Beats per minute

Chapters

Last day of summer
Welcome to Canterlot High
New members
Warming up
Chemical Reactions

Last day of summer

"Ok, you got it?" Vinyl asked, looking up from her own hands to check her friend's. Lyra, meanwhile, nodded, following Vinyl's instructions. "Good, now comes a tricky part. You go like this, and now you go like that, then slide up, hammer-on, stroke here and then mute." Vinyl's left hand slide up and down the guitar's neck, striking every note expertly. She repeated the sequence one more time, so Lyra would fully catch every movement.

"Ok, ok! I got it, let's play it!" Vinyl smiled, watching her friend plugging the guitars in the nearby amps. She wasn't surprised by the impulsive personality of Lyra. Being friends with her represented being constantly exposed to this type of behavior from Lyra. This had caused many good times through the years, but also too many troubles for them, especially because Vinyl wasn't better; she too was impulsive, in a minor level, but yet impulsive

Lyra adjusted the volume of the amps, causing some static sounds to come from them. Once finished, she hurried to place herself in front of Vinyl, who was ready to play. The girls looked at each other, exchanging smirks, and nodding just before stroking the first strings, producing the sound of the notes to fill the room. They played in perfect sync, matching every note, all chords, every movement. Vinyl's eyes burned with passion and emotion. Headbanging at the rhythm, she could feel the music flowing through her. They were done with the most part of the song, and Vinyl waited anxious for her favorite part, the guitar solo. Whit every second passing, she could feel the tension building up. She pictured herself in a large stage, in front of millions of people gathered to see her, but just then a high pitch made her flinch, stopping abruptly, and causing Lyra to stop herself too.

"W-What? Why did you stop? We were going great!" The mint haired girl asked naively, sweeping away the sweat on her forehead.

"Dude, you totally missed that part!"

"What? No way!"

"Yeah, see, it should go like this..." Vinyl recreated the session successfully, pointing her head to her left hand, making emphasis in the said note so Lyra could see her mistake.

"You sure? I thought you said it goes like this..." Lyra once again played the same part, making exactly the same mistake than before, causing Vinyl to frown. "What? That's what you told me!"

"Give me a sec..." Vinyl grabbed her phone, tapping fast on the screen, revealing seconds later a page with the music sheet. "Here, see? You have to do it like I said, not blow our ears with that noise."

"But..." Lyra looked at the screen with a confused expression, scratching her chin. "You told me to do it wrong then?" The mint haired girl crossed her arms, striking an interrogative pose.

"Why in the world would I-" Vinyl stopped, letting her arms drop in defeat and sighing loudly. "You know what? Forget it, I will pass you the music sheet later..." Unplugging her guitar, she proceeded to secure it in its respective case.

"Are you ready to go back to school tomorrow?" Lyra's question echoed inside Vinyl's head, making her flinch just for a second. For a moment she forgot about school, believing she was still in mid summer, enjoying her days hanging out with Lyra, practicing some songs, playing video games, simply goofing around. Most of her summer was that way, but now that it was almost gone, she mourned the every minute passing away.

"Nope, but I can't do much about it, can I?" Her tone was serious, almost angry. She became aware of this, shaking her head and lighting up her voice a little. "But it won't be a problem, is our last year, worst case scenario we would have a bad teacher... or we would have to fight a winged megalomaniac demon girl, nothing we should worry about." She chuckled at her own comment, causing Lyra to laugh softly. The blue haired girl finished to collect all her things, and stood in the middle of the room, gazing around while many memories of the lasts months reproduced inside her head like a movie... A very weird and funny movie.

"Well, don't count on me if that happens." Lyra chuckled, letting herself fall on her bed, resting her head over her hands. "I already finished that video game... I'm done with demons and megalomaniacs. Anyway, can your dad give me a ride to school tomorrow?" Vinyl gave a half-smile, rolling her eyes before nodding. "Awesome! See you tomorrow then!" Vinyl stood in place, a serious expression on her face, watching Lyra on her phone not noticing her there. A full minute of silence passed by before Lyra lifted her gaze over her phone, finding an annoyed Vinyl in front of her, arms crossed tapping the floor hysterically with her foot.

"You still here? Dude, you know where the door is!"

"Would you be so kind to lift your lazy ass and accompany me to the door like a normal person?" Vinyl tried to sound angry, but she failed, hiding a grin behind a hand. Lyra got up, shaking her head and leaving the room without even looking at Vinyl.

"You also need me to take you by the hand, or you can get to your house by yourself" Lyra scoffed opening the entrance door. Vinyl just responded by showing her middle finger, a gesture that the mint haired girl returned with a kind smile. "Text me when you get home. See you tomorrow!" Vinyl nodded, waving goodbye before Lyra closed the door.

Vinyl began her walk through the sidewalks. Lucky for her, she lived near from Lyra, just a couple of streets away, a route which she already knew by heart and was more than used to travel. She walked quietly, the streets were quite quiet in that part of the city. It was already getting dark when she finally arrived at her house. A very beautiful building, mostly painted white, and where the main door stood out, which was the same shade of blue as her hair. With a quick and expert movement of hands, Vinyl took the keys out of her pocket and, selecting the correct one, opened the door entering the house.

"I'M HERE EVERYONE!" Vinyl shouted from the entrance, leaning in to untie her shoes while waiting for the usual response.

"VINIL, IS THAT YOU? WELCOME HOME HONEY!" A female voice responded, probably from the kitchen according to Vinyl's predictions. The girl smiled, walking towards the person who owned the voice. A woman a little taller than Vinyl, with light blue hair tied in a ponytail. The woman, who was washing the dishes, stopped her work to receive her daughter with a hug.

"Hiya mom, how are you?" Vinyl said, breaking the hug and searching for some water in the fridge.

"Well, besides your brother and father and their genius idea to mix basketball and skateboarding in one single sport, everything is good." Vinyl almost spits her drink hearing her mother, who was an expert in the passive-aggressive voice. "What about your day? Did you have fun today?" The woman finished her chores and turned around facing Vinyl, resting herself against the table, mimicking her daughter, who was resting against the fridge.

"Yeah, same as always." Vinyl finished her drink and depositing the glass in the sink. Her mother gave that kind of face moms do that make everyone know they did something wrong, and Vinyl returned to clean and dry the glass. "Here, done. Do you know where is dad?"

"He is in the backyard with your brother, probably figuring out why their idea of a new sport didn't go the way they wanted."

"I bet you they are blaming the weather..." Vinyl joked, waving a goodbye as she left. As she approached the back door, she could see her father, a tall man with messy short silver hair, playing with her younger brother, a twelve year old kid with dark blue hair. "Hi guys! Guess the little experiment with the board and the ball didn't work out well, did it?" Vinyl beamed, peeking from the door.

"So your mother told you..." Vinyl's father frowned comically. Vinyl just nodded, causing a small smile to form in the man's mouth. "The truth is that it was not our fault. Yesterday there was a little rain at night, and that's why nothing went well today!"

"Yeah, you're right!" The boy joined the conversation, supporting his father while adopting the same pose as him. "We almost had it, but there were wet areas, and that's why we fell so many times!"

"See? Even Bass here says the same!" Vinyl's father held his posture, trying to make his reason sound, and trying even more to stay serious while doing so. "Your mother is the one who thinks that what we do is crazy, but you know that she is the boring one in the family..." The man winked at Vinyl, causing her to laugh.

"I don't think you should ever tell her face ..." Vinyl shook her head, remembering the main reason she was there. "Hey, can we take Lyra to school tomorrow?"

"She asked you to tell me?" Vinyl nodded. "Sure, no problem, but I paid with a bag of chips."

"Sure, I'm going to tell her." Vinyl retired, leaving both to resume their game. Feeling a little tired, she decided to retire to her room to rest. Entering her room, she closed the door behind her. She approached her desk to activate her CD player, playing background music. She dropped into the desk chair, staring at the ceiling. She stayed there for a long time, without thinking about anything, just listening to the music, but after a couple of songs under her eyes, seeing her backpack in a corner, and reminding her of the reality she was in: That was the Last day of summer, the last day of vacation. The next morning he would have to return to the pressure of the school, classes, exams and projects, which would result in less time for her music, her friends, to rest, or simply do whatever she wanted.

Suddenly, Vinyl held a challenging look, full of determination. She wasn't going to let that depress her. She would find time for the things she liked, she always did. The music accompanied sher all the time, and she would have classes with Lyra, so she would see her all the time. A carefree smile formed on her face, and putting on a pair of headphones she started working on her computer. There were still a few hours before starting classes, and she wanted to make the most of each one.

Music filled the huge room, combining perfectly with the classic and serious style of it. Octavia executed note after note perfectly, with an unmatched grace and beauty. her cello rested lightly on her body, her long black hair fell without interruption on her back, and her eyes were closed to focus on her technique. Her face, although at first sight serious and inexpressive, reflected serenity and class, while her lips arched forming a very slight smile. She had already lost track of time, something that often happened to her when she played in her spare time. Captivated by the melody, she did not realize that someone had entered the room.

He was a tall man, perfectly dressed and groomed. His posture was dominant, and he wasted style and category for each pore. His hair was dark gray, and a couple of wrinkles could show on his face. The man smiled, listening to Octavia play the huge instrument. After a minute, he cleared his throat, trying to get the girl's attention, and seeing that he was unsuccessful, he tried to do it a couple more times; It was not until the seventh attempt, when it already passed from a slight sound to almost an exaggerated noise, that he managed to get Octavia's attention.

"Huh? Oh, excuse me father, I didn't hear you come in..." Octavia was the first to speak, pulling a strand of hair from her forehead.

"Do not worry." Octavia's father offered a soft smile, giving the girl peace of mind. "How long have you been playing now?"

"I couldn't really say exactly ..." Octavia took her chair, determined to take the cello to its corresponding place in the room. Seeing the clock on the wall, her face showed astonishment, while her cheeks turned pink. "I think two and a half hours, maybe a little more."

"Wow, I see ..." The man was clearly amazed, raising his eyebrows. Octavia smiled in shame, causing the man to let out a small laugh, which he hid pretending to cough. "As always, your dedication deserves recognition, and it is clear that so much work has borne fruit in your technique, but I hope you are not pressing too hard. Remember it Octavia, you should always look for the balance between work and rest."

"I know, Father. Although I must say that this really does not represent a major effort for me." His father gave her an unbelievable look, seeing how Octavia showed her stubborn part, which she had inherited from her mother. "I'm used to playing for so long, and besides, if I didn't press my limits I wouldn't keep improving, right?" Octavia was confident of her argument, leaving the room closely followed by her father.

"Maybe so, but pressing your body so much can lead to an injury as well." Octavia frowned, seeing how the point exposed by her father had the potential to refute hers. "Anyway, I didn't want to talk to you about your practice habits, we will do that on another occasion. I wanted to tell you that tomorrow I will accompany you to school, and that maybe you should prepare all your things before bedtime."

