DUSTED MELODY [BL]

chapter 3: gone off-key

Enzo's life felt like a busted speaker, everything all distorted and messed up. That failing math test hung over him like a bad smell, a reminder of all the stuff he'd been ignoring. Basketball practice was a drag, his throws weak and his head somewhere else. The weird text from "J" kept buzzing in his pocket, another thing to worry about.

Then came Mrs. Rodriguez's math test, the one he totally dreaded. Numbers looked like squiggles, equations meant nothing. He snuck a peek outside, daydreaming about making music instead of being stuck in boring class.

"Enzo Rossi!" Mrs. Rodriguez's voice boomed, jolting him awake. He practically leaped out of his chair, heart pounding like a drum solo gone wrong. Shame burned in his face as he mumbled an apology, his brain as empty as a bucket.

Later, in the hallway, things went from bad to worse. Feeling grumpy, Enzo made a mean comment to Sarah, a quiet girl with cute braids. It was a jerk move, not the kind of thing he normally did, but all the pressure was turning him into a grouch.

He just walked away when his phone buzzed, making him jump. Was it good news? His heart raced like a cheetah.

He opened his phone, and there it was, one single letter: "J." Confusion filled his stomach. "J"? Not "M"? Who was this "J" and what did they want?

A bunch of feelings hit him all at once – confusion about this new mystery, a little fear of the unknown, and something else too. Maybe... someone else liked his music?

His life was all messed up, like a song with wrong notes everywhere. But now, mixed in with the confusion and the grumpiness, there was a tiny spark of hope, a whisper of something new and exciting. The song wasn't perfect yet, but it was definitely getting more interesting.