Even a Scream Has A Musical Scale - Chapter 16

“Did you hear? Roderson’s into Duncan.”

That was the only thing anyone was talking about lately. Of course, it was Cat who first let the secret slip. Dani acted uninterested, casually reaching for a biscuit from the long table. She had expected more from a party hosted by the dorm reps, but the cheap buttery taste filling her mouth was disappointing.

“Yeah, I heard. Someone even bought photos from Cassie to confirm it. But is it true?”

“Who knows? You can never trust Cassie completely. And wasn’t Roderson getting along with Remington anyway?”

“Yeah, but no one’s seen them go on a date. Duncan’s had dinner with her a few times, though. Plus, Duncan’s the one who lent her his uniform that day. And honestly, who spends $500 on some pictures if they’re not actually into someone? Even if they’re rolling in cash, that’s a bit extreme.”

Dani grabbed a glass filled with orange punch and made her way toward a quiet corner. Colorful balloons scattered across the floor bounced against her feet, making walking annoyingly difficult.

This party was part of the ‘Dorm Night’ event, and nearly every girl from Strawberry Hill Dorm was in attendance. They were all dressed in matching white negligees, cozy socks, and fluffy slippers. But Eleanor didn’t seem impressed by the event.

“Yes, Laura, I’m proud of this place. We’re so lucky to be here.”

Even as she spoke to the dorm mother, Eleanor kept throwing sharp glances in Dani’s direction. Her eyes held a paranoid edge, as if making eye contact would somehow drag Dani into her tense mood.

Dani slumped onto a couch, popping a pill and washing it down with a gulp of punch.

“Everyone’s talking about how I like Duncan. And Eleanor’s glaring at me more than ever. What should I do?”

She quickly texted Remington and waited for his response. It had been over two weeks since she last saw him. Today marked the end of the AP exams, and finals were only a few weeks away. He probably planned to stay off the grid until all his tests were done.

But he could still give her some advice, right?

She stared at her phone, growing more anxious with each passing minute until his reply finally came through.

“Forget it. The whole ‘pretending to like Duncan’ thing was a stupid idea.”
“Are you kidding? It’s already all over school.”
“Just drop it.”
“How? The rumor’s out there—how am I supposed to just erase it?”
“We’ll talk later. I’m busy.”

Now he’s too busy? Great. Dani felt a mix of frustration and determination. She wasn’t going to sit back and let this spiral out of control. She clutched her phone tightly and stood up, recalling a speech her father once gave:

“I hate vague talk the most. The more unclear you are, the safer you feel. But can you make a change by staying in your safe zone? If you want to create change, you have to run out there and grab it by the hair.”

That was exactly what she needed to do—charge forward and take control. She needed a clear, decisive move—a knockout blow.

“Hey, what are you all talking about?”

Dani approached the group of girls, her glass in hand, a confident smile on her lips. Her sudden interest surprised them, but they quickly welcomed her into the conversation.

“Perfect timing, Dani! We were just voting on which guy we think would be the best kisser.”

“Did you just say… a kiss?”

The girls leaned in, eyes gleaming with anticipation. A kiss? Dani barely knew what it even felt like, let alone what would make someone “good” at it. Her eyes drifted across the room as she hesitated and locked with Eleanor’s. Eleanor was watching her intently from near the piano. Steeling herself, Dani held Eleanor’s gaze and answered confidently.

“Duncan. I think Duncan would be good at it.”

Immediately, the girls exchanged knowing glances. It was obvious they were all thinking about the rumor.

“They say Roderson’s into Duncan.”

Eleanor seemed to tune out the conversation next to her completely, her focus fixed solely on Dani. Her eyes blazed with something bordering on hostility.

“Why Duncan, though? He seems like the rough type.”

“That’s what makes him better.”

“Wait, do you actually like Duncan?”

“…He’s cute. Simple and… manly.”

Dani’s cheeks flushed a deeper red, not from shyness, but because her body was reacting poorly to the alcohol. Still, the girls around her mistook it for embarrassment, erupting into cheers, questions, and wild speculation.

“See, I told you! Dani said I could spill the tea! Why does no one ever believe me?”
“But Dani, what about Remington? Weren’t things going well between you two?”
“Duncan, though? Come on, Dani, you could do so much better. He’s just a pretty face.”

Before Dani could respond, Eleanor stormed toward her with a face flushed with anger.

“Oh, give it a rest, Roderson! Do you expect us to buy this? You practically sprinted to the principal’s office to get buddy-buddy with Remington, and now suddenly you’re saying you’re into Duncan? I don’t know what game you’re playing, but your lies won’t fool me!”

“It’s not a lie,” Dani replied calmly. But Eleanor wasn’t convinced.

“Right. Sure. You should’ve just picked someone like Jeff! But Duncan? That clueless idiot? I’m telling you, you’re lying. You still like Remington, and if you don’t want to burn in hell, you’d better quit this charade, Roderson.”

“Remington? Do you seriously think I like him? Get real. I have no interest in him, and I don’t want to kiss him.”

“Then what about Duncan? Do you want to kiss him?”

“Yes, I do. So what? Is that a problem?” Dani shot back, doing her best to sound unfazed. She couldn’t remember when the word “kiss” had been tossed around this much in her life. Eleanor, on the other hand, looked like she was about to be sick.

Dani couldn’t understand why Eleanor was so adamant that she couldn’t possibly like Duncan. It’s not like he was unattractive.

