Tangled Strings

Chapter 6: Almost Something

The first thing Chiquita noticed the next morning was the headache.

The dull, throbbing pain behind her temples reminded her of the previous night—the loud music, the alcohol, the lingering taste of someone else’s lips on hers.

She let out a slow exhale, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom.

What the hell am I even doing?

Last night should have been a distraction. A way to forget the way Ahyeon had cut her down so effortlessly, like she was nothing more than a nuisance. And for a while, it worked.

But now?

Now she just felt empty.

Sitting up, she ran a hand through her messy hair, letting her eyes drift toward her phone on the nightstand. No messages from Ahyeon—not that she expected any.

But there was one unread text from Rora.

Rora: You good?

Simple. Straight to the point. But Chiquita knew that was Rora’s way of saying, I know something’s wrong, but I won’t push unless you need me to.

She sighed, typing out a quick reply.

Chiquita: Yeah. Just tired.

It was a lie. But it was easier than explaining everything.

Throwing on a hoodie, she grabbed her guitar case and headed out.

---

Baemon’s practice room was already buzzing with energy when she arrived. Asa was tapping out a rhythm on the edge of the drum kit, Ruka was tuning her bass, and Rora was adjusting the mic stand.

As soon as Chiquita stepped inside, all three of them looked up.

And she knew.

They knew.

“You look like shit,” Asa said bluntly, tilting her head.

“Wow, good morning to you too, sunshine.”

Ruka crossed her arms. “So, are we gonna pretend you weren’t making out with some random girl at that party last night?”

Chiquita froze for half a second before forcing out a laugh. “Damn. Can’t even have a little fun without you guys keeping tabs on me?”

Rora didn’t say anything. She just stared at her, unreadable as always.

Chiquita groaned, slumping onto the couch. “Okay, fine. Yes, I kissed someone. No, it wasn’t a big deal. Can we move on?”

Ruka scoffed. “Right. Because that’s so your style.”

Asa raised an eyebrow. “You looked pretty into it.”

Chiquita rolled her eyes. “You guys are acting like I committed a crime.”

“We’re acting like you’re self-destructing,” Ruka shot back.

That made Chiquita pause.

For a moment, no one said anything. The tension in the room was thick, pressing down on all of them.

And then, Rora finally spoke.

“If you’re gonna pretend it didn’t mean anything,” she said quietly, “at least be honest with yourself about why you did it.”

Chiquita exhaled sharply, rubbing her face with her hands. “Can we just play?” she muttered. “I need something else to think about.”

The others exchanged glances but didn’t push further.