First Chances by Komal Kant Page A

little kids, and despite being able to hide my feelings well, my Hadie problems were starting to show in my demeanor. It was becoming too hard for me to maintain my cool. I was slipping through the cracks.
    “Good,” Luca said, his mouth curving in a half-smile. “That’s when great music is created; when it comes from something that means a lot to you.”
    He was right. Every musician—every artist—had a muse, or an outlet that brought out their creative side. Hadie was mine, whether she cared for me or not, she was what inspired me.
    “Hey, we practicing or what?” Riley bounded back into the room carrying a case of beer.
    He had an older brother, Warner, who bought booze for us if we ever wanted it. Riley was the youngest of three brothers. Warner worked at Statlen University as a lab technician, and his second oldest brother, Saul, was in college on the east coast.
    “Yeah, we were just figuring out the lyrics to the new song,” Luca responded, stepping away from me and catching the beer that Riley tossed his way.
    “Okay, cool.” He tossed a can at me, and I caught it easily, popping open the top and taking a swig of it.
    I tried not to make a face at the bitterness. Beer wasn’t my drink of choice, but it was cheap so it would do. Maybe after I’d had a few, I’d be able to numb the ache in my mind from Hadie running through it.
    “Let’s do this,” Luca said, taking another look at the piece of paper before handing it back to me. He had this amazing ability to memorize lyrics and only needed to look over them a few times to learn the words.
    We jumped into the song, which was a lot slower than what we usually played, but just as catchy. Luca and I shared vocals, his higher voice complementing my deeper one.
    When I fall
    When I rise
    I’m desperately seeking your eyes
     
    When I die
    A little inside
    I’m wanting you by my side
     
    For nights I lie awake
    Wondering how to break
    Through your iron walls
    Before I lose this war
     
    Don’t hold back
    Don’t fight me
    I’m here waiting patiently
     
    Lift you up
    ‘Til you fly
    I’ll be yours until we die
     
    There is so much out there
    That you’re shutting out
    Break free of your misery
    And scream out loud
     
    I’m still here waiting patiently
    So don’t hold back
    Don’t fight me
    We let the song progress to a gentle finish since we didn’t have any more words to go with the music. The girls began clapping and “whooing”, and I had to admit it was nice to have some moral support. They never missed a practice, as though they were part of the band, too.
    “That was fucking awesome!” Riley cheered, spinning around to face me. “Eddie, you’re pulling out some killer shit.”
    Luca gave me a knowing smile, and I tried to act cool, like it wasn’t getting to me. “Yeah, I’ve been pretty inspired lately.”
    “Hadie’s inspiring you,” Ashton said with wise eyes, as she came over to plant a kiss on Luca’s cheek.
    He grinned down at her, and I could see the happiness radiating from his face. There was definitely something special about those two.
    I couldn’t quite figure out what it was about her, but even when Ashton had been a huge bitch there had been something I’d liked about her. Maybe it was just because it was easy for someone like me to see that she was hiding something because I was too. She’d hidden behind her mean words and bitchy attitude. I hid by engrossing myself in other people’s problems.
    “Oh, boy,” Riley said, running a hand through his hair. “This Hadie problem just never ends. At least she’s helping you make good music.”
    I heaved a sigh, placing my drumsticks down. “I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything.”
    “Do something for her,” Luca suggested, wrapping an arm around Ashton’s small waist. “Give her something; something that will affect her. Let her know that you get her.”
    As Luca’s words sank in, an idea formed in my head. Hadie loved to read, and I