"You need to go up higher on the harmony, V. It sounds off key, are you sure you're focused?"

I was focused, alright. On a pair of devilishly handsome green eyes and silky smooth skin that would feel just like butter if only I reached out and touched it, or maybe even licked it-

"V?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah I'm focused. Sorry. Maybe I can just go back to doing the melody? We all know that I'm terrible at finding the harmony anyway," I pleaded with my best friend, Hazel.

It was thirty minutes into our second theater practice of the week, and while most of the theater department had gone back to their dorms for the night, I had decided to stick around until the very last minute to squeeze in some extra practice.

"But your part is supposed to- okay," big sigh, "how about this, we can ask Mrs. Fleming if we can swap characters. Does that sound better? That way, you can have that huge solo in the middle and you can stick with the melody."

"Are you sure, Haze? You were kind of looking forward to that solo," I asked her, knowing that our production of Les Miserables would be the most talked about play of the year, considering it was our penultimate showing.

We would have talent managers and scouts in the audience, searching for the next Idina Menzel or Kristin Chenoweth.

"I am sure. You have no idea how stressed out I've been this entire time, and we all know that the only reason you're not playing a bigger part like Fantine or Eponine is because you let me take the spotlight this time anyway, but I feel like 'I Dreamed a Dream' is too low for your register, 'On My Own' really shows off your crazy belt."

My cheeks heated with her praise.

"Yeah but you kill it on that song, what if-"

"Hey! Do I get a say? I say Hazel's idea is bomb and you should just do what she says."

I rolled my eyes playfully at Bea, her sharp eyes carefully watching the scene unfolding in front of her.

"Yeah, two against one. Okay it's decided. Let's take it from the bridge of 'One Day More'."

I rolled my eyes, Hazel's red hair pushed behind her ears as she began singing, and I soon followed her lead while she took over the character's parts who weren't there, and then it was my turn to croon the lyrics about a man never seeing her there in the first place.

Huh. How fitting for my current situation.

"Okay guys, now kick up the volume at the end since there's no chorus here," Bea said from her spot at the piano, joining in with the big crescendo at the end.

I decided to use my upper register and ascend in my falsetto to the highest note for the ending, Hazel taking the middle note and Bea going low.

Raucous applause sounded from outside of the theater room, the door of which had been propped open and standing outside of it were none other than Maddie and Patrick with awed looks on their faces.

"Holy shit! If your band sounds as good as that, your party is going to be amazing! What was that song for? It sounded really...theatrical!"

I giggled to myself at Patrick. My friends were total theater snobs so they were probably about to tear into him about how Les Mis was one of the most popular and award winning musicals of our time, and had they seen Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway?! But to my sheer and utter amazement, the two girls in the room were slack jawed and wide eyed which only fueled my confusion.

"Uh, it's for our autumn showcase, its from the Broadway play Les Miserables, they turned it into a movie back in 2012," I told him, still wondering why my friends were acting like total basket cases and not saying a word but I decided to introduce them anyway.

"Maddie, Patrick, these are my two best friends and roommates, Hazel and Bea," I said, pointing to each girl respectively.

Hazel blinked her wide green eyes at Patrick while pushing her red locks behind her ears, pale as snow cheeks turning bright crimson as she blushed a million shades darker than her actual skin tone.

"I-I know who you guys are," she mumbled. "Nice to m-meet you."

Oh. Maybe she was shy? Although, it hadn't seemed that way on the first day of school when no one knew anybody. She had come right up to me, at least.

Bea fared a little better, mostly because her dark skin hid her blush. Still wide eyed, mouth agape, Bea shook her head and her braids went with it, back and forth, almost like she was trying to shock herself out of a trance.

"I'm Bea," she simply said, voice betraying how awestruck she was.

He was just a basketball player, and Maddie was his girlfriend. What was the big deal?

"Hey, do you guys have anything more modern you could play? It would be cool to get a sneak peak of the party," Maddie asked and I cringed, forgetting to mention that to my friends.

"What party?"

I cringed again at Hazel's squeak.

"Oh, Maddie wants to throw a party for me for my birthday and I asked if the band could play. Isn't that awesome?"

"Absolutely!"

Bea was enthusiastic, at least.

"Awesome, let's see what you girls are made of," Patrick said, sauntering into the practice room like he owned it.

I wished the acoustics in the room were as good as the basketball court at night, something I'd taken advantage of the previous night when it was my turn for the late shift and no one was around.

At least, I had thought that there was no one was around. At one point I heard a few doors shutting and a ball hitting the court, but when I peeked out of the closed court I had been using, there was no one there.

