Monday morning Zac and Taylor were in the studio. Madison started school on Wednesday and Zac would be working straight through then, so he invited her to come along. She was currently on the couch reading her dirty magazines. She was getting really weird ideas but Zac had nothing better for her to do.
"Well the songs with the most response are these fifteen," Zac said, handing a list to Taylor. "The first twelve are album worthy, the other three we'll record just in case."
"Is Blowing in the Wind on there?" Madison piped from the couch.
"No," Zac said, not looking over at her.
"Why not?!"
"Because it's not my song! It's Bob Dylan's!"
"So? I like that song."
"No, Madison."
"Bonus track?" Zac rolled his eyes and looked over at her.
"Shut your legs, girl!" Madison gave him a look and shut her legs. "Anyway, the album's completely acoustic. Just a guitar and a voice. That's how they were written and I want this recorded as soon as possible. There might be a piano in some of those, but it wasn't written so if you want to do it, you'll have to write it. If you do, you'll play it. As for right now you're just backup vocals and guitar."
"All right. Do you have the music for this?" Zac pointed to the table on the other side of the room. "Great." Taylor walked over and looked through the sheet music. "I could probably write a piano score to this one." Taylor handed something to Zac.
"Great. We'll do that last so you have time to write that. Um�where's Drake? He said he had the producer with him. I want to start recording." Taylor waved his hand.
"Oh, posh. We don't need a producer. I'll do it." Taylor went into the editing room.
"Taylor! Wait for the real producer! You don't know what you're doing!"
"I can't hear you!" Taylor mouthed, pointing to his ear and shrugging. He sat down. Zac groaned and walked over to the recording area. Madison looked over from the couch. "What song are we going to do first?" Taylor asked.
"I don't know."
"Well pick one!"
"Taylor, I think we're just wasting time here. Why don't we wait for Drake and the producer?"
"I've done this a thousand times, Zac. We co-produced all of our records, I think I know what I'm doing. Pick a song and play. I'll do all the work." Zac sighed and grabbed his sheet music and his guitar. He sat down on his stool and put the first song he grabbed on the stand.
"All right. We'll do Borders first."
"That's the one I'm writing the piano score for!"
"All right! All right!" He grabbed another song. "We'll do Jack first."
"That's better."
"Are you really putting Jack on there?" Madison asked. "I hate that one!" Zac gave her a look. "What? I do!"
"Maddie, baby, go in the editing room with Taylor. There's a couch in there. You're bugging the shit out of me." She gave him a look but went in the room anyway. "So we'll nix Jack." He threw the sheet music behind him. "Is there anything you'd like me to record first, dear, being that you have the expertise and all?"
"Blowing in the Wind!"
"Oh my God�" He massaged his temples with his fingers as the side door opened and Drake came in with the producer. "Thank God! Hey Drake."
"Have you started already?" Drake asked.
"We were just about to. We're deciding on which song we'll do first. The list is over there. The first twelve are definite, the rest are just in case we want to do more. Madison is suggesting a Blowing in the Wind cover as a bonus track; I dig it. It's up to everyone else on a decision."
"Sounds good to me," Drake said. "What about you, Mark?"
"Definitely a possibility. We'll wait until we finish these songs to make that decision," Mark said, looking over the song list. "Do you have sheet music?"
"It's all right here," Zac said, holding up the stack of sheet music. "If you want to look at it. We're just deciding on what we're doing first. Taylor is adding a piano score to Borders and possibly others. I suggested doing Jack first but Madison hates that song so we might not record it period."
"Since when does Madison have a say in anything?" Drake asked, his brows knit curiously. Madison looked up from her magazine.
"Since I value her opinion. She was a fan before she was my girlfriend so she knows best on what songs are good and what aren't."
"Are you really putting Tyranny as a definite?" Drake asked, looking at the list.
"Fucking A! Everyone out! If your name is not Mark, get the hell out of the studio! I'll make the final decisions, thank you!" Drake and Taylor grumbled but didn't move. "I'm serious! Out!" Drake and Taylor left. "That goes for you too, Madison."
"What?!"
"Out!"
Madison got up and left in a fury, following Drake and Taylor out of the door. Zac sighed and smiled. "All right. I think we'll start out with Tyranny."
Zac and Madison walked into his hotel room and Zac collapsed onto the bed. The clock beside it blinked ten past midnight and he groaned, putting his pillow over his head. All he wanted to do was sleep. Unfortunately, Madison climbed on top of him. "Baby?" she asked.
"What?" he answered into the pillow.
"I read something really interesting in my magazine today." She pulled the pillow off his face. "I think we should try it."
"Do you ever not think about sex?"
"I wasn't talking about sex," she said, grinning.
"Oh, sure you weren't. All you read are trashy magazines and all trashy magazines talk about is sex. You are just about the horniest girl I've ever met in my entire life." She smiled and laid down on him, putting her head against his chest.
"Well, that could be a good thing."
"Not when I'm tired."
"Are you turning me down?" she asked, sitting up. "You, Mister 'I'm ready to go wherever, whenever, just ask' is actually turning me down?"
"Yes."
"Oh, come on, honey!" She slid down to his waist and started to undo his pants. He shook his head. She nodded in response and pulled his zipper down. A loud knock came at the door. "Every time! Can we ever get it on in peace?" He gave her a look but stood up, doing up his pants again, and opened the door.
