I ran from the spot, toward my music teacher who was unlocking his black Pontiac sedan. He looked up at me, and almost reeled back in shock. “You’re in?”

“One rehearsal.” I murmured, unsure if I could keep to my word.

“Hey, that’s fine by me.” He smiled. “Get in.”

I looked around and leaned against his car. “Isn’t this a little strange?”

He shook his head and grinned. “This is about music. I know you’re nervous but some rules were made to be broken.”

My mouth hung open and for the third time in less than half an hour he’d caught me off guard. I opened the passenger’s door and sat down in the plush leather seat. “Sorry Sir, I guess lying and breaking the rules generally goes against my nature.”

“Lex.” He said after I spoke. “Short for Alexander and it’s funny, you look like a girl who likes a little trouble.”

Even his name was cool. I picked up my backpack and pointed to the badge dad had made me sew on. “Honor student.” I grumbled. “Real troublemaker here.”

“Being smart isn’t something to be ashamed of.” Lex said as he pulled his seatbelt on.

“Would sure make things easier if I wasn’t though.” I replied.

“One day… when you’re old like me you’ll realise living solely to please others isn’t worth it.”

I screwed my nose up and looked at him. “Old? You’re 24. Also I doubt it. But thanks for trying to make me feel better.”

Lex didn’t say anything else until he pulled into an old warehouse carpark. There was a black sedan and a old white van, that looked like it could have rocked a free candy sign parked out the front and the shed door was wide open. “Jed is our drummer, he’s 19 and works at the local grocer.” He paused and then sighed. “And Kieran is 21, we went to school together, he’s studying music in college. He’s a ladykiller, so don’t be surprised if the charm comes out.”

“Uh thanks.” I replied.

“Most of all relax. They’re going to love you like I do.” He parked up and let out a short cough. “Musically that is.”

I ignored the sudden onset of awkwardness, and the way my heart skipped a beat, then hopped out of the car. Lex and I walked across the stony area and into the warehouse. Both boys looked up at him, and then at me. Wide eyed they stood and walked over to us.

“Hey, I’m Jed.” Jed was tall, but he definitely had that youthful teenage look. His hair was long and shaggy, so long it almost covered his deep brown eyes. He held his hand out at me and I shook it. “Lex never, and I mean never brings girls here.”

“Lex hasn’t dated since…” Kieran stood by Lex and held his hand up and shook his head.

“She’s a student guys. Cool it.” Lex assured them.

Kieran raised his eyebrows at Lex before turning his attention to me. He was gorgeous, and I was pretty sure he knew it. His bright blue eyes were like magnets, just begging for attention. Coupled with his killer smile I could see why Lex had called him a ladykiller. He held his hand out, but when I went to shake it he pulled me in for a hug. “Nice to meet you.” He said as he held me to his chest.

“You too.” I managed to mumble, although my words sounded more like the muted squeak of a mouse. I wasn’t use to stepping outside of the carefully crafted box my father had made for me. Being in this warehouse, being surrounded by these boys and instruments. Well if my father could see me right now, he’d probably ground me for life.”

“So, Keiran, Jed, this is Addie.” lex’s voice broke my thoughts

Kieran let me go and took a step back, he picked up a bass guitar and looked at Lex. “The girl you mentioned last night.” he questioned, soundly slightly confused.

I bit the inside of my cheek and tried not to read anything into the statement. So what if Lex had mentioned me. Lex walked over to the guitar and picked it up. “Yes.” He murmured.

Kieran looked at me, he tilted his head and gazed at me from head to toe. “You said she was a rock chick.” he stopped speaking and ran his fingers through his perfectly preened hair. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re hot. But in a sexy virginal schoolgirl kind of way. You’re just no rock chick.”

I felt my cheeks warm up. Jed made the sound of a bomb landing as Lex whispered kieran’s name and a not so nice expletive. I forced myself to look up at Kieran and shake my head. “Looks can be deceiving.”

Lex laughed and walked back across the floor to me, he held out his guitar. “Show them what you can do.”

“Oh… I don’t know.” I smiled. Kieran’s almost correct assumption of me had me feeling mortified to even be here. Lex placed his hand on my shoulder and leaned in. His breath hit the ridge of my ear.