“Prove it, then. Prove you’re into Duncan and not Remington,” Eleanor sneered, her voice dripping with disgust as if she were daring Dani to eat something repulsive.

“Go to the boys’ dorm, Roderson.”

“…”

“Go there and kiss Duncan in front of Remington. Then I’ll believe you.”

Dani froze. Eleanor’s lips curled into a smug grin.

“You can’t, can you? See? You’re lying about liking Duncan just because you’re still hung up on Remington.”

“…I can do it.”

Dani’s voice was steady as she stared Eleanor down. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

There was no turning back now. Eleanor’s lips curled into a smirk, ready to savor her victory. The girls murmured excitedly, falling in line behind Dani as she led the way.

They cut through the warm night air toward Udolpho House. As they passed the chapel’s courtyard, with its bronze angel statue looming above, Dani stole a glance at the sky. The stars dotted across the darkness looked like her father’s watchful eyes, silently judging her from above.

When they reached Udolpho House, curious eyes turned in their direction. It wasn’t forbidden for girls to visit the boys’ dorm, but a crowd of girls barging in together was unusual.

“What’s going on? Why are all these girls here?”

“Could you tell us where the party is? We just need to see someone for a moment.”

“It’s, uh, down the hall. The main hall.”

Jeff, one of the dorm reps, looked flustered but pointed them in the right direction. Dani continued down the hallway, following the trail of loud music. Bright light spilled from the narrow crack beneath the closed doors of the main hall. She stopped in front of the doors, taking a deep breath. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and in the back of her mind, her father’s words echoed like a distant sermon:

“Follow the rules. Be kind to everyone. Focus on your studies. Never tarnish the family name. And above all…”

Her eyes lifted to the cross hanging above the door.

“…never let anyone lay a hand on you.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the swirl of emotions. Then, from behind her, Eleanor’s sharp laugh sliced through the air.

“See? I knew she wouldn’t go through with it.”

“Who says I won’t?” Dani snapped back, turning to face her.

Without another word, she gripped the doorknob firmly. “Everyone, go watch from the windows. I’ll handle this alone.”

Now that she had come this far, Dani could barely remember what had driven her here in the first place. The only thing she could focus on was wiping that smug grin off Eleanor’s face. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore.

She threw the doors open without hesitation. Bright lights and pounding music washed over her like a crashing wave. Click. The door closed behind her, and she swallowed hard, feeling all eyes in the room lock onto her. In this space, she was an absolute outsider.

The boys, all dressed in sharp suits, looked at her with varying degrees of surprise and curiosity. In contrast, Dani stood alone in a flimsy white nightgown, her body exposed beneath the thin fabric. Her bare ankles, likely flushed red from the night’s chill, stood out starkly against the polished floor.

“Isn’t that Roderson? She’s probably here for Remington.”

“Why don’t you go talk to her first?”

The weight of their stares felt like paint splattered all over her—curious eyes, eager eyes, kind but naïve eyes, and eyes hiding something darker and more sinister. Dani pushed through the thick atmosphere of attention and forced herself to move forward.

The hall was packed with people, making it difficult to spot Duncan. Frustrated, she grabbed the nearest guy and asked bluntly, “I’m looking for Duncan. Where is he?”

“Duncan? You mean Duncan Graham?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

The guy let out a low whistle before pointing toward the back of the hall. “He’s probably near the speakers over there.”

“Thanks.”

Dani didn’t hesitate as she wove her way through the crowd. The girls pressed against the windows outside, watching intently. Some of the boys, catching on to what was happening, began whispering and watching her with growing interest.

Duncan was with Remington. Perched on top of a massive speaker, Duncan was laughing and joking with the guy standing below him, completely unaware of Dani’s presence. But Remington, sitting on a nearby sofa, spotted her instantly. His expression twisted with disbelief and frustration as if silently asking, What are you doing here?

Ignoring Remington, Dani strode straight toward Duncan.

“Duncan!”

“Dani?”

He jumped down from the speaker the moment he saw her, landing effortlessly in front of her.

“Came to see Remington, huh?”

“No. I came to see you.”

“Me?” Duncan’s surprise quickly shifted to a broad grin. He snapped his fingers playfully. “Well, in that case, I should treat you right. Come on, you have to try this cake. Jamie brought it, and it’s to die for.”

Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed her hand and led her toward the sofa. Even as he guided her through the crowd, Dani’s eyes were fixed on Remington, who was now glaring daggers at her. When Duncan left briefly to grab the cake, Dani seized the moment and hissed at Remington.

“Thought you were ‘busy.’ You sure look pretty relaxed to me.”

“…Are you out of your mind?”

“Why?”

“Roderson, this is the boys’ dorm.”

“I’m well aware.”

Remington looked like he had plenty more to say, but Dani wasn’t interested in entertaining him right now. She spun around, cutting off any further argument, and headed straight for Duncan, who was busy slicing a piece of cake. The moment she stood before him with a determined look on her face, his eyes lit up with curiosity, clearly eager to see what would happen next.

“Dani, did someone give you a dare or something?” He nodded toward the girls crowding by the windows, clearly having already figured out what was going on. Dani didn’t bother hiding it and nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Alright, then. Let’s see it.”

“Are you sure I can?”

“Anything.”

Duncan set everything down, spread his arms wide, and grinned as if he were more than ready to see what she had in store. Without a moment’s hesitation, Dani rose onto her tiptoes, placed her hands on his shoulders, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.