Chapter 66: Springtime for Rock and Roll

"A-Are you sure about this, Lyra?" Asked Violet, walking side-by-side with her friend through the Seattle city streets.

"We MUST do this. Don't worry, my dad will relent quickly." Lyra replied with her head held high and smiling.

Violet turned to her right and said to Selina, who was also with them, "Hey, thanks for coming along."

Selina nodded, "I'm verily curious to see where people our age hang out around here."

Lyra giggled, "Heh heh, 'verily', I think it's cute when you say that!"

Selina blushed, "Well at least SOMEONE does."

Violet had a blank look in her eyes, "Ehhh, I've never said anything."

Selina rolled her eyes back and murmured, "Oh never mind…"

And then she looked behind her and seemed really puzzled, not that either other girl stood ready to comment.

Violet looked at Lyra and fideted her fingers around, "Soooo, how is your scruffy old man these days? Anything I oughta watch out for?"

Lyra patted her on the shoulder and remarked, "Relax. He's the same as ever!"

A few steps later they were at the deli, with Selina gasping in surprise, "Oooooh! And your dad owns this place?"

Lyra nodded, "Yep! Have you been here before?"

Selina shook her head, "No. I saw it listed on Yelp though."

Violet chuckled, "Seeing is one thing! Eating there is another!"

Lyra threw out a dry remark of, "You haven't been here either."

"Guck…!" Violet rubbed the back of her head, "M-My point still stands!"

Lyra put her fingers on her lips and giggled, then boldly led them inside of the building. Violet tried to push Selina ahead to cover her, but her being a couple inches taller on top of the distinct pigtails made that a moot point.

Lyra's dad greeted her with a smile, "Had a good walk, de-"

But upon seeing Violet in the back, his expression poignantly shifted towards worry.

"Lyra…" He spoke softly.

Lyra tapped the ground with her cane and raised her voice, while remaining loving in her tone, "Dad. Violet and I reunited at high school. We're going to start hanging out again. Can you please accept that?"

Her dad puckered his lips and huffed out his nose like a bear. Then he wagged his finger over at Violet while whispering, "C'mere."

Violet tip-toed over to the counter and craned her head back, twitching in her held-back arms, "Y-Yes?"

Anthony leaned out and asked a simple question, "Your dad didn't put you up to this, did he?"

"No!" She answered right away, proceeding to wrap Lyra up around her arm and declare, "She's my friend! I-I didn't want to avoid her anymore."

Anthony smiled and then waved the back of his hand out, "A'right, you two go and get along now. But Violet?"

Violet gulped, "Y-Yes?"

Anthony crossed his arms and nodded, "I hope you can handle the responsibility of keeping her safe and happy. You have some stiff competition these days."

He gestured to the right at a boy with brown hair and a red hoodie jacket sitting at a table listening to music on his phone.

Lyra blushed and raised her cane to poke one of his arms, "Dad! Don't spoil!"

She then put her arm around Violet's and tugged her towards the table, "Let me introduce you to Leo!"

"L-Leo?!" Selina suddenly blurted out, and then after gesturing around for a bit she flicked her finger up and proclaimed, "Oh! I am verily sorry, my two friends! But I just remembered I had a scheduled appointment with…the fish market this afternoon!"

She then bowed her head towards Anthony and remarked, "Pleasure to meet you, sir!"

And then she darted out the front door through some customers, with Violet left fluttering her eyelashes, "...Huh, there must be some history between them."

Anthony murmured, "Odd little lass…"

He then had to focus on attending to his customers, and Violet and Lyra wandered over to Leo's table.

The commotion made him unplug his headphones and squint his eyes out the door, as he thought to himself, "There's that familiar feeling aura again…Who was that girl?"

"Afternoon, Leo." Lyra said in her pleasant tone.

Leo looked up at her and her new guest and quickly read the room, "Oh, is this the friend you were talking about the other day?"

"Yes! Violet, this is Leo Whiter. We met at the beginning of the school year. He's into music, just like us."