“We both know you’re a rock chick.”

His belief in me bolstered my belief in myself. I nodded and slung the guitar strap over my shoulder. The eyes of three boys watched me intently while I decided what to play. I looked at Lex and smiled. I began strumming best of you on the acoustic guitar, surprising myself by remembering it. It had been a long time since I’d played any music, even remembering how to play elastic heart the other day had been surprising.

I closed my eyes and let the words fall from my mouth like rain on hot concrete. Once I started it was hard to stop. Music gave me something nothing else did. Freedom. I wasn’t constrained to the hopes and dreams of anyone but myself. I didn’t care that people were watching me, that didn’t factor into the equation, right now I was doing this for me, and only me. It felt great.

I stopped, walked forward and placed the black acoustic in the guitar stand Lex had picked it up from. I didn’t look up, I’d really let go and even though I shouldn’t have been, I was embarrassed.

“I take it back.” I heard Kieran say, he walked up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “You’re a ninja in disguise.”

“If that was an audition, my answer is yay.” Jed exclaimed.

“Me too.” Kieran replied, his hand fell from my shoulder and I heard him take a few steps. “This was an audition right?”

I turned and looked at Lex. He smiled and me, hopeful that my answer had changed, hopeful I would change my mind. I sighed and with regret so heavy I was drowning in my own desperation. I shook my head. Lex’s smile fell and he said a simple “No.” before walking over to me. He picked up his electric guitar and pointed to the guys. “It’s just a jam session.”

“Jamming with students Lex, that’s unlike you?” Kieran teased as he picked up his bass once more and lifted the strap over his shoulder.

“I’m a music teacher Ki, Jamming with students is what I do every day.” Lex handed me a microphone and placed his hand on my back. “You did great.”

“Thanks.”

“Let go old school. Do you know ‘I want to know what love is?’” he murmured

“Foreigner?” I laughed. “Of course.”

“Good. Well let’s do it.” He smiled and looked at Jed who counted us in.

Listening to Lex sing was like being given an addictive drug. Don’t get me wrong, Jed and Kieran were both great musicians, but it was Lex who had me hypnotized. His voice was equal parts emotional and strong. He had me hooked on it, I was too far gone.

I almost missed my cue because I was caught up in it, in him. I knew it was stupid. None of this could work, not the music, not the band and especially not the crush I seemed to be developing. But I just couldn’t walk away from it.

The chorus started and our voices worked. The melted together and it seemed it was a partnership that had been written in the stars. This was where I was meant to be. I stole a glance in his direction as the song ended and I was surprised to find it met with his green eyes, something hung between us in that moment, but common sense told me not to read into it. I sung the high note and the song ended.

I felt my jaw clench. The euphoria of performing quickly gave way to the deceit and I shoved the microphone into Lex’s hands. “This was a bad idea. I have to go.”

I ran from the warehouse, I needed to get home and I needed to drop music. I was walking a dangerous path and if I continued down it my father would end up hurt. I couldn’t do it to him. I opened Lex’s unlocked car and pulled my bag from the floor. I started walking down the stony driveway, ignoring Lex’s voice calling my name. I had no idea where I was. We were in some kind of industrial area, and it was a part of town I had not yet been too. Explaining to Dad where to pick me up was not an option though, so I pulled out my phone and attempted to use GPS.

“Addie.” Lex called. His voice was quieter as he drew closer, I could hear his footsteps behind me as he walked over the stone shrapnel. “What happened.”

“I can’t do this. Music any of it.” I replied as I stared at my phone. There was no cell reception. Shit.

“Can you take me home please.” I asked.

“Of course. I’m sorry about this, I shouldn’t had asked you to come.” He murmured.

I felt bad the instant he spoke. i didn’t want to think I regretted being here, because I didn’t and that was where the problem lay.

“I had fun.” I whispered as I turned around. “So don’t be sorry.”

Lex raised an eyebrow and shook his head, he was frowning. “Fun? You just ran from the room.”

I sighed, Lex already knew about my father, keeping this from him seemed stupid and pointless. I smiled and let my heart speak.

