As Fault Tolerant were having their practice inside of Jonah's dad's garage, Alison was wailing out the words to Olivia Rodrigo's Good 4 U, while Jonah's mind was racing as he sees Emma rocking out on her guitar along with him.
"My dad killed his dad."
Who was her dad and what was her connection with their family?
Kenzie was digital-editing the school logo with Fitch while Jack Swift and Ellen Stephenson, both warriors and Jonah's good friends, were enjoying the music. As they concluded for now, Alison asks, "So, if I sing this for Jason-"
"Will you forget Jason?", says Jonah, laughing despite of himself. Alison shakes her head.
"Look at Jonah, being a comedian. Did you tell Nat about what happened at Hastings?"
"Oh, him flirting with Em, right?", jokes Nat.
Emma looks up to the sound of her name. Jonah stuttered. "I-I wasn't flirting! Who told you that?"
"Alison."
"Alison!"
Alison laughs and grabs a can of Coke from the mini-fridge when Jonah's dad comes into the garage, a mean look on his face. "When I told you guys to use the garage, I'd thought the bickering would cease."
Kenzie looks up and said simply, "This is what bands do, Dad. Hook up with each other and bicker."
Rudy and Nat look at each other and smirk. Mister Kinlock shakes his head. "Just keep it down. Sportscenter is on and I need to keep up with the Patriots!"
"Dad. You DO realize that Tom Brady left, right?", says Jonah with his eyebrow cocked up. His dad blushes and says, "Don't ruin this for me, son! You know I'll never bandwagon the Bucs."
Kenzie sniffs a giggle and goes back to work with Fitch, who was enjoying the whole charade between the Kinlock men. Mister Kinlock playfully rolls his eyes, messing up his oldest son's hair and goes upstairs, before saying, "No more bickering, please!"
Ellen says, "I like your dad."
Jack nods in agreement, holding on to Ellen's hand.
"Yea, you say that now.", says Jonah, smirking at his brother, who laughed.
"What?", says Ellen.
Kenzie says, "Nothing.", then laughs again. Apparently, the boys knew something everyone didn't.
Natalie rolls her eyes, bangs on her drumsticks, yelling, "One, two, three, FOUR!"
The band goes back to playing, Alison was staring at Jonah, who was staring at Emma, who was looking away.
"Well, good for you-"
"My dad killed his dad."
Jonah messed up on one of the chords and looks behind him, knowing Nat's dagger-like eyes staring at him. She is a perfectionist. Always was. Messing up in practice was band suicide. Right now, Jonah was near dead.
"Jonah! What the hell!", yells Nat, throwing her drumsticks at him, and screams.
"Stop throwing shit at me!"
"Why'd you messed up?"
"Because...I hate this song."
Alison bulks at him. "I need this song! To remind me of what I lost..."
Fitch and Kenzie both rolled their eyes. Jonah looks at Emma, who was blushing, and drags her upstairs.
"Hey...! Where are we-"
"Shh.."
They were in Jonah's bedroom, more ordinary than practical. His bed straighten and little-to-no posters on the walls.
"Who's your dad?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes. Well, for me."
"You don't know me."
"No. I don't. But, I want to."
Emma looks at him and sits on his bed. "Well. My parents both worked for Rowan's dad, Andrew, who was the head of an assassination group, The Black Rose-"
"The Black Rose?!"
Jonah covers his mouth and sits next to her. "The Black Rose..."
"You heard of them?"
Jonah could only nod. "Well, I've heard rumors."
"They both didn't like their jobs and they never wanted me to find out their jobs, but I managed to learn from my grandfather, God rest his soul."
"Emma-"
"Andrew and his goons killed my grandfather...which was the last straw for my father. He killed him in his sleep and fled to Cleveland with my mother. And well, here I am. Daughter of a murderer, Jonah..."
As Emma was crying, Jonah's impulses held her hand and his mouth kisses her lips.
