"Mom, maybe ease off a little!"
Abel shouted from the back seat, his voice carrying mild shock.
He had never experienced his mother driving like this before—the car was practically flying through traffic, and she was even overtaking other vehicles, something she never did.
"What do you mean, honey? I'm only at 70," Abigael responded, her eyes fixed on the road with unbreakable concentration.
Abel fell back into his seat, wide-eyed.
Could she even hear herself right now? Wasn't she the one who always said that driving past 60 was reckless?
He however understood the reason behind her panic.
The events of the day had drawn them in so deeply that no one had realized just how fast time had slipped away. It was made even worse by the fact that they had been in an enclosed space with artificial lighting, making it impossible to tell when day had turned to night.
Knowing his mother, Abel was certain she was blaming herself for letting it get this late.
When they had picked up Hilsa from the group home, the matron in charge had explicitly told them that the gates would close at 6, and Hilsa needed to be back before then. He knew how seriously his mother took rules, and the thought that she was the one breaking them must be eating at her. \
Glancing at his phone, Abel was well aware that the damage was done—it was already 7:08, way past the curfew.
As he stared at his phone, a notification popped up.
He hesitated for a moment, recognizing it immediately. It was the Rock 360 app.
He had been waiting for this, but the timing was either too coincidental or perfectly planned. He decided it was probably the latter.
With Ben having been dropped off earlier and Hilsa sitting up front with his mom, Abel felt safe enough in the back seat. He slid over to the seat directly behind his mother to check the message without her noticing through the rearview mirror, though with her intense focus on the road, she likely wouldn't have noticed anyway.
Tapping on the notification, the familiar screen of the mysterious app greeted him:
[Well done! You have surpassed expectations. You appear to be quite a natural at owning the stage. Let's hope you make it to the big leagues. Speaking of which, here's an important tip... Homecoming week is approaching, and the system is aware that the school band will be required to perform ahead of the homecoming football match...]
Abel's mind raced ahead of his eyes.
He could feel the tension building in his blood as he thought about it. He should have considered this—at the very least, he should have expected it.
Of course, the school band would perform. Everything the app had been guiding him toward must have been leading to this: becoming a member of the school band. It must have been orchestrating how he would take over as the lead singer.
Just the thought of that was exhilarating, but at the same time, it felt like an enormous leap. Not because he wasn't up to the task, but because the person who currently held that position was Jack O'Neil.
As far as talent and experience went, Abel was probably just a shadow of what Jack was.
Jack was a senior, which meant he was... 18 years old or less, yet the list of his musical achievements was probably longer than his age.
When he was just in middle school, he had been nominated as one of the participants in 'America's Got Talent', even making it to the semifinals. Then, as a freshman, he opened his YouTube channel, which went on to garner millions of subscribers thanks to the dazzling voice he lent to renditions of popular songs. He released his first original track as a sophomore, and it received massive hype from the already established fanbase he'd built. By the time he was a senior, dude was practically a superstar.
Now, imagine a nerd turned wannabe rockstar, who had barely laid a foot on an actual stage, trying to take the role of lead singer from such a decorated, actual star.
Abel felt his heart swell with tense expectation as his mind snapped out of its trance and his eyes continued reading the message on his phone:
[As a way of nurturing new talents and encouraging student involvement in creative arts, there will be a songwriting competition launched by the school music department...]
Suddenly, the soaring bubble Abel had been riding on burst mid-flight, and his lofty hopes, which had lasted less than a few seconds, came crashing down.
"Pff," Abel breathed out in frustration.
'That's what you get for daydreaming.'
He had just let his imagination run ahead of his reality. How could he even think such a feat was achievable with his average skills?
Almost everyone in the school band was close to, if not already, a pro. These guys performed on actual stages both at school and at various festivals. To think that with the few days of practice he'd put in, he could waltz his way onto the stage and snatch the spotlight from O'Neil was downright wishful thinking—if not outright insane.
That disappointment, however, didn't last long.
Even though Abel had briefly let his imagination outrun reality, he knew the nature of the path he had chosen. Work and discipline were what granted access to those big stages and the achievements that Jack had attained. Abel resolved that he too would not rest until he rose and surpassed those ranks.
His thoughts now drifted back to the message from the app. Of course, he should have expected this much.
So far, he had been progressing step by step, and having been introduced to various aspects of his chosen career, Abel realized that this was another crucial step the app had to guide him through.
Not that he was completely new to songwriting—he had been practicing it long before the app ever entered his life. Still, he had to admit that professional songwriting was a process that required much more than just scribbling words in a notebook and hiding it under a pillow.
It involved crafting lyrics that could tell a story, convey deep emotions, and connect with an audience. Abel knew that simply writing down his thoughts wasn't enough; he had to ensure those thoughts were made into verses and choruses that flowed seamlessly together.
There was also the matter of song structure,understanding when to build tension and when to release it, knowing how to create a hook that would stay in the listener's mind long after the song ended. It was a delicate balance, one that required skills and precision. All this ingredients he was yet to master.
This competition could be the perfect opportunity to put those skills to the test. If only he could...
Abel's thoughts were abruptly cut off as the car lurched violently. A blaring horn and the screeching of brakes filled the air. His heart raced as he felt the vehicle skidding uncontrollably, the world outside turning into a blur of lights and shapes.
Suddenly, everything was happening all at once.
He was conscious of hearing a scream of terror; he couldn't tell who had screamed—it could have been Hilsa, it could have been his mom. Abel felt the panic spring as he held on for dear life.
"Mom!"
He didn't even recognize his own voice anymore.
Was it supposed to be a warning cry? Or was it a cry of concern? Or maybe one of terror? ...Maybe when his brain, having analyzed his position and thus concluding the inevitable that was about to happen, it had reset to the first sound that had come out of his mouth those years back. That the first word should well be his last: 'Mom'.
In an instant, an explosive crash made his ears ring as the impact sent a shockwave through the vehicle.
Abel's head snapped violently, and everything went dark.