"Thank you father, although it was not necessary to remind me that last..." Octavia's father nodded, implying that he understood. "And thank you very much for joining me tomorrow. Although I hate to admit it, I feel both anxious and nervous to start in this new school."

"You don't need to worry. Canterlot High is one of the best schools in the country." The man noticed Octavia's insecure expression, so he placed a hand on her shoulder, comforting her with a hug as they walked through the huge house they lived in. "I know that these last years have been hard, with so many removals... But I want you to enjoy this last year. Make friends, go out, have fun, make as many memories as you can. I don't say stop studying or stop being your , I just ask you to enjoy your life beyond music, your mother and me."

"I will... Thank you father." Octavia hugged her father tightly. She loved the way her father always encouraged her, filling her with emotion and confidence. Both continued walking for a stretch before arriving at Octavia's room, where the Man decided to leave his daughter alone, telling her that like her, he also had to fix a couple of things before sleeping, saying goodbye kissing her on the forehead.

Octavia entered his room, a fairly large and tidy one. That summer had been, like others, very hectic and stressful. In the last five years, her family had moved six times, and she had gone through five different schools throughout the country. The first two removals made her understand that, in her particular case, the friendships did not last long, so she gave up making new ones to avoid the pain of farewells; instead, she took refuge in music, devoting every free minute to the practice of her instrument. Over time, it was common to see her more time with a cello than talking to someone.

Octavia glanced at her room, noting that, in general, she had everything ready for tomorrow, except for the clothes she would wear. The first day of school was important, she had to make a good impression, even though she didn't expect to make many friends. Approaching her closet, she checked her clothing collection in detail for a set that would attract her attention. minutes passed, and among many options she chose a simpler set, separating it from the rest of her clothes and placing it organically on the chair at her desk.

Dropping into her bed, Octavia felt the weight and fatigue of hours of practice falling on her. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine her new life in that city; A new school, full of different people, full of possibilities. Her father's recommendations crossed her mind. Perhaps she should try to make new friends, even for a year at most. Her father had assured her that this was going to be the last move, and that they were going to settle in that city, so the idea of sharing more time with people didn't seem so far-fetched. That way she rethink her life in her mind. This year, she would make a group of good friends, with whom to share her love for music, go out and have good times. Taking a long breath, Octavia fell into a deep sleep, full of hope for her new beginning.

Author's Note

Hi Y'all, the first chapter of the first story I write! (Whoa, this is so cool!) Well, I must say that I feel really excited about this project, it is something that had time in my mind, but that because of shyness and lack of free time I could not carry it out before.

Ok, having said that, I must clarify certain things before continuing... First of all, as I said, it is the first story I write. Next, although I speak English quite well, this is not my native language, so if you see any errors or spelling-grammar horror, a thousand apologies in advance.

very well, before finishing, I would like to ask you to comment if you like history, if you see something that caught your attention, if you want to make some constructive criticism, or simply if you want to say hello! I am addicted to comments, and I would love to know what you think of my work, that way I will know if I am doing well or if I need to improve on something, and you will have a better story and product in the end!

Without further ado, I say goodbye in the hope of seeing you in the next chapter.

A hug to y'all!

Welcome to Canterlot High

The sun shined magnificent on a sky without clouds. The birds singing, and the sound of the wind against the trees made all of this a truly picturesque scene. This condition could be applied almost everywhere, except in Vinyl's room, where the girl moved like a tornado searching for everything she would need that day. To comprehend this behavior, we should go back a few hours. Vinyl, full of energy and inspiration, spent the entire night working on new songs, both lyrics and music, stopping only when she needed a drink or a quick visit to the bathroom. She fell asleep somewhere between dawn and morning, with her headphones on and music playing through them, reason why she couldn't hear the phone's alarm clock or her mother calling from downstairs. A good thirty minutes after her original wake up hour, Vinyl finally woke up thanks to her mother, who invaded the room like a cannon ball causing the girl to fall from her seat scared and confused.

Upon realizing her delay, which was about a couple of minutes after waking up, Vinyl went overdrive to make up for lost time. She started with her personal hygiene, brushing her teeth at the same time as she was taking a bath to save some time. Undoubtedly, that shower was on her list of the five fastest of her life, followed by the choice of her wardrobe, which for her was quite easy. Choosing jeans, a white T-shirt adorned with an electric blue Eight-bar note and a light blue jacket as her outfit for the day, she rushed through her room, looking out for anything she would need, including her backpack, books, cell phone, headphones, shades, a portable video game, her lyric's book... She even decided to leave a few scholary books to make enough space for the rest of things, after all, the first day is easy and chill, right?

Several minutes later Vinyl finally went downstairs, joining her family with breakfast. As the last one to start, she would have to hurry up eating, chewing up a spoon after spoon full of cereal and milk, because no one is old for cereal and milk. Gulping down the last spoon of food, she said goodbye to her mother and ran to join her father and brother, who were already inside his car.

"Hey! You could at least wait for me at the table, you know?" Vinyl said between long breaths, trying to recover from the run and the fact that she just ate a bowl full cereal in mere seconds. Both her father and brother failed to contain a laugh. "I almost choke out out there! Just imagine it: Dead by cereal. That's not cool dad."

"I told you to be ready early, is not my fault if you didn't wake up on time." Vinyl's father said calmly, starting the engine of the vehicle. Vinyl huffed, admitting defeat by scratching her head. The man drove silently, but not serious, deciding to listen to listen to the radio. "What about Lyra? Is she ready?"

"Yeah, she just texted me." Vinyl said checking her phone. "She says that she is waiting on the sidewalk, cold, lonely, like a homeless girl. She literally said that..."

"Same old Lyra..."

"Same old Lyra..." Vinyl nodded to her father. He drove for a few more minutes until they arrived to their first destination, where they could see Lyra waiting, in fact, sitting on the sidewalk with her legs crossed and her arms clenching firmly onto her backpack. The car stopped in front of her, who jumped up quickly, opening the back door and sliding into the vehicle.

"Hey, what happened to you? You didn't answer me when I wrote to you earlier, did you fall asleep?" Lyra asked, extending a hand to ruffle Vinyl's hair, causing her to turn around in a failed attempt to take revenge. "How is everything Mr. Mix? How's the restaurant going?"

"Glad to see you, Lyra. The restaurant is going pretty well as always!" Vinyl's father gave a cheerful laugh. "Thanks for asking. How are your parents?"

"Well, I can't complain, Dad is still traveling, and Mom is quite busy between her work and the house..."

"That must be lonely..." Bass Line intervened to everyone's surprise.

Usually, although he got along well with Vinyl's friends, he preferred not to get into the conflicts and conversations they and his sister had.

"Hey! What's up buddy? I almost forgot you were there!" Lyra greeted the boy with a complex shake of hands, which with incredible skill, both executed perfectly. "Today you start high school, right?" Base Line nodded. "Well... Welcome to Canterlot High, I tell you that you're going to get bored in class, I warn you in advance!"

"Oh, come on Lyra! Not all classes are boring..." Vinyl intervened turning to see her friend, who shrugs casually. "The music class is pretty good."

"The music class doesn't count, it doesn't even have tests!"

"Ok, but compared to the others, it's pretty good."

"Oh, come on!" Lyra said almost screaming. "Even P.E. Is good compared to the other classes."

"P.E. Is horrible and you know it." Vinyl lets out a long sigh, resting his head on the back of the seat. "I'd rather spend a whole day watching classes with Miss Zecora than spending an hour with Bulk 'Steroids' and his screams..."

"Well girls, what do you think if you continue your conversation outside, we're here." The car stopped in front of the high school gardens. Vinyl, Lyra and Bass got out of the vehicle, and Vinyl's father under his window to say goodbye to everyone.

After seeing how the car disappeared in the distance, the group turned around, deciding to move towards the huge building. The facilities were, without a doubt, quite elegant and extravagant, especially because of the huge statue of a steed that served as a symbol of the school, which stood majestically over the surrounding gardens.

The group decided to stand on the stairs at the entrance, continuing the previous conversation about the teachers and subjects that Bass Line should avoid. Without realizing it, a bell rang indicating the near start of activities. Bass Line decided to move forward quickly, leaving the girls behind, who climbed the stairs without much trouble. Just upon reaching the last step, Vinyl heard the sound of an engine behind her. She looked back without stopping, spotting an elegant black car that parked near the entrance.

"Who the hell will it be?" Vinyl said softly, drawing the attention of Lyra, who was holding the door open for Vinyl.

"I don't know, I guess some new guy from C.P.A. ... Come on, we'll be late, and I don't want to be in the principal's office on the first day."
Vinyl shrugged, following her friend inside the building. "So what is the first class?" The blue-haired girl decided to check the schedule on her phone, finding the right class and instantly regretting having found it. She closed her eyes tightly as she threw her head back and let out a growl.

"Math..." Vinyl said in an agonizing tone. Lyra accompanied her in her suffering, covering her face with her hands. Resigned to two hours of boredom, the girls used the time it took them to reach the corresponding classroom to prepare psychologically.

The girls entered the classroom, choosing their desks at the back of the room, sitting side by side so that they could talk smoothly during class. Neither were very applied in the subjects, and less in those where numbers and accounts were the main subject; Vinyl in particular had a certain preference for classes where reading and writing was important, the other assignments were nothing but a nuisance to her. She was not interested at all, partly because in her opinion they were not fun, and on the other hand, she always had many problems for calculations and problem solving, causing her many disagreements with the teachers.

"Hey, you are here!" A girl with curly navy blue and pink hair beamed to them across the room, approaching in a fast motion. Her name was Bon-Bon, and she has been a long time friend of Vinyl and Lyra, they met years back in one class and hung together ever since. Both girls hugged Bon-Bon tightly, letting the girl sit in one of the desk near them. "How have you been? I missed you girls so much!" Lyra's smile grows wider, blushing a little.

"Miss ya' too Bonnie, how was your summer?"

"Well, my family and I had a trip to the countryside, it was nice, the fresh air, the landscapes and so... I can't complain, but I wish I spent more time with you two." Bon-Bon smiled softly just before shaking her head. "Anyway, how about your summer? You two had fun?"

"Nothing too special. I spent most of the time trying to teach this dumbass a thing or two about how to play the guitar." Vinyl joked, receiving a soft punch in the shoulder.

The sound of the door opening made all the students to be quiet and sit on their respective desk. A short, fat man with messy gray hair and a full beard of the same color entered the classroom, adjusting his glasses with a hand, while the other carried books of many sizes. The man placed the books over his desk, and stood in the middle of the room so everyone could see him, and after stroking his beard, he cleared his throat obtaining the attention of the class.

