2 STRINGS

Uncharted Notes

Jessica's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "She's—"

"Nope," Melody interrupted, cutting her off. "We're done here. Go obsess over Mason somewhere else."

Jessica's glare shifted from Melody to me, and for a moment, it looked like she was about to start something again. But she just huffed, flipped her hair, and stormed off, muttering under her breath.

Melody turned to me, shaking her head. "What the hell was that about?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Same shit, different day. She's got it in her head that I'm after Mason."

Melody snorted. "She's insecure as hell. You'd think she'd be busy trying to keep him happy instead of harassing you."

"Tell me about it," I muttered.

We walked off together, and even though the confrontation was over, I couldn't shake the frustration. Jessica was relentless, and Mason wasn't making things any easier. I didn't know how much more of this I could take.

---

The idea of singing at the talent show nagged at me all day, no matter how much I tried to push it out of my head. Singing wasn't something I took seriously; it was just something I did when no one was looking—or when I thought no one cared. Locker rooms, showers, even while helping Mom with dinner... sure. But on a stage in front of everyone? That was different.

Still, my teammate's words from earlier stuck with me. "If anyone deserves to be up there, it's you. You could save our ears from all the disappointments out there."She wasn't the only one who'd said something like that before.

Melody had been riding me about it for years. "You've got a voice, Jamie," she'd always say. "Why are you hiding it like it's some dirty little secret?"

I barely made it through lunch before Melody found me, practically skipping toward me with a mischievous grin. "You're gonna hate me, but you're also gonna thank me later," she said, sliding into the seat next to me.

"What now?" I asked, side-eyeing her, already suspicious.

"So... I signed up for the talent show."

I raised an eyebrow. "You? Miss 'talent shows are a waste of time'? Who are you, and what have you done with Melody?"

"First of all, rude. Second, my friends and I are doing this killer band performance," she said, practically bouncing in her seat. "It's gonna be fire. We've got drums, guitar, bass, and vocals."

"Wait, you're singing?" I asked, smirking.

"Uh, no. That's where you come in," she said, looking way too pleased with herself.

I froze. "Mel, no."

"Jamie, yes," she shot back, leaning closer. "I signed you up."

"You what ?" My voice came out louder than I intended, drawing a few stares from nearby tables.

"Relax, it's not a big deal," she said, brushing me off like it was nothing. "You've got the best voice in this whole damn school, and you're wasting it hiding in locker rooms and shower stalls. So I signed you up. You're welcome."

I shook my head. "Mel, I can't do that. I'm not ready to sing in front of a crowd."

"Of course, you are! You just don't know it yet," she said, grabbing an apple off my tray like she owned it. "And besides, you'll be with us. It's not like you'll be up there all alone."

"You didn't even ask me first!"

"Yeah, because I knew you'd say no," she said, deadpan. "Look, Jamie, this is a chance to show everyone what you've got. And honestly, we need you. You're the missing piece. Without you, it's just a group of wannabes playing instruments."

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "You are so pushy, you know that?"

"It's part of my charm," she said, smirking. "Just think about it, okay? The talent show's in a few weeks. Plenty of time to practice. And trust me, when you hear how good we sound together, you're gonna be glad I did this."

The rest of the day, her words haunted me. Singing had always been something private, something I did when no one was paying attention. But now... now the idea of doing it on stage was starting to feel less like a nightmare and more like a challenge.

When I got home, I slipped into something comfortable—a loose sweater and leggings—and pulled out my guitar. The pick Mason had given me earlier caught my eye, still sitting on my desk. I picked it up, running my fingers over the smooth wood, then strummed a chord.

The sound filled the room, warm and familiar, and before I knew it, I was singing. It wasn't anything special, just a song Mom used to hum around the house, but it felt good. For a moment, all the chaos—the drama with Mason, Jessica, soccer tryouts, everything—faded away. It was just me, the guitar, and the music.

As I sang, I thought about how Xolo from Lunar Drift had once shared his journey of overcoming fear of stage performances. It had taken him years to get comfortable performing in front of an audience, but he'd found his voice, and now he was rocking stadiums. I couldn't help but imagine how his fans might feel when they hear him sing live. It made me wonder if, just maybe, I could do the same.

Maybe Melody was right. Maybe singing wasn't such a crazy idea after all