"Zac, you're completely off! If we have to do this one more fucking time because you come in late and out of tune, I'm leaving and you can do the damn thing without me!" Taylor yelled at me.
"Tay, you sign lead! You can't just leave, we're in the middle of a session!" I yelled back at him.
"We've done this seven times already. I don't want to waste my time and money if you're not concentrating."
"We have not done this seven times," I muttered and kicked my stool. It fell over onto the ground with a loud bang.
"Yes we have. You've fucked it up seven times, Zachary. Twice you were late, twice you came in early, twice you sang the wrong part and once you were too far in your own world you didn't come in at all! Are you high?" He walked up to me and looked in my eyes.
"No, I am not high! Dammit, Taylor, it's not my fault! I'm having a bad day. I'm allowed to have a bad day. Now let's try this again so we can move on."
It was a week later. Lauryn and I chatted on the phone, but we hadn't gone anywhere because we were too busy. I've been here in the studio a lot the past week trying to finish this version of our second single off our new album, due out in stores next week. I couldn't get Nic off my mind, more so now. She called this morning thanking Mom for mailing her back her journal, and I was the one who picked up the phone. And now I couldn't get her voice out of my head.
The music started and on my cue I began to sing in the microphone that hung from the ceiling. After three lines, Isaac turned off the music. He just got back from his honeymoon and didn't skip a beat to get back in the studio.
"What now?!" Taylor yelled at Isaac, but his eyes were on me.
Isaac's voice came through the speaker. "Taylor, you're off."
"Me!" he yelled. I saw Isaac wince at the sound of Taylor's shrill scream into the microphone. "It's not me!"
"It's you! Take it down a half step, you're way too high."
"I cannot fucking believe this." He threw down his headphones, which broke on the ground. "I'm out of here. I can't take this anymore." He pointed at me. "I can't take you anymore." He ran off, slamming the door behind him. I looked at Isaac through the large glass window.
"I think we should let him cool off. You know how he gets when things aren't going right," Isaac said. I moved up to the microphone.
"Ike, he's done this three times this week. I think we need a break. We've been in the studio for months."
"We have to finish this remix by next week before we start doing promotions. If he doesn't cool down, he won't work and all this will suck."
"I think he's just he's just sexually deprived," I muttered.
"I heard he did all the bridesmaids." My face fell. That didn't include Nic, did it? "Minus Nic."
"Oh, okay."
"Dude, come in here. I'm sick of having to press a button to talk." I took off my headphones and walked into the editing room. "So what's up with you today?"
"I'm having an off day."
"I figured. Why? Are you thinking about that Lauryn chick or is it Nic?" Should I tell him? Why not?
"It's Nic."
"What now?" he asked.
"Don't yell at me, but she stayed here for two days before she went home, in our guest room. She left her journal here. I found it and..."
"You read her journal?"
"Not all of it! The only thing I read what that she wants to be with me again. And this morning she called to thank Mom for sending it back and I picked up the phone."
"So you read her journal and talked to her on the phone."
"I didn't exactly talk to her. I said 'hello' and 'yeah.' And that was hard enough. I mean I picked up the phone and the moment I heard her voice I nearly threw the phone down! I can't look at her without running away, much less say something to her!"
"So what'd she say?"
"She knew it was me. She said 'Hi Zac, is Mom there?' It was like there was no problem for her and I was about to have a nervous breakdown." I'm sure he could care less about my exciting life, so I decided to ask about his. "So, how was the honeymoon?"
"It rained."
"Really? So what'd you do? I mean there's not much to do there." He shrugged.
"After a while we got sick of just sitting there staring at each other�"
"Oh, I'm sure that's what you were doing." He grinned.
"So we just went out in the rain. We had fun. We got a few strange looks from everybody else there, but we had fun. I am glad to be home, I was wondering how you two were doing without my superior expertise."
"Superior expertise my ass. We were doing just fine without you. I got most of Taylor's solo parts done, all we need to work on is what we're doing now and the three part harmony sections."
"That's going to be a pain if Taylor keeps acting like he is."
"I'm just afraid he's going to drown himself in liquor or something to calm down."