"Good morning everyone, my name is Epsilon, though I would have to ask you to call me Professor Epsilon." Vinyl lost all interest in what the professor was saying; she already knew what was all about: He would be the math professor, he was excited for this course and he expected for everyone to effort themselves, so everyone could be great professionals someday... Same old speech. Vinyl turned to face the window, trying to find something more interesting to see outside, barely listening to the man. "... And if you do that, someday you would become great professionals just like myself!"

Outside the room, Octavia waited patiently in the hall, listening to the speech of Epsilon. The corner of her mouth lifted, recognizing the same lines said by many teachers and professor she met. So far, Octavia was pleased with the institution, the principal was nice and had funny, wavy hair, and Epsilon was very optimistic and interesting, or at least that is what she could say after talking to him earlier. Minutes passed by, and she could hear the different students, introducing themselves out loud to the rest of the class; she became rather nervous, being new in a school was something that still caused anxiety to her, and knowing that soon she would be introduced to everyone didn't help her.

"Alright class, now that everyone has introduced themselves, before beginning with the real stuff, I have to make an announcement." Octavia gulped as the professor opened the door so she could enter into the room. She hesitated for an instant, but soon advanced till the middle of the room, revealing herself to the entire classroom. "As you can already tell, we have a new student with us. Would you be so kind to introduce yourself to everyone?" Epsilon asked in his characteristic optimistic voice, and Octavia nodded gracefully, already obtaining the attention of the class, especially the boys, who were watching at her very closely, making Octavia feel more than uncomfortable.

"Good morning everyone, my name is Octavia, pleased to meet you." Octavia said with confidence, adding a soft smile at the end. She was about to look out for a desk when she was held by the professor.

"Oh, come on Octavia, tell us more about you! I can see everyone wants to know more about you!" Octavia closed her eyes in frustration, but quickly nodded and returned to her later attitude.

"Very well, I was born here in Canterlot, but due to my father's job, I have lived in many places around the country. I am seventeen years old, I am a single child, and I have been studying music since I was three years old..." Vinyl, who was immersed in the world outside the classroom, was brought back by the mention of music. She turned to see Octavia standing straight, full of grace and beauty, her black hair reaching till her lower back, and holding a pose that transmitted discipline and solemnity. "In fact, I am skilled in many string instruments, but my main preference is the cello.". Vinyl made a mental note to talk this girl later. Octavia ended, and Epsilon let her go with a nod.

"Alright class, I hope you guys are ready... I assume you already know the process of factoritation, but so we all can be sure, let's have a small talk about it!" The entire class growled, making the start of the first hours of the new year.

"That class lasted forever! Professor Discord is crazy, I almost prefer Epsilon!" Lyra spoke loudly while stretching her arms over her head. She was leaving the classroom accompanied by Vinyl, who yawned after taking a short nap during class. The girls walked through the halls, heading to the cafeteria to rest and eat something before the next block. "Seriously, another hour talking about chaos theory and I jump through the window..."

"I think that theory is not even a matter of study this year..." Vinyl added, letting out a long sigh. The girls entered the cafeteria, waiting in line for their turn in the food bar. The girls did not last long choosing their meals, opting each one for a functional burger and drinks, and then sitting at a table in the back of the area.

"Do you think these burgers are made of horse meat?" Lyra said biting her meal.

"Well, Dad says he sometimes uses horse meat in the restaurant, but I don't know about here." Vinyl answered chewing down a portion of her burger. "I'm not even sure if it's meat at all..."

"It tastes good, at least... Hey, do you know where is Bon-Bon?" Vinyl shook her head, choosing to not speak with food inside her mouth. "Hope she finds us here. What about the new girl? She seems kinda odd, with her bow tie and that whole thing about the cello. What was her name? Octovia, Octava?"

"Is Octavia..."

Lyra and Vinyl almost choke hearing the voice behind them. A few seconds later, once they could breathe normally, the girls turned around to see the familiar face of Bon-Bon accompanied by the new face of Octavia. Vinyl could barely hold a laugh seeing how the color drained from Lyra's face.

"Hi girls! I invited Octavia to eat with us." The girl sat in front of Lyra, followed by Octavia, who strangely maintained an air of class and order despite her smile.

"H-Hey! Octavia, listen, you see... it's that your name... I got confused, and well..." Lyra avoided at all costs making eye contact with Octavia, causing Vinyl and Bon-Bon to laugh.

"There is no need to worry, I understand perfectly. Nice to meet you, Lyra, right?" The mint haired girl nodded as she shook Octavia's hand. "So, you must be Vinyl, pleased-" Octavia was interrupted by a strong handshake from Vinyl.

"What's up Octavia? Welcome to C.H." Vinyl offered a huge smile, an act that was answered by Octavia in the same way despite the pain in his hand. "So, how are you doing so far?" The blue-haired girl asked before taking a big bite of her hamburger.

"So far I can not complain. Everyone seems very friendly, and the classes are interesting, although I must admit that there are teachers who are somewhat ..."

"Weirds?"

"Crazy?"

"Insane?" Vinyl, Bon-Bon and Lyra talked without even stopping to eat, seeing Octavia as waiting for some kind of reaction. Octavia took a second to process and return to the subject, taking a sip of his drink.

"I was thinking more about unusual, but I think their definitions also apply." The girls laughed, making Octavia feel a little more comfortable and welcome in the group.

"You'll get used to it..." Lyra said waving a hand.

"I heard you say that you study music, and that you play the cello..." Octavia nodded to Vinyl's comment. "Do you play anything other than classic?"

"To be honest, I never tried it. I know and listen to different musical styles, but so far I only practice classical." Vinyl nodded in understanding, reclining in his chair. Lyra and Bon-Bon seemed more interested in talking about their vacations than in the conversation, so Octavia preferred to keep talking to Vinyl. "And you play some instrument?"

"Yep, it will seem mainstream, but I rock with the guitar!" Vinyl formed a smirk, scratching his nose. "I also do mixes on the computer, a bit of electronic and that stuff..."

"I see, so you dedicate yourself to rock, am I correct?

"Punk to be precise, but yes, I make that kind of music since I can remember." Octavia nodded. The girls continued talking during the rest of the lunch, with bad jokes from Vinyl, several cruel comments from Lyra about the teachers, and constant apologies from Bon-Bon for her friends. Octavia was smiling at all times. Until that moment, her first day at Canterlot High was going spectacularly.

Author's Note

Hi y'all, how is everything? I hope you guys are doing well in your lives! Well, second chapter ready, and I must apologize to you for a couple of things.

First the delay: my intention was to publish it sooner, since I had more than half done when I published the first chapter, but I chose the worst week to start, since between several exams at the university and having to catch up with RWBY (OMG what a season...), I haven't had a long of time to write and edit.

Second, the long notes... What can I say? I like to tell you what happens although most of you are not interested, that's me!

Anyway, speaking of chapter itself, I consider that I am quite well, and I would like to say that I have an incredible reason why I chose those names for Vinyl's brother and father, but the truth is that it was the first thing that didn't ... And as for Professor Epsilon, he is inspired by a math teacher I had in high school.

Well, closing (since this note is already quite long), comment if you like the chapter and the story so far, remember that that way I can make corrections if necessary!

Without further ado, I say goodbye and hope to see you here in the next chapter!

A hug to y'all!

New members

Vinyl waited anxious on her desk, counting down every minute left of the last class. Five minutes, that is all she had to endure to be free for the day, five more minutes. The teacher was speaking about something that happened centuries ago, but every on Vinyl's mind was the five minutes left and how slowly they passed by.

She gazed through the classroom, searching for something more interesting than whatever the teacher was talking about; she could see Lyra drawing something on her book, Bon-Bon was reading something on her phone, and Vinyl could notice that Octavia, sitting in the first row, was one of the few students whose were paying attention. She looked again at the clock, four minutes left. The constant sound of the hands of the clock echoed in her head, like a kind of torture and a reminder of her close freedom simultaneously. If it wasn't for the ticking of the clock, Vinyl could swear that time had frozen in the living room. The teacher did nothing but talk despite the few listeners he had, and the other students seemed dead in life, preferring to do absolutely nothing to pay attention to the class. Once again, she turned to look at the clock, this time indicating that there was only a minute left for the class to end.

Vinyl closed her eyes, thinking in whatever but the time. Maybe if she distracted herself the clock would work faster. A few moments passed when the bell rang loudly, making the teacher to stop the class and all the students started to leave the classroom. Vinyl let out a sigh of pure relief, grabbing her bag and standing off her desk. She smiled softly, already thinking about what she would do later, but first she would need to catch up with her mint-haired friend.

"Hey, Lyra, come here!" Vinyl called for her friend, making Lyra come close to her desk. "Are you free for now? I need you for something really important." Vinyl stood up and walked to the front of the classroom, not waiting for Lyra to reply. "Octavia, I need your help, and yours too Bon-bon!" She moved across the room rapidly, not even facing the other girls, who surprisingly enough followed her without problems.

"Ok, so remember last week, when we were talking 'bout bands and artist and stuff?" Vinyl dominated the halls like a captain followed by her trusted crew, walking fast through the crowds. "Well, last night I was thinking why we don't create our own band!" This time she was facing Lyra, crossing an arm around her shoulders and holding her close. "You would be the rhythm guitar and vocalist, and I would be the main guitarist! We need to find a drummer and a bassist and that's all!" Vinyl turned around to face the other two girls behind her. "And that's where you two come in!"

"I am a cellist, I do not know much about an electric bass..." Octavia quickly replied.

" And I'm not a drummer, I don't even know how to play any instrument at all!" Bon-bon mentioned shrugging. "If you are planning to teach me how to play the drums, then good luck..."

"What? No! I need you two as something like judges." Both girls waited for Vinyl's explanation. "Bon-bon, you know everyone in the school, so you can tell me who can be a good candidate for the band, and Octavia, you obviously know about music as much or even more than me and Lyra combined, so you can help me find real talents here!"

"Hey, wait a second dude... I didn't even say yes to the whole Band idea." Lyra's commentary came like a bomb to Vinyl's ears; it was like a betrayal, like a good bucket of cold water thrown directly over Vinyl. "Do you even known of someone who plays the drums who is not already in a band?"

"I do..." Bon-Bon interrupted, tapping both girls in the back and walking ahead of them, leading the way through the halls and corridors. "I heard him play many times last year, but he didn't apply for any band or music club... The fact is that he doesn't talk too much, well, he doesn't talk at all..."

"You mean he is...?" Octavia asked nervously, reflecting the same awkwardness that Vinyl and Lyra shared.

"Oh no! Not at all, well, is complicated..." Bon-Bon waved a hand, trying to not giving too much attention to the subject. "People say he talks to his family sometimes... He is just shy."