"Sup!" Violet waved her hand up, "Whiter…Wow, there's a LOT of you at our school, huh? Are you all…?"

Leo closed his eyes and chuckled, "We're related, but only Serra is direct family, if you know her. Lunalei, Zelene, they're my cousins."

"Serra! Oh yeah, I remember her! She's a bit of a goof, but I respect the energy." Violet and Lyra then sat down, with Violet taking to sitting with her legs off the side of the chair.

"Soooo, music huh?" She prodded him for details.

Leo guessed her interests right away, "I hate to disappoint, but I'm more into softer melodies than rock and metal."

"Not that I haven't been trying." Lyra said with some exasperation.

Leo gave her a brief smile and then was hit with Violet's inquisitive voice, "So what's the big deal behind not liking good music?"

"Ah I see, she's the blunt type," But he took her opinion in stride and politely explained, "Nothing really. I just haven't found anything that I vibe with."

Violet then nodded and turned around to lean into Lyra's area, "Have you tried THAT song?"

"BEEN trying," Lyra whispered, before making an estimate on where her friend was to gently push her back, "Don't worry, I can handle him."

Leo raised a brow and then after a little thought tapped his finger on the table, "I almost forgot. Lyra, I decided to invi-"

"Ooof!" The blunt and gruff sound of one quarterback named Bang interrupted him.

"Never mind…" He closed his eyes and let the scene play out until mediation might be needed.

The quarterback stood over the table and politely gestured his hand, his body bundled up in a light Seahawks sports jacket, "Hey Lyr-"

His jaw slacked and his voice became increasingly high-pitched as he stared at Violet, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

He pointed at her and squealed, "W-Why is SHE here?!"

To which Violet retaliated by exclaiming, "Why is HE here?!"

Leo and Lyra were both left hanging their heads and groaning.

Leo whispered, "I think we both mistimed this."

Lyra laid a hand against her face, "Maybe…"

Bang grabbed onto Leo's shoulders and shook him lightly, "Don't you get it, bro? She's the enemy of all men!"

Violet stood up, slapped her hands down on the table, "The only enemy to men is your own damn selves!"

Bang turned and swung his finger out like he was drawing a lance, "Dude! I didn't do SHIT to deserve your endless bubble-filled torment!"

Anthony let out a loud whistle and then proclaimed, "Oi! Keep it down over there or take it outside! People are eating!"

Violet and Bang glared daggers at each other as they sat down but it was clear Bang was losing his nerve rapidly.

After assessing the tensions between them a little bit, Leo remarked, "Perhaps…this is an opportunity for you two to work out your differences."

Both mutually agreed, "Not a chance in hell."

Lyra then spoke up, "Violet, could you at least try? He's not…totally a waste of testosterone."

Violet closed her eyes, "Haaaa, if you insist…"

She grumbled a lot afterwards.

It took Bang speaking out to break the awkward silence, but he solely focused his attention on Leo, "Sooo bro, got any plans for Spring Break?"

Leo pulled up his phone and thumbed through his schedule, "Not particularly."

Bang lit up, "Oh cool. Wanna come over to my house and watch some movies?"

Violet crossed her arms and sneered, "Lemme guess, sports biopics?"

Bang threw his head back to swing it at her with maximum force, "I have HOBBIES. Is that a CRIME?"

Leo closed his eyes and politely remarked, "I wouldn't mind, but I have to watch the house while my sister is out running marathons with a friend."

Violet commented, "Oh, your parents aren't around much?"

Leo nodded, "My mom's a newscaster, and my dad's in NASCAR."

She whistled, "Wow, BUSY busy. Well…if you can't go anywhere, why don't me and Lyra come to your place?"

Bang glared at her, "I noticed you didn't include me in the equation…Y-You know what, never mind, I'm just inviting your sass at this point."

Violet smirked and giggled proudly at herself.

Leo then found a gap to speak up, "I wouldn't mind, personally, but our house is pretty cramped. We always have to host family gatherings at my Uncle's."

