Chapter 1:
New Strings, New Beats
Sophie Morgan dragged her suitcase up the icy steps of Crestwood High, the wind tugging at her scarf and blowing strands of her auburn hair across her face. Moving to a new town for her senior year was supposed to be“exciting,” her mother had said, but Sophie couldn’t help feeling nervous. New school. New friends. New everything.
The first bell echoed through the halls, and Sophie stumbled into her first class — music. Perfect, she thought. At least here, she’d be surrounded by instruments, not gossip.
As she settled into a seat near the back, she noticed a ruckus near the front. Ethan Clarke, the school’s star drummer and resident troublemaker, was balancing his sticks on his knees, tapping out a rhythm that drew a small crowd. His blonde hair fell into his eyes, and his grin was infuriatingly charming.
“New kid?” he called out, noticing her.
“Yes,” Sophie muttered, clutching her violin case a little tighter.
“Good,” Ethan said, grinning.“You can be the quiet one I’ll boss around during practice.”
Sophie rolled her eyes.“I’m not here for drama.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” he said, spinning a stick between his fingers.“You’ll get plenty of it.”
Later, when the music teacher announced the winter showcase and paired Sophie with Ethan for a duet — violin and drums — Sophie felt her stomach twist. How could two such different people possibly make music together?
But as they practiced in the empty auditorium that afternoon, Sophie realized something strange. Ethan’s beats, chaotic and energetic, pushed her to play bolder, to let her notes breathe and soar. And for the first time in weeks, Sophie felt a spark of excitement — not just for music, but for the unpredictable energy that Ethan brought into her carefully ordered world.
By the time the last notes of their practice hung in the cold air, Sophie caught herself smiling. Maybe, just maybe, this year wouldn’t be so bad after all.
And maybe, just maybe, music wasn’t the only thing that could make her heart beat faster.
Chapter 2:
Clashing Notes
The next morning, Sophie arrived early to the music room, hoping to get a quiet practice in before the chaos of the day. She unpacked her violin, carefully tuning each string, her fingers moving almost instinctively. Music was the one thing that grounded her, the one thing she felt she could control.
That control vanished the moment Ethan Clarke burst through the door, a backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder, headphones hanging around his neck.
“Morning, new kid,” he said, plopping down at the drum set.“Ready to rock this place?”
Sophie frowned.“We’re not here to‘rock the place.’We’re here to perform the showcase, which requires—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. But let’s make it fun,” Ethan interrupted, tapping a quick rhythm on the drum skins. The sound made Sophie flinch.
“I don’t improvise,” she said, her voice tight.“I follow sheet music. That’s how it’s supposed to sound.”
Ethan grinned.“Sheet music is boring. You’ve got to feel it.”
They started their first run-through, and immediately the clash of personalities became a full-blown collision. Sophie’s precise, delicate notes collided with Ethan’s bold, unpredictable beats. At one point, Sophie’s bow jerked, producing a sharp screech, and Ethan stopped mid-drumroll, raising an eyebrow.
“Okay,” he said slowly, trying not to laugh,“maybe… you’re more intense than I thought.”
“And you’re… reckless,” Sophie shot back, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
Ethan leaned back, twirling a drumstick.“Reckless can be fun.”
Sophie groaned, but deep down, she couldn’t deny the strange thrill of it all. His energy pushed her, challenged her, made her feel alive in a way that practicing alone never could.
“Look,” Sophie said after a moment, softer this time,“if we’re going to do this, we need balance. I play carefully, you follow, and maybe — just maybe — it’ll work.”
Ethan tilted his head, grinning like a mischievous cat.“Carefully? That’s no fun. But… I’ll try. For you.”
