Chapter Seven

                                    

                                          
The rest of the first week back passed quickly. I didn't spot Noah around at uni at all and, given our booze-fuelled blow-out at the beginning of the week, Charlotte and I had spent the evenings at home studying, practising, or curled up in our pyjamas watching rom-coms on Netflix.
                          
By the time Friday morning rolled around, I'd almost managed to stop thinking constantly about the green-eyed stranger. Until I remembered ensemble class was on the timetable for that afternoon.
                          
With four disciplines on our degree - vocals, guitar, bass and drums - one of the 'most important' skills for us to learn, according to the tutors anyway, was how to play together.
                          
Unfortunately, the fact I don't have any interest in ever performing my music for other people's enjoyment doesn't get me a hall pass on this. So, every Friday, I sit there dying inside as we're given a well-known song to rehearse and perform as a full band the following week.
                          
I dread it. And, as I walked into the auditorium and spotted that messy, dark blonde hair, I began to dread it even more.
                          
"Ooh, look who it is," teased Charlotte as she followed my gaze to where Noah sat talking to an equally tattooed guy, with handsome features and shoulder-length brown hair.
                          
I instantly recognised him as the bass player from The Ambition. Were they all here on this course? I hadn't noticed any of them before. But, then again, I'd been so wrapped up in George during my first term that all members of the male species may as well have been wallpaper.
                          
"If you're not interested in him, Abi, then I'm well up for giving it a crack," Charlotte smirked as we took our seats. "He's fit and talented - perfect baby making material if you ask me."
                          
Her suggestion, although tongue-in-cheek, caused a heavy weight to drop in my stomach. The thought of someone as immaculate and confident as Charlotte seeing Noah wasn't something I wanted to imagine.
                          
"Fuck that," whispered Kris from the row behind us, "If you're not interested Abs then even I'll give it a crack." His wicked cackle only grew louder as I reached behind to playfully swat a palm at him. 
                          
As I glanced over again, Noah's eyes flashed in my direction and I mustered a smile. Without reciprocating, he blinked flatly before turning in his chair, pulling his phone from his pocket and focusing his attention on the small screen.
                          
Guess I really had blown it.
                          
"Okay everyone, settle down please and we can start getting you into groups," shouted Dan over the rabble of around a hundred guys and girls, all competing to grab seats next to their friends.
                          
"There's no point trying to decide among yourselves," Dan continued. "We're going to shake you out of your comfort zones this term. Now, if you can all just shut up we can get this over with, and you can start experiencing what it's like to be working musicians."
                          
It was only then that I noticed four shoebox-sized boxes sitting on a table at the back of the stage, each labelled with a different instrument. As Dan grabbed the microphone off its stand and headed towards the table, it became clear how we were being selected.
                          
Oh god, what was this, The Hunger Games?
                          
With each name pulled out of each box, the room either erupted into excited whoops or quiet grumbles. Cliques had already been firmly formed in the first term, and the prospect of being landed in 'the shit group' was making many people nervous.
                          
Finally, my name was called to join a drummer named Cole, a guitarist named Will, and one of the few female bassists on our course, Lina. I'd heard Cole playing before and he was one of the tightest drummers we had, but how his soulful vibe would gel with a metalhead of a guitarist, I wasn't sure.