It was a fine Sunday morning, the usual boring sun and annoying birds chirping. I laced up my running shoes, grabbed my new headphones, and headed out for my usual jog. The neighborhood was just waking up: a few dog walkers, a cyclist or two, and the distant sound of someone mowing their lawn. I put on my new headphones and then I kept the music low, letting the rhythm of my feet and the beat of the song blend with the morning sounds.
Halfway through my route, I spotted Claire Dunphy jogging toward me, her ponytail bouncing like she was in a commercial. She waved, and I slowed down to match her pace for a block. Claire's always been a little intense, but lately she's actually been pretty nice to me. We chatted about school, basketball, and—of course—Alex. I could see her angling for that topic from a mile away.
She tried to sound casual, but I caught the glint in her eye. "And Alex? She's been studying like crazy lately. I barely see her anymore—she's always in her room with her books. I worry she's pushing herself too hard."
I smiled, feeling a weird mix of pride and concern. "Yeah, she's been on a roll. But I'll make sure she takes a break. I'll text her to come hang out today."
Claire grinned, relief clear on her face. "You're good for her, Lucas. She needs someone to remind her there's more to life than grades. Promise me you'll get her to relax a little?"
"Promise," I said, and we parted ways at the next corner, her ponytail swinging as she jogged off.
As soon as I got home, I shot Alex a quick text: "Come over today. I have got a surprise to tell you." Her reply came back instantly: "Can't wait to meet you! You better have snacks." I couldn't help but notice how she never says 'no' to me—whether it's hanging out, trying something new, or even when we're doing private things together. I guess we both liked making each other happy. It's a good place to be.
Back at the house, I decided to cook breakfast for my parents. They were still upstairs, probably sleeping in after a late night—judging by the way they'd been acting lately, I had a pretty good idea what they'd been up to. Some things you just don't want to think about, but hey, at least they're happy. Cooking for them is something I don't get to do as often these days, but I always enjoy it—a quiet way to show I care.
I whipped up pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon, letting the smell fill the kitchen. Eventually, Mom and Dad wandered down, looking well-rested and a little sheepish. We sat together at the table, sunlight streaming in, and for a few minutes, it felt like old times.
"So, what's on your agenda today?" Dad asked, pouring himself coffee and eyeing the stack of pancakes.
"I'm meeting up with Alex, Josh, and Leonard. We'll probably work on the game, maybe play some music. You know, the usual."
Mom raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips. "And all that equipment you ordered—are you planning to start a band or something?"
I grinned, dodging the question about the cost. "Just experimenting. Gotta keep busy, right?"
Dad laughed, shaking his head. "You're not busy already?!"
They exchanged a look but let it go, and we chatted about basketball, chess, and the latest updates on my projects. I could tell they were proud, even if half the time they didn't really get what I was up to.
By nine o'clock, Leonard showed up, ringing the doorbell. My mom let him in, and he made a beeline for my room, already comfortable in our house after years of friendship. We settled in and got right to work, talking about the game's progress. Leonard gave me a full report—he'd really grown into his role as team manager, keeping everyone on track and the project moving forward. We'd found a good rhythm: I'd lay out the framework, and the team would fill in the details, with me jumping in to help whenever inspiration struck.
After a couple of hours of technical talk—coding, bug fixes, design tweaks—our conversation drifted into full-on nerd territory. We got into a heated debate about who would win in a fight—Thor or Hulk. Leonard was adamant about Hulk's raw power, while I argued for Thor's versatility and how the Thor with runes is much OP. The banter got loud and ridiculous, with us acting out hypothetical battle scenes and quoting comics, and we were still going at it when Josh knocked and let himself in, greeting my parents on the way.
"Wow, dude, your room changed a lot," Josh said, looking around in awe. He spun in a slow circle, taking in the transformation.
Leonard finally took a good look too and whistled. "How the hell did I ignore all this before?"
My room used to be the typical high school setup: bed, desk, beanbag, a few posters of anime characters and basketball players. Now, one whole wall was lined with soundproof foam panels, giving the space a professional vibe. In one corner, I'd set up a mini recording studio—microphone on a stand, audio interface, a sleek laptop with editing software, and a pair of studio monitors. Next to that was a rack with my keyboard, guitar, and a new ukulele I'd picked up just for fun. Cables were neatly coiled, and a couple of music theory books sat on the shelf above my desk just for the aesthetics since I already absorbed a copy of those. The other side of the room still had my bed and a reading nook, but even that was upgraded with a new lamp and a stack of language books. My room didn't have much space left after all this. I definitely wanted to move to a bigger place and I was saving the money for it.
Josh grinned, picked up the ukulele and strummed a few off-key chords. "Man, you're going full rockstar on us! Next thing I know, you'll be selling out stadiums."
I laughed, grabbing my guitar. "One step at a time, bro."
Josh then said, "Now let's talk about YouTube and your grand plans."
Leonard flopped onto the beanbag, shaking his head. "This is interesting and I also want to know more about this."
I laughed and said, "Just wait for Alex, she should be here anytime now."
While we waited, I entertained Josh and Leonard by playing guitar without singing, just humming along, then switched to the keyboard and did the same. By the time I was finished, they were both cheering for me like good little minions, and I bowed dramatically, thanking them for their support.
Exactly twenty minutes later, Alex messaged me that she was outside. I headed to the door and saw Phil in the car, waving at me. I waved back, and Alex shooed her dad away with her hands acting cute in her own way.. I hugged her, breathing in the familiar scent of her shampoo, and led her inside, telling her Josh and Leonard were already here. She pouted a little, clearly hoping for some alone time, but before she could say anything, my mom swooped in from nowhere, greeting Alex with the kind of enthusiasm only moms can muster.
"Alex! It's so good to see you! You have to tell me everything—how's school, is Lucas bothering you?" Mom gushed, practically bouncing.
Alex laughed, a little overwhelmed, but answered all the questions with her usual charm. I finally had to physically steer my mom away, grabbing Alex's hand and dragging her to my room.
She stopped in the doorway, eyes wide at the transformation. "Whoa, Lucas, this is amazing. It looks like an actual studio in here!"
I grinned, feeling a little proud. "Thanks. I've been working on it."
Everyone found a spot—Leonard on the beanbag, Josh on my study chair, Alex sat cross-legged on the bed. I cleared my throat and addressed them all.
"Okay, here's the deal," I began. "I want to start recording songs independently and release them on YouTube. I'll need help—Josh, I want you to edit and manage the social media side: Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, all that. I'll give you a fair share of what we earn together."
Josh's eyes widened. "You don't have to, man. I'd do it for free."
I slapped him on the back. "Don't worry, I'll make you work for it. Ask Leonard." I laughed, but I meant it—money can ruin friendships if you're not careful, and I wanted everything clear from the start.
Josh then nodded after seeing me how serious I was about it, and Leonard also helped convincing him.
Alex smiled, looking genuinely happy. "That's good, and I'm happy for you guys. How can I help?"
I grinned at her. "What do you mean? You're my duet partner."
Alex's eyes went wide, clearly not expecting that. The room burst into laughter.
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