Bang said, "Weeeell, I live in a two-story house with my parents, uncle and grandma. We got a lot of room to spare…"

Lyra whispered, "What's wrong with staying here?"

Violet answered, "No disrespect to your dad, this deli rocks, but it's missing that…high schooler appeal."

Bang snapped his fingers, "Like video game consoles! Or arcade machines!"

Violet muttered, "Heck, he doesn't even have any TVs."

Lyra turned and slanted her brows looking particularly unamused, upon which Violet stuttered in embarrassment, "S-Sorry, Lyra…"

Lyra quickly put her smile back on, "No, no, it's alright. I get it. If we're growing our friend group like this, the days of quietly sitting in a deli might have to be behind us…"

Leo remarked with some confusion, "It's not like we have to always be together…the four of us."

Lyra turned her head and narrowed her gaze in bliss.

Violet then put her hand on the table and leaned towards her, nudging her brows for a bit, "Ehhh…?"

Lyra poked her foot with her cane.

"Owie!" Violet retreated.

"Ha!" Bang celebrated.

Violet and Lyra tag-teamed his ankles with their foot and cane respectively.

He held his breath and only exhaled from his nose, but it sounded pained.

After a little bit of sauntering around, Violet asked Lyra, "So hey Lyra, are you still practicing your singing?"

Lyra immediately jumped in her seat while Leo raised his head and commented pleasantly, "Say that again?"

Lyra shook her head, "Never mind."

Bang then spoke up, "Whoa whoa wait…dude…have you STILL not told Leo about your dream?"

Lyra's face tensed up and she raised her cane in a threatening manner, "Shuuuuut up."

Leo took this whole ordeal in stride, "You want to be a singer? That's wonderful, Lyra."

And his ease of handling the subject caused Lyra to settle down before someone got hurt, though her cheeks were now bright red, "...Yeah, but it's just that. A dream. I can't be a singer these days."

"Why not?" Leo asked sincerely.

"Well…" She took a deep breath and sighed, "I wanted to sing my heart out in front of a massive audience and see how many smiles I'd get in return. I could be a positive influence for someone, like the Scarlet Succubus was for me."

"But now I'll just…hear the crowd roaring in a sea of black."

"Lyra…" Violet murmured, as her friend hung her head.

Leo closed his eyes and put his phone down, "Lyra, have you ever heard of the blind man who could play the piano?"

Bang spoke up, "Oh, you mean Ray Charles? Grandma said she had to listen to his music all the time when she was young."

Leo nodded, thankful for his support, "Yes. Despite the hand he was dealt, he played music because it was his passion."

"And you…" Leo smiled fondly, "Have shown that in spades, Lyra."

He then held his hands together and remarked, "What can we do to help ease your worries?"

"Hmmm…" Lyra remained pensive for a few moments, "Weeeell…maybe I could try singing in front of a small group and see what happens?"

"Like our classmates!" Violet proclaimed.

"Would that be allowed?" Lyra wondered.

"I could ask Lunalei to get us permission." Leo offered.

Violet then raised her head with sparks in her eyes, "Oh! But you can't sing without music!"

Lyra nodded excitedly, "You're right! We need a band."

She then turned to Leo, "I know it's not in your ballpark, but…if you could put your skills to good use, I'd really, REALLY appreciate it."

Leo smiled fondly, "I'm sure there's one instrument I can contribute."

Lyra brightly smiled.

Bang then let out a couple coughs and slowly raised his hand, "I uhhh…know how to play the guitar."

Violet crossed her arms and cast suspicion, "Really."

Bang held his ground, "Yes. Really. I-It was years ago, before my dad pushed me into sports, but I bet I could strum like a god after a few tries."

Lyra then nudged her friend, "And what about you?"

Violet lightly recoiled and chuckled until she slowly whittled down her confidence, "Uhhh, s-sorry Lyra, I haven't really picked up an instrument in a long time. Kind of lost the drive after…well…"

Lyra pouted for a moment but then urged her, "I want you to be a part of this. Doesn't have to be in a musical sense."