"Uh-huh," Hazel parroted and I only smiled at her flabbergasted smile.

"Sure, what do you guys think, we could do-" I cut myself off as my phone began chirping in my hand.

It was my dad.

"Actually guys, I have to get this. Why don't you two show them the song we were writing for 'Younger' the other day and I'll just step outside to take this?"

I didn't give the girls a chance to argue and by the time I had shut the theater door behind me I had my phone pressed up against my ear.

"Hey dad, what's up?"

"Hey honey, I was just calling to see what you wanted to eat for dinner tonight. Kara's making her favorite spaghetti but I know how much you hate it. Want me to grab you a pizza?"

I groaned and rolled my eyes. I didn't hate spaghetti, I hated Kara's spaghetti, there was a difference, but he and my aunt didn't need to know that.

Kara, my mother's sister, had been staying with us for five years, as she had moved in about a year and a half after my mother's death to help my father with me, and so that I could become close with her daughter, my cousin Sara. That plan ended up working a little too well. We had become basically like sisters, and we all know how that turned out, especially my ex boyfriend...

"Uh, yeah. That sounds great."

The first chirping of the piano and lulling sound of Hazel's voice floated through the air from the choir room and I smiled to myself as she hit a raging high note in the mid chorus. She sure was going for the wow factor for Patrick and Maddie.

"You okay? You're still coming over tonight, right?"

"Yeah of course I am. That's our deal, I come home every weekend and you pay the bills. You're lucky I'm even gracing you with my presence," I joked with him, my mouth turning up at the sides.

"Hey now young lady, better watch it or I'll make it Friday through Sunday that you're obligated to spend with me, not just Friday and Saturday."

I laughed at my dad, knowing he'd never do that considering school was about an hour drive away and he knew I needed my beauty sleep, and that I had a penchant for tardiness, so staying the night an hour away from school probably wouldn't help my grades.

"Yeah, well, if you'd have let me go to a performing arts school and not the pride and joy of basketball fans everywhere, maybe I'd stay every day with you after classes," I joked, knowing that it was still a sore subject but he countered quickly.

"I know you're still upset about that, Virginia. But we talked about this. You know how much it means to me that you're attending my alma mater, and its not like their theater program is terrible. You can tell me all about your new play tonight."

"Okay sounds great dad."

"Oh, before I forget. Sara is bringing Jared tonight..."

I groaned and leaned my forehead against the cool wall in front of me.

"Of course she is," I whined into the phone.

"I don't think they're doing it to hurt you, hon. I think they're genuinely happy. Maybe you could try to be happy for them, too?"

"I will be happy for them, it just sucks that they're flaunting their relationship in my face. I swear, I'm never dating again."

"You know what, I think I might just let you transfer to that performing arts school after all. And I have this brand new Mercedes that I've been dying to buy for you. What about gold? Do you want it in a bracelet or I could just give you one giant brick of it?"

"Dad!"

I was back to laughing at his antics before he responded.

"I'm sorry, that's just probably the best thing you've ever said to me since your first 'Dada'. But really, if it's a problem, I can tell her to make Jared stay home if it will be awkward..."

And let Sara and Kara (yes, those were their mother daughter names) throw daggers with their eyes at me all night? No thank you. Kill 'em with kindness, as Selena Gomez once profoundly sang.

"No no, don't do that. I will be fine dad, just as long as he's going home and not staying over..." I trailed off, wanting to make sure they weren't at that point in their relationship yet.

"Well, he's been staying recently but I'll let her know that would be inappropriate with you home on the weekends."

I blew out a breath of air just as Bea hit the crescendo of our song. It really was lovely, a pop power ballad that showcased both girl's gorgeous vocals. It had a punk rock vibe to it reminiscent of Paramore's music, something that influenced a lot of my work.

"Virginia?"

"Huh? Sorry dad, zoned out."

"You need to break that habit soon. I was just telling you that I loved you and to drive carefully on your way over tonight."

There was emotion thick in his voice, but I didn't want to bring attention to it.

"I always drive carefully, you know that. I love you, too. See you tonight!"

We hung up just as the song came to a dramatic ending and Patrick and Maddie were on their feet in the choir room. Just across the hallway, through the glass walled practice space, I spied another tall basketball player, spying on the practice with a keen observation, though it looked as if it were more on his teammate, Patrick, than the song itself.

He had heard the entire song, but he could've overheard everything said on that phone call with my dad as well, considering we were both in the hallway.

Eli finally caught my eye, but instead of coming to speak to me like a normal person when caught spying, he abruptly turned on his heel and exited the building.

He might've been sexier than sin, but that boy sure was weird.

I just wished weird scared me off, because it totally didn't.