Jack: Hey. I'm fine. Wasn't really into her in the first place, anyway. Good thing it didn't last long though, lol. I'm happy to be single honestly because there's this girl that I think I might like. She keeps running into me. I think it's a sign. :)

"How the hell do I respond to that?" Is the first thing that comes out of Emily's mouth.

She and Rory stare at her phone wordlessly. They both silently think of a proper response to Jack's message.

Rory sucks in a breath and sits back on the bed, taking her eyes off the screen. "Well, you have to let him know that you're interested too. Obviously."

Emily groans and throws her head back. "Easier said than done." She shuts off her phone momentarily. "Plus, I'm not necessarily into being a rebound."

This provokes an eye roll from her best friend. "It's not a rebound if he didn't really like her that much. Plus, they were only together for not even a whole month. There's no possibility that he could have gotten that attached to her."

"Still..." Emily sighs and plays with a string on her flannel pajama pants. The blue and yellow pattern makes a stark contrast against the pastel purple bed sheets. "I don't have any idea what to say."

"Well." Rory purses her lips and looks at the headboard behind Emily thoughtfully before moving her honey eyes to meet her ocean ones. "Just say something simple, like: Yeah, maybe it is a sign. Then add a winky face."

Emily stares at Rory dumbfounded for a second before shaking her head and typing it into her phone. She can't believe she's doing this. She stares at the words before pressing send, contemplating whether or not she really wants to go through with this.

Then, Jack's brilliant smile and warm, hazel eyes enter her mind. It makes her heart beat with irregular palpitations. She bites her bottom lip and hits send.

Rory squeals.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next evening, Rory and Emily arrive back at school. On Saturdays, the principal allows their band to practice in the music room as long as a member of the faculty is on the premises.

Thankfully, Mrs. Park volunteered instead of Mr. Lange. Edward Lange is a man in his sixties who teaches ninth-grade history. He has a slight hunch in his back and hair that resembles Gandalf's—likeness in both the hair on his head as well as the beard.

Mrs. Park is chill and doesn't even really supervise them. She simply watches Netflix in her office down the hall and lets them do whatever they want. Well, as long as it follows school rules... And the law.

Emily's phone buzzes in her back pocket. She pulls it out and smiles at the name on the screen.

Jack: What time does your band practice end? Can I pick you up after?

Emily: 7. And, sure. :)

She discreetly puts her phone away, careful to keep it out of sight from Rory. She hasn't told her about the date that Jack had asked her on earlier that day. She hasn't told her yet mainly because she doesn't want it to be made into a big deal.

Rory has a tendency to make things more dramatic than they are. Surprise, surprise.

Emily opens the door to the music room and is closely followed by Rory.

Carlos is already there, playing something on the drums, and in the corner of the room Grant Reed, or rather, Noodle, is sitting in a chair, tuning his bass.

Grant has dirty blonde hair, soft brown eyes, and is super skinny. His uber thin figure got him the nickname "Noodle" from Rory when he first joined the band. And it's stuck ever since.

"'Sup fam!" Rory calls out in a fake deep voice and throws a peace sign in the air with her hand while slinging her rucksack backpack on the floor.

The drums cease and Carlos jumps up to greet the girls. "Hey, guys." He gives each of them a quick side hug.

Carlos smiles and practically beams down at the two girls that he calls his best friends.

"Hey," Emily says to him smiling. She looks away briefly and catches Rory's eyes. She shoots her a knowing look.

Rory glares back at her and it takes Emily's entire will not to laugh.

"Oh, by the way," Emily says, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "I don't need a ride home tonight." She looks at Carlos.

His dark eyes narrow at her. He has taken her home after band practice every Saturday since their formation in the tenth grade. "Why?" he asks hesitantly.

Emily shifts on her feet and wrings her hands together. They're going to find out eventually, let's just get this over with, she tells herself. 

"Because Jack is picking me up."

"The hell?" Carlos says at the same time that Rory squeals.

"Oh, that's awesome!" She jumps and hugs Emily.

Emily laughs and pulls away from her ecstatic friend. She turns to Carlos, who stands there with a confused expression on his face.

"I didn't think it would be a big deal, Carlito." She playfully nudges his arm.

He shrugs and smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "It's not. It's just that he broke up with someone... yesterday. It's kind of weird that he would ask you out so soon."

"Well, he did." Emily shrugs. "So, clearly he's not too hung up on her," she says. Her eyes meet his and she crosses her arms over her chest. On the outside, she projects confidence, but on the inside, she's a little hurt by his words.

Rory scoffs. "Ugh, good riddance. That she-devil didn't deserve his beautiful presence. Not even for a minute."

It's silent in the room for a second before they all laugh at the blonde's words.

Grant gets up from his chair in the corner of the room, finally finished tuning his instrument. "So." He approaches them. "Our girl finally got a hot date. Huh?"

Carlos rolls his eyes. "Let's just move on guys. Come on." He walks back over to his drum kit. "We have a lot of ground to cover today." He sits down and picks up his drumsticks, not looking at any of them.

The three teens still standing look at each other quizzically before deciding to brush it off.

"So, what are we starting with?" Rory asks while walking to the mic stand. She adjusts the stand to her height.

Emily sits on the floor in front of them. She's there for moral support mainly. And to upload clips and pictures to their Instagram page. She also fills in for Rory when she's sick or otherwise occupied.

"Noodle?" Carlos asks and turns to him.

Grant slings the bass around his shoulder. "I'm thinking Don't Let It Break Your Heart by Louis Tomlinson would be a good addition to our set. It vibes with our sound and is popular enough that some people will sing along."

Carlos nods. "Yeah, I like that song. That sounds good. You know the chords already?"

Grant nods. "Yeah. You know the lyrics, Rory?"

"Yep." She smiles and nods while tightening her blonde hair which is fixed into a sleek ponytail today.

"Great," Grant says and plugs his bass into the amp.

They only play the first couple of verses before the door to the music room swings open. The music stops and the person steps into the room.

"You know, that song would sound a lot better with a guitar accompaniment," the person says.

Emily looks up to see none other than Luke standing there. Of course, the brooding bad-boy plays the guitar too. Which YA novel is this? She thinks to herself.

His hand is settled casually in his black jeans' pockets and his obsidian hair is styled perfectly messy.

"And who are you?" Grant is the first to ask.

He gives a lopsided smile that would make Grant and Carlos swoon if they weren't straight. A blush most certainly covers Rory's cheeks by now.

"Luke, what are you doing here?" Emily stands from the floor.

He turns his head and his green eyes meet hers.

Her breath catches in her throat and her knees suddenly feel weak. It's like she's seeing his eyes for the first time all over again. The gold flecks in the forest green shine brighter than they ever did before. At least, that's what it feels like to Emily.

"Hey, short stuff." He smirks.

A/N

QOTD: What's the perfect date in your opinion?

AOTD: I've never actually been on a date, so I'm not sure, to be honest. I shall let you know though as soon as that happens, lol. Update: One of the best dates I've ever been on was on my 22nd birthday. My husband took me to the pumpkin patch. I had a blast. Also, another update: I started this book when I was single and now I'm married... Kind of a weird realization????