"Or a freak..." Lyra said in almost a whisper, though she was still heard by Bon-Bon, who gave her a death glare. "What? Isn't it crazy that a guy doesn't speak to anyone? Not a single soul? Never?" She received a few nods from her friends, but Bon-Bon didn't seem to be so happy about the commentary. " Anyway... How did you find him anyway? What did you do, were you walking and did you hear the sound of the drums?" Lyra used a tone too sarcastic for Bon-bon's liking, who quickly turned around to offer one of her best expressions of anger to her friend. To tell the truth, Lyra enjoyed making Bon-bon annoy, since she received those tantrums and pouts that, in her opinion, were extremely cute.

"It wasn't exactly like that..." Bon-bon responded, inflating her cheeks and crossing her arms over her chest. Vinyl and Lyra shared a quick glance before the blue-haired girl joined the conversation.

"It was totally like that, wasn't it?"

"W-Well, maybe it was, so what?" Bon-bon continued pouting as he surprisingly guided the group to the unknown destination of the other girls.

A couple of minutes and laughter later and the girls stopped outside one of the school music rooms. From where they were, the sound of the drums could be heard, demonstrating a level of skill that surprised the musicians.

"Alright girls, I need you to make no noise and make no sudden movements..." Bon-bon gave the instructions to her friends, blocking the door with one arm, thus preventing any of them from entering unexpectedly. "Like I said, he's shy, and if you scare him, he won't listen to you."

That said, Bon-bon opened the door very slowly, just enough so that they could see into the room, stacked on top of each other. In the room they found nothing out of the ordinary; apart from the typical class tables and instruments, they could distinguish the drums, and a not very skinny boy with crimson hair sitting in front of them, playing passionately without knowing that he was being watched as a hunter's prey. Listening carefully, Vinyl was able to recognize the song that was playing, drawing a slight smile on her face as she followed the rhythm with her head.

"~Where is your boy tonight?
I hope he is a gentleman
And maybe he won't find out what I know
You were the last good thing about this part of Town... ~"

Both Bon-bon, Lyra and Vinyl were truly amazed at the skill the boy displayed, but were more shocked when they heard that Octavia was the one humming the song; The trio turned to see the last member of the group, who was still unaware of this. At the same time that the boy finished his song, Octavia realized that she was the new focus of attention, trying to get out of the vigilant sight of her friends and slipping in the process, falling hard on the floor and alerting the drummer in the room.

The drummer and the girls saw each other for a few seconds, and then the boy began to gather his things with impressive speed; However, while Vinyl attended a distressed and sore Octavia, Lyra took the opportunity to intercept the drummer before he could even think of leaving.

"Wait a second Drumeo, we need to talk to you for a moment." Lyra's bloodthirsty gaze didn't help the boy calm down, nor did the fact that he was held against a wall with amazing force. Bon-bon stepped in, to the drummer's relief, offering a friendly smile and getting Lyra to stop pressing him against the wall and giving him some room.

"There's no need for you to be scared, we didn't come to hurt you or anything like that." The drummer gave Lyra a quick look and saw Bon-Bon again. "She's a little aggressive and impulsive, I admit it, but I promise we won't hurt you, ok?" The boy nodded in agreement, separating himself a bit from the girls and sitting down again in front of the drums.

"Your name is Kicker Beat, right?" Kicker nodded, not breaking visual contact with Bon-bon. "Good, my name is Bon-Bon, she is Lyra, and those two over there are Vinyl and Octavia... they want to make you an offer." Bon-bon allowed Vinyl, who just arrived, to take control of the conversation, or better said, the interrogation.

"Yeah, well, we heard you playing the drums and we were wondering if you want to be part of our band!" Silence was the only response Vinyl got; a complete minute passed without anyone saying anything, and Vinyl was about to give up when Octavia stopped her.

"I think he wants to know more... like how do we known he was a drummer, and more about the band specifically." Kicker nodded again, and Octavia smiled to him. "Starting with how we knew you were a drummer, is all thanks to Bon-bon, she heard you play last year and she told us about you. If you want to know more, ask her..." Kicker nodded once again, this time with a small blush on his cheeks, and signaled Octavia to continue. "The information about the band goes by Vinyl and Lyra, I am just helping them." Kicker turned to look Vinyl directly in her eyes, and she flinched not knowing what exactly to say, and Octavia whispered to the blue-haired girl what would be a good response to the not-existing question.

"Huh? Oh, yeah... So, actually we are not a band yet, both Lyra and I know how to play the guitar, but we need a good drummer, and I have to say, you were great back there..." Kicker was staring with curiosity at the blue haired, apparently more interested in the conversation. Octavia once again whispered to Vinyl before she talked again. "Oh, right! The genre, right! We want something like a punk-rock band, maybe kinda pop-rock or something like that... Wadya say?"

Kicker looked to all the girls standing in front of him, and focused on Octavia, the only one who could understand what he was trying to express so far, but this time he made a signal that was very understandable for everyone; with a shaky hand and a sad look, Kicker signaled his mouth, something that made every heart in the room ache. Lyra was the one who takes the initiative, placing a hand on his shoulder, and offering a huge smile.

"No problem with that, with some time we can get used to it! Friends don't need words to understand each others!" It was half-true and Lyra knew it. Yes, it was true that she and Vinyl could know what the other was thinking without saying it, but that was because years of long friendship, and there was the other thing, they had just met him, they knew nothing about him, just that he was a drummer who doesn't speak to anyone, they were no friends, but the priority was to convince him to join the band, so she could allow to use some lies or half-trues to do so. "So, you're in or what?"

Kicker Beat looked straight into Lyra's eyes, making the mint-haired girl nervous. He hesitated for a second, but Kicker finally extended a hand towards the girls, standing up and smiling to the group. Vinyl was the first to shake the hand, followed by the other girls.

"So, hey, sorry about all the beat up earlier, and the "Drumeo" thing... I can get carried along pretty easily, you know?" Lyra shook Kicker's hand and scratched her neck, looking elsewhere but him while apologizing. Kicker waved a hand, making clear that he was not affected or he did not care at all, either way he was now part of the band.

"Don't worry about her, dude, Lyra is kinda punchy with everyone." Vinyl made clear her point receiving a punch in the shoulder from Lyra, though she did not even react to it. "You'll get use to it..."

"Ok, you have two guitarists and a drummer, now you need a bassist." Everyone looked at Bon-bon, expecting her to came up with something. "Hey, what do you expect from me? The only free bassist I know is Octavia, and sh-"

"Actually, I'm a cellist..."

"Same thing..." Octavia was about to same something else, but Bon-bon continued with her previous statement. "What I was trying to say is that she already said she was not a bassist."

"Come on, you have to know about someone else Bonsie!" Lyra asked, using the special nickname she made for her, something that usually made Bon-bon give up and do things for the mint-haired girl, like giving her the homework answers or share some chocolates with her. Lyra was confident in the effectiveness of the nickname, but this time it failed.

"Sorry guys, I can't remember anyone who plays the bass who isn't already in a band..." Lyra lowered her head, digging her hands deep inside her pockets.

"Well, looks like I'll have to learn to play the bass... Come on guys, let's get out of here." Lyra was about to leave the room followed by everyone except Vinyl, who was standing in front of the drums. Her face was thoughtful, an idea forming in her head. She clapped loudly, turning around to face her friends with a devilish smirk plastered on her face.

"You won't have to learn anything, Lyra. I have the most awesome, incredible and great idea ever!"

"I thought there was no more bassist left in the school..." Octavia asked, her tone curious about Vinyl's idea.

"Well, THAT is half-true..."

"Sorry, I don't comprehend." Now Octavia was even more curious, mostly because Vinyl was now beside her smiling widely, dragging her to the front of the group. "W-What are you doing, Vinyl?"

"Guys, I introduce to you Octavia Melody, our very new bassist!" Vinyl was standing proudly, her hands extended towards Octavia, like she was exhibiting her. The others did not seem to impressed by this, and frowned at Vinyl.

"I think you were on the moon when Bon-bon said that Octavia was a cellist, A CELLIST." Bon-bon nodded to Lyra's commentary, but Vinyl was already prepared for this, and did not lose her energy.

"Yeah, that's true, but we can make her a bassist!" Now she got all the attention with different reactions. Lyra, Bon-bon and Kicker were now interested in what Vinyl had to say, and Octavia was shocked. She sure did not expect Vinyl to say something like this. "All we have to do is teach her just a few things and that's all!"

"W-Wait a second! I do not have the minor idea of how to play an electric bass, and not to talk about the genres you want to play!" Octavia took a couple the steps backwards, bumping with the drums, and shielding herself with the Hit-hat. "That is just a terrible idea, Vinyl. I am sorry, but I think I would not be able to do it."

"What are you talking about, Octavia!? A bass is not that different from a cello, you just have to play it like this instead than like this!" She made exaggerated positions and movements to signal the differences, something that brought a grin to Octavia's face. "And is more about style than anything else, not mater the genre, just find your style and stick to it!"

"Are you sure?" Octavia took little steps forwards, closing the distance between her and Vinyl. She tried to find some kind of support from the others members of the group, but they seemed more interested in the scene than in supporting anyone.

"I'm totally honest with you." Octavia was surprised by this sentence, not only by what Vinyl was saying, but mostly about how she said it. That was the most serious tone Octavia has heard from Vinyl until that moment; it was trustworthy, confident and caring somehow. Vinyl extended a hand to Octavia with the biggest smile the cellist has ever seen on someone. "Come on Tavi! It'll be fun!" Octavia took Vinyl's hand, and she was dragged once again in front of the group, only that this time she was staring directly into Vinyl's eyes. She could feel something warm about those magenta eyes, something that tells her to stay with her, to be confident with her, to trust her.

"Yeah... I was thinking just the same K.B." Lyra was talking to Kicker, obtaining the attention of the rest of the group. Lyra and Kicker held in a laugh, and then the girl waved a hand, not giving any clues about what they were "talking". "So I guess we're complete now, right?" Lyra was looking at Octavia, a question mark on her head.

"Yes, you are correct Lyra." Octavia's response was enough to make everyone happy... Until another question came up to the cellist mind. "I just need to know something, where are we going gather and practice?"

That question came up like a bomb to the group. Everyone was staring at each other, blank expressions on their faces. Silence ruled among the students, no one knowing exactly what to answer, but we always can count with Lyra to break this kind of silence with a sharp commnentary. "Yo' Vinyl, your awesome rock band plan have a tiny-winny little flaw. Guess you only had capacity for thinking so far after all!"

"Hey, I was going to think about it later! To be honest, I didn't think we could find all the members in just an hour!"

"That proves exactly my point!" Lyra was growling every word, though she was not that angry, in fact, she had the solution to the problem... she just liked to argue with people, Vinyl specifically. "I can't believe you didn't thought about a place where to practice."

"I don't see you thinking either! Can you do something with that brain of yours beside thinking 'bout picking up fights?"

