Chapter 1:

"I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more."

My fingers flew across the grand piano as I finished the song. I played the last chord and opened my eyes, smiling. I had been practicing the song for three months and finally got it perfect. I looked up at my best friend, Liv, who had been listening to it so i could have critique before the Stars Concert at the end of the week.

"So? What do you think?" I asked her.

"Amazing! Just one part was pitchy, in the middle. At 'Time stands still, beauty in all she is.' But other than that, absolutely gorgeous, Layla!" She cried out. I smiled at her.

"What are you doing for the concert?" Liv was also a singer but she played guitar as well.

"Going T Swizzle." She grinned. Country was her specialty, especially in concerts.

"Good. You always sound great with those songs. We are so winning this year." I exclaimed, jumping up from the piano bench in one of the practice rooms of the music wing.

"With you sounding that amazing on that song? Duh!" She shouted. From the hallway, our science teacher popped his head in, shushing us.

"Sorry, Mr. Freshton." We said at the same time, sheepishly. He nodded and shut the door. We smiled at each other and started laughing.

"I cannot wait for the concert! Time to win back our school's glory!" Liv said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I grinned at her, wrapping my arm around hers.

"Hells yeah!"

The Stars Concert occurred every two years. Our school, Roseland and the other music school, Lopresti, competed in it. This concert was for students majoring in musical instruments, dancing, singing, and acting. It was the only concert that allows every student in the school to participate, as long as the song, dance or script was approved beforehand. Lopresti had beaten us almost every year because of their annoying golden boy Jace Richinson. I'd never met him, or even seen him play but Liv said that even though he was incredibly hot, and an amazing singer, he was too arrogant for his own good. This year would be ours though, I just knew it.

"Come on. " I laughed, pulling her out the door. "Let's go find Elliot. I need the math homework."

"Ah, math. Why in the world do we need it at a performing arts school?" Liv sighed. "Speaking of performing, are you trying out for the musical? I hear it's Grease this year."

"Oh, yeah! I loved Grease when I was little! My brother and I used to dress up as Danny and Sandy and run around singing and dancing to the songs." I chuckled at the memory. We were quite a pair, my mother used to say. I should really call her one of these days.

"Speaking of your gorg bro, where has he been lately?" Liv asked. She's had a huge crush on him since we entered the performing school.

"Ew, that's disgusting. It's my brother, for God's sake, Liv." I frowned.

"Your amazingly hot brother. Seriously." She sighed, dreamily. Probably imagining my brother shirtless in the breeze. Ew, ew, ew. Do not think of that.

"We are ending this discussion now." I poked her in the side. She stuck her tongue out at me and I laughed.

We entered the rec room and headed towards the couches in the back. The school board agreed that since this was a boarding school, we should have a large space to hang out and thus became the rec room. It was a large room with blue carpeting and blue walls. Couches were pretty much in every corner. Towards the center was a foosball table, pool table, ping table and a bunch of regular tables. A snack bar was on one side and a smoothie and milkshake bar on the other. It was the best place on campus, excluding the room that held my baby, the piano Claire.

"Well, if it isn't the two peas in a pod." A masculine voice called out to us. Elliot always called Liv and I "two peas in a pod" because we were always together and because both our names started with L.

Liv and I turned towards the blond haired boy that stood behind us and smiled. "Hey Elliot." We said at the same time.

"You guys are so freaky. Did you practice that?" We all took a seat on the one of the many couches.

"Yes, Ell." I used the nickname he hated. "We practiced it to freak you out in hopes that you would stop hanging out with us without us having to say we didn't like you. Did it work?" I asked sarcastically, lying my legs over his knees.

"Don't be a smart ass. It doesn't work on you." I stuck my tongue out at his comment. He winked.

Liv rolled her eyes at us and put her legs on top of mine. "What are you doing for the concert, Elliot?" Elliot played the guitar, while his girlfriend, Jenna, sang.

"Jen and I are doing a song together."

"Aw!" Liv and I cried out at the same time, then cracked up with laughter. They did a song together every year, at almost all the concerts. At first it was cute. Now, we just say "aw" because Elliot hates it. He glared at us.

"How's the song coming along, Layla?" He asked me.

"Perfectly beautiful and amazing!" Liv sang. I rolled my eyes.

"Pretty good, I guess."

"Can't wait to here it!" He smiled. Elliot had such a nice smile. Jenna was really lucky she had such a great boyfriend. Liv and I were lucky to have such a great friend.

"Oh! Before I forget, can I have the math homework?" I asked Elliot, smacking him in the chest as I remembered.

"That's all you use me for!" He pretended to tear up.

