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"Come around seven tonight. My mom's out for a few hours." JJ leans back in his chair, his arm stretched around Roxy while she leans into him, biting into an apple.

Matt drums against the table with his fingers. "I thought we couldn't use the basement anymore?"

"I covered the walls with soundproof, it's all good now." JJ uses the basement in his house so we can perform our new material. His mom complains about the noise so we try to go over when she's working late shifts in the hospital. A few weeks back, we had a noise complaint from one of his neighbours, JJ's mom made it clear that we couldn't practice again unless we soundproof the walls.

My group of friends and I meet up after school to practice and then perform on the weekend at a local bar. JJ's cousin is the owner. Our band was formed just the three of us a little over a year ago. JJ, Matt and myself.

After a couple of months of playing and growing a small fan base, JJ got into a serious relationship with Roxy -- one of our groupies -- it made me sick how in love they were. He told us how well she could sing and thought it would be a good idea to have a backing singer in the group, so we gave her a trial run.

Later, Roxy sneaked her best friend Harley into our band and for some crazy reason, we decided to have the girls sing together while I played the guitar and sang lead. JJ plays base and Matt is talented with the drums.

I've always admired performing. It's my escape from reality. I did it for fun one day -- not expecting much more. So when we came up with the idea of the band, we didn't think it would gain any attention.

People started to notice the troubled punks. Our music gained followers and suddenly we became popular around school.

We've got a slot this weekend at a local bar and lately, we've been receiving a lot more fans and groupies.

Matt loves the attention we acquire from girls. I won't lie, I'm just as bad as he is. I guess you could say we attract a considerable amount of female attention. Being in a band has its benefits I suppose.

"I'm free tonight. Are you coming over Reese?" I scowl. Harley's sickly sweet, high-pitched voice rings in my ears.

We've been on and off for almost a year. It's obvious she wants something more from me, yet, I've made it clear I don't do relationships. She tells me she's cool with it, but still, she manages to cockblock me when other girls are near.

"I'm down."

I lean back in my seat thinking of the conversation I had with my dad last night. He quite bluntly told me how I need to concentrate on my studies rather than spend my time with friends, playing music. He doesn't understand how much this band means to me and it's not like I'm failing my classes -- I'm a straight A student.

I'll never be a picture-perfect son in his eyes and nothing he says will stop me from doing what I'm passionate about.

"Guys look, it's the new chick. The one I was telling you about. Mason Love's kid."

We all snap our heads towards the small and slightly curvy blonde. Damn. Her body is hot. She makes her way through the cafeteria, with her head down. Her long hair falls like a curtain over her shoulders and back, stretching down to her waist.

I've heard about this chick, she looks the type of arrogant and spoiled rich bitch I thought she would be -- being the daughter of a rock and roll legend.

Mason Love. He was a superstar back in his day, I still listen to his older, iconic music which inspired me to perform. When Mason started hooking up with Mariah -- they were a power couple.

Her mom Mariah, was a great singer in his rock band, and their band went on to sell out tons of shows and albums for years. Unfortunately, fame got the better of Mason when he died of a cocktail of drugs and alcohol in his system. As far as I know, he only had one daughter -- Marnie.

My eyes sweep over the pretty-looking girl spying for an empty seat in the cafeteria. She's pretty, she's got an extremely beautiful face, hot body, definitely my type of girl. Too bad I don't go after the rich, stuck-up princess.

I also had a boy crush on her mom when she was younger and I will admit Marnie has her rocking body, with her full breasts and peachy ass. She's thin but curvy in all the right places. Her hair is platinum blonde and her heart-shaped face looks the spitting image of Mariah. Apart from the vivid blue eyes, she inherited from her father.

Yeah, she is a stunning girl but that is undoubtedly ruined by her personality. I've heard a lot of bad gossip from the media. Everyone says she's arrogant, selfish and spoilt. She has no time for the public or making friends. She hides away in her big house enjoying all the luxuries she receives for free.

"I don't think she's that pretty, her mom was way prettier in the nineties. Have you seen what she looks like now? She's definitely let herself go." Harley says next to me, looping her arm around mine, thinking she has some sort of claim on me.

"She's fucking hot! There's no denying it." Matt's sapphire eyes sweep over Marnie's body, deep in thought. "But she's also known for being a bitch." Matt shrugs, filling his mouth with a chicken sandwich.

Roxy punches his arm. "Matt that's not nice and it's just gossip. She might be a sweet girl." Roxy pouts, her eyes fixed on Marnie with pity.

Roxy always sees the good in people while everyone else in the group has their own opinions of them.

Matt snickers. "She's rich, pretty and famous with celebrity parents Rox. If she thinks she can walk in here and take over the school, she's gonna have a huge shock."

My eyes widen with curiosity. "Why's that?"

JJ cuts in first. "Apparently, the jocks and cheerleaders are planning something to show her who runs this place." he shrugs like it isn't a big deal.

What?

They don't even know this girl. What exactly do they mean by 'showing' her?

I look back over my shoulder at the bottle blonde sitting alone in the corner of the room as she masks the sadness in her expression, but I see it.

I feel a flicker of emotion build up inside me. What the hell was that? I hardly feel anything for anyone, especially towards a stranger.

"Are you free later after our practice session?" Harley's seductive voice pulls me back from the trance I was in and I sigh. This girl just doesn't give up.

"My dad wants me home by ten." It's true, he goes mad if I'm not home early on a school night. I don't want another argument after last night.

"So you have an hour to kill." Harley's crimson lips smirk at me.

Matt starts chuckling and I feel the urge to throw that sandwich out of his hands. Fucker.

A loud noise makes all of us whip our heads in the direction of the new girl at the other end of the room.

Laughter erupts around us.

The new girl is covered with what looks like chocolate pudding. It's hard to see her face underneath the gooey substance, her expression looks shocked and startled as the brown desert covers her hair, face and denim jacket.

My jaw clenches as I watch the school's asshole Jaxon Harrison standing next to her table with an empty plastic pot in his hand and a wicked smirk on his cocky ass face. The guy is a fucking bully who gets a thrill out of making people's lives at this school a living hell. I guess he's found his new victim.

Marnie jumps out of her seat, furious. She glares at Jaxon, saying something I can't quite hear from here and then she turns on her heels and stomps out of the room. A part of me is impressed she stuck up for herself, and another part of me is dreading what the next year has in store for her. No matter if the girl is a bitch or not, she doesn't deserve this sort of treatment.

"Let the games begin." Harley snickers, making my jaw tick.

"Shut up." I shrug my arm out of her grasp, she doesn't like that.

"Baby, is everything okay?"

Harley drags her long blood-red nails on my forearm and I turn to her, emotionless. "Leave me alone Harley. I told you to stop fucking touching me."

Her face turns from hurt to annoyed in a second. "Well, you like me touching you when we're alone together." Matt snickers.

I exhale, looking away from her. "Not anymore."

The rest of lunch goes by quickly while I constantly glance back in the direction of where the new girl disappeared from.

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