Yours Musically

11. Score To A Tie

Chapter Eleven – Score To A Tie

What have I done?

I watched in horror as the crowd slowly dispersed to the cafeteria, Sean moving along with it while I just stood there with my mouth hanging open, too stunned to speak but miffed enough to internally curse at myself.

"I can't believe you just accepted that," Meera muttered.

"Me neither." I exhaled and threw a glance at Will and Parker, who were watching me warily from a distance as if weighing the odds of me biting them if they came any closer.

"What the hell was that, guys?" I demanded. "Where did that condition come from?"

"I'm sorry, Rebekah," Will started. "It was an impulsive decision. I saw a chance to kick her out of the music event and took it."

"Why would you want that?"

"Why would I not want that? Have you not met her?" He curled his lips in distaste. "She's insufferable. She calls herself the music club queen and bosses people around like she means it. Now you get used to tuning it out on a regular basis but the music event is different. We can't have her ruining it like she did last time just because she can't follow a damn routine. Not with our college futures on the line."

I took about half a minute to process before asking, "so you guys used me?"

"No!" he said quickly, then hesitated, "not intentionally at least. I wasn't sure you were going to accept the challenge but if you did, I knew you got a shot at defeating her so I felt it was harmless to add a little condition that would help us too. That's it. I'm sorry if you feel like I used you."

I shook my head. "I wasn't going to accept, Will. I didn't want to."

He blinked. "Then why did you?"

"Exactly," Cheryl cut in. "Why would you accept something like that, Becks?"

I gulped, too embarrassed to admit I did it just because Sean was cheering for me. Oh God! Did I just sign up six weeks of my junior year for something I don't even care about—music?

"B-because..." I stammered. "I was under a lot of pressure, okay? Imagine saying no when everyone was cheering for me to say yes."

"I hear ya," Meera said. "It wasn't even directed at me and I was shaking."

"Oh God!" I ran my fingers through my hair. "I can't even back out now. I said yes in front of the entire school. And even if I go through with the challenge, I'm definitely losing it. It's Rebecca. She's too good. This is gonna be so embarrassing after six weeks."

"Hey!" Will argued. "I have faith in you or I wouldn't have cut in like that. You can do this. And we'll help you."

"How?"

"We can train you." He smiled reassuringly. "Not me or Parker, I mean Matt. He's the best."

My fleetingly rising hope was snuffed out at the mention of his name and I scoffed loudly, "Matt?"

Will seemed confused for a moment. "What's wrong—"

"Matt and her. Not on the best terms," Meera explained.

"Yeah." I nodded. "He would never agree to that."

Will's hope slowly faded over ruling out the possibility of Matt teaching me music and that sight really ticked me off. Why was my enemy being given so much importance? Will blew out air, lips flapping. "That was our best shot."

I opened my mouth to defend with something like no way! There has to be something else but was cut off.

"It still could be," Meera said, making us all turn to her questioningly but she raised her brows at me like I was missing something.