"Don't be a smart ass. It doesn't work on you." I mimicked him in a deep voice.

"Fine, fine. Come up to my room with me. When do you have math?"

"Uh, about forty minutes or so." I checked the clock on the far wall.

"Alright, let's go." We both stood up. "You coming Livilynn?" Elliot asked but Liv's eyes were looking at someone else.

"Nah, I'll catch up with you guys later." She said without glancing our way. She got up and ran into the mix of people holding glasses and talking.

I shrugged at Elliot and we made our way to the exit.

We passed through the music wing in a comfortable silence. Elliot and I normally had these but they were never strained. We just understood each other without words, I guess. We both agreed with it anyway.

"Think we'll beat Lopresti this year?" He asked as we started walking outside. I shivered because of the cold. It was starting to get dark out.

"Definitely. Let's just hope that Jace Richinson sprained his vocal cords." I laughed.

"Wouldn't that be a sight? That guy's a real jerk, you know?" We passed the track and football field.

"Really? I never met him." I looked over at the lake as Elliot put his hands in his pocket.

"He just thinks he's so much better than everyone else because he's famous. Cocky and arrogant." Elliot muttered and I shrugged again.

"Everyone says that."

"It's true."

I sighed. I really coudn't say much because I had never spoken to the guy but everyone did seem to think he was annoying and arrogant. I kind of wondered what all the fuss was about. Sure, he's famous but he's just some guy. There were many cocky and arrogant males out in the population of world and everyone picked on him. Secretly, I felt bad for him but no one would allow anyone to feel bad for someone at Lopresti. They were all cocky and arrogant, as well. I could say that from experience.

"Yeah, I guess."

We entered the boys dorms in the school. Only about 500 student went to our school. It was so hard to get into because although we weren't as good as Lopresti, we were still ranked second.

There were three dorm buildings; a boys, a girls, and a mixed. You just got randomly selected for each of them but you got to pick your roommate. Two people to a dorm and two floors of dorms. It fit everyone nicely in it.

Elliot unlocked the door into the building and headed up to the stairs. I followed after him. Elliot got up the stairs sooner than me. He disappeared from view and I ran to get after him. I should start working out more.

Elliot was unlocking his door when I got up there. I skipped down the hallway to him and smiled. he laughed at me and opened the door for me to go in. I tied my hair back and looked in the dimly lit room.

There were two beds, two desks, and two dressers. A TV was on one wall and a mini fridge was just below it. A bathroom led out the side. Every room looked the same, just like that. The only thing different was the mess.

"Elliot Arnold Anderson! Must you always leave your room in a pig sty? Do you really bring girls over with it looking like this? You horrible, horrible child. I just might have to call your mother to come over here and teach you how to clean up after yourself!" I scolded him about his room every time I came up here. He made a point to not bring me over but he seemed to forget that today since I haven't been up here in about a month.

"Layla Jezebel Thompson! Must you always scold me about my room? Do you really talk to all your friends like this? You horrible, horrible child. I just might have to call your mother to come here and teach you some manors!" He scolded me back, just like every other time this happened. We both began laughing as I plopped down onto his bed.

"Just give me your homework, loser."

"Maybe I won't now, if you keep treating me this way."

I rolled my eyes. "You've been threatening that since freshman year and you haven't done anything yet. Homework, now. I'll buy you candy."

He handed over the work quickly. "Way to make me feel like a homework prostitute." I rolled my eyes again and got up.

"I'm going back to my room to do homework and get food. I'll see you later." I walked out the door.

"With candy!" He called out.

I laughed. "With candy, my dear prostitute."

"Wait!" He ran out into the hallway after me. "You trying out for Grease this year?"

"Yeah, you?"

"I'm thinking about it. Have you heard the surprise yet?"

"No, what is it?" I asked him.

"We're performing it on a Broadway stage."

"No freaking way!" I screamed. I felt like jumping up and down. If I were to get a lead... I couldn't even think about that. Excitement bubbled inside me.

"Yes freaking way. And even more, scouts are going to be there. And people are going to pay for seats to see it."

"Stop! Oh my God, I cannot believe it!"

"Just wait there's more."

"There can't be anymore, I might die of excitement."

"This may kill it though." He said uncertainly. My smile faded.

"What are you talking about?' I asked him, stepping towards his room.

"We're performing it with Lopresti.

Hey! This is a new story, but I'm still working on all my others(if you are an old reader). Obviously a modernized version of Romeo and Juliet through the musical Grease because I love Grease and I'm a theater nerd :)

So thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts! I have five chapters pre-written so the next chapter will be up as soon as I finish the next Forbidden City chapter which is almost done! Thank you!