were sitting in his kitchen working on Chapter 3 of the textbook. Once again he’d forgotten his copy at school so we were right next to each other, both peering over mine. Sitting close to him was exquisite torture, even though he’d been kind of distant and unfriendly since I arrived. There was a quiz on Friday and he was showing zero interest in preparing for it. Now his tone made my blood boil.
“None of your business. Do you box?” I tried to change the topic, and his question had made me think of seeing him outside the gym last night.
“None of your business.” He smirked, throwing my words back at me.
I mock frowned. “No need to be snotty. Your question was hostile, mine was friendly and curious.”
“OK let me rephrase. Are you dating Bryce now?” He’d kind of ground out the name ‘Bryce’ but I let that go.
“Sort of.”
“What does ‘sort of’ mean?”
“OK yes, we are, but it’s not serious.” For some reason I looked away as I answered him, as if dating Bryce was something to be ashamed of.
I expected him to keep the verbal sparring up so I was surprised by his next statement.
“OK then, yes,” he said.
“Yes what?” I was so busy trying to gauge his mood that I’d lost the thread.
“Yes I do box. I work at that gym you saw me coming out of and work out there when I get a chance.”
“So, is boxing your thing?”
“No, music’s my thing.”
“You’re in a band, right? What do you play?”
“Keyboard in the band, but other instruments too.”
I was surprised. “So it’s not just a means of getting laid?”
His eyebrows shot up at that, his lips curved in a sly smile. “Trust me, I don’t need a band to get laid.” OK I guess I asked for that .
“So what do you want to do? Make some music, make some money, find some models for wives?”
Callum caught the reference immediately and looked impressed. “Nice song quote. But no, I want to compose.”
Now my eyebrows shot up. “Wow. Composing. So all you really want is something beautiful to say?”
“Got it. Seether. Thanks for reducing my dreams and aspirations to yet another song quote.” He was grinning though.
“Sorry. It’s like a nervous tic sometimes. What’s the career path for being a composer?”
Callum shrugged. “Ideally a music school like Juilliard or Berklee.” Bad boy Callum was talking about Juilliard? Parallel universe, anyone?
“Wow. What instruments do you play?”
“Piano, guitar, violin… mostly string instruments.”
Since he was forthcoming and I was curious, I decided to keep asking questions till he shut me down. “Have you been taking lessons your whole life?”
“From age 7 until about a year and a half ago.” He scowled as he said this. I was curious why the lessons had stopped but I didn’t dare inquire: maybe his dad ran out of money or something.
“So, without lessons you practice on your own?”
“Yeh.”
“How much?” I wondered how serious he was about music.
“Couple hours a day. Sometimes more.” Yup he was serious about music.
“Wow.”
“You sure say wow a lot.”
“You keep saying things that elicit that response from me.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He smiled and something tugged in my heart.
“So the band is for fun?”
“Those guys are my best friends. We might not become rock stars but we love hanging out, playing together.”
“But eventually one of you will quit, one of you will get married…”
“I see where this is going.”
“When did you get your first real six-string, anyway?”
“Are you finished?”
“Almost. I’m just wondering if years later you’ll look back on this time, playing with the guys, and say, those were the best days of my life?” I was laughing so hard I could barely get the words out.
Callum tried not to smile and failed. “You crack yourself up, don’t you?”
I was still laughing. “Yes, yes I do.” Once I’d collected myself I apologized. “Sorry. Absolutely
“None of your business. Do you box?” I tried to change the topic, and his question had made me think of seeing him outside the gym last night.
“None of your business.” He smirked, throwing my words back at me.
I mock frowned. “No need to be snotty. Your question was hostile, mine was friendly and curious.”
“OK let me rephrase. Are you dating Bryce now?” He’d kind of ground out the name ‘Bryce’ but I let that go.
“Sort of.”
“What does ‘sort of’ mean?”
“OK yes, we are, but it’s not serious.” For some reason I looked away as I answered him, as if dating Bryce was something to be ashamed of.
I expected him to keep the verbal sparring up so I was surprised by his next statement.
“OK then, yes,” he said.
“Yes what?” I was so busy trying to gauge his mood that I’d lost the thread.
“Yes I do box. I work at that gym you saw me coming out of and work out there when I get a chance.”
“So, is boxing your thing?”
“No, music’s my thing.”
“You’re in a band, right? What do you play?”
“Keyboard in the band, but other instruments too.”
I was surprised. “So it’s not just a means of getting laid?”
His eyebrows shot up at that, his lips curved in a sly smile. “Trust me, I don’t need a band to get laid.” OK I guess I asked for that .
“So what do you want to do? Make some music, make some money, find some models for wives?”
Callum caught the reference immediately and looked impressed. “Nice song quote. But no, I want to compose.”
Now my eyebrows shot up. “Wow. Composing. So all you really want is something beautiful to say?”
“Got it. Seether. Thanks for reducing my dreams and aspirations to yet another song quote.” He was grinning though.
“Sorry. It’s like a nervous tic sometimes. What’s the career path for being a composer?”
Callum shrugged. “Ideally a music school like Juilliard or Berklee.” Bad boy Callum was talking about Juilliard? Parallel universe, anyone?
“Wow. What instruments do you play?”
“Piano, guitar, violin… mostly string instruments.”
Since he was forthcoming and I was curious, I decided to keep asking questions till he shut me down. “Have you been taking lessons your whole life?”
“From age 7 until about a year and a half ago.” He scowled as he said this. I was curious why the lessons had stopped but I didn’t dare inquire: maybe his dad ran out of money or something.
“So, without lessons you practice on your own?”
“Yeh.”
“How much?” I wondered how serious he was about music.
“Couple hours a day. Sometimes more.” Yup he was serious about music.
“Wow.”
“You sure say wow a lot.”
“You keep saying things that elicit that response from me.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He smiled and something tugged in my heart.
“So the band is for fun?”
“Those guys are my best friends. We might not become rock stars but we love hanging out, playing together.”
“But eventually one of you will quit, one of you will get married…”
“I see where this is going.”
“When did you get your first real six-string, anyway?”
“Are you finished?”
“Almost. I’m just wondering if years later you’ll look back on this time, playing with the guys, and say, those were the best days of my life?” I was laughing so hard I could barely get the words out.
Callum tried not to smile and failed. “You crack yourself up, don’t you?”
I was still laughing. “Yes, yes I do.” Once I’d collected myself I apologized. “Sorry. Absolutely
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