“I want music, I want the band, I want that feeling of freedom.” I replied. “But I want it all too much. My

father would get hurt if he found out.” Hurt was an understatement. In all likelihood he would disown me. He had put so much on the line to bring me up with everything I needed. If I shoved it all in his face I’d break him.

“So you’re happy to hurt yourself instead.” Lex asked.

“I don’t see it like that.” I lied. I knew he was right. Just walking out of that room had hurt my heart. I wanted more. Being in there, playing that music… singing, it had made me feel whole again.

“You know I don’t buy that Addie. You’re me. Six years ago.” Lex pleaded with me. Even though he wasn’t asking anything, he was pleading with me to listen.

“No, I’m not.” I shook my head, even though my heart was screaming I know.

“Yes and I know what it’s like to suppress the truth. You only get one life Addie, and you should live it for you. We don’t have time for regrets.”

I looked up and met his gaze. His green eyes shone like a dancing sea. There was little space between us, without even realizing he stood right in front of me, his hands hung at his sides, within brushing distance of my own. I wanted to run again, but this time it had nothing to do with music. I couldn’t like him, I couldn’t complicate this any further.

“I can’t be in the band Lex.” I said finally.

“Do you want to be?” he murmured. “tell me honestly.”

“Yes.” I whispered without allowing the question to rest. I closed my eyes and dipped my head. “But it isn’t that simple.”

“Don’t let the complexity scare you away. If this is something you want. Then do it.” he murmured. “I’ll do anything I can to help you.”

I swallowed back my fear, pushed it deep down into a cold dark corner somewhere inside my mind and looked up at Lex once more. He wasn’t smiling, but I could see hope in his eyes. He wanted me to say yes, and I wanted to say it, but I couldn’t.

He was just going to have to settle for a nod. His grin appeared within an instant, not a moment had passed before he threw his arms around me and lifted me into the air. It was probably inappropriate for a teacher and a student to behave so casually, but we were also bandmates now. He placed me down and took a step back. “The guys will be pumped. They really like you.”

“I like them too.” I replied honestly.

“Good, well come back inside and we’ll share the good news.”

“You planned this didn’t you.” I sighed. “You knew I wouldn’t be able to say no once I got this far.”

“I may have only met you yesterday Addie, but six years ago, when I was at the height of my own teenage rebellion I felt the same. Music was my addiction back then, and that hasn’t changed. I didn’t know that you’d say yes, I just hoped you would.”

I smiled and straightened the strap of my backpack up. Together we walked back across the stony driveway. When we walked inside I dumped my backpack by the door. Jed and Kieran looked at us, both somewhat worried.

“She’s in.”

Their smiles were instantaneous. Kieran’s actions echoed Lex’s he ran across the floor and lifted me into the air. Lex cleared his throat before walking away. I wasn’t used to being hugged, let alone by two different guys I barely knew. But being here, amongst this music made me feel like I’d known them all a lot longer.

Kieran put me down and I looked over at jed who just smiled. “Welcome to the nut house.”

“We’re not that bad.” Lex protested as he booted up a laptop.

“You’re not. But he is.” Jed pointed to Kieran who pretended to look offended.

I sat down on a spare stool and watched the banter between the three men. Lex turned to face me and held up a small flash drive. “All our songs and music are on this. Guard it with your life.” He walked across and placed it in my hands. I looked at it, it was black, and in white out “Robotic” was written on it.

“Robotic?”

“Lex’s spirit animal are robots.” Kieran murmured. I ignored the very obvious fact that robots weren’t animals and looked at Lex. I remembered my fingers on the robot etched into my desk, I remembered the way it looked sad, which had confused me because robots were creations of man without free will. Suddenly it all made sense. Lex’s eyes drew to mine and he nodded.

That little drawing was his. “So the band name is Robotic.”

“Yeah.” Lex replied. “hey, I’ll give you a ride home now.”

“We’re done?” I replied confused.

“For today. We’ll meet again on Wednesday.”

I was surprised by the sad feeling that washed over me. Leaving the warehouse left me feeling somewhat empty. I picked up my backpack from beside the door. Lex and I walked over to his car and climbed in.

