Out of Tune

Chapter Five

Without music life would be a mistake– Freidrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

"So...You're coming tomorrow, right?" Taylor asked. She leaned against the row of lockers next to Lennon's and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I promise."

Taylor brightened. "Great. Your first party in Los Altos. I think I'm more excited for you than you are of actually going."

The party being held at Taylor's house the next evening was to commemorate the start of the football season playoffs which were starting the following weekend. They'd been waiting for Taylor's parents to head out of town before throwing a kegger.

Lennon flashed a grin. "I think you may be right."

It had been a month since Lennon had moved to the city. At school, Lennon had settled in well. Her classes were fine. Taylor had welcomed her and made sure that her friends did too. Lennon wasn't quite sure what to make of Katie – who spoke to Lennon only when directly asked a question – but Danielle was friendly. She was dating a boy named Anthony who was on the varsity soccer team. Kyle and Bryce were both on the football team. Which had come as no surprise to Lennon.

Home was a slightly different story. Lennon still hadn't quite figured out the family dynamic she'd been thrust into. Couldn't quite discern where it was that she fit between her mother, step-father, and a six-year-old half-brother. That had been where the rough adjustment period was. They all tiptoed around each other, no one quite sure what to say or how to act.

It didn't help that in that time, the one-month anniversary of her father's passing had come and gone. And had gone unrecognized by anyone but her, leaving her pale and shaky and sick.

The days after had been almost as bad but Lennon clamped down on the grief that threatened to consume her. She forced herself to pay attention in class, to talk and laugh with her new friends even when the laughter was forced.

But Lennon missed her dad more than words could convey. She often found herself reading through old text conversations and listening to his songs on repeat, though she could hardly bring herself to pick up his – her – guitar and play along. The guitar itself hadn't even been removed from its case. Lennon couldn't stand to touch it. Even though there was a part of her that longed to feel the pull of strings against her fingers as she strummed.

Even though the instrument was locked away in the case, it had still brought on some tension between Lennon and her mother. Paige had spied Elijah's old guitar in Lennon's room and had looked as if she'd bitten into an extremely sour lemon.

The expression was enough to leave Lennon wondering what her mother saw when she looked at that guitar. It belonged to the world that had ended the marriage between Paige and Elijah. It belonged to a ghost.

"What time do I need to be there?" Lennon asked Taylor as she returned to the world of the living, leaving the ghosts firmly behind. She shoved books into her locker.

"It starts at seven. Which means no one will be there until at least eight-thirty."

"Do you need help setting anything up?"

Taylor raised a slender brow. "You actually want to help?"

"Well, sure." Rather help set up for a party than spend more time than necessary at her house.

Taylor beamed. "You are the best, Len."

"Anytime."

"I gotta head out before my brother drives home without me but I'll see you tomorrow. Check your phone. I'll text you the address."