Violet sprung back up and declared, "Wait! I could make art for the band! Yeah! Perfect!"

She then snapped her fingers at her and asked, "Got a name in mind?"

Lyra nodded, "Sanguine Echoes."

"Love. It!" Violet clapped her hands.

Leo smiled, "This seems to be coming together rather well. But where will we practice? And what type of song will we do?"

Bang raised his hand timidly again, "My place has plenty of room in the garage."

Lyra nodded, "Sure, if you'd have us."

Violet grumbled, "I guess…"

Lyra then tapped her chin, "As for the song, hmm…There's one my dad loves, from a retro game released in the 20s. I think we could do a cover of it with just guitars and drums."

"Cool!" Bang shouted, "This is going to be a rockin' rollin' spring break after all!"

He then gave them his house address so they could meet up tomorrow. After which they finally had some lunch and just hung out for most of the afternoon.

When it was time to go, Leo and Lyra were the only ones who stuck together. Violet departed with a comment of, "Bummer that Selina missed out. I'll try and see what's up with her later! You guys take care! Don't get too cozy!"

Lyra sighed, "That girl…"

Leo looked at his phone until Lyra tugged his sleeve and asked, "Are you sure you're ok with this?"

Leo looked her in the eyes with a smile, "Positive."

Lyra closed her eyes and wondered aloud, "You're…NOT just doing this to make me happy?"

Leo nodded, "This is my way of apologizing for being so stubborn these past few months."

"And…" He said firmly as she started to pucker her lips, "I want to hear you sing."

Lyra blushed and then twirled her curly hair around one finger, "You could've just said that from the start. Alright, Mr. Whiter…I'll be sure to blow your chains away and open your heart to the power of rock and roll!"

"Ha ha, I look forward to it."

So begins a long evening for all of them…

The next day, Leo was the first to arrive at Bang's house. True to his story, it was a pretty big house. The yard was a little untidy, the bushes hadn't been clipped yet, and there was a broken down car edging the sidewalk.

But Bang was there to greet him with open arms, and a lot of nervous fidgeting, "H-Hey bro, you made it! Cool!"

"Yes, and I even managed to find my old drum set." Albeit, with this being the modern age, it was one of those electronic boards you lay on your lap and play the drums with your hands.

Bang was impressed, "Wh-ho-hoa! I've seen those before! Wicked! I thought you'd be an old-fashioned dude."

"Like I said, we don't have much room in our house, so sometimes convenience trumps charm." Leo tucked the board away into his back and swung it over his shoulder.

Bang then clapped his hands, flicked his pointers out, and then guided Leo towards the garage, "Well you're in luck dude! I also had no trouble getting my guitar out of a bind."

There was a guitar that was clearly meant for a kid a foot smaller than him leaning up against the side of the open garage, and when Bang picked it up Leo saw that one of the strings had been replaced.

"Think it'll work?" He wondered.

"Hmmm…" Leo gestured to take a look at it and then after close examination, attuned the strings to be a little bit tighter, "Try that."

"Ha, you sure know your stuff, bro!" Bang said proudly.

"Hey, do you uhhh, think the gals will show up?" He said, fidgeting his fingers together, looking with hope that maybe Violet won't come.

Leo pulled out his phone and remarked, "Lyra said she might be a few minutes later. Violet…I didn't get her number."

"Well, wanna hang out until they get here? …I got Yahtzee?" Bang leaned in as he said that, and his sheer sincerity made Leo shrug and agree to a quick game or two.

As they were preparing to start a third game, they saw a swanky blue car driving up next to the sidewalk, and out came Lyra wearing a slightly darker vest and a black shirt with a bloody cross.

She turned to the driver's window and bowed her head, "Thanks, dad. You can pick me up in a few hours."

"Ok dear, but remember-"

Lyra patted her bag, "I know, I got it."

