Mistakes were made ~ WLW enemies to lovers 1 READ DESC

Chapter.4 Drumsticks

The hum of the guitar strings vibrated through the music room as Talia expertly tuned her acoustic, glancing up every so often to flash Jasmine a grin. Jasmine stood front and center, mic in hand, tapping her foot in rhythm as she warmed up her voice. She caught Talia's eye, and they both shared a private smile.

Behind them, Kiara was setting up on the drums, testing the snare and adjusting her seat. Piper leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching with her usual mix of feigned indifference and curiosity. She'd been dragged into the practice by Talia, who promised it would be "worth it."

Talia strummed a few notes, her gaze darting to Piper with a smirk. "Hey, think you can keep up with this chaos?"

Piper rolled her eyes, but a small smile crept onto her lips. "I'm just here for moral support. And to see if Kiara's drumming actually has rhythm."

Kiara shot her a glare. "I'll give you rhythm—just don't blame me if it's right in your face."

Jasmine shook her head, amused. "Alright, alright. Let's try and get through at least one song without someone threatening bodily harm, shall we?"

They launched into their cover of Sailor Song by Gigi Perez, Jasmine's voice sliding over the lyrics while Talia's acoustic filled the room with a warm, steady strum. Kiara fell into the rhythm, her hands flying over the drums, creating a deep, pulsing beat that echoed through the small practice space.

It was going surprisingly well—everyone focused, keeping pace—until, somewhere between the chorus and the next verse, Kiara's grip on her drumstick slipped. Without warning, it shot out of her hand, sailing across the room and heading straight for Piper.

Piper barely had time to react before the drumstick hit her square on the forehead. There was a moment of stunned silence as the music stopped, each girl processing what just happened.

"Oh my god!" Jasmine burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she leaned against Talia.

Talia snorted, her laughter filling the room as she pointed at Piper, who looked equal parts shocked and furious. "See, Piper? I told you she'd hit you with rhythm!"

Kiara's face was a mix of horror and poorly disguised amusement. "It was an accident... mostly."

Piper rubbed her forehead, glaring at Kiara. "You'd better hope it was," she said, though a small smirk was starting to tug at her lips.

"Oh, please, don't act like you didn't enjoy the attention," Kiara retorted, grabbing another drumstick and twirling it between her fingers. "If you don't want to get hit, maybe stay out of the danger zone."

Talia burst out laughing again. "Kiara, let's be real—Piper's always in the danger zone when you're around."

Jasmine, still giggling, leaned over to Talia. "We might have to start calling them the Hazard Twins."

Piper, despite herself, cracked a smile, though she tried to hide it behind an annoyed huff. "You're all impossible," she muttered, but there was a spark of amusement in her eyes.

Just then, Signora Rossetti, who taught both Italian and sometimes supervised band practice, happened to walk by the open door. She raised an eyebrow, clearly catching the tail end of their laughter.

"What exactly is going on in here?"

Jasmine wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, trying to sound serious. "Just... practicing some experimental percussion, Signora."

Talia grinned, nodding solemnly. "And we're using Piper as our... um, audience feedback tool."

Piper glared, but it was clear she was holding back a laugh as she rubbed her forehead.

Signora Rossetti shook her head, amused. "Just don't make a habit of throwing things at each other, yes?"

As she left, Jasmine gave the signal to start again. Kiara grabbed her drumsticks, shooting a defiant look at Piper, who pretended to cringe back dramatically.

This time, as they played, Piper kept a close eye on Kiara's grip on the drumsticks. But if either of them had noticed that they'd been stealing glances at each other all practice, neither one said a word.