Lyra and Vinyl went like that for various minutes. It was like a tennis match, with Kicker, Octavia and Bon-bon as the crow, none of them daring to get involved in the cross fire, and the guitarists as the players, the only difference, beyond every obvious thing, was that instead of a ball the girls played with comebackers and insults. A good ten minutes passed when Lyra decided she had enough fun for the day, closing her eyes and letting out a long sigh.

"I suppose I have to do everything after all..." That made Vinyl flinch, having to stop just before her next punch line. The expectators were taken by surprise as well, giving Lyra full attention for her next movement. "Since Dad isn't home, I guess we can use the garage. Mom works almost all day, so is empty most of the time, we just need to make some room for the instruments."

"What is going to tell your mother? Would she agree with us playing at your house?" Octavia asked, innocent and worried about her new band-mate. Lyra smirked, lying on the wall, something she made to look more "Badass".

"I'll ask her tonight, it will be fine though. Like I said, she works all day, so far we don't burn the house down or get arrested for playing too loud, it shouldn't be a problem for her." Lyra shrugged, trying to end the conversation. Octavia looked pleased with the answer, the sole mention of Lyra asking her mother for permission eased her mind, but another thing came up in her mind.

"Umm, I don't want to cause trouble, but I should let you know that I do not posses an electric bass." This time was Vinyl who drags the attention to herself. She was laughing, placing a hand on Octavia's shoulder.

"No need to worry Tavi, I got one back at home. You can borrow it if you want to practice at home too!" Again, Vinyl's warm smile made Octavia feel comfortable with everything. It seemed like every detail was solved by the moment, but to be sure Vinyl directed her focus to Kicker. "I'll give you Lyra's address, K.B.! That way you can bring your drums set, we got a basic one of you can't, but it would be better if you bring your own." The drummer nodded, showing excitement for the project. Bon-bon clapped, a big smile on her face.

"Well, looks like everything is ready, so I should be leaving then..." she was starting to walk away when she was held by Lyra. The mint-haired had a cocky smile on her face, and crossed an arm across the other girl's shoulder.

"You can come with us if you want to, it would be nice to have someone to listen to us rocking!" Lyra noticed how close she was to her secret crush, and in a fast movement, she took some steps away from Bon-bon, trying her hardest to make sure no one notices the blush on her face. "B-Besides, you are the one who has the connections with everyone in the school, you can find us a couple of parties to play in" Bon-bon nodded, accepting the mint-haired girl's propose.

"Cool! So we wait for your mother's permission. We are done here, better get going before it gets darker outside..." Vinyl said, looking at the hour in her phone. The girls walked off the room, letting Kicker alone inside it. He was gathering all his things when the group came back, waiting outside of the room. "Yo' dude, what are you waiting for? We are getting old out here!" Vinyl waved a hand to the drummer, telling him to join them. Kicker sad look turns into an immense grin as he hurried to secure his bag on his back and held firmly his drumsticks in his hands. Kicker ran outside the room, welcomed by Vinyl with a palm on his back, joining with that strange group of girls. Kicker may would never say it, but those girls were now the closest thing he had to real friends, and he was more than happy with them.

Author's Note

Hey, how are you guys? I hope that given the current events, everyone is more than good... I apologize for the immense delay in publishing a new chapter, but it is that I went through a very bad personal situation, and let's say that I did not want to do anything at all. but do not worry, everything is fine and I will write again, now more frequently.

Speaking of the chapter, I had to write it and rewrite it about five times. It was fun, but I didn't really like the result. in the end, this is the result that I liked the most!

I would like to tell many more things, but I do not want to bore you with my life, so I wish you continue well, and thank you for the support! Hope to see you next time!

A huge hug to y'all!

Warming up

"You... Are the only... Who without saying... A single word... Makes me hate you..." Vinyl said between deep breaths. Kicker Beat gulped hard, worrying about the condition of the girl, but even more about the glare he was receiving from her; even behind the signature shades, he could feel the daggers at him. The sun was shining hard, warming up everything it touched. For bad luck of these two, they were pushing Kicker's car for the last twenty minutes under that immense heat.

Vinyl, groaning with every push, regretted offering to help Kicker bring his drum set from his house, all the way down to Lyra's house. Sweeping away the sweat off her forehead, she could see their destination, and also a Mint-haired girl watching them, with a huge grin plastered all over her face.

"Come on guys! Just a little bit more!" Lyra's laugh did not help Vinyl to shift into a good mod. Actually, she spat on the street before showing the middle finger to her friend, causing even more laughs

A few minutes passed before Vinyl and Kicker were in front of the house. Vinyl let herself drop on the floor, all covered in sweat, and so tired and thirsty to move a single muscle. She could feel the cold breeze on her skin, the tiny drops of sweat running down her body and falling on the street, her heart beats hard pushing against her chest, making her lungs burn with every breath. Being unable to move, she even thought for a moment that she died, but the hysterical laugh of a certain girl brought her back to reality.

"Fuck... Off... Lyra..." Lyra did not ceased her laughs, though she offered cold water to drink and a couch in the garage with shadow, sure more comfortable than the hot street. Dropping on the couch, Vinyl enjoyed the commodity of it, closing her eyes for a moment. "Oh yeah... That's good. Yo' Lyra, what 'bout Tavi? Did she send a message or something?" Vinyl retired the shades of her eyes, allowing herself to adapt to the shadowy garage and the bright light of the outside world that illuminated most of its front the main entrance.

"Yeah, she texted me like an hour ago. Something about finishing something before coming..." Lyra shrugged, handing a glass full of water to both her friends. "She must be done by now, so maybe she is already on her way here."

"And Bon-Bon?"

"She ain't coming." Vinyl could notice not only the change on the tone, but the fact that Lyra tried to avoid the gazes. She could tell, the fact that Bon-Bon are not able to come upset Lyra more than she wished. "She has to help her Mom with some candy problems at the store... Anyway, did you bring everything?"

Vinyl looked at the car outside, and then to Lyra. "Yeah, everything is in the car."

"What about a little warm-up session?"

Lyra smiled like a kid planning a prank, something that Vinyl soon imitated. Kicker Beat looked from his spot on the couch, not understanding the non-voiced communication the girls were having. With a nod, Vinyl and Lyra jumped into action, walking fast towards the car. Kicker, still numb of what was happening, watched the duo carried the drums from the car to the garage, assembling the pieces faster than he expected. Before he could tell, the drum set was ready, and beside it two amps were placed and energized, threatening to end the silence and quietude there was.

"Hey KB, come on, we're waiting for you!" An anxious Vinyl talked, snapping Kicker out of his confusion and making him react. With a quick nod, Kicker searched for his drumsticks inside his bag. A moment later he was in position, sitting behind the drum set, and the girls were armed and ready with their own instruments, Vinyl opting for the bass while Lyra stayed with the guitar. "Are you sure you want to play the bass?" Lyra asked, simply receiving a nod from Vinyl.

"Alright! What song are we playing first?"

Silence once again ruled in the room, everyone staring at each other with blank eyes. The birds whistle could be heard, but it was cut out when Lyra made her guitar sing with a stroke of the strings, a huge smile on her face as she started to play.

"Come on guys, you know this song, don't you?" The sound of the bass joined her soon.

But after a minute they realized that Kicked was still quiet, a sad expression on his face. The drummer shook his head, raising his hands in a shrug.

"Aw, come on! Then what about this one?" Now was Vinyl who started playing, the notes coming out rapidly with every stroke. Kicker Beat joined, setting the pace with the kick drum, but they were shut down by a troubled Lyra.

"Dude, you know I can't play well that song, the after-chorus is a nightmare..."

After a couple more of options, they recurred to search on their phones for an adequate song to play. A few minutes passed without success, but Kicker, showing the title on the screen of his phone, suggested one more song. Vinyl and Lyra looked at the title, and nodded. Everyone went ready on their respective positions, looking at each other, waiting for that inner signal to start playing. Kicker nodded and raised his hands over his head, striking the drumsticks together making the classic countdown. It was the moment they were waiting for.

Lyra began to play, stroking the first chords. The strings vibrated producing a nice, soft melody that resonated all over the garage. With a final chord came a pause, a pause that was broken by the attack of the three instruments. In perfect harmony, Kicker sets the rhythm with the kick drum and the hit-hat, playing hard with every strike. While Vinyl made the base, with deep notes, balancing perfectly with the drums, Lyra made herself notice with more high notes, sticking out of the rest just before the first verse came in, indicated by a fast double-paced drum.

"Please take me by the hand
It's so cold out tonight
I'll put blankets on the bed
I won't turn out the light"

Vinyl took the lead with the lyrics, knowing that her mint-haired friend won't do it, and even if the song was originally sung by a man, she knows that Kicker would never do it. Lyra's final chord was sustained, fading slowly under Vinyl's bass. Kicker changed the drum line, now focusing more on keeping the pace with the flat-hat, while the kick and the drum made a nice combination.

"Just don't forget to think about me
And I won't forget you
"I'll write you once a week", she said"

With a small silence gap, a huge sound explosion came, Lyra takes once again the lead with the guitar. Again with the pre-Verse, The guitar faded against the bass.

"Why does it feel the same
To fall in love or break it off
And if young love is just a game
Then I must have missed the kick off
Don't depend on me to ever follow through on anything
But I'd go through hell for you and..."

"I haven't been this scared in a long time
And I'm so unprepared, so here's your valentine
Bouquet of clumsy words, a simple melody
This world's an ugly place
But you're so beautiful to me"

The band smiled, proud of their performance so far. Being the first time they played together they could only count a few mistakes to check later. Letting the last notes fade in the air, they took large breath, recovering stamina.

"Guys, that was awesome!" Lyra jumped in excitement, making her hair even more messy. Vinyl beamed at her. The Blue-haired girl was really happy at the moment, bug the sound of claps coming from her side made her smile even wider.

"It was really good indeed!" Octavia congratulations were received with smiles of the garage band. She advanced nervous, almost waiting for an invitation to join them, but noticing that Lyra did not appear upset, she finally entered into the garage, placing herself near the entrance for any possible trouble. "Sorry for being late. I had to do some things before I could come."

"No biggies... Ready for some action?" Octavia hesitated before giving up on Vinyl's smirk and the security it transmitted. Vinyl handed the bass to the Cellist, and grabbed her own guitar. Vinyl, after sweeping her sweat, readjusted her wristbands and stood right in front of Octavia.

Octavia was more nervous than she looked. She could play the Cello without errors, so naturally, it was like an instinct for her, but this new instrument felt alien to her. It was way smaller in comparison to her classical instrument, and the fact that she needed a band to help her grab it made her feel uncomfortable, especially on her chest, shifting it a couple the times before getting used to the weight and pressure of it. She took a closer look at it, trying to be more familiar with the instrument; it was shaped similar to a guitar, but with a larger neck. It was totally white, with the exception of three blue stripes that crossed the body of the bass, and the neck, that conserved its natural wood color.