Her dad closed his lips and looked like he was going to cry, "Alright. You have fun now!"

He then drove off, and Leo picked up the slack by walking over and offering his arm, "Glad you could make it."

"Uuuuugh," She groaned, "It sucks trying to find stuff in your room when you're blind."

Leo flinched at her venomous tone, "W-What were you trying to get?"

"My old karaoke mic." She reached into her bag and got it after a little effort, "It connects to my phone and can act as a speaker."

She then lifted her head and wondered, "Is Violet here yet?"

"Nope!" Bang declared with a hint of relief, "Bro and I were just playing Yahtzee."

"Sounds like fun. Can we play a round and give her time to show up?"

The boys shrugged and let her play, with Leo being her eyes to help her decide which dice to keep.

After a couple rounds, a bus showed up and dropped Violet off. And she was carrying a bag full of art supplies, including a few spray cans sticking out of the zippered section.

She also had on a lightweight jacket.

"Sorry I'm late!" She cried out, "Hope you haven't had too much fu-"

She stopped and opened her mouth, "Yahtzee?! You were playing Yahtzee without me?!"

Lyra said softly, "Can you ever forgive us?"

Violet dropped her bag and stretched her hands out, "Only if you let me have a round!"

Violet wound up being insanely lucky and got two Yahtzee's in a round, which promptly caused the group to drop the game.

"H-How did she do that?" Bang said, head hung over and face left horrified.

The door in the back of the garage opened up and a nice middle-aged lady with long braided locks dyed at the tips and a piercing on her nose walked out carrying a tray of miniature sandwiches.

"How're your friends doing, my little Popper?" She said in a slightly Jamaican accent.

"Mooooom…" Bang groaned, "Don't use my nickname around HER."

Violet immediately reeled back and snorted, "Popper, ha!"

Bang grabbed his face in both hands until his mom pulled them off and wagged her finger, "Don't be like that, boy. C'mon."

She handed him the tray and patted him on the shoulder, "Give 'em a taste of my special sandwiches."

His mom returned to the house and with a tight gulp, Bang put the tray down on the table they were playing on, "Soooo, we got ham and swiss…turkey with relish and tomato…a little bit of pineapple pastrami with a little helping of mayo…"

He then shrugged and was trying to shake off the embarrassment, "Uhhh, I dunno, take your pick."

Violet took one of the ham and swisses and wiggled her brows, "Sure thing…Popper."

Bang then held his hands together and murmured, "Lord above, please give me strength to get through this day…"

After enjoying some sandwiches and talking about recent things they enjoyed for a bit, they finally gathered up their tools of the trade and set up to practice the song.

Lyra looked at the boys and asked, "So you reviewed the song I sent you, right?"

"Yep!" Bang declared.

"I think I understand the rhythm enough." Leo added.

Violet, off to the side, pulled out a canvas, some paper with shapes cut into them, and her spray cans, "I'll just be here! Don't mind me!"

Bang glared at her while looking tensed up, causing Leo to have to walk over and whisper to him, "Relax. She'll mind her manners."

Bang winced, "I dunno, bro…you haven't seen the devious Hells she can release upon us mortal men…"

Leo closed his eyes and shook his head, then checked up on Lyra, who was adjusting the settings on her mic, "Need any assistance?"

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks for asking though." She was shaking, taking deep breaths.

Leo rubbed her shoulders and subtly poured some of his aura into her body to ease her nerves, "You got this."

After she took one more deep breath she looked back and said, "You do your part, Leo. I'll be fine."

With that out of the way, Leo got back into position and Lyra set up an instrumental version of the song to play quietly for them.

It didn't take more than a few seconds for her to huff out a sigh and turn the music off, facing Bang with a gesture of her hand, "You're playing too quietly."

"Oops, sorry, thought we were matching the music."

Lyra started the song back up from scratch and took a deep breath before the part where the lyrics normally kicked in.

