Page 55 of Before We’re More Than Friends (When We Faced the Music #1)

Caleb sighed before facing us again. “Anyway, I thought these three would understand, but because Hayden is so wrapped up in the band and our future?—”

“I have the right to have an opinion,” Hayden said.

“And how have you been handling that?” Caleb shot back. “Making it all about yourself like it’s not my decision to make. Acting like I’m a traitor for wanting to do something I’m passionate about.”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Hayden said. “But you don’t have to be so defensive.”

Caleb scoffed. “Very rich of you to say.”

“Stop it!” Oliver bellowed. “Go outside if you want to yell at each other and get absolutely nowhere.” He muttered curses under his breath. “And you both wonder why you always fall out with people. ”

“Don’t add to it,” Sienna snapped at him.

Oliver faced her. “I’m fed up, okay?”

“We all are?—”

“Why didn’t anyone tell us anything?” Arielle asked, hurt in her voice. “I think it’s great that Caleb wants to go to Apple of the Arts.”

“Thank you!” Caleb exclaimed. “Sheesh, it wouldn’t have hurt for the rest of you to?—”

“Stop it,” Sienna warned.

“Why is this turning into a fight?” Raina asked. “What’s the problem with Caleb wanting to go there?”

Hayden grimaced. “He can’t be in our band and in New York at the same time.”

“I can fill in for him,” Arielle piped up. “I mean, not that I want to replace him.”

“I like that idea,” Caleb said. “But can you play the keyboard by then?”

“I can learn.”

“There aren’t supposed to be any fill-ins!” Hayden snapped. “This isn’t what our band is supposed to be.”

“Here we go,” Caleb grumbled. “Let’s all bow down to Hayden as he tells us who’s meant to do what because heaven forbid that something isn’t about him and his failures.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “What do his failures have to do with this?”

“Hayden wanted to enter the competition for his own motivations. Getting back at his parents, at Lana, at Eddie and Lauren?—”

“Get back at Eddie?” Arielle asked. “Is that why you wanted me to join?”

“NO!” Hayden shot up, throwing his hands up in the air. “Gosh, if you’re going to air my dirty laundry, at least air it right, Caleb. ”

“You know what,” Oliver said. “I think this is a sign.”

“Of what?” Hayden spat.

“I don’t want to be in a band that can’t get their crap together.”

“I agree,” Sienna said. “We didn’t form this band to fight all the time.”

“It’s not supposed to be like that,” Hayden said, his voice shaking like he was going to cry. “It’s supposed?—”

“To be how you want it,” Arielle finished, her tone cold.

“No! It’s . . .” Hayden put his head in his hands. “Fine! If no one wants to believe me, then we’re done. Forget Battle of the Bands. Forget everything!” Hayden pushed past me and the twins.

“You need to move your drums out of here,” Oliver said.

Hayden shot a glare at him. “Have your dad sell them at his music store! He could use the extra stock.” He slammed the door, the wall shaking.

“Hayden!” Arielle opened the door and followed him out.

Raina bit her lip, looking around the room. “Um . . . How much have I missed?”

“I guess everything.” I drew in a sharp breath, fighting the tears that threatened to emerge.

“I was starting to enjoy all of this.” I looked over at Oliver, Caleb, and Sienna, who were still standing up and heavily breathing.

“We were going to show you a song for Battle of the Bands. But I guess our entire band was crumbling beneath us, and we didn’t get to know it. ”

“Yeah, why didn’t we get to know?” Raina asked, her voice rising. “Why did you all hide it like it was under control?”

“W-We didn’t want to make things harder for you than they already were,” Sienna confessed, stroking through her dark hair. “We thought we’d be able to work things out on our own.”

“Oh.” A frown took shape on Raina’s lips. “So it was because you felt bad for us.”

“Raina, it’s not like that.”

“It’s really not,” Oliver said, his eyes heavy. “I’m sorry you drove all the way for this.” I’d never seen anyone here other than Raina more upset. And it gave me the same feeling that seeing my parents fight did.

Freaking hollow.

“We tried to solve it,” Caleb said, no longer looking like he could shoot lasers out of his glasses.

“Good job,” I muttered before leaving the garage, my eyes stinging. I’d finally been excited about a big opportunity, about having a new friend group to make music with, and it was all shattered.

So much for being the new kid.

When I went out the front door, Hayden and Arielle were shouting at each other near the mailbox, hands in the air every which way. When they saw me, they both bit their lips.

“Differences, huh?” I asked, taking my keys out of my pocket.

“Y-Yeah,” Hayden said. “A lot.”

I sighed and got in my car. I put my head on the steering wheel, setting the horn off.

Something knocked against the passenger window, causing me to jerk back in my seat. I looked to see Raina putting her hands on the window.

I unlocked the car and watched her open the door. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Sorry. I just wanted to say goodbye.” Her gaze went to the empty seat. “Unless you’re going anywhere fun.”

“Well, I definitely don’t want to go home,” I muttered. “Wanna go to the park? I can drive you home after.”

She nodded and buckled herself up. “Anywhere is better than here.”