You Belong With Me

Chapter 23 // Dark Blue

Hey! This is the last update before the holidays, so Happy Holidays!! Also, I wanted to address the length of my chapters - I usually aim for around 550-700 words each chapter since I wanted to try the format out. I've found I don't really like how short the chapters end up being, but I also don't want them to be  super long, so I'm thinking for my next book I'll try around 1000 words instead. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!
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The day went by too slowly, something I noticed that was happening more and more often.

When did this all start?

When did I become so stuck in my head that I could barely make it through the day?

When did school become a chore instead of something I mildly enjoyed?

I refocused on what was happening around me when I heard my band teacher say something to my instrument section.

"Clarinets, I need you to practice bars 20-35 more, you're lagging behind," he started, before turning the page and talking to a different group.

I let out a sigh, glancing through those fifteen bars.

"We're so close, people! Now from the top," he said too enthusiastically, readying his hands that held a baton.

Before we could even begin playing, the bell rang and he let out a groan in response.

"Okay, I'll see you guys tomorrow. Don't forget to practice tonight if you can!" Mr. O'Donell shouted after us as we cleaned up our instruments and filed out of the music room chaotically.

I stuck my clarinet case into my backpack as I glanced around the room, realizing I was the last one to leave.

I shuffled out finally, taking my time as I made my way to my locker, and then the bus loop.

I was excited to go home after a long, intense day, basically falling into my usual seat on the bus.

I felt the cushion dip next to me as I turned my head, meeting those familiar blue eyes.

"Hey," Logan greeted, smoothly.

"Hi," I responded quietly, Madison's words replaying in my head just at the sight of him.

"So," he started, creating a small pause. "I heard you blasting Maroon 5 last night."

My eyes went wide.

"No, you didn't..." I said, uncertainty lacing my voice as I looked at him warily.

"I'm no liar, Harper Greene," he responded, smirking at me.

"Well, either way, I was not blasting it," I argued with a newfound confidence, raising an eyebrow.

He just shrugged, giving me a look.

"I'm surprised you even knew the artist," I commented, teasing him.

"Hey, I don't listen to a ton of music, but Maroon 5 just happens to be my favourite," he said, matter of factly.

"Yeah, and probably the only artist you listen to," I remarked with a laugh.

"No- okay, maybe..." he stuttered out, rethinking his immediate response.

"Knew it."

A wide grin spread onto my face as he stared back at me.

"So, what's your favourite song?" I asked, genuinely interested.

"Um...maybe 'Nobody's Love' or 'Payphone'...or maybe even 'Counting Stars', I think it's called by..." he slowed his speech in thought, drawing his last word out.

"One Republic," I finished for him automatically when I realized he couldn't remember the artist.

"Yeah! Man, you really know your stuff," he exclaimed, sounding slightly impressed.

I felt my whole demeanor turn shy at his compliment, feeling my face heat slightly.

"Well, I really love music. It's basically my life," I replied, looking off to the side.

"Do you play any instruments or anything like that?" he questioned, fishing his phone from his backpack.

"Yeah, actually. I play clarinet in band class at school, and then play guitar and sing for fun outside of that."

I paused, hesitating on my next sentence before taking a chance, trying to convince myself it was just Logan.

"I also write songs...sometimes," I finally said, trying to not make a big deal out of anything.

He stopped for a second, bringing his head up so his eyes met mine once again.

"Really, that's so cool! You have to show me some time!"

He finally got his dark blue phone out of the large pocket of his backpack, holding it in his hand.

The colour instantly reminded me of the dark blue whiteboard marker that he used the first time we wrote to each other through our windows.

We still do it every now and then, but more just to say hi and make small talk.

I smiled at the memory, each person waiting eagerly for the next to finish writing.

Next thing I knew we were already at the bus stop, containing it's park bench, lamp post, and stop sign, all right next to my two story house, and beside that, Logan's.

I let out a small sigh, feeling relaxed again after talking to Logan. He always seems to have that effect on me.

"Well, I'll see you later, Harper. Have a good weekend!"

He lifted his hand in the form of a wave, heading to his house.

"Bye! You too!" I called out, making my way inside my own.

I checked in on Avery before slowly making my way upstairs to my room, letting out a large sigh as I flopped onto my bed.

I found myself humming different tunes out loud, my mind not wanting to shut off.

Eventually I decided to get out my guitar and put those melodies to work, playing around a bit.

Next thing I knew I had a small set of lyrics to go with my chosen tune that I made sure to quickly write down while they were in my head.

And from that, I already knew what I would title this small piece;

You Belong With Me.