02
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼 / ❛ the band kids ❜
[ episode two, strike first ]
Rory plopped down on Tyler's couch, her electric guitar perched across her lap as she fiddled with the cords. Her tongue peeked out in concentration, a telltale sign she was in the zone.
"You know," Tyler drawled, spinning a drumstick between his fingers, "at this point, I could've learned guitar myself."
Daphne rolled her eyes from where she sat cross-legged by the mic stand. "Yeah, right. You can barely keep time with the drums."
"Excuse me?" Tyler gasped, clutching his chest in mock offense.
"Alright, alright, I'm done," Rory announced, cutting off the bickering as she plugged in the cord. She strummed lightly, the guitar humming to life. "Happy now?"
"Took you long enough," Daphne said with a smirk.
"Let's just mess around," Tyler suggested, adjusting his seat and tapping his sticks against his thigh. "Play something to loosen up."
"You mean like Inspirational?" Rory teased, already plucking the opening chords.
Daphne groaned. "A guy sings that."
"So? It's just practice." Rory shot her a grin, daring her to argue.
Daphne reluctantly stepped up to the mic, muttering under her breath about how stupidly high the notes were. Rory started playing, the chords filling the room as Tyler joined in, keeping a steady beat on the drums. The strum of her guitar echoed in the basement, a sound that always settled something restless inside her. Music had been her thing for as long as she could remember, the one constant in a world that felt like it was always shifting. Dad used to say she could make a career out of it, but lately, it just felt like an anchor, keeping her from drifting too far from herself.
But then Daphne, in true Daphne fashion, swung the mic stand a little too enthusiastically. The top hit the ceiling with a loud crack, and a chunk of drywall came crumbling down.
"Shit," Rory whispered, her fingers freezing mid-chord.
"Shit!" Tyler echoed, standing up so fast his drumsticks clattered to the floor. "Mom's gonna kill me!"
He bolted up the stairs, leaving Rory and Daphne staring at the hole in stunned silence.
Daphne reached out, sticking her hand through the gap. "Well, this is bad," she said matter-of-factly.
"Understatement of the year," Rory muttered, setting her guitar aside. She glanced at Daphne, who gave her a lopsided grin.
"You're so screwed," Daphne said.
Tyler came barreling back down the stairs, his face pale. "Okay. Mom's not home yet. Pack up your stuff—we're going to Rory's, and we don't know anything about this."
The three of them sat on the floor of Rory's room, a pile of Uno cards between them. Daphne and Rory had convinced Tyler to wear a face mask, much to his dismay.
"Uno, losers!" Tyler crowed, slapping his final card down.
Daphne threw her cards down in defeat. "I'm pretty sure you cheated."
"Yeah, because I'm so desperate to win at Uno," Tyler shot back, peeling the drying mask off his face.
Rory laughed, but the sound died quickly when she heard footsteps approaching her room. Her stomach twisted. "Out, now," she whispered, rushing to shove her friends toward the window.
"But—"
"Go!" Rory hissed, yanking the curtain shut just as her stepdad opened the door.
"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual as she leaned against her desk. "How was work?"
"Fine," he said, his eyes scanning the room. "Did you do the laundry?"
"Uh, yeah, of course," Rory lied, her heart pounding.
He gave her a long look before nodding. "Good."
As soon as he left, Rory let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the photo on her nightstand. It was old, the edges curling slightly, but it was her favorite—her and her dad, both covered in flour from one of their baking experiments.
She sighed, running a finger over the frame. Her stepdad wasn't a bad guy, but he wasn't Dad. And every time he tried to act like some kind of authority figure, it only made the ache of missing her father worse.
Rory sat in her usual seat, doodling absentmindedly on the corner of her notebook as the rest of the class trickled in. She glanced up when someone slid into the seat beside her.
Miguel.
"Hey," he said softly, his elbow brushing against hers as he set his books down.
"Hey," Rory replied, her cheeks warming. She hoped he didn't notice.
"So, uh, what's the deal with Science here?" Miguel asked, glancing around the room.
"Pigs," Rory said flatly. "We're dissecting them this semester."
Miguel's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Yep." Rory scrunched up her nose. "It's gross as hell, but you get used to it. Oh, and the teacher's a little... eccentric."
As if on cue, Mr. Carpenter strolled in, clapping his hands together. "Good morning, little piggy learners!" he announced cheerfully.
Rory couldn't help the giggle that bubbled up, and Miguel hid his grin behind his hand.
"Okay," he said under his breath. "You win."
Miguel's elbow brushed hers, and Rory found herself hyper-aware of the way he always seemed a little too polite, like he didn't want to take up too much space. She wondered if anyone else noticed how he fidgeted with his sleeves when he was nervous or how his smile never quite reached his eyes when people talked over him. She liked that about him—that he noticed the small things, just like her.
naomi speaks..
chapter two?????
alsoooo i needa know what ships to put in for future impacts yk. eli and daphne, moon and tyler, demetri and daphne, daphne and moon, tory and tyler, whatever you guys would like to see the most
wrote this at 4am bc im delusional
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