"Ok, now let me show you the basics." Vinyl approached to her, signaling the strings of the instrument. "This is the stroke area. If you stroke closer to the back end, it will cause a gummy-like sound on your notes. If you stroke in the center, it will sound more solid, get it?" Octavia nodded, watching Vinyl grabbing something off her wristband. "Cool! There is two ways I know to play the bass, with a Pick" -Vinyl showed the object to Octavia- "or with your fingers. Is more common to play rock songs with a pick, but feel free to choose how to play."

Octavia gave a few test strokes with her fingers. The familiar feeling of the strings vibrating under her fingers made her feel more confident. She tested again, this time more aware of the sound and tune of the instrument. Just like Vinyl had said, Octavia could notice the different sounds product of stroking the strings on different areas. Octavia found herself smiling, thinking of the first time she played the cello, how she did the same tests, and how it made her feel.

"I think I got it, let me do a quick warm-up..." Vinyl nodded, watching curiously at Octavia. The cellist began to stretch her left hand fingers, doing a series of meticulous movements, separating and clasping together the fingers in many forms. Octavia grabbed the pick Vinyl offered earlier, and did a few quick strokes, though, thanks to her inexperience with the object, the pick flew off her hand, falling to the floor.

"It is nothing like a bow, isn't it?" Lyra lifted up the pick from the ground, handing it to a shy Octavia. "Grab it firmly, don't be scared!"

Octavia nodded again, following the hint of the mint-haired guitarist. Now with a firm grab on the pick, she played the strings without difficulties. Her left hand showed a high level performance of grace and skill, running through the neck of the bass with masterful expertise. Her fingers danced, pressing the strings on every bar, producing every note with precision. Almost by instinct, she went through the scales in incredible speed, never losing focus, never missing a note, never slowing down. Some minutes passed when she stopped, sweeping away a few sweat drops from her forehead, now with enough control over the instrument to feel good with herself. Octavia lifted her face from the bass, and was surprised to see the blank expressions of her friends staring at her. Even Kicker Beat whistled to the performance.

"Umm, e-everything is okay?"

"Dude... that was awesome! What was that!?" Lyra was the first to break the silence, her characteristic emotion showing up with every word.

"That's your first time playing the bass?" Vinyl finally reacted, still distracted by the fresh memory of the showcase. It was rare to see Vinyl speechless, but that was the best she could say. "That was like... wow."

"Well, I did some research this past days. I didn't want to be so out of place, and studied the notes, scales, tunes and some basic rhythms... That was just the warm-up I always do with my cello."

"Heh, and here I thought you would be a lose cause..." Lyra said almost in a whisper. "Anyway, wanna give it a try with the full band?"

"Let's go with something easy to start with." Vinyl adjusted the band of her guitar, shifting the weight of it on her shoulder. Beaming, she approached Octavia, putting her shades off her eyes. "Any song in particular that you want to play?"

"Hey, I don't wanna be bad or something like that, but seriously, I doubt she knows good songs to play."

"Actually..." Octavia intervene before someone, or better said Vinyl, could respond. She searched for her phone in her bag, being extremely cautious with the bass hanging from her. Once she got the phone, Octavia tapped the device a few times before showing the title of a song on the screen. "I heard this song yesterday, and I think it would be a good piece for me to start."

"Ok, from now on I would speak no more..." Lyra took a few steps back, raising her hands and lowering her head in defeat.

"Are you sure?" Octavia nodded to Vinyl. The blue-haired girl put on her shades, her smirk growing bigger. "Well, you asked for it... Do you know the song K.B.?"

The drummer approached to look at the name projected on the screen of Octavia's phone. He could not hide his surprise at the song, but nodded to both girls. In just mere seconds everyone has been ready in their positions, waiting patients for the signal to start." Everyone is ready, ok, then lets-"

"WAIT!" Lyra scream made the rest jump a little in surprise. The girl placed her phone in a nearby table, making sure the camera was pointing at them. "I wanna record it so I can show it to Bon-Bon later! Aaaaand, done!" She hurried to her place, nodding to the rest of the band.

"Well, Everyone is ready? Then let's Rock!"

The last notes faded, letting the long breath be heard instead. The garage, now a music studio, was filled with energy, so pure and intense it could be almost visible. The members of the band were tired, sweat dripping from every pore, but what was more noticeable was the satisfaction, joy and proud expressions on their faces. It was the first time they played as a band, the first performance, their first song. Maybe it was inside of a garage, with no one else listening to them, but it was a great moment for the new band.

Octavia combed her hair with her hand, ajusting with a band the few bangs of hair that were falling on her face. She let out a gasp of air and looked nervously to her band mates. "Well, how was I?"

"You we-"

"You were good, but you have to work more on your style." Lyra hurried to speak, blowing up some bangs of hair covering her eye. "I mean, you barely sweated! No head-bangs, no loose hair, no jumping? You need to feel it, miss Melody!"

Octavia shielded her face with her hands, almost scared by the sudden attack of the mint-haired girl. She was not used to move that much during a presentation. Octavia did not noticed Vinyl until she felt her hand on her shoulder. "What my noisy and totally not tactful friend here is trying to say is what I told you before: this is more about style!"

"What do you mean with that?"

"Well, you must have some personality, some presence on the scenery..." Vinyl, looking at the confuse expression of Octavia, continued her explanation. "All you need is to let the music flow inside you, but letting in out at the same time... let it control you? Is hard to explain it, you know?"

"Then show her..." Lyra interfered from behind, not losing her focus on her phone. Both Octavia and Vinyl looked at her, the latter with a small tint of pink on her cheeks. Knowing that she would not receive any more from her friend, Vinyl let out a tired sigh, running a hand through her messy hair.

"Okay... well, where to start with?" Vinyl scratched her neck, thinking of something. "Oh! Yeah, I got it! I saw this in a movie, but is a very common thing, almost a cliche, that looks pretty cool!" Vinyl proceeded to grab her guitar and opened her so the instrument would be situated in the middle of them. "This is called the power pose, go on, give it a try!"

Octavia let out a nervous laugh, almost a pray to escape from the situation she was in. Her cheeks were totally red, and she looked everywhere, trying to find a way out. "D-Do I have to do... T-That?"

"Yep, otherwise I would be the only one here looking as an idiot."

"B-But it is somehow..."

"Come on, Tavi! You play the cello, you are way used to have an instrument between your legs!" Vinyl had to retain a laugh. Her mind making inner jokes, most of them inappropriate for anyone, including herself. "We all have done this, and now you have to do it!"

Octavia hesitated, but once she noticed that she had no other way out, she nodded in defeat. The cellist, feeling more embarrassed than ever, grabbed the bass and slowly started to open her legs, letting her own weight drift them apart as wide as Vinyl's. Once in position, she let out a defeated sigh and looked up to met Vinyl's eyes.

"There you go! It wasn't that bad, eh?"

"I-I do not feel comfortable in this position, not even a little..."Octavia looked down, avoiding visual contact at all cost. "I-I fail to see how this show my personality

"Yeah, I know, I just wanted to see you doing it." The blue-haired girl laughed, making Octavia blush intensely, throwing her the cushions from the sofa. "Hey! But you learned something, you have to create your own style, that's some- Pfft." She was silenced by a cushion hitting her directly on the face, with enough force to make her tumble, almost falling backwards.

"Hey guys, I hate to interrupt you two, but I think Kicker wants to sa-Show us something." Lyra called for the other two, reuniting around the drummer. He was showing a video on his phone, one that cough the attention of the entire group.

"Those are we, the song we just played, how is that is already so popular around the school?" Octavia asked confused. Lyra checked her phone, and came up with the solution to the mystery.

"It was Bonsie's job! I send her the video and she published it on her school page!"

"How are you so sure?"

"She just texted me!" Lyra raised her phone, as showing it to the group. "Guess she wants to make us famous, isn't that great?" Nods in agreement came from the rest of the band.

Octavia detailed for a moment her surroundings. Sitting from that old sofa, she saw her classmates, each one smiling, full of emotion, passionate about music, and he could see that she was not very different from them. Octavia was also excited about this new project, she liked being part of something, if necessary. Maybe it wasn't the style she was used to, but a change of pace wouldn't hurt. Octavia was still thinking when the sound of her phone knocks her out of her mind. Looking at the screen of the device, she let out a sigh in defeat.

"I hope you'll forgive me, but I have to go..." The rest of the band looked at the cellist confused, who began to collect her things. "I'm too busy today, but I promise to make time for the other rehearsals... just be sure to let me know beforehand!"

"Yeah, well, I think the practice was going to end soon anyway. Mom told me I should help clean up the house, so I must clean up before she gets here or she'll kill me. Lyra looked lazily at her front door, then at her friends, focusing on the drummer. "Hey, do you need a ride home K.B.?" Kicker shook his head, showing a roadside aid number on his phone, and a big smile on his face.

"What about you Tavi? You need a ride or something?" Vinyl asked Octavia while helping her with the bass.

"No, I already have a way to go, but thank you very much. I must admit that I had a lot of fun today, and forgive me for being late again."

"Nah, no problem!" Lyra yelled from the doorway, bringing a broom with her. "Hey Scratch, don't think you're going to run away, you have to help me, it's your duty as the band leader!"

"I think you still have a lot of work... Thank you very much for lending me your bass, Vinyl, and for including me in this, I really appreciate it!" Octavia smiled, leaving Vinyl speechless. "See you Monday at school!" Saying this, Octavia started walking. Vinyl couldn't say anything, watching her leave, disappearing from her field of vision after a while

Vinyl could feel the heat in her cheeks, a strong blush forming on them. Blinking a couple of times, she smiled to herself. She could see the potential of this project, how everything started well. She had her music, she had her friends, she had fun, excitement, a challenge. Vinyl remembered then what Lyra had called her. "... Band leader." She liked how that sounded. She shook her head, still smiling, and met her friend at the entrance to the house.

"Damn, what did she say to you so you're smiling like that?" Lyra said mockingly, handing the broom over to a still smiling Vinyl.

"Come on, we have a lot to do..."

Author's Note

Heeey! Hello everyone! another day, another chapter, and this time in much less time ... I guess it's a good thing, right? Anyway, let's get this over with and talk about the chapter.

Well, the truth is that it was especially difficult for me, since I can't play any instrument, and expressing music in words is complicated, (I should have thought about that before starting this) But, despite everything, I came to this result, that in my humble opinion, it is a good thing!

Well, leaving the problems aside, I always appreciate the support, and I hope your comments commenting if you like or dislike something, or if you just want to say hello, remember that in this way I will know how to improve to give you the best I can offer you!

With nothing else to say, I hope you are well, and that you will see them in the next chapter! Until next time!

PS: The song they played is Blink-182's "Going away to College". My favorite band!

Chemical Reactions

"There, all done, finally…"

Putting back the last ornament in its original place, Vinyl exhaled, beads of sweat running down her forehead. Blowing a lock of hair, the Blue-haired girl contemplated the fruit of her work: an impeccable house.

