Melody's Muse ✓

11. Mornings

Cole

I quickly hop into my car after Melody and Mr. Carter have driven off. I can still just barely see their car by the exit of the parking lot. I'm generally not into cars, but their car is a ridiculously nice one. It serves as a blunt reminder of the completely different life Melody lives back in California. It's easy to forget sometimes, she's so humble and sweet that you'd never think she was unbelievably rich and successful. It's probably gonna suck a little when she leaves, but it's whatever - life goes on.

Right?

I quickly shake the thought from my mind. Scrolling through my phone, I backup the audio file to The Green and Gold's cloud. After all the hoops I jumped through to get this interview, I'm not taking any chances. I'll transcribe and upload the interview before the meeting tonight so Michael won't want to murder me anymore.

I sit there for a moment, waiting for the usual sense of relief and satisfaction after finishing a difficult article to sink in. Something's off though, I don't feel it. Instead, I have trouble stopping a goofy grin from spreading on my face every time I think about Melody and the last hour together.

I groan and rest my forehead against the steering wheel, pinching my eyes shut. Who is this mushy idiot and what the hell has he done with Cole?

-----

It takes a frustratingly long time to transcribe the interview. I find myself constantly having to replay parts. My typing keeps slowing down until I'm just sitting there, zoned out listening to Melody's voice - her soft and pleasant voice. I've barely transcribed half the interview, even though I've probably replayed the entire recording at least five times now.

Someone knocks on my door. "Cole, we're starting in five."

Dammit. "Alright, thanks," I call. I force myself to use every ounce of concentration in me to finish writing. I quickly upload the file and send Michael a quick message to let him know it's finished.

The entire board is already sitting in the den by the time I get downstairs. Most of us already live here but even the guys who don't are earlier than me.

"Nice of you to join us Cole," Luke, Kappa Sigma's president, teases. 

He's standing next to the projector, waiting patiently. Meetings are kind of a pain in the ass. I don't know how Luke manages to always look so cheerful during them. 

"Sorry, I was doing a newspaper thing." I quickly sit down on the sofa next to Mark. He has his laptop out, ready to take meeting minutes.

Luke dims the lights and turns on the projector. Today's meeting itinerary is displayed on it. "Alright, let's start with the big thing. We have to plan the winter formal. Let's start with deciding on the venue."

Everyone groans. Attending events is fun and all, but doing the actual planning sucks. I never really even wanted this position. A bunch of people had bugged me to run, so I did, just to get them off my back - figuring I wouldn't win anyways. I did nowhere near as much campaigning as the other guys, but I somehow won.

Laura hinted at one point that a bunch of the sorority girls might've had something to do with it. I really didn't care enough to try and find out what happened.

-----

I rub my eyes and squint at my phone. It's somehow only been an hour since we started. Everyone is lazily slumped in their seats and trying to hide their yawns as the painful brainstorming drags on.

"How about we rent a yacht and party there?" Chris, our event chair, suggests.

Jake, our treasurer, rolls his eyes. "We can't afford that. We're still recovering from the ridiculous Halloween party, remember?"