“You drew the robot.” I murmured as we pulled out of the park and headed for the road.

“I did.” He laughed. “Height of rebellion remember.”

“Poor lonely robot.” I sighed. “You could have at least given him a robot friend.”

Lex let out a natural chuckle. I watched him as he focused on the road, he licked his lip, pulling it back into his mouth for a moment. “Feel free to add to it.”

“You’re giving me permission to vandalize.” I replied.

“Just don’t let me see you doing it. I can’t be having favourites Addie.” His tone was jovial, but I knew he was being honest. Being in his band didn’t give me a free pass in class.

I gave Lex my address and I was surprised to find he knew exactly where to go. He pulled up outside my house and pointed to the locked up curtains drawn spectacle. “I thought your Dad would be home. I half expected him to race out with math questions.” He mused.

“He’s a vet. He’s working tonight. It’ll just be me.” I replied.

“Really? You’ll be okay?” He asked. I frowned and yanked my bag up off the floor of the car.

“I’m not a child.” I said coldly. I opened the car door and hopped out. I knew my frustration was mostly because a part of me had formulated some kind of crazy crush the first moment we met.

“I don’t think you’re a child.” He replied. “You’re forgetting I had lawyers for parents. I know what it’s like to eat alone.”

“Are you asking me out for dinner Lex? Cos that’s kind of weird.” I smiled as I leaned over the doorframe of the car. His smile slowly fell as he shrugged.

“Yeah I guess you’re right. Forget I said anything.” He turned his face back toward the road. “I should probably go. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

A nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach began to radiate up and out. I didn’t want him to go. Dinner with someone who didn’t want to talk about college endlessly sounded amazing. I berated myself in silence for calling his half assed suggestion weird.

“You alright?” He murmured. “You look conflicted.”

“I was just thinking that eating with someone who doesn’t want to discuss my future as a doctor the entire time sounds actually kind of amazing.”

“Then hop in. we’ll get takeout.”

I smiled and chucked my bag back in the car. “Rebellion.” I mumbled under my breath.

Lex and I ordered Chinese takeout. We drove to the lake and before he parked up he let out a sigh. “I’m sorry if this is weird for you.” He said.

“It isn’t.” I replied, surprised by the fact myself. Everything should have made this strange. The fact we barely knew one another, the fact I was newly recruited to be in his band, the fact over five years separated our ages. But most of all, the fact I was his student.

“Good.” He replied.

Once he parked the car we sorted out the food. I was in the middle of eating a forkful of fried rice when Lex pointed to the unopened packet of chopsticks on the dash. “So I take it you’re not a chopsticks girl?”

“Is that a deal breaker? Am I out of the band.” I teased.

“oh yeah. Sorry didn’t you read the small print.” He played along as he used his chopsticks to eat. “No but really it’s easy. Easier than learning to play a guitar for instance.”

I looked at the chopsticks and shrugged. “Dad and I don’t usually eat out, I’ve never really had the opportunity to learn.”

Lex smiled like I had set a dare for him to complete. He grabbed the unopened packet and tore it open. “Give me your hand.” He asked.

I listened, I placed my hand in his ignoring any lingering feeling of warmth and watched as he positioned my fingers on the small wooden sticks. It felt foreign, but not entirely uncomfortable. I watched as he used them to pick up some rice and attempted to imitate him, but instead of getting even one grain of rice the chopsticks slipped and fell from my fingers and on to the ground. “I guess it takes practice.” I laughed.

“We could do this more often, so you can practice.” He suggested. “as a friend thing obviously. I know what loneliness is like.”

I sighed and looked out the window. “Are we even allowed to be friends?”

“I’m your teacher, not some kind of mystical vampire that is mesmerized by the scent of your blood. This isn’t a forbidden teenage romance.” He sipped on his coke then placed it in the cup holder. “I’m allowed to be friends with whoever I want.”

“Whomever.” I retorted “And did you really just describe Twilight?”

“My girlfriend made me watch it at the cinema” he explained. “I’m more of a horror movie kind of guy though.”

