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somehow, remained as trusting as she did. It was refreshing. Refreshing and incredibly dangerous in a city like New York. I knew if didn’t take care of her, she’d be eaten up and spit out, then shoved into a gutter and left for dead.
        “ Tell me a little about yourself,” I said, desperate to hear her talk.     She pinched her eyebrows with a smirk. “What do you want to know?” She reached me and I tossed her by the waist onto the machine at her back. God, she weighs nothing. She bit her bottom lip and turned her head, attempting to hide her blush. I really hoped that blush belonged to me. I turned and pushed myself onto the machine next to her.     “Who’s your favorite band? And don’t tell me it’s MilliVanilli or something because I’ll have to kill you right here,” I teased. She blushed, every inch of her face covered in a rosy hue.     “MilliVanilli? How old are you ?” She joshed.     I smiled before clearing my throat. “Um, does ‘Dream On’ mean anything in particular to you?”
    “ Yeah,” she said, quietly, looking introspective. “It reminds me how fleeting life can be and how those around you can steal you from yourself...if you let them. It reminds me to protect myself.” I wanted to ask her who she needed protection from so I could beat them to a bloody pulp but she distracted me once more with her lovely mouth as it began to speak. “Anyway,” she shrugged, “Enough about that.” She laughed nervously. “Depressing. Um, Barcelona’s my favorite band. Their lyrics are especially meaningful. They’re especially sweet, to me anyway. I mean, their song ‘Please Don’t Go’? I’ve always been a sucker for violins.” She meets my eyes. “Ever heard of them?”
        I reach into my back pocket and pull out a flyer. “Oh who? Them?” I ask, nonchalantly, pointing at the name at the top of the flyer.
Harper snatches it from my hand.
    “Where did you get this?” She questioned, her voice raising an octave in shock.
    “Oh, they’re just touring with my buddy’s band.”
She shook her head in disbelief and swallowed audibly.
    "They'll be here in two weeks," I continued. "Why don't you come with me?"
    "In two weeks?" She said. "Two weeks?" She repeated.
Commit to knowing me in two weeks, Harper. Don't make me beg.
    "I think I would love that."
    "You think?" I joked as I exhaled an inward sigh of relief.

Chapter Three Loo k What You've Done

    Callum
        “ Tell me why you didn’t apply for college,” I asked her as we walked back to the studio at ten to midnight.
    She narrowed her eyes at me. “How do you know I never applied?” She said.
    “ Well, I just assumed. You told me you weren’t going to school.”
    “ I did apply, to several schools, actually.”
    “ And?” I asked, both eyebrows raised, but she didn’t respond. “Don’t leave me in suspense.”
    “ I got into a few,” she added cryptically, a smile tugging at the side of her mouth.
    “ I don’t understand. Why aren’t you going to college then?”
    “ Honestly?”
    “ Honestly.”
    “ I can’t go.”
    “ Why, Harper?”
    “ Because...,” she sighed, her shoulders drooping in resignation, “because I wouldn’t be able to do it. I don’t think I can do it.” She suddenly steeled herself, standing tall, pushing back her shoulders and raising her head. “It’s too late now anyway. It’s nearly June. There’s no way I could even enroll.”
    “ How would you even know that Harper? Unless you tried?”
    She smiled and ducked her face in her chest, her chin shook back and forth.
    “ Where were you accepted?” I asked, moving on to the most important part.
    “ A bunch of state colleges.” She cleared her throat. “NYU.”
    I playfully push her as if to say ‘get out’ but she doesn’t expect it and almost toppled over. I reached for her clumsily, caught her by the waist, and brought her into my chest.
    “ I’m