"I still can't believe you convinced me to do this... I don't even clean my room this good, how the hell you did you get me to help you clean the whole house?" Confident by her's friend humorous tone, Lyra patted the back of Vinyl, a glass of cold water in the other hand, and a cocky smile all over her face.

The girls had been working for two straight hours, cleaning each room until they were shiny. Sure, they got help from Kicker Beat while he was waiting for his transport, and is also true that they skipped a few places here and there, but in the end both girls were tired, dropping onto the sofa longing for the rest they wanted so much.

"Let's just hope Mom doesn't notice the instruments in the garage..."

A small laugh escaped from Lyra mouth, however, Vinyl was looking worriedly at her friend. Lyra was looking at a photo, one she had seen a thousand times, after all, it was her favorite. In it, she could see a younger version of herself, sitting next to her father, and middle-aged man with greenish hair and glasses, big smiles on both of their faces as they seemed to read a book. Lyra looked away from the photograph, already feeling the familiar nostalgia. Shaking her head, Lyra faked a laugh as she stood up from the sofa.

"… Anyway, do you want something to bite?"

"What? Are you going to cook something?"

"Nope, I was hoping you would." With a laugh, Lyra tried to make eye contact with Vinyl. "Come on, you know pretty well that I would end poisoning us if I cook..."

"You know what is the worst? That is true." Shaking her head, Vinyl made her way to the kitchen, followed by a hungry Lyra. "You know, I still don't understand why you didn't tell your mom we were going to be practicing here."

"I couldn't find the right moment, she... she is hardly ever at home." Vinyl could feel the pain in Lyra's tone, and hesitated whether she should say anything. "I told Dad anyway, so no problem!"

Vinyl rolled her eyes, preferring not to dwell further on the subject. After searching inside the fridge, Vinyl puts some ingredients on the counter. She tied her hair up, ready to cook. Lyra looked enthusiastically at her friend, who masterfully cut, sliced, seasoned, and prepared the food. Vinyl maintained herself in action, with fluid and precise movements, without stopping, without stumbling. In what seemed like mere minutes, the two girls were enjoying a steamy hot meal.

"Here you go, a Cajun-style Milanese sandwich!" Vinyl looked proudly at her dish, although seeing that Lyra had already devoured much of hers, she could not help but feel a little disappointed. "I guess it's like Dad always says: Cooking is a thankless job."

"Huh, Waft ya saif?" Lyra swallowed hard, letting out a satisfied sigh after wiping her mouth. "Dude, this was delicious, like, brutally delicious!"

"Yeah, thanks Ly,.." Vinyl was watching her friend with a frown, trying to get her attention with the weight of her gaze.

"... And I love it when you put mustard on the bread, it's just great!" Lyra, still praising Vinyl's food, ignored the blue-haired. After several minutes it was that she noticed Vinyl, who was now even more serious. "Umm? What's up?"

"Ok, for real, are we going to talk about That or what?"

Vinyl's seriousness caused a clear discomfort on Lyra, who shifted in her seat trying to feel more comfortable. Vinyl waited patiently for her to finish eating, never looking away from her friend. For her part, Lyra was thinking how to delay a conversation she could not escape. Giving up, Lyra let out a long sigh before talking.

"Hey, seriously, I don't know what the prob-"

"The problem is that we're using your house to practice and your Mom doesn't even know!" Lyra frowned in annoyance as Vinyl continued. "I don't like it at all, I don't want to lie to anyone, and I clearly don't want you to get in trouble!"

"Aw, I didn't know you cared so much about me!" Lyra teased, trying to lighten the mood, and placed a hand on Vinyl's shoulder. "Don't worry though, Mom will never find out, she spends most of the day working, and when she gets home, she is too tired to notice anything..."

As funny and carefree she wanted to sound, the pain was evident in every word. Vinyl smiled warmly, and squeezed Lyra's hand in hers, trying to comfort her friend in some way. Lyra snorted, shaking her head, somehow hopping those thoughts would come out as well.

"Ah, y-yeah, anyway, is not like we're lying to the entire continent!" Lyra quickly changed the topic, her signature cocky smile back on her face. "I mean, I did tell my Dad, like, for real! And K.B. Knows the truth too, that only leaves Mom and Octavia..."

"Yeah, and that's why I am worried... Tavi seems to be like the type of person who freaks out over this kind of things, you know?"

"Yeah, right, you can't fool me! I know what's wrong with you!" Lyra smirked, causing Vinyl to flinch, a huge blush appearing on her cheeks as she looked away. Vinyl's reaction only made more grace to Lyra, who was trying her hardest to control a laugh. After taking a few deep breaths to recover herself, Lyra could see the discontent and annoyance in Vinyl, who was looking at her with a large frow, even though it was less intimidating with her red cheeks.

"W-What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on! Don't play dumb with me! You know very well what I'm talking about..." Lyra emphasized raising an eyebrow, and Vinyl flinched once again, turning as red as a tomato as she realized her friend's hints.

"W-What? Tavi is just a friend, we know each other for like two weeks, I barely anything about her. I don't like her! W-well, I like her as a friend, but not in that kind of way!"

"I never said you liked her..."

"Wh-Don't-I-I-Oh ho ho... yeah, I know what are you doing here, and you know what? It won't work." Vinyl watched the teasing expression on Lyra's face, filling herself with anger and helplessness, not knowing how to get out of the trap she had fallen into. "I'm serious Lyra, very serious, I don't like her that way!"

"Yeah, you are serious..." Lyra raised her hands in defeat. Huffing, she tapped the table a few times before leaving.

"Hey, don't run away! Get back to the point, when are we going to tell your Mom that we are practicing here?"

Vinyl watched incredulously as Lyra dropped onto the sofa, totally unconcerned, smirking as she invited Vinyl to sit next to her. The blue-haired girl approached her without breaking eye contact, maintaining the same intensity of her gaze at all times, and receiving the same carefree expression.

"Hey, listen to me for a sec. This is serious, I don't want you to get into trouble just for being as dumb as always... we already have enough watching chemistry with professor Discord."

"Ok, ok, I'll talk to Mom this weekend, so take it easy. You can stop worrying now about me, and also about your beloved raven-haired cellist." Lyra's joke was answered with a pillow to the face. A solid thud could be heard along with a muffled laugh.

The chemistry class were not to the liking of many, let alone Vinyl. Beside the fact that was early in the morning, there was more in it for Vinyl to hate this class. As with other subjects like physics or mathematics, the problems and concepts were difficult for her, and most of the time, the solutions she came up to for half of the operations were not scientifically based. But there was a difference between those classes and chemistry. The real reason why chemistry was worse than other subjects was none other than the professor.

Professor Discord was the living example of a mad scientist or an evil genius. From his wild appearance, his messy white hair, the ridiculous clothes, to his permanent sadistic smile, this teacher did not inspired not even a bit of confidence or security. On the contrary, his students were subjected to a kind of psychological torture, were at any moment, anyone could be the victim of a sinister game or test of Discord.

Vinyl was under such pressure at the moment, trying to make sense of the set of letters, symbols and numbers on the board. She prayed for the teacher's nonexistent piety. Discord, for his part, was delighted as he saw the different nuances of expressions on the faces, from understanding to total incomprehension, along with some sings of fear of boredom here and there. Tapping the tip of his fingers, a dark chuckle escaped from between his teeth.

"Well, well, what do we have here? This equation seems quite difficult, don't you think?" Discord stared at the whiteboard in amazement, trying his best to make it look exaggerated and false. Again, a dark laugh escaped, causing chills to an already terrified Vinyl. "However, where some see a problem, I see an opportunity..."

"Today, a lucky student will have a chance to score an automatic ten on the next partial exam, all he had to do is solve this equation..." Walking around the room, Discord reflected to death in search of his next victim, rejoicing with every expression of pain and fear. "Ah! But there is a little thing... He he, you see, if the result is wrong, or there is a mistake of any kind, well, you will lose three points on the exam."

Vinyl could feel the trail of a drop of sweat, from her forehead all the way down her neck. As Discord approached, she could see her life go before her eyes. She thought of every decision she took that guided her to this exact moment, and thought even harder about everything she could have done to avoid the inevitable. Hopeless, ready to accept her fate, Vinyl saw the light in the form of a sheet of paper, on it, which seemed to be the solution to the equation. She immediately turned to see Lyra, who was sitting at her left, only for her to point to an smiling Octavia, who was sitting a couple of desk ahead. Vinyl didn't have time to say or do anything, because without realizing it, Discord was standing next to her desk, his everlasting sadistic smile sending chills down Vinyl's back.

"Miss Scratch, I bet you could use a ten on your exam... would you mind solving the equation on the board?"

"W-Well..." Vinyl looked around her worriedly, looking for a sign, something to tell her how to get out of this situation. Her gaze fell on Octavia, who with a warm smile, pointed at the sheet that had come into Vinyl's hands. "Y-Yeah?"

Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, Vinyl got up from her desk and started walking to the board. Face to face with the great exercise, Vinyl blindly trusted Octavia's note, copying each number, each sign, each detail as it was written. She even took pains to imitate the cellist's writing. The whole room watched with curiosity and attention as Vinyl "Solved" the equation, even Discord approached to have a better view. A few minutes later Vinyl had finished transquiring, and she was proud of her result.

"Hmmm... interesting." Discord approached the board, examining each line of the equation in detail, looking for the slightest mistake. Vinyl watched happily as frustration grew in her teacher, and sneakily gave Octavia a thumbs-up, who responded in the same way. Taking a couple of steps back, Discord stared in disbelief at the blackboard, something Vinyl took as a good sign, but almost immediately the professor looked at Vinyl, and his dark smile reappeared on his face. "Very good, congratulations, Miss Scratch, I must say that I was surprised, and that is something that does not happen every day... You just need to do one more thing: Please explain to the whole class how you solved this equation... "

"W-What?" The color drained from Vinyl's face, who sought help from Octavia. The cellist could not do much more than wish her friend luck, although she knew that would be the end. Vinyl took a deep breath, looking for what words to say, or what to say in general. the more time passed, the fewer solutions she could think of, so she tried to do what she did best: improvise.

"Well, you know ..." Looking at the board, she tried to make sense of all that jumble of letters and numbers, pointing with her hand as she spoke. "I moved this number over here, and this X for this other side, and this seven that seems important... Wait, where is the seven? Anyway, maybe it wasn't that important. Then I grabbed all this and turned it into this... and then I moved it over here? Ah! Here's the seven again! "

After a few seconds, Vinyl decided to shut up, noting that the entire room was completely silent. Looking around, she could see Kicker Beat Facepalming, Lyra trying to hold back a laugh, and Octavia with her head down, and at that moment she realized that perhaps her plan did not go as well as she expected.