But there she wound up murmuring the lyrics, quickly causing her to stop the song, turn around, and wag her hand out, "Can I get some water?"

Leo opened a water bottle and handed it to her. She drank the whole thing down and tossed the bottle onto the ground, "Thanks, Leo."

She then started the song back up, and when the lyrics came around she SCREAMED them out like a siren's painful wail, causing Bang to drop his guitar and shout, "Jesus!"

Lyra clammed up, was beet red in the face, and then after tapping the phone off she looked over her shoulder and muttered, "Too much…?"

Leo's heart was fluttering, "Uhhh…maybe we need to work on quelling our nerves before we get started."

Lyra gulped, "Y-Yeah…"

Unfortunately, the rest of the day was spent less on practicing and more on fooling around, watching videos, and seeing Violet's first samples for their band signature come to life.

When the sun started to set, Lyra was picked up, and Violet took a bus back.

Bang was left sighing, "I dunno bro, feels like she doesn't have her heart fully in this."

Leo asked him, "Were you nervous the first time you played football?"

Bang grinned, "Oh totally! I damn near shit my pants…too much information?"

Leo nodded, and Bang hissed.

But then he softly pointed out, "I guess…I don't get how she sees the world…sorry, bro."

He then patted him on the back and the two parted ways.

The next couple days saw them making some progress, but it was a lot of fooling around.

Lyra was getting a handle on her volume, and Bang got his groove back with the guitar.

However, Leo was struggling to get a handle on the drums.

Violet stopped working on her art and waved her hands at the group, "Ok. Stop!"

She then thrust her finger at Leo with enough force to paralyze him, "You. Come here."

The two of them exited the garage and Violet leaned into him with a firm glare, "What kinda effort is that? You're banging drums, not patting powder on a baby's bum!"

Leo closed his eyes and remained calm, "I'm more used to harmonicas and flutes."

"Well I ain't asking for much. Just put a little more pressure into those beats and you're golden, ok?"

Leo smiled, "I can do that."

Violet grinned back and whispered, "Good. I'd hate to give away my sister to some half-asser."

She then gently shoved him on the chest and got back to work, leaving him a little flustered, "Now I see where she got it from…"

The day ended with Leo figuring out how to put a little more "Oomph!" into his drumming.

The instruments were starting to come together into something presentable for an amateur group like them, but it was Lyra who was starting to lag behind as they were nearing the weekend.

Her voice cracked after the first chorus, and she was slowing down.

Leo saw her aura knotting up and suggested, "Let's take a break."

He then gestured at Bang, who interpreted it to mean, "O-Oh sure bro! I'll get us some water!"

Leo then approached Lyra and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lyra gulped and squeezed her mic tightly against her chest, "I-It feels like we can do it. And that scares me."

The contrast in her words made him wonder, "It won't be a huge audience."

Lyra hastily replied with a bit of anger, "Speak for yourself you've never played in front of a hundred people whose faces you can't see!"

She then quickly took a deep breath, gasped, and looked regretful.

Leo then put his hand out towards her shoulder, but decided against it. Instead, offering to her, "It's not too late for me to call my cousin and get her to cancel."

"Leo," She raised her voice, "I'm not going to waste everyone else's efforts. Least of all yours."

Leo backed off and then took out his harmonica, looking at it fondly before playing an acoustic version of the song they were practicing.

His expertise at the tune created notes that wormed between the knots in her aura and loosened them up.

She fixed her posture and let out a light sniffle before turning her hand back and covering the instrument.

"Thanks." She said with some confidence.

After putting his harmonica away he wondered what else he could do to help, but felt that doing his best was the best he'd get away with right now.

Before they knew it, Spring Break was over and the fateful day was there.

Tragically, with Leo having morning classes he wasn't able to do any last minute adjustments with his friends.

He was unsure if Lyra would be ready. Violet hadn't shown off her final design either.

He banked his hopes on everything working out in the end. It just had to.

And he recognized that he was feeling…passionate about this outcome. Which left him warm and fuzzy, getting some accidentally teasing comments from Serra in the process.

