CHAPTER 100: I DIDN’T MEAN TO GIVE YOU THE MIDDLE FINGER IN MY HEAD[JUNE’S POV]

I took a breath, then another.

The keys started softly under Ren’s fingers. I closed my eyes and began.

"I’ve heard there was a secret chord..."

My voice trembled just a little on the first line, but I caught it quick. I kept going. I didn’t need the sheet in front of me, I knew the lyrics by heart.

"...and David said it pleased the Lord, but you don’t really care for music, do you?"

There were backup singers behind me, humming the harmony. A couple of students on guitar and bass beside Ren. But all I could see..was him.

Ren was my main focus.

His fingers moved across the keyboard like they weren’t even touching it. Like the music was just flowing out of him.

His eyes stayed down, focused, like he always did when he was lost in music.

The sway of his shoulders in time with the beat. The way his bottom lip curled in.

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. God, I hoped nobody noticed.

The whole music room disappeared.

The other students faded out.

Like I wasn’t on a stage in front of twenty classmates and the music teacher.

It was just my voice, the way Ren played like he was playing for me.

I kept going.

"Hallelujah... Hallelujah..."

Then I turned slightly, toward the side window.

And choked on the next note.

Right outside, standing shamelessly with that annoying smug face, was Ian.

He was literally watching me.

The hell?

I coughed mid-line, completely off-key.

"Miss June, are you alright?" Mr. Daniels, the music teacher, asked, lowering his conducting hand.

I gave a quick fake cough and scratched at my throat. "Yeah, just something in my throat. I’m okay."

He nodded and clapped his hands once. "Alright, let’s take five, everyone. Hydrate, stretch your voices... back in five."

Chairs scraped. People started putting down their instruments, stretching their backs.

Ren stood up, shaking out his hands.

I walked straight to the door and pushed it open.

Ian was leaning on the wall like he’d been waiting all his life for me to storm out.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped, folding my arms.

"I was passing by. Didn’t know frogs learned how to sing." He raised an eyebrow. "That’s new."

My jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged. "You were croaking back there. Thought it was mating season."

I crossed my arms. "At least I don’t stand outside windows like some creep."

"Aw, I missed you too, June," he smirked. "It didn’t sound like complete trash. Just... partial trash."

"Okay, well, thank you so much for your unsolicited review," I said, folding my arms. "Now kindly slither back to whatever locker you crawled out of. You’re not welcome here."

He laughed, leaning against the wall. "Don’t get defensive. I’m actually impressed. Didn’t know you could sing like that with your whole annoying attitude."

Why did that almost sound like a compliment?

I gasped dramatically. "Oh wow, thank you, Your Majesty. What an honor." I gave him the slowest, most sarcastic bow I could manage.

"Don’t strain your back, June. I didn’t mean it as a compliment."

"And I didn’t mean to give you the middle finger in my head, but here we are."

He gave me a smug grin. "Just saying. You didn’t suck. Don’t let it go to your head."

I huffed and looked away. "Then stop staring at me through window like a weirdo."

"Just say you were flustered," he said with a smirk. "Besides, I was waiting for someone."

"That someone better not be me."

"It’s not. Also..." He leaned in and whispered. "I know something that can help your throat." He smirked.

Eeewwww, what the hell?

He was about to say something else when the door behind me swung open and Ren stepped out.

"Hey," Ren said, smiling at me first before turning to Ian. "What’re you doing here, dude? You thinking of joining music class or something?"

Ian gave Ren a lazy nod. "Not exactly. Just... watching the show."

Ren side-eyed me quickly, then looked back at Ian. "Pretty good show, huh?"

"Tell your lead singer to stop screaming next time. My ears are delicate." He scoffed.

I opened my mouth, ready to tear him a new one...

But Ian just chuckled, patted Ren on the shoulder, and started walking away.

"See you around, Ren. And tell her to also work on her growls. She’s almost convincing."

I stood there, crossed my arms.

"Don’t let him get to you, Jellybean," Ren said, patting my bangs. "Ian isn’t nice to anyone."

"I noticed."

"But honestly," He turned to face me fully. "You sounded amazing."

My mouth opened, then closed again.

