Planning Your Future

Flying Solo

April 17, 1993

JD's POV

It's almost been a month since Veronica and I broke up. It's still hard to believe. Writing music with her has been really difficult. It's especially hard when we go over "Perfect Harmony" since it was written for me. We've tried to be civil towards each other, but we haven't gotten to have a conversation after our big fight. Every time we're alone writing songs, I'm about to talk about it, then someone comes in. Kyle and Erika have both been encouraging me to talk to her. I'm planning on talking to her today, but I don't even know what to say. There's so much to say. I said some things I shouldn't have.

I knock on her door. "Hey. Come in." Veronica pulls her keyboard out from the corner. I sit next to her at the piano. She has a song sitting on stand. "What is this?" I point to it. "Oh it's nothing." She covers it up and leans against the piano, attempting to be subtle. But she's as subtle as a brick through a window. "No really. What is it?" I try to uncover it but she slaps my hand. "Damn. Okay." I give up.

We work on song writing for a while. "Hey, I've been wanting to talk to you-" I start before Veronica gasps and stands up. "What?" I look up at her. "Sorry I just looked at the clock. I really have to go. I'll talk to you later." She grabs her music and leaves. What the hell was that about?

"Hey, what're you doing here?" Erika comes in. "Hey Erika. I was working on music with Veronica, then she just freaked out over the time and left. Do you know what she's doing?" I ask her. "Yeah she's-" Her eyes go wide and she stops talking. "What?" Why is Erika in on this secret but not me? "It's nothing. You don't need to worry about it." She assures me. "That makes me worry more."

I decide to go to the studio to see if she went there. I can hear music playing inside. I open the door a little to see Veronica, Sam, and Owen with someone else. He turns around and I see that it's Miles. "I had no idea you played guitar." Veronica high fives him. "I also play ukulele, clarinet, and the flute. I'm glad you came to me for this. He'll-" Miles says before I walk in. "So you're replacing me?" I storm over to them. "No! We're not replacing you! Why would you think that?" Veronica tells me. "Then why do you have him playing the guitar? The instrument I play?" I cannot believe she was writing music with me today if she just planned to replace me with Miles. "You've got it all wrong, JD. I'm just-" I interrupt him by scoffing, "Sure, Miles." I storm out. If they think they're going to replace me, they're insane.

I slam my door behind me. "What's wrong?" Kyle asks, sitting on his bed with Erika snuggled up next to him. "Turns out I'm being replaced." I say. "What? No!" Erika shoots up. "They had someone playing the guitar instead of me." I cross my arms. "Okay, you can't tell Veronica I said anything because she'll kill me if she finds out I ruined the surprise." Erika takes a deep breath, "Veronica and the band were planning a surprise for you and obviously it's for you so you can't be a part of it. So they asked Miles to be you for it. He also wouldn't have time to replace you anyways." She says. "Oh." Well now I feel stupid.

April 18, 1993

I wake up. "Happy Birthday. Now get ready." Kyle is already ready for our run. He told me he was going to have a special workout routine for my birthday or his. He just updated it today. I get dressed and meet him outside. He forces me to run two miles. "This is the special workout routine? So what's the normal one?" I pant. "Three miles. And then push-ups." He drinks from his water bottle. "Please tell me I get a break." I say through heavy breathing. "Of course! I'm not a monster. Two minutes and then it's back to it." He jokes and walks inside. "Funny." I laugh. "It was only half a joke. It's really three minutes." Fuck him. "Such a big difference." I sarcastically smile.

I sit at my desk and study. I have a big test for my political science class. I'm still trying to decide if I really want to be a lawyer anymore. The music thing is going places and I don't think being a law student and being in a band at the same time is very easy. But I signed up for the class so I have to stick with it. "Hey. How's the studying going?" Kyle comes out of the bathroom. "Hey. It's okay. I think I'm prepared for it. I know I'll get at least a B." There are some things I'm not fully confident about. "That's good to hear. So I should probably tell you the plan. So first you have a meeting at the studio. Then you will come back here to get dressed. And finally we will have a nice dinner at the same restaurant as last year." Kyle tells me. "What meeting?" I ask. "Oh, it's nothing." He pats me on the back. "That's worrying." I go back to my studying.