Strings Attached

Chapter Five

Does it count as breaking and entering if nothing is actually broken? Plus, the door was already unlocked, so I'm sure I'll be okay. I enter the school's music room completely drenched from the downpour I walked here in, holding a portable coffee cup in one hand and a guitar case in the other. At first, I was hesitant to remove Caroline from the basement, but after my two weeks of failed practice attempts, I knew I would need help.

When I woke up to hear the sound of rain pounding on the roof, I knew today was the day to actually do it. My brothers have been entertaining my delusional fantasy that we never need to use a car again, but I could tell towards the end of last week that they were preparing to mutiny, whether they were aware of it themselves or not. Even though I know that I have no right to control their lives, my whole body was shaking by the time I stuck a note on the fridge that said that I was going into school early and they could choose to get a ride or walk. I'm struggling to not think about them getting into cars because I know that it'll only drive me insane. Despite the pouring rain, I still walked to school since it is only roughly five minutes away from my house; I simply pulled up the hood of my jacket and blasted some music through my earbuds, soldiering through the rain with hunched shoulders and a quick step.

The lights are on in the teacher's office, but I don't see anyone. I walk farther into the room, not needing to look behind me to know that I'm leaving a trail of soaked carpet in my wake. Lacking its usually vivacious soundtrack of instruments being practiced, the room feels eerily quiet and empty.

"Uncle Daniel?" I call out cautiously. "Uncle Daniel, it's me Cody. Are you here?" My voice grows more confident the second time around as I begin search the space.

No one answers, and the office is empty. I decide to just camp out here until he comes back. Stripping off my water logged hoodie, I throw it on the back of an empty chair facing the desk and drop my messenger bag on the seat. My Nirvana t-shirt is also soaked and clinging uncomfortably to my torso, but it is a major improvement to a few moments earlier. I brush strands of hair plastered to my face by rain behind me ears after I pull my hair out of its ponytail so it can try faster. Placing my coffee on the desk, I pull Caroline out of her case and play around with my best approximations of different chords as I wait for Uncle Daniel.

He isn't really my uncle because we're not related by blood; he's an old friend and former band mate of my father, which led him to be appointed as my godfather. I know it's weird that I call my aunt simply Lucy and award my godfather the honorary title of uncle, but that's how it's always been. Lucy has always insisted that we call her by her first name because calling her Aunt Lucy made her feel too old and too weird. Uncle Daniel and Dad were practically brothers and always stepped up to the role of being my godfather, making calling him uncle only seem natural.

"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic."

I look up to see Leo leaning against the door frame. He's wearing a leather jacket, which further cements him as the rocker type—not that he needs to know that—and dark skinny jeans. Somehow, his clothes don't look soaked or even that damp from the rain, and I am jealous of his magic ability to repel water.

"What?"

He straightens and walks into the office. "The song you were humming. It's by The Police, right?" Leo phrases it as a question but I can see it in his eyes that he knows the answer.

"Yes." I hadn't realized I was humming at all, but it wouldn't surprise me if that was the song I chose. Since the accident, I've been listening to my dad's music on a continuous loop, which is full of classics and newer songs alike. "What do you want?" I ask.