Chapter 2

Back in the dorm again, my roommate pointed at the desk.

"I put your portfolio out for you. You've really made up your mind about transferring?"

I flipped open the portfolio and nodded without a word. Josie Palmer leaned in beside me, following my gaze across the pages.

"You're seriously talented. What possessed you to sign up for the music department in the first place?"

It was because Aria and Reid both chose music and insisted on bringing me along. So, I gave up the art department and switched to music instead. But I never actually liked it, and learning music theory was miserable.

At first, Reid would patiently walk me through things. But eventually he just sighed, clearly losing patience.

"You're not cut out for music. It's not like you're going into this field anyway, so just pass your exams and call it good."

After that, Reid never helped me again. But I'd walk past the practice room and see him carefully guiding Aria through her lessons. He'd break concepts down for her piece by piece, hold her hands, and show her how to play new songs.

With me, he'd just demonstrate a few times and point out what I did wrong. So, his patience depended on who he was giving it to.

Three days later, I walked out of the academic building into a downpour. Reid and Aria caught up from behind and handed me an umbrella.

"Maddie, the professor says the group materials and video need to be turned in right away. You've got nothing going on, so go submit them for us."

I took the umbrella with my eyes lowered. "What if I don't have time?"

"Come on, don't be difficult. Aria and I are both busy, and it's not like it'll take you long."

Something felt off. "Then where are you two going?"

"We're heading to a concert. Just go on back."

My heart sank. "Just the two of you?"

Aria peeked out from behind Reid, looking sheepish. "We could only get two tickets last month, so we didn't mention it."

The excuse was so familiar it made me go numb. "Did you really only manage to get two, or did you only buy two? And that extra ticket you gave me before was just one someone else didn't want, wasn't it?"

Aria's face drained of color and her lips trembled, but nothing came out.

Reid pulled her behind him and looked at me with open disapproval. "Do you have to put it like that? You don't even care about music, so does it even matter if you had one?"

I couldn't stop shaking. I thought about all those days and nights in the practice room, playing the same pieces over and over, crying while I practiced. And in his eyes, none of that counted as caring.

"Why would you think I don't care?" I choked out.

"Your exam scores are terrible. Isn't that proof enough?"

Aria tugged at Reid's sleeve. "Reid, why would you say that to her face!"

Then she took my hand and said timidly, "Maddie, he just means you've been spending a lot of time on painting lately. That's all."

Reid cut in. "And that is a waste of time."

I looked at him and almost laughed at how ridiculous it was. They loved music, so they felt perfectly free to look down on my love for painting. They'd dragged me into their world and then resented me for not keeping up.

I wasn't bad at what I did. My talent had even been recognized. But they either couldn't see that or refused to.

I yanked my hand free from Aria and faced Reid head-on. "If you think what I love is a waste of time, then let's break up."

They both froze. Then Reid let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

"Using a breakup as a threat, Madeline? When did you get so childish? If you've got time to throw a tantrum, you've got time to go practice."

And with that, he took Aria and disappeared into the rain.