In All Ways

Chapter One: Karen

You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take. Unless you're me. I miss one hundred percent of the shots I do take, too.

That's how I felt when Luke Howards looked right over my head and walked in the opposite direction. I thought for sure that donuts would grab his attention even if I didn't.

But alas, I wasn't tall enough to reach his shoulder. He probably didn't see me, I told myself as he purposely sidestepped me. I would have given Addie's donut to him if that meant we could have had a few moments together, but clearly Adelaide's pure love of donuts changed fate so that she could get hers. She didn't even know that I had any, much less one for her.

As I turned to go to Addie's locker, I ran into a solid wall that turned out to be Luke Howards. I blushed bright red.

"Oh, sorry," he said in that cool, deep voice of his.

"Uh, it's... fi—okay. It's okay," I said, trying to act as cool as possible.

He flashed me a smile and continued down the hallway. I had to take a moment to find my bearings because my head had turned into a bowl of scrambled eggs.

I pulled myself together and headed towards the hallway where Adelaide's locker was located. Someone lightly clipped my shoulder, and I turned to see Staccato Miller, my best friend's twin brother, looking at me, a sly smile on his face.

"Get ready for fourth period," he said.

"I was born ready, Cato," I replied.

He wiggled his eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes.

We were competing for the title of Streisand Academy of Higher Virtuosity's greatest violin player, also known as first chair, and that was no small task considering the talent Cato had.

I continued to Addie's locker, and silently wished that Cato would not be at his. I needed to discuss my chances with her and knew he would make fun of me for it. I made a stop by my locker and threw all the stuff I wouldn't need for music theory. I closed my locker and took the donuts to Adelaide, hoping that I wouldn't bump into anyone else.