Shattered Melodies

Broken Bonds

Hailey's P.O.V

The music room felt hollow, like the warmth and camaraderie that used to fill the space had been sucked out, leaving nothing but cold silence in its place. I sat at the piano bench, tears still streaming down my cheeks, though I barely noticed anymore. My heart felt like it had been shattered into a thousand pieces after what had happened with Jake. I couldn't understand how everything had gone so wrong so fast.

Jake... how could he betray us like that?

Milly: Hailey?

Milly's soft voice broke through the fog of my thoughts. She had been sitting beside me, her hand on my back, trying to comfort me since the confrontation. But no words seemed to help. Not this time. Zander, pacing back and forth near the door, wasn't taking it well either. His fists were clenched, his expression dark with anger.

Zander: I told you guys! I told you Jake couldn't be trusted! And look what he's done to our club, to Hailey! What more proof do you need?

Milly: I should've realized it sooner. We all should have.

Her eyes flicked toward the door, her voice trembling with barely controlled rage. 

Milly: I swear, the next time I see him, he's dead.

Zander stopped pacing, spinning around to face the group. His face was flushed, veins pulsing at his temples.

Zander: I'm not waiting until 'next time.' As soon as I see him, I'm going to beat him until he's dead. That backstabbing traitor doesn't deserve to show his face around us ever again.

The tension in the room was unbearable, and my heart squeezed painfully in my chest. I had never seen Zander like this, so full of fury. I understood why—Jake had hurt us all—but hearing such violent words made my stomach churn. Sean, sitting near the window, finally spoke up, his voice softer, but full of concern. 

Sean: Guys, we need to calm down and think this through. We should probably consider all our options before we—

Zander: What's there to consider, Sean?! What do you think Jake's going to do next? Apologize? He betrayed us! He bad mouth Hailey! There's nothing to talk about!

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out their voices, but the arguments kept growing louder. The ache in my chest deepened. Jake had been my friend—someone I trusted, someone I believed in. How had it all fallen apart? How had we gone from working together in the club, making music, laughing together, to... this? It felt like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

Milly: Hailey, are you okay?

Milly asked, her voice gentler this time. She leaned closer, rubbing my shoulder. I shook my head, unable to find the right words. All I could think about was Jake's face when everything came crashing down. He had looked so... broken, but at the same time, he had caused all of this pain. He had hurt me. Us. The club. Before I could answer, the wall in the hallways was broken into with a loud bang. Everyone whipped their heads toward the noise, startled. Tyler and Mason, two of Jake's old bullies, came crashing into the room—literally. They slammed into the back wall with a sickening crack, bricks crumbling around them as they hit. The impact was brutal, their bodies limp and slumped against the wreckage, groaning in pain. The sight of Tyler and Mason lying there, battered and defeated, was horrifying.