A Bittersweet Love || The Music Freaks || Jailey

Chapter Four

It had been two days since Jake suggested that Hailey help him perform better around Daisy. He seemed to be getting the hang of it - he wasn't stuttering anymore, and knew the song like the back of his hand. The microphone felt comfortable in his hands, and he had sung every day until his throat ached.

Most of the time, Jake and Hailey worked, but sometimes they simply goofed around and hung out. There wasn't much Jake had to improve on, as they had band practice every day with the others. In these moments he spent with Hailey, he found himself getting closer with her. Jake marveled at all the music lessons Hailey took, and Hailey admitted she thought Jake was a very talented singer.

"Anything else you have to say m'lady?" Jake had said, winking.

"Indeed, good knight," said Hailey, pretending to bow. "Never have I met such a big headed idiot like you."

"Hey!" Jake had complained. The two shared a laugh after.

Now, Jake checked his watch, making sure he was on time as he opened the door of the music room to find a light haired girl chatting with Sean.

"Daisy?!"

The head girl looked up. "Oh, hello, Jake!"

"Daisy's here to watch another performance," said Hailey, tuning a guitar. She looked up when Jake entered the room. "I'm sure you'll do great."

"As long as he doesn't mess up like last time," Zander muttered under his breath.

Jake took a deep breath, expecting for a sudden waterfall of stutters to come out, or his face to suddenly turn pink, but he didn't. Instead, his feet guided him towards the microphone stand.

"That's great!" said Jake, gripping the microphone. "I'm ready to start now, if you'd like!"

Zander, surprised at this sudden enthusiasm, grunted and sat down at the piano. Hailey exchanged knowing glances with Jake, and both grinned. Somehow, he felt more confident than ever. Here was his chance to impress Daisy - the real chance.

Sean hit the spacebar on his laptop, and the familiar chords rang out. Jake opened his mouth to sing.

++++

"Wow, Jake! That was incredible!" Daisy exclaimed. She gave his arm an awkward pat, and he could feel his heart fluttering in excitement. "You'll do absolutely fantastic in the band competition! I'm sure you'll win this!"

"Thanks a lot, Daisy!" said Jake, grinning. He was glad he wasn't stuttering around her anymore.

The rest of practice went smoothly. Daisy clapped every time Jake sang, Zander seemed slightly more supportive, and by the time the bell rang for next period, Jake left the music room in high spirits, feeling not only accomplished, but also proud.

The competition is only a day away, and I know I'll nail it. We're going to win this competition for sure!

"Jake!" a sneering tone came from behind him. His heart sank. He knew who that voice belonged to.

"Jake, we want to talk to you," Drew, Henry and Liam came marching down the hallway towards him.

"What is it?" Jake sighed.

Drew put one hand against the lockers. "We want to know why you're suddenly softening up. You've been defending those freaks, telling us to back off from them, spending more time with them, and practically ignoring us when you spend time after school with that - that music freak!"

The last words were spluttered out angrily. Drew crossed his arms, and Henry and Liam glared at him.

"Well, I'm in the band with them, aren't I?" Jake said defensively. "Surely I'm allowed to *talk* with them." the words came out too fast, and scanning Drew's angry face, he knew he made a mistake.

"So you're defending them again, are you?" asked Drew icily.

"Yeah, are you friends with them or something?" Henry accused. He then laughed, and Liam joined too. Drew chuckled without humour.

"Yeah, are you friends with them?" Drew repeated.

"O... Of course not!" Jake scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, feeling as if someone was watching him. "I'd never be friends with those nerds!"

Whenever he teased Hailey and Zander, he always felt a fresh wave of guilt every time he laughed at them. This time however, it felt like a salty tsunami of blameworthiness had suddenly crashed onto him.

Drew's shoulders relaxed, and his regular smirk came back on his face. "Of course. I knew you'd never even THINK of being friends with them, right?"

Liam gave a small snicker. "Yeah. I can't wait for you to finally leave that band competition. All this effort for Daisy, I'm hoping it pays off."

"Yeah, me too," said Jake truthfully. "The competition is a day away. I'll be leaving soon..."

"Fantastic!" Drew laughed. "Good to know you're not becoming one of them."

"Mhm..." Jake pretended to have a sudden interest in his shoelaces.

The three walked away laughing, and Jake's tense behaviour dropped, knowing they were gone. He sighed and then walked after them to the direction of his next class.

He failed to notice Zander, who had stood behind the four of them, pretending to be looking for a book in his locker. Zander shut the door and snapped the lock shut with more force than needed. He then stalked off, mind swirling from the conversation he had just heard.