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Chapter 9

Idon’t know how long I’ve been sitting in this corner, plotting my escape—and coming up with nothing useful—but the chatter down the hall has died down. If I’m lucky, I can find my way to the suite without running into anyone. I creep down the hallway without crossing paths with anybody.

When I come to a fork, I can’t decide if I go straight or right. Everything is starting to look the same.

Music sounds from somewhere. It has a nice beat, and the singer sounds out of this world. His rich voice sends warm ripples through my body.

Is that from the dance Mrs. Middlebrooks was talking about? Now I wish I’d paid attention. No matter. It’s not like I’m going to participate. I don’t even remember how to with a tail and water.

I follow the sounds to a room about the size of the suite, where a band is playing. Nobody’s watching. I sneak in and watch them from behind a large plant.

My heart leaps into my throat. Bash is the lead singer. It’s his voice that’s massaging my on-edge muscles. He’s also playing guitar, and killing it. These guys are seriously better than anything I’ve heard before. They’d be topping the charts back home. Yet nobody’s even paying them any attention down here.

I move aside some leaves for a better view. Bash finishes off an unbelievable guitar solo, then returns to the mic, singing angsty lyrics. My heart skips a beat and his voice continues soothing my insides. All the stress from my day is actually melting away.

A spunky girl with super-short dark hair moves up to the other mic and belts out lyrics in tune with Bash. They lean in toward each other and their voices blend perfectly, like a match made in heaven. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Not only are they really cute together—why does that thought make my stomach turn?—but both are full of attitude, both have tattoos. Not that being adorable singing together and having awesome ink automatically makes them a couple.

Why am I overthinking this? Why am I thinking about it at all? The guy clearly is annoyed by my existence. He was only showing me around because he had to. Punishment, he’d said.

He and the girl pause for just a moment, then the band starts another song. This one has the perfect beat. It makes me want to move out from behind the plant and give underwater dancing a try. Bash’s voice melds with that girl’s again, and they move in close, smiling at each other as they sing some romantic lyrics. Despite the music calming me, they manage to make my skin crawl.

“There you are!” A hand rests on my arm.

I whip around. Halen. I turn back to the band and torture myself watching Bash with that girl.

“Come on.” Halen grabs my arm and pulls me into the hallway.

“What are you doing?”

Her eyes widen. “I’ve been looking all over for you! Why are you watching them?”

“Their music is amazing.”

She contorts her face. “Annoying, is more like it.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Halen gives me a funny look. “No, but I think you’re kidding me.”

I glance back into the room. Bash’s hair is getting into his eyes and his muscles are flexing with every move he makes. Now he’s singing a solo, and that chick is nowhere to be seen. Finally.

Halen pulls me back. “We need to get into our room for bed check.”

“Bed check?”

“Didn’t someone give a tour? Explain things to you?”

“Middlebrooks gave me a packet. I didn’t really look at it. Bash showed me around. That’s about it.”

“Forget about Bash and his band. They’re bad news.” She pulls me again. “First-years have to be in bed the earliest.”

“I can’t believe I have a bedtime. What happens if we miss it?”

“First offense is a warning, but then after that it gets increasingly worse. They’ll give us hard labor and even banish us from our favorite activities.”

“I don’t have any favorite activities.”

“Yet.” Halen takes me up a staircase that looks familiar. I think we’re nearing our dorms. “And besides, I’ve already used up my warning.”