Heat crawled up my neck. "You’re just saying that so I won’t feel bad."

He laughed. "I meant it," he said. "You were... beautiful up there."

My stomach twisted. My heart started racing.

We stood there in silence for a moment, students walking past us in the hallway, the muffled sound of a guitar string being tested inside the music room

He turned to me, then nodded back toward the room. "You good to come back in?"

I nodded quickly. "Yeah. I guess."

"Come on. Let’s finish the set." He stepped aside to let me walk in first, his hand brushed mine lightly as I passed.

Ren was still smiling when we sat back down at the piano.

And I was too.

The bell rang minutes later. Class was over.

I grabbed my water bottle, still feeling a little shaky from earlier.

As I slung my bag over my shoulder and turned to leave, a few people from class stopped me near the door.

"June, you seriously killed that," one of the backup singers said. "Like, I got actual goosebumps."

"Girl, I didn’t even know you had a voice like that," someone else added, grinning. "Where’ve you been hiding that?"

I blinked, surprised. "Uh... thanks," I mumbled, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

Compliments always made me a little awkward.

Mr Daniels called out from the front, tapping a pen against his clipboard. "June, make sure you hydrate tonight, alright? That throat thing earlier...could be nothing, but let’s not risk it again."

I nodded. "Yes, sir. I will."

"Good work today."

"Thank you sir," I said quietly, adjusting the strap of my bag and turning to leave.

Everyone slowly started filing out. I waited for Ren to pack up his stuff so we could walk out together like usual, but just as I turned toward the hallway.

"June."

I paused.

Ren was still by the keyboard, one hand gripping the strap of his backpack, the other scratching the back of his head like he was trying to calm some nervous energy.

He looked... weirdly shy.

"Yeah?" I stepped back inside.

He waited until the last person left and the door clicked shut behind them. Then he looked up at me, and chuckled.

It was just us.

"What’s up?" I asked, hugging my bag a little tighter to my side.

Ren scratched his head again, then dropped his hand. "So... I, uh wanted to ask you about something. I hope you don’t mind."

My heart skipped. "Okay?"

His eyes flicked away for a second before meeting mine again.

"You know the talent show coming up next week?"

"Mm..hmm..." I said slowly.

"I was thinking... would you maybe wanna do a duet with me?"

My breath caught in my throat.

"Say what now?"

He’s asking me to sing with him? In front of the whole school?

He scratched his head again and let out a soft laugh, like he was embarrassed. "I was thinking, it’d look good on my college application if I did something performance-based, y’know? And I mean, after what I heard today, I think we’d kill it. We could come up with something original."

"Are you....serious?"

Is he serious right now?

He nodded. "Dead serious."

God. I could already see it. Spending hours in a room with him, writing, singing, harmonizing...just the two of us. Private time. With Ren. And he was the one asking me.

I can’t believe this is happening. The guy I’ve always had a huge crush on, is asking me to be his duet partner.

My actual, living, musical crush.

I gasped softly. "You’re asking me?"

He smiled a little. "Well, yeah. Who else?"

"I mean," I said, trying to play it cool while my heart kept skipping, "that’s exactly what I thought too. Getting an A would look great on our applications."

Ren chuckled, "So... that’s a yes?"

I nodded. "I’d love to."

Why am I always this flustered around Ren?

His shoulders dropped a little like he’d been holding in a breath too. "Awesome. I’ll send you the practice schedule tonight. I’ve got a music room at my place, and it’s soundproofed and all that. You can pick days that work for you and come over."

My eyes widened slightly. He told me to come over to his place?

I smiled, still trying to stay cool, even though I was melting inside. "Sounds good."

Then he did this thing...stepped a little closer, leaned forward just enough to lightly pat the top of my head. He was so close I could scent his cologne.

"I’m looking forward to it," he said.

My heart pounded in my chest so loud I was afraid he could hear it.

And just like that, he was out the door, casually walking down the hall, completely unaware that he’d just given me a reason to start rethinking every outfit I owned.

I stood there frozen for a second, staring after him.

My hands were still clutched to the strap of my bag, but my brain had already gone somewhere else.

Private practices.

At his house.

With him.

Alone.

I can’t believe this is happening .