The Music Freaks Jailey Novels & Stories

he added, starting to leave. "Wait a minute!" I called out, stopping him at the door. I shifted my gaze to the clock on the wall, watching the minute hand tick forward. When the minute hand hit ten, I unlocked my phone and found Lucas Zacker's Twitter account. Just like in my past life, he had posted a link to a music platform, accompanied by the caption: "My original solo track 'A Flicker in the Dark' awaits your listen." I clicked the link, and the familiar sound of the male vocals filled the room.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking of.” “It comes on after fuckin’ Sesamee Street or something.” “They’re a show on PBS, yeah, but there’s a huge music festival, too,” Ryan said. Riley turned on Miles. “Why the fuck’re you putting us in a country music show?” “It’s not a country music show,” Miles growled. “Pearl Jam will be playing, Outkast, Beck – ” “So, fuckin’ has-beens,” Riley griped. “Hey!” Ryan and Derek both yelled at the same time.

"Guess we stop for food. What do we crave?" We didn't miss a beat, practically shouting. "Pizza! Fries! And a giant milkshake!" Dad chuckled, slowing the car as they approached a rest stop. "Alright, alright, but one thing’s true..." Soph, me, and mom leaned forward eagerly. "What’s that, what’s that? Tell us, do!" Dad shot us a playful look. "No singing off-key—keep it in tune!" Sophie and I exchanged mischievous grins before belting out in the worst, most off-key voices possible:

NICOLE “One taste and I was ruined. I just didn’t know how badly he’d need me, too.” The music was loud enough to shake the buildings' walls. Bodies packed the mansion, laughter and shouting, blending into the heavy bass that pulsed through the floor beneath my feet. I hated parties, especially parties thrown by rich college students with too much money and too much alcohol, and unfortunately, tonight wasn’t just any party; it was Elena’s back-to-school party, and Elena happened to be my best friend. A no to Elena means I don’t value our friendship, and I do a lot.

Only country music comes in. The bar is crowded for a Thursday night. I feel like I’m walking through a movie set or something with all the pickup trucks parked in a gravel parking lot. Music drifts from the bar, and people sit on tailgates, talking and laughing. I hate that I love it so much. Grandpa goes right up to the bar, and the bartender knows his name. “Hey, Fred,” he says. “What are you doing here so late?” “I’m taking my granddaughter out for a night on the town. She just got in from the east coast,” Grandpa tells him.

It is not in my nature. The next song starts and Kelly, her brother, Merigold, and Rowdy get up to line dance with several others. But that is not what gets my attention. There is a guy I haven’t met dancing with them. He is wearing a leather jacket telling me he is part of the club. And trust me even with all the people I met tonight I would remember this guy. He has to be the most gorgeous man I have ever seen. “ Hoollyy FEK.” Finn looks at me “ Ailee

The front door of the packhouse swings open again- Brock’s the last to arrive, stepping inside with a guy who looks to be a few years older than him, presumably his beta. “What’s going on?” he asks, running a hand through his wavy shoulder-length hair and eyeing the rest of us with suspicion. I suppose it would be a mindfuck to get an ominous call for an emergency meeting and walk into a cheerful celebration. “Jax and Quinn are mates,” Reid supplies. “You owe me fifty bucks.”

"You probably don't have long before she escapes him and comes back even louder than before." "Thanks, man. I swear, I thought I was going to kill myself if she didn't shut up." Chris rolled his eyes. "Your sister is understandably upset you were injured." "Yeah, well, she'd be even more pissed if she found out if my beating was a warning to her." His words froze Javier. "What did you say?" "The four meatheads who jumped me were hired muscle. West coast boys judging by their accents. They took me by surprise coming off the college campus." Chris's face, the parts not purple and blue already, reddened with embarrassment.

When I was eighteen, my brothers, the bosses of our mafia family, brought home an adopted sister. And so, naive as I was, I became the biggest nuisance in the family. When Vivian's dress was torn, they blamed me. When Vivian was frightened by the gang violence, they still blamed me. Later, our turf was attacked, and Vivian was kidnapped by our rivals. My brothers, who used to adore me, looked at me with desperate, tearful eyes and broke down. "Piper, we are begging you. Please take Vivian's place, okay?" I quietly looked up at them and softly said, "Okay." So, on that stormy night, I walked alone into the enemy camp and took the place of their beloved princess. As for me, I was thro