"No, Taylor doesn't do that anymore." I shrugged. I'd have to check it out when (or if) he came back in. "Tell me about this Lauryn chick."
"She's an airheaded cheerleader and I have no idea why I'm going out with her."
"You actually went on a date with a cheerleader?" Isaac asked. "I'm impressed. Did you go on a second date?" I nodded. "You're moving up in the world."
"Actually, I'm moving down in the world." I looked over at Isaac. "We don't get along very well. On the past two dates we've stereotyped and yelled at each other. On the phone we seem to get along, but that's just recently."
"So why are you even putting up with her? I know you can't stand girls like that."
"There's something about her that I really like."
"What? Does she have a great rack?"
"I'm not Taylor."
"Does she?"
"Yeah." He laughed. "But I'm seriously not looking for that. I'm not looking for a relationship at all, especially not with someone like her. I know she has a brain, but she doesn't use it because she's more popular this way. But, there's that hope that I could get her to change that really makes me want to pursue her."
"So you're going to continue dating an airheaded cheerleader that you don't even like, for hopes that someday she'll change?"
"Precisely."
"What the hell is going through your mind? What about Nic?"
"Nic isn't here right now and she's not even my girlfriend so stop acting like it!" I snapped. "I'm sorry. I'm very confused about a lot of things right now."
"That's okay." He looked at his watch. "Where is Taylor? He did leave a while ago."
"I'll go look for him." I got up and walked out of the room. I had no clue where he would be, but I found him when I heard him yelling at someone.
"What the fuck is this? I asked for black coffee! There's cream in this!" I saw Taylor across the room, about to scald the poor woman with his coffee.
"Taylor!" I yelled. I took the coffee from him and set it on the table. "I'll drink it, don't worry about it. You can go now." She hurried away. "What is you problem today? You haven't been like this in years."
"I'm pissed off right now."
"Obviously. Why?"
"Because I am! We've been in the studio for months with hardly any time off for me. I've been here more than both you and Isaac combined! I'm sick of the tour! I don't want to do this anymore! I want to stop!"
"You want to stop? Like you want to quit music?"
"Yes!"
"No...no, Taylor you can't do that. The new album's coming out just next week! You can't quit now, we've got too much going for us! Tay, this album is great, this is what'll get us back in the scene again!"
"Can't you see that I don't want to be in the scene again? I don't like that we have to put ourselves through everyday to make money we don't even need."
"Taylor, come here." I finally realized what was going on. I'd been right earlier, he was downing his sorrows in liquor; he was just hung over right now.
"Why?"
"Don't question why, just do it!"
"No!"
"Taylor get your skinny little ass over here!" He rolled his eyes and walked towards me. I lowered my voice so only he could hear me.
"I don't know who you think you are or what the hell is going through your mind right now, but I know you're pissy because you're hung over and you don't want this because you're too damn lazy. You hate solos because it means more time you don't want to give. So suck it up, you won't take this from us."
"Fuck you."
"I'm warning you, Taylor. Don't start with me. I'll kick your ass and drag you back into that studio. We're going to do this and you need to calm your little self down."
"I don't have to take orders from you." I hate doing this�hitting people, but he wasn't listening to me. So I punched him in the stomach and pulled him by his ear back to the studio. I found out that I shouldn't have punched him the stomach when he was hung over, because halfway there she threw up all over my brand new bright yell Doc Marten books. Maybe that's a sign that I shouldn't buy them anymore. Nah...
I walked back into the studio, Taylor glumly following behind. "I found him," I told Isaac, smiling.
"What'd you do to him?" Isaac asked, making a face as Taylor put his head over the garbage can and threw up again. "That's disgusting. Is he going to be able to sing?"
"It'll be a little while, but yeah. Why don't you go in there? We can work on your part until he stops throwing up."
"Why is he throwing up?"
"I punched him the stomach and he's hung over."
"Taylor, you were drinking?" Isaac asked. "You know if Mom catches you drunk or hung over one more time you'll have to join AA." Taylor flicked him off, his head still dangling over the garbage can. "Thanks. I'll be going in the other room now." Isaac left and reappeared in the other room. I sat in the chair.
