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Prologue

❀ "Humans, they're no different from flowers.
Water them too little with love
and they wither...
shower them with love
and they rot,
from root to exterior." ❀

Just where is that golden middle? I intend to find out, within this band room of turmoil and echoes of the past, blasting through my ears like headphones playing rock music in full volume.

My name is Cadi Cecile, as an aspiring rock guitarist, I was forced into the classical band of loathsome rich kids.

"This is a message from the principal, Mrs. Knight. She would like to see Cadi Cecile at her office as soon as possible. Please report to her office as soon as you can. Thank you for your cooperation, and remember to keep up the good work in class."

Sighing, I looked up from the uninspiring and pointless book that I had been buried in. Gazing out to my surroundings, I felt the confused stares of my classmates upon me. I didn't care. I didn't care in the slightest. My time was precious and my attention was worth more than wasting it on such meaningless nonsense.

The teacher sent me a glance too, indicating I should move forth immediately. The book I previously held flopped onto the desk with a loud and aggressive thud sound.

"That consistent scowl is going to cost you your youthful face. You really don't want to end up like me." Mrs. Knight pointed at her wrinkly forehead, probably from the stress of having studied maths. Just another one of my valid points: she's insane.

I sat in front of her, on a red leather chair.
My eyebrows furrowed even lower. "Look auntie, I appreciate that you're trying to get me out of these classes but it's been happening way too often... what's the deal? Loneliness?"

Mrs Knight chuckled lightly, revealing her pearly white teeth. "No, no. This time, it's important." She folded her arms neatly and showed off that perfect smile again. This woman is seriously getting on my nerves. I'd much rather be in class... and that's not an easy desire to get out of me.

She cleared her throat and announced, "I have found you a band." My eyes sparkled with excitement as I heard those magical words. "You mean a real, live, actual band?!" I jumped to my feet, slamming my hands down on the table.

Mrs. Knight's smile didn't falter. „It's a school band."  Seems I've forgotten this is my aunt. There's always a catch to her offers. "The genre is classical. Sadly, we can not have a rock band at this school. It's not comparable in education to a classical band... and you know the rules: education." My scowl returned.

„You're already part of it, I signed you in. The rehearsal is at three p.m. in room 023, so... just have fun." She batted her eyelashes at me, innocently so.

Suppressing the urge to launch at her like a missile is something you could consider torture but I know her, and she knows me.
Auntie is an expert at pushing my buttons, having known me since childhood. My parents, while loving me, are criminals.

In contrast, Auntie is the opposite of my mother. She is a successful principal of a prestigious school for wealthy children, having studied mathematics. My mother, on the other hand, didn't even finish her apprenticeship.

Though one thing's for sure: Auntie is a businesswoman, not even excluding her own family from deals and transactions, and it seems that I have fallen right into her clutches.

My presence at this school is only tolerated due to the connections I have... with Auntie. I'm not sure what my mother and Auntie have agreed on for enrolling me, but there's lots of missions awaiting me. Partaking in the band's activities must be one of them.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot," I said with a roll of my eyes. Auntie appeared a bit surprised when I didn't immediately lash out, which was my usual reaction. Deep down, I held some hope for this band, which is why I was entertaining the idea of genuinely joining, rather than simply skipping out.

Auntie's grin had risen. "I thought I'd need to bargain with you a teensy tiny bit more." She laughed as I made my way towards the exit of the principal's office already. Flower patterns everywhere. Pink everywhere. I wanted to puke to lessen the amount of these dreadful design choices.

My head turned to Auntie when I clicked the golden door handle. "Bye." My hand forced itself up, shaking from left to right. She waved back with an entirely different demeanour. "Return to class, Cadi. If you skip again you know who you'll be dealing with."