"Hey, Taylor, what's up?"
"I was just wondering�" He looked behind Zac to Madison, playing with a bit of her hair on the bed. "Oh, I didn't know she was in here. Never mind."
"No, she doesn't matter." Madison looked over, her eyebrow raised in question. "What's up?"
"No, never mind."
"Taylor, something's bugging you. Talk to me." Taylor glanced at Madison and Zac closed the door behind him. "What's up?"
"Well�I was just�is Madison staying the night with you?"
"I don't know; probably."
"Oh." He looked away.
"Taylor, are you okay?"
"It's just my room's so big and it's just me in there and I can't trust myself to sleep alone ever since, you know�" Zac nodded, getting his drift.
"Oh� I get it. Let me get rid of her and you can come in." Taylor nodded and went back to his room. Zac went back inside.
"What was that about?" Madison asked.
"Maddie, baby, I think you should go back to your room."
"You're kicking me out?" she yelled.
"Well�yes."
"Why?"
"Well, Taylor�"
"You're kicking me out for your brother?" she asked. "Ugh!" She got up and ran to the door. "You know, I knew the moment he came back you'd forget all about me."
"Madison, he just can't be alone. He'll have flashbacks�he hasn't been entirely right since he came back."
"Whatever." She threw open the door and left in a huff. Taylor came in shortly after with a smile on his face.
"Hey, get yourself settled, I have to go talk to Madison."
"Is something wrong?"
"No, she's just acting stupid. She does that a lot." He smiled at his brother and ran over to Madison's room. She was packing up her things. "What are you doing?" he asked. She ignored him. "Madison!"
"I'm leaving!"
"Maddie, baby�"
"Don't baby me! You've obviously chosen your way."
"It's my brother!" he yelled. "Don't make me choose between you and my brother because you'll lose! He's been my best friend all my life and he needs me now. I'm sorry if I can't fuck you tonight, we'll just do it tomorrow! God!" Madison huffed. "Wait a minute. I know what this is about."
"What would that be?"
"This is about your brother! Mine's come home safe and sound and yours didn't and you're taking it out on me. Madison I'm sorry he died, I really am, but it wasn't my fault and it definitely wasn't yours! If anything you should be happy for me that mine is all right. I'm doing all of this because I don't want what happened to you to happen to anyone else. I wish it hadn't happened to you."
"I just can't see you with him, all right? My brother was my best friend all my life too, you know. I was really close to him. I can't watch you and your brother and not think of that. I miss him, Zac."
"I know you do." He put his arms around her waist. "I wish I could make everything all better again." She shook her head, tears in her eyes.
"You can't." She pushed him away. "Just, go away."
"Maddie�"
"No, no just go away. I'll see you in the morning." He sighed and turned away. He left the room and walked over to his, upset. His goal in the beginning was to never allow something like this to happen to someone he cared about, but it did. It happened to her and he knew it wasn't his fault but all he'd ever wanted to do was take that pain away. Well, if he couldn't do it for her, he needed to do it for someone else.
Taylor was writing something at the table when Zac came back. He plopped down across from his brother. "How is she?" Taylor asked.
"She's having a hard time."
"Is it me?" he asked. Zac nodded.
"Yes, but not in the way you think it is. Her brother died in Korea, Tay. He was over there in the Peace Corps when the first attack was launched. Her and her brother was just as close as you and me and she's having a hard time dealing with it." Taylor sighed.
"So�what do you want me to do?"
"Nothing. You don't have to do anything. I just thought you should know." Taylor nodded. "Hey, share the wealth, boy." Taylor smiled and slid Zac a piece of paper and the extra pencil behind his ear. "I wouldn't suggest keeping that pencil behind you ear. It makes your head look lopsided�no wait, your head IS lopsided!"
"Fuck you, Zac."
"Hey!" Taylor smiled. "I've decided against making Blowing in the Wind the bonus track. I'll put it on a tape and give it to Madison if she wants it so bad."
"So are you going to have a bonus track?" Zac nodded. "What's it going to be?"
"This song," Zac said. "I just have to write it first." Taylor looked at the blank piece of paper. "Trust me, it's all up here." Zac tapped his temple. "I just have to get it out." Taylor rolled his eyes. "Hey, it's going to be a great song."
"What's it called?"
"Maddie's Song."
"How original. Did you come up with that by yourself?" Zac shot a look at his brother. "Geez, Zac, I'm just playing with you."
"Just shut up and let me write." Taylor backed away, going back to whatever he had been writing before. Zac put his pencil to the paper, writing out the name first. He paused, thinking, then looked over at Taylor who wasn't paying attention.
Ten minutes later he still didn't have anything written down. He'd been scratching away the entire time, but it was only mindless doodles and add-ons to the title. Taylor looked over and broke out into a grin. "Nothing, huh?" he asked.
"Yep."
"You don't have it all in your head, do you?"
"Nope."
"Need some help?"
"It's about time you asked!" Taylor laughed and moved his chair over so he was next to Zac and they began to write the song for Madison together. Taylor paused. "What?"
"You know what I've noticed?"
"What?"
"Madison doesn�t wear shoes." Zac rolled his eyes.