, and Madame LeBlanc proceeded with her introduction.

"First day of class, and we're already in the dog house," he said with his eyes forward.

Mine were, too. "I'm gonna stop talking to you now."

"Fine by me."

He reached into his book bag and took out a set of different Beats headphones—smaller ones that had a chord. He placed one bud in his ear and that familiar sound emitted from them. I sighed, and he snuck a peek at me. I stared right back, and his expression went blank.

"Fine." He rolled his eyes and reduced the volume until I couldn't hear a thing. His brown eyes met mine. "Just for you, Estella."

I didn't miss the hint of sarcasm in his tone, but I chose to ignore it.

"Better." I grinned, and his lips twitched at the sides.

I refocused on Madame LeBlanc while Jax watched me a little longer before zeroing his attention forward as well.

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* I'm once again posting this story on this account. The goal is to actually finish it on here. Hope you enjoyed it!