Girlfriend? I tried not to show an ounce of the misappropriated jealousy I was feeling, but I wasn’t sure how well I was doing.

“Me too.” I replied without much thought. I had a collection of old 80’s and 90’s horror movies at home. It was almost the one vice my father hadn’t attempted to cull. “When you’re thirteen and you come down with a case of mono… Movies become a life savior.”

“It’s eerie how similar we are.” Lex noted. I smiled, at least I wasn’t the only one who had noticed.

“I know.” And it wasn’t doing anything to help smother out those rising feelings of teenage crushdom. I’d gone through my entire youth thus far without formulating a single crush or dating a single boy. It seemed ever so slightly amusing that my first teenage crush had decided to rear it’s ugly head now. “I should probably go home.”

“Yeah.” He said softly as he cleared up the food. “This was fun, I haven’t spent time with anyone other than the guys in quite a while.”

“What about your girlfriend?” I said, unsure if I was crossing a boundary. “Twilight.”

For a moment he looked confused but as soon as I mentioned the teenage vampire romance he smiled and shook his head. “That was 7 years ago Addie. I was in high school.”

“Oh.” I frowned and thanked the slowly dimming evening sky for shading my blushing cheeks a little.

“I did have a girlfriend a while back.” He stopped and placed the half empty food packaging in the back seat. “But we broke up. Completely happy to be single for some time. Not eager on getting my heart trampled on like a dirty rug again just yet.”

“Sounds like she was fun.” I mused sarcastically.

He looked at me and rolled his eyes. “You have no idea Addie. Just be grateful you’re young. I can make mistakes and tell you about them so you can leap over my potholes.”

I frowned, I was mildly peeved about his patronizing comment. I knew he didn’t mean anything by it. Not really. After all I was his student after it was all said and done, and he was older than me. I forced the unwelcome annoyance away and shrugged.

“I’m happy to avoid all relationships.” I replied. “No need for pothole jumping. I’m already a pro at leaping through hoops to satisfy my father’s academic needs for me.”

Lex started the car and left the lake. The sun had set behind a hill in the distance and dusk had fallen quite quickly. It was dark in the car as we drove back toward my house, only the streetlights gave light as we passed them. It was almost rhythmic.

Despite my ease at being in his company something told me that neither Greta nor Dad would see the innocence in our friendship. “I won’t tell Greta about the band.” I murmured. “At least not yet.”

“Oh okay?” he sounded confused

“Well I don’t know her that well yet, but the way she reacted over the t-shirt and the fact you offered to music to my lyrics. She’d read more in to it than what is written.”

Lex let out a relieved sigh. “I thought you were having second thoughts.”

I grinned, amused that his confusion was over my possible departure from a band I had literally just joined rather than the assumption I had over what people would think of our connection. Lex pulled up outside the house, it was still closed up, and Dad’s car was nowhere to be seen. I smiled and picked my bag up. “Thanks for dinner.”

“It was my pleasure Addie. See you tomorrow.”

I hopped out of the car and shut the door. Lex waited until I was at the front door before he beeped the horn once and took off. I walked inside and closed the door behind me. The quiet in the house was too much, it was deafening. I flicked on the foyer light then ran upstairs to my room. I searched the pocket of my jacket for the flashdrive and sat down at my desk. I yearned to hear his melodic voice again, I wanted it to carry me away from all the stress. When the first song started I fell deep into the hypnotizing beat. Lex’s voice was like a siren at sea, begging me to come closer. Only I knew sirens were just tricks to fool you. Perhaps joining the band was my real life land version of a siren. I closed my eyes and forgot my wayward thoughts.

I was three quarters through the usb drive when I heard dad’s car pull into the drive. I glanced at the clock, it was 11pm and I hadn’t even started on any of my homework. I closed the laptop down and leapt into bed. Being asleep meant no questions, which in turn meant no lying.

Dad knocked on the door before he opened it, but he soon closed it and left. I turned on to my back and stared at the ceiling. The last couple of days had been strange, but in a good way. Two days ago I’d promised myself that my deceit would end with music class. The last slice of the life I yearned for before it was time for college. That had all changed, at least for now.