"He he he... That was quite entertaining, but I am sorry to say that you have just confirmed my suspicion. Anyway, since, although cheating, you managed to solve the exercise, I will only take a point and a half from you in the next exam"

Vinyl let out a grunt in annoyance, showing her middle finger at the professor as she adjusted her glasses. Back at her desk, she could see Octavia watching her with a guilty expression, gesturing an apology. Vinyl offered her a carefree smile and shrugged, easing Octavia's sentimental burden. Leaning back in her chair, she turned to her surroundings, looking for something to amuse herself with, and she noticed how Lyra saw her with a mocking smile.

"hehe ... I know what's going on there" Lyra teased, raising an eyebrow comically.Vinyl's cheeks took on a pink color quite familiar to Lyra lately.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't like her that way?" vinyl's voice was a strangled scream, as if she were on low volume. Failing to attempt a private conversation, several classmates were now attentive to the discussion between the two girls.

"Only until you realize the truth ..." Lyra ended the conversation, to the misfortune of the others. Her smiling expression only caused more annoyance in Vinyl, who did not know how to respond, just turning angrily and folding her arms.

"Very good! Practice number two of the band... we have to think of a name by the way." Vinyl was narrating to her phone's camera as she arranged it on a makeshift stand, grabbing some magazines and some tool she found nearby. Once again gathered in Lyra's garage, this time with her mother's permission and with Bon-Bon's company, the band was happily spending the afternoon. They had already played a couple of warm-up songs, and were proud of their performance so far. "Bon-Bon, you have the task of thinking of a name for the band! Anyway, as I was saying, the band's second practice, and we're going to try a slightly faster song this time..."

Pulling herself into position, Vinyl checked the status of her bandmates, and nodded to Kicker Beat, who began the count.Soon, the garage was inundated with a loud drum roll, followed by a screeching discharge from the guitar. The song was fast, and it was a huge burst of energy for the group. After a few seconds, Vinyl started singing.

-Today was the worst day: I went through hell
I wish I could remove it from my mind
Two months away from you, but I couldn't tell
I thought that everything was gonna be just fine-

Throughout the verse, only the background drums and bass sound could be heard, which Octavia now played with much more mastery and confidence. a strong guitar chord marked the passage to the pre-chorus, to which Lyra joined in the lyrics.

-The postcard that you wrote with the stupid little note
Something wasn't quite right about it
Smelled like cheap perfume, and it didn't smell like you
There is no way you can get around it
Because you wrote-

The chorus, just as energetic as the rest of the song, was Vinyl's favorite part. Especially because of the small change of speed in the middle of this, which presented a challenge for the band.

-I wish you were her
You left out the "E"
You left without me
And now you're somewhere out there with a
Bitch, slut, psychopath
I hate you; why are guys so lame?
Everything I gave you
I want everything back but you-

-My friends tried to tell me all along
That you weren't the right one for me
My friends tried to tell me to be strong
I bet you didn't think that I would see-

-The postcard that you wrote with the stupid little note
Something wasn't quite right about it
I wanna see you cry like I did a thousand times
Now you're losing me, you're losing me now
'Cause you wrote-

The second chorus gave way to the guitar solo. This one, although not long, was complex due to the speed of the notes, but Vinyl accepted the challenge with a devilish smile. Putting her guitar on her thigh for greater control, she let out the torrent of notes at great speed. Her head moving to the beat of the song, making her blue hair flutter in midair.

-I wish you were her
You left out the "E"
You left without me
Everything back but you
I wish you were her
You left out the "E"
You left without me
Everything back but you-

This last chorus was different from the rest, leaving only the sound of the drums and bass once again. Shortly after the guitars were integrated again, ending the song with a very showy riff. Exhausted, the band stopped to rest after several applauses and cheers from Bon-Bon. Lyra was the first to suffer from Bon-Bon's praise, receiving a big hug and several compliments and comments on her performance. To tell the truth, judging by the smile on her face, one could say that she more yuan happy for this girl's company. Vinyl focused more on congratulating both Kicker Beat and Octavia. The drummer cheerfully accepted the comments, nodding so that one might think he wanted to say the same about them.

In order to rest for a while, everyone stripped off their instruments, leaving them gently leaning against some boxes. Vinyl sat on the old sofa, next to Lyra and Bon-Bon, who were still deep in conversation. Without realizing it, she noticed Octavia, who was stretching her arms over her head in such a way that the flannel she was wearing marked perfectly every curve of her torso. A few beads of sweat ran from her neck to her chest, fading under the fine fabric. Vinyl was mesmerized by this figure, unable to look away. This show continued for a few more minutes, when Octavia started drinking from a bottle of water. Vinyl couldn't help but notice the cellist's lips. A small trickle of water came out of the corner of her lips, sliding down to her jaw and falling into small droplets on her chest. Vinyl watched this scene in amazement, licking unconsciously. She could get lost in that moment for hours if not for the laughter of her two friends sitting next to her.

"I told you, didn't I?" Lyra giggled to Bon-Bon, who was working to control her own laugh.

"Yes, yes you did, and you were absolutely right." Bon-Bon let out another laugh, which Lyra joined. Vinyl watched with curiosity and some concern as she tried to guess what they were talking about.Unable to discover the topic of conversation, Vinyl gave up. She then made up her mind to talk to Octavia, assuming that with Kicker she wouldn't have much to talk about. However, something went wrong with her plan. As she got closer to Octavia, Vinyl could notice how finding a topic of conversation was more and more difficult, a distance of just a couple of meters became an entire journey on her eyes.

"-What's wrong with you, Vinyl? Get it together and just talk about anything for god's sake!.. Be cool.-" Vinyl was internally arguing with herself. Having little time to react, she had to decide what to say or do, however, for some reason that she was unaware of, her mind was not working as usual. Now he was right behind Octavia, even without being noticed by the cellist. "-Ok, you don't want to be cool, okay ... So just say the first thing that goes through your mind, just nothing stupid ..."

"You look like that kind of girl who likes pizza with pineapple... am I wrong?" Immediately after that phrase, Vinyl regretted it. Octavia's confused expression did not help her relax, although this expression changed soon after with a small laugh.

"Well you are correct. In fact, it is my favorite... Although I am not very fond of pizza." Octavia made a small grimace, making Vinyl smile and lightening her burden a little. "But why do you ask?"

"-Pineapples ... Pizza ... ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME OR WHAT? -" Vinyl's mind, however, was not so successfully overcoming the previous failure, still punishing itself. "Honestly, I don't even know why I said it... A-Anyway, you got used to bass already, didn't you? "

"Well, I don't feel as comfortable as with a cello, but I think I'm starting to get a taste for it." Octavia took a quick look at the instrument, forming a small smile on her mouth. "I think I'll buy myself a base, that way you can get yours back, and I'll stop feeling bad about using it for so long..."

"Hey, that's great! Well, not the part where you feel bad, but the part where you want to buy a bass ... It's not like there's something wrong with you using mine! I don't have problem with that, I'm just saying it's great, yup ... great. "

"Take it easy, I know what you mean, and I appreciate it." Vinyl, while suffering from shame inside her, was able to relax a bit each time she saw the cellist smile. Taking a small leap, Vinyl sat on the counter Octavia was leaning on. From there Vinyl felt more comfortable, and somehow felt more focused not being face to face with Octavia. "By the way, do you know of a good place where I can buy a bass?"

"You mean, like a music store? Sure! I know a great place in the city, whenever you want we can go and I can show you around!" Octavia kindly accepted the proposal, and soon after the conversation died. A few seconds of silence between them was enough for Vinyl to put her mind in order and think of common topics of conversation. Unsurprisingly, given how little she knew of Octavia to date, her list of possible topics was limited to music, homework, and bad teachers. "What do you think of the band so far?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know..." Vinyl scratched her neck, searching the words in her mind. "Do you think we sound good? Are we good? That sort of thing."

"I think we are pretty good, even if I am not a big fan of this style... Maybe we are a bit loud?" Both girls let out a cheery laugh. "I don't know, I guess I'm not getting used to the volume at which we play."

"Guilty of all charges." Vinyl raised her hand, a half smile on her face along with a playful expression. "I like to listen to the music at full volume, either through the amps or through my headphones... I'm sure it's not very healthy, but I love how it feels!"

"That reminds me... I always see you with headphones on in class, except in chemistry. Why?"

"Last year Professor Discord took away a pair of headphones, and said he would only get them back if he got a ten on the next exam ..." Letting out a nostalgic sigh, Vinyl dropped from her position to position herself next to Octavia. "I got a six, and I had to buy a new pair. Since then, I don't use headphones in chemistry."

"Actually, I was wondering why you wear headphones in other classes, but I liked that story!" Again, both girls laughed, enjoying each other's company. However, this time Vinyl was more focused on Octavia. His eyes scanned and recorded in his memory every little detail of the cellist's face. Without realizing it, the reason for her smile was not because of a joke, but because of the girl next to her.

"Y-Yeah ... well, here you go, write down my phone number!" Trying to stay calm and collected, Vinyl changed the subject under pure instinct. "I'll text you later, maybe I'll pass you a couple of songs that I love, and you can also send me something that you like!"

"Hey, lovebirds! I hate to interrupt, but I think Octy came for you ..." Octavia and Vinyl turned at the same time to meet Lyra and her typical grimace. Both girls took a few seconds to process what Lyra had said, and little by little a red finality invaded their faces. In a quick movement they separated, avoiding looking each other in the eye.

"You say they came to pick me up?"

"Well, a sleek black car is parked in front of the house, your phone has rang a few times in your bag, and if it's not that, then the fucking Men in Black are waiting outside..." Octavia leaned out, recognizing the car. With relative speed she gathered her things, at the same time as she said goodbye to her friends. She paused for a few seconds in front of Vinyl, offering her a smile and a quick hug before jogging to the car. Vinyl was stunned for a few seconds, watching Octavia disappear inside the car, and in turn, this disappeared in the distance. Her gaze remained fixed on the space where the car used to be, totally focused on her thoughts.

"Lyra..."

"Hmm? What?" Lyra looked confused at her friend, who had not moved a muscle. Her gaze still in infinity.

"I think you're right..."

"Am I right about what?"

"I think..." Vinyl took a deep breath, trying to focus. Lyra for her part waited, still confused, for her friend to explain what she was talking about. "I think I like Octavia... not only as a friend, but as kind of like for real..."

Author's Note

Heeeeey! How are you? what's new? A new chapter slightly longer than the others, so let's do this quickly so as not to lengthen things further, okay?

First things first, the Chapter itself: Quite fun to write, although as in the previous chapter, describing music is quite a challenge. However, I liked the result, so I guess it's okay?

Thanks again for the support, and if you like or dislike something, comment without fear!

With nothing more to say, I hope to see you in the next chapter, and again a thousand thanks for the support! Until next time!

P.S .: The song in this chapter was "Everything back but you" by Avril Lavigne