Even a Scream Has A Musical Scale - Chapter 15

How could someone be so fickle? Remington, who had seemed eager to help earlier, suddenly turned distant the moment he learned that she already knew Duncan. His expression soured, and from then on, he barely responded to her questions.

“Well, isn’t that convenient? If you already know him, it should be easier to pretend you like him,” he retorted with a biting tone.

****

Duncan Graham.

Remington refused to say more about him, but she had Cassie—her determined, well-connected roommate, who could dig up any information for just a hundred bucks.

“Hey, Cassie, do you know anything about Duncan?” she asked.

“Dumb, but built,” Cassie replied immediately, perched on her bed as she counted crumpled bills. Without pausing, she continued to dish out more information, rapid-fire.

“Basketball addict. His dad’s some real estate tycoon. He’s not the sharpest, but he’s got that odd popularity. A picture of him nailing a three-pointer sold for 500 bucks. But honestly? With Remington around, why would you even care about Duncan? Word is, his love life is a complete mess.”

Finishing her count, Cassie set the stack of cash on her mattress with a satisfied grin. By the looks of it, she’d gathered at least a thousand dollars.

“Pretty impressive, huh? All this in just one day,” Cassie boasted.

“Yeah, you  know everything, don’t you, Cass?”

“I’m thinking of tallying up everything I made this week,” Cassie said with a laugh, pulling out a ledger and more bundles of cash from under her bed. Despite her wealthy family background, her obsession with money was still a mystery.

“What’s Duncan’s relationship like with Eleanor? I heard they’re siblings,” she asked.

“Their relationship? Hard to say. I’ve barely seen them together. But there was that one time Duncan showed up at Strawberry Hill in the middle of the night, just in his boxers, yelling for Eleanor. People said he looked like a lunatic. Ugh, if only I’d been awake—I could’ve gotten a photo!” Cassie groaned in regret.

Cassie clicked her tongue in disappointment, clearly regretting the missed opportunity. Her fingers pressed tightly against the stack of bills, ensuring she wouldn’t lose track of where she left off.

“But Dani, why the sudden interest in Duncan? You got a crush on him?”

“Not really. Just curious,” Dani replied with an awkward smile as she retreated to her bed. If she wanted rumors about her liking Duncan to spread, using Cassie would be the quickest route. But there was no way she’d let those words slip out. She was still a girl who’d never even confessed her feelings to anyone before.

“Come on, spill it!”

“It’s nothing. I just heard that the guy who lent me the uniform was Duncan, so I got curious.”

“What? That was Duncan?” Cassie’s eyes widened as she practically threw the money aside and shot out of bed. She grabbed the shopping bag and peered inside like she’d just discovered hidden treasure.

“Let’s go give it back to him right now!”

“Right now?”

“He should be at the basketball court. They’ve got practice today. I’m coming with you, okay?” Cassie didn’t even wait for an answer before pulling Dani to her feet.

“Wait, is it really necessary to do this now…?”

“It’s almost dinnertime. If you stall any longer, you’ll miss him. Here, take your cardigan.”

While Dani was the type to overthink something thirteen times before acting, Cassie was the kind of person who would impulsively jump into thirteen different decisions at that time. Flustered by the sudden turn of events, Dani soon found herself already lacing up her shoes.

****

They left the dormitory, cutting across the garden toward the sports center. Despite the late hour, the place buzzed with activity as students engaged in various workouts. Right on Dani’s heels, Cassie grabbed her cheeks and turned her head toward the court.

“There he is. Go talk to him, quick.”

Duncan was just stepping out of the court, his shirt tossed aside, revealing the muscular physique Dani had seen once before from the gym’s second floor. As she hesitated, Duncan spotted her first.

“Oh, Roderson, long time no see. Here to work out? Or here to see me?”

He approached, drenched in sweat, wiping his underarm with a balled-up jersey, then laughed loudly. Instead of looking dirty, he seemed healthy and full of raw masculinity.

Dani’s gaze lingered on the beads of sweat trickling down his firm chest before she quickly looked away. Cassie clung to her, stifling a giggle. Dani held out the shopping bag to him.

“I wanted to return your uniform. Thanks for lending it to me.”

“You even washed it, huh?” Duncan peeked inside the bag and frowned slightly.

“I was hoping it’d still smell like you.”

“Oh?” Dani forced a laugh, feeling awkward. Cassie, conversely, was making a big deal out of it, pinching Dani’s arm with excitement.

“Anyway, thanks for helping me out that day. I would’ve been in real trouble without you. Let’s catch up again sometime,” Dani said, ready to leave.

“Wait, want to grab dinner together?” Duncan called out, stopping her in her tracks. Dani was about to politely decline, but Cassie jumped in first.

“Why not? Of course, she will!”

Ever since Remington had told her to “pretend to like” Duncan, Dani had been puzzled about what that meant. How does someone act when they like someone? What does it look like?

That evening, Dani found part of her answer by observing Cassie. Her entire upper body leaned toward Duncan, her eyes were locked onto him, and questions flowed from her endlessly. It was as if every part of her was tuned solely to him.