"Okay, we'll start with the beginning of the third verse," I said. I started up the music and listened to Isaac sing. Why would Taylor ever want to leave this?
"Are we going out tonight?" Lauryn asked, briefly into our conversation the next morning. Because of that little scene Taylor made yesterday, we got today off. I decided I might as well make the best of it because I don't know the next time I'll see a day off.
"No, we're going out now. Get ready, I'm coming over."
"What? Now? No! I'm dirty and I need to take a shower, I have no makeup on..."
"Perfect! Throw on some clothes, jeans and a sweater or something, and I'll be there in ten minutes," I said.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Well, maybe dress a little warmer, I don't care. No one's really going to care where we're going." Actually, where we were going, everybody cared (maybe even more than they should) but I really wanted to see what she'd do if I told her nobody did.
"Where are we going? Zac!"
"See you in ten. Bye."
"Zac!" I hung up the phone and ran out the door. I drove to Lauryn's place. After I rang the doorbell, Mick the butler opened the door.
"Miss Lauryn will be with you in just a moment," he stated, then closed the door again. That is really rude. The next time he does that, I'm gonna yell at him.
The door opened again and Lauryn stepped out. I knew it. She put on makeup. "You," I said, "put on makeup."
"No."
"You suck at lying."
"What, do you want me to go back in and take it off?" she asked, pulling at her long-sleeved shirt. I didn't figure she even owned clothes like this, she was usually slutty and somewhat prissy. Now she had a thin long-sleeved shirt on and what looked like old jeans.
"No, we don't have time. Are you going to be warm enough? It's going to be a bit cold where we're going. You may want to take a sweater."
"No, I'll be all right."
"Are those shoes comfortable? Can you walk around with them on?" I asked.
"Yeah, why? Where are we going?"
"Somewhere. Let's go. We'll miss our flight."
"Flight? We're going on a plane?"
"Get in the car." I held her door opened for her. She didn't move. "Get in!"
"What time am I getting home?"
"Late. Let's go." She groaned and got in the car. I closed her door and ran over to my side. "Have you been on a plane before?" I wanted to make sure she didn't freak out when we were in mid-air. It's happened before and it wasn't pretty.
"Yeah."
"Good." I started the car and pulled out onto the road.
"Where are we going that requires a plane?" she asked.
"You'll see when we get there." I looked at the clock. Eight. If everything goes well, we'll be in the air by nine, and at our destination at eleven. The flight back was at ten tonight, so I could get her back home by midnight. If everything goes well, that is.
I drove to the airport and parked the car. "Now you're going to be walking today, all right? I don't want to have to put you in a stroller," I said.
"Shut up." She hit me. I didn't admit it, but it hurt. I'll stop making fun of her when she's within hitting range.
"I'm kidding, you don't have to hit me."
"Why? Did it hurt?"
"No..." I said, trying to blow it off. I got out of the car. She got out and ran over to me, stopping in front of me.
"It hurt. Admit it."
"No..." She punched me in the arm. "Ow!" She giggled. "Oh, that's it." She giggled again and ran away. I ran after her and caught her in front of the airport entrance. I picked her up and flung her over my shoulder.
"Zac! Put me down," she squealed, piercing my ears again. "Please!"
"Are you going to hit me again?" I asked.
"Yes," she said and smacked my ass. I groaned.
"Then I'm not going to put you down. I'm going to have you over my shoulder all the way through the airport."
"No!" I walked inside, smiling as I got a few looks from the people walking down. "Zac, put me down. Seriously."
"Are you going to hit me anymore? I have absolutely no problem walking around like this."
"No, I won't." I put her down. "Thank you." Her face was all red from being upside down for so long.
"Come on, it's this way." I took her hand and led her through the airport. I've been through this place way too many times for my own good.
"Tell me, how many times have you been through this airport?" she asked, walking backwards in front of me.
"More than you've been to the mall." She raised an eyebrow. "I know way too much about airports. And one thing I know is that if you don't hurry, the plane will leave without us."
"It will not."
"It will. Hurry up." I pushed her along. "Trust me, you'll absolutely love this." I pushed her towards the gate. In ten minutes, we were on the plane. Lauryn laid her head against the window. And I still had no idea what I was doing.