Chapter 1
Winter Strings
New Strings, New Beats
Sophie Morgan dragged her suitcase up the icy steps of Crestwood High, the wind tugging at her scarf and blowing strands of her auburn hair across her face.
Moving to a new town for her senior year was supposed to be “exciting,” her mother had said, but Sophie couldn’t help feeling nervous.
New school. New friends. New everything.
The first bell echoed through the halls, and Sophie stumbled into her first class — music. Perfect, she thought. At least here, she’d be surrounded by instruments, not gossip.
As she settled into a seat near the back, she noticed a ruckus near the front.
Ethan Clarke, the school’s star drummer and resident troublemaker, was balancing his sticks on his knees, tapping out a rhythm that drew a small crowd.
His blonde hair fell into his eyes, and his grin was infuriatingly charming.
“New kid?” he called out, noticing her.
“Yes,” Sophie muttered, clutching her violin case a little tighter.
“Good,” Ethan said, grinning. “You can be the quiet one I’ll boss around during practice.”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “I’m not here for drama.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” he said, spinning a stick between his fingers. “You’ll get plenty of it.”
Later, when the music teacher announced the winter showcase and paired Sophie with Ethan for a duet — violin and drums — Sophie felt her stomach twist. How could two such different people possibly make music together?
But as they practiced in the empty auditorium that afternoon, Sophie realized something strange.
Ethan’s beats, chaotic and energetic, pushed her to play bolder, to let her notes breathe and soar.
And for the first time in weeks, Sophie felt a spark of excitement — not just for music, but for the unpredictable energy that Ethan brought into her carefully ordered world.
By the time the last notes of their practice hung in the cold air, Sophie caught herself smiling. Maybe, just maybe, this year wouldn’t be so bad after all.
And maybe, just maybe, music wasn’t the only thing that could make her heart beat faster.