Dani quietly watched Cassie’s over-the-top enthusiasm while they ate.

“Duncan, do you usually like Greek food? You don’t seem like the type to go for healthy food, but is this part of your diet? Or are you secretly vegan?”

“What are you talking about? There’s meat all over this plate,” Duncan replied, tapping his fork against the dish. The clinking noise was grating, but neither he nor Cassie seemed to care.

“I heard someone say they liked this place, so I thought I’d check it out. Not bad,” he added before cracking open a can of diet soda and downing it in one gulp. The tiny can crumpled effortlessly in his grip.

“But Dani, why are you so quiet? You don’t like the food?” he asked, turning his attention to her.

“Not Dani, Dani. That’s what everyone calls her,” Cassie chimed in, unfazed by any annoyance Duncan might’ve shown.

“It’s good. I’m enjoying it, don’t worry.”

“Dani’s just not much of a talker, Duncan. But she’s not into chatty guys like you,” Cassie teased before smoothly shifting gears. “By the way, Duncan, what’s your type?”

“My type?” Duncan repeated, locking eyes with Dani. She quickly averted her gaze and focused on her food.

The conversation drifted from there to all sorts of topics until they landed on mocking Mr. Mathew’s never-ending math classes. The main complaint? He never let them out even a minute early.

As they rambled on, Dani half-listened, her mind wandering, when a sharp voice interrupted from above. It was a voice she never expected to hear in a place like this.

“Well, isn’t this an interesting mix?”

Eleanor, her golden hair twisted into a tight updo, stared at them with a sour expression. The moment Duncan spotted her, his tone turned playful.

“Ellie! Thanks for recommending this place—it’s delicious. I can already feel the pounds melting off. Appreciate it!”

“Get your facts straight. I didn’t recommend it. I said I hoped I’d never run into you here.”

“Isn’t that a recommendation? I got curious about how good the food must be for you to warn me like that.”

“Ugh.”

Eleanor’s face twisted in frustration as she bit down on her lip. Dani half-expected her to lunge at Duncan in a fit of rage, but instead, Eleanor swallowed her anger and let out a long, deep sigh. What stuck with Dani most was how, as Eleanor returned to her table, she kept glancing back at Dani—her expression laced not with hostility, but with unease and perhaps even confusion.

“Are you and Eleanor close?” Dani asked, trying to sound casual.

“Of course! We’re siblings, after all,” Duncan replied with a playful grin as he suddenly grabbed Dani’s hand. Startled, she tried to pull away, but Duncan only raised their clasped hands higher, sending a teasing wink Eleanor’s way. Eleanor grimaced and turned away in disgust.

Even after that, Eleanor couldn’t seem to stop glancing over at their table. Dani had never seen her so agitated.

Was this the key to ending everything? In that moment, Dani recalled Remington’s advice: just follow the plan. And for the first time, she felt a surge of confidence. Maybe, just maybe, this whole mess could finally be resolved.

****

Back at the dorm, the first thing Dani did was check on Cassie. She was crucial to Dani’s plan, but also the one person she worried about most. Cassie was a perfect tool for spreading rumors at lightning speed, but she was also the closest thing Dani had to a friend at Eratum. That’s why admitting she had feelings for Duncan wasn’t easy—if Cassie turned against her, Dani knew she’d be genuinely hurt.

“Oh, Dani, tonight was the best! I can’t believe I got to talk to Duncan for that long,” Cassie gushed as she sprawled out on her bed, her eyes glued to her phone. She’d been in this dreamy state since they returned. Dani hesitated before approaching her.

“Hey, Cassie… what do you think of Duncan? You think he’s a good guy?”

“Are you kidding? He’s amazing.”

Her answer was quick and firm. Dani bit her lip, conflicted. She felt bad, but right now, survival was more important than friendship.

“Um, Cassie?”

“Yeah?”

“Actually… I kind of like Duncan too.”

“Wait, seriously, Dani?”

Cassie’s eyes widened in shock as she gaped at Dani. She nervously looked down, hoping her trembling would come off as shyness.

“Sorry, but I do like him…”

“No way!” Cassie gasped, clutching her chest like she was in disbelief. For a moment, Dani worried Cassie might react aggressively, maybe even accuse her of stealing her crush. But instead, Cassie’s face lit up, and she suddenly threw her arms around Dani.

“I’m so happy to have a fellow fan right under my nose, Dani!”

“What?”

“Here, swipe through these,” Cassie said excitedly, shoving her phone toward Dani.

“These are all the details and pictures I’ve collected on Duncan so far, including today’s shots. I was planning to sell them to the other girls for $600, but for you, I’ll give you a special deal—$500. Trust me, it might seem pricey, but once you buy it, you’ll see it’s worth it,” Cassie said with a sly grin, tucking her short hair behind her ear.

It was at that moment that Dani realized something important. Cassie’s obsession wasn’t really with Duncan—it was with money.

And just as expected, three days later, a new rumor began circulating in school.