When class was out for the day, Leo was taken aback by an ambush outside the door from Bang, Lyra and Violet.

Lyra was at the forefront and braved the swarm of students trying to get by in order to say, "Leo! Are you as ready to do this as I am?!"

He couldn't tell if this hyperactive response was her being confident or covering it up, her aura was totally out of control.

He looked her in the eyes and stated, "Yeah, you've got this."

"Good, good, yeah, I needed that! C'mon, let's go before my nerves cave in!"

She was taken by Violet to the outdoors while Bang, who looked completely exhausted, walked alongside Leo.

"Bro, lemme tell you something…" He gestured his hands in the air and said in an almost sagely tone, "I think my heart yearns for a…low energy kind of lady."

"Ha ha ha!" Leo giggled loudly.

Thankfully the weather had given them a break and the clouds were clear enough. They had to settle for performing atop a small platform placed in the middle of the schoolyard. No fancy displays, just them and their instruments.

Lyra took out her microphone and stood in the center of the stage. She was facing the audience of a few dozen students, feeling their anticipating gazes, and hearing their curious and at times hurtful whispers about how a blind girl could hope to sing.

She showed cold feet and couldn't get an introduction out.

So, before anyone else made a move, Violet raised a powerful canvas depicting the words "Sanguine Echoes" bleeding into each other through a series of pinks and deep reds, and black echo waves coming off both S's.

"ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?! CAUSE THESE NOTES ARE GONNA REVERBERATE IN YOUR BLOODSTREAMS!"

And this shut the crowd up and got them a little cheerful.

Violet then jumped right off the stage leaving her friend with a wink and smile.

Lyra began to thaw, taking a deep breath and holding onto her microphone tightly.

Leo and Bang began playing their instruments, and after a few seconds what happened was a sight to behold and hear.

Lyra took every anxiety she had within and told them to shove it by singing with a voice straight out of Hell, but in a good way.

The power of her vocal cords was enough to send goosebumps throughout the audience, and a few more students wandered in from far off.

The name of this song? "Breaking Free".

Pounding at these prison walls inside my mind

Struggling to break free, but I realize I'm

Stuck here shackled by this insecurity that

Tells me I can't do what you're expecting of me

Every night I lie awake

Feeling like I'm just a mistake

Oh, take a look at me

I know I'm not the perfect girl you want me to be

All I really need

Is room to breathe because this pressure's killing me

All my life I've fought to win your validation

Always met with failure and humiliation

Maybe I belong here, shackled in this place where

No one else can see I'm nothing but a disgrace

Every night I lie in bed

Trying to escape from my head

Oh, take a look at me

I know I'm not the perfect girl you want me to be

All I really need

Is room to breathe because this pressure's killing me

So take a look at me

I know I'm not the perfect girl you've pushed me to be

But I've found some clarity

My life's too precious to live shackled by insecurity

And now I'm breaking free

I'm through with you and everybody else telling me

Who I'm meant to be

I'm taking back control

The world ends with me

And it was as if five years of holding back came to a thunderous end.

Leo had to hold his composure to keep up the beat without falling into sheer awe at how well she was performing under pressure…and how much her classmates repaid her efforts with cheers and applause.

It was a mere four minutes, but it was the most exciting minutes of their lives.

When the song was over, Lyra collapsed onto her knees, threw her head forward and shouted into her mic while drenched in sweat, "THANK YOU EVERYONE!"

And after that she was stunned, forcing Leo and Violet to jump in and help her back to her feet and carry her off the stage.

Once she regained consciousness, Lyra wrapped her arm around Leo's back and whispered faintly, "You are so cool…"

But Leo couldn't accept that compliment, for she was the star of this show, "No Lyra…YOU are the coolest."

She gave him a tiny smile and then clenched her fist and whispered, "Yes!"

This wasn't the peak of their lives. It was merely Spring, and the start of something beautiful…

Next Time: Life is Suffocating