Yours Truly. | [au.]

chapter eight.

Chapter Eight.
A Sad Cartoon. Loathe.

Carolynn called Elsie into the studio today to record some vocals for one of Finn's new songs. Well, not Finn's song since he didn't even write it. Carolynn mentioned that Finn would be there too to record his verses.

The clouds were a dark gray as Elsie drove to the studio. They reflected how she felt in a way. She hadn't spoken to Finn since the storage closet, and she heard nothing from him since Jonah Tuckers show. It had been five days, and she thought maybe he'd text her, but he didn't. He wasn't very active on social media either. He'd only post a photo of himself in the studio, or of the sunset on his instagram story, but that was it. The posts seemed like Carolynn forced him to post them.

When she got to the building, she made her way to the same room that Finn and Tate took her to the first time she was there. She stopped in her tracks when she heard someone playing the acoustic guitar on the other side of the door. It was soft and gentle, humming to the tune as they played. She took a few steps forward until her ear was pressed against the door, listening as the person began to mumble a few lyrics. The instrument stopped, the sound of a pencil scribbling on paper heard after the pause. Then there was silence. "Elsie, is that you?"

The girl felt her body go limp when she realized the person was Finn. She blinked a few times before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. She peaked her head in and saw Finn sitting criss crossed on the couch against the wall. He was wearing a brown hoodie with the bands tag on the front, cream colored sweat shorts and white converse with green socks. He had the hood pulled over his head with the guitar in his lap and a notebook by his side.

"Hey, sorry for eavesdropping. I just got here and didn't want to barge in, it sounded like you were in the middle of something." She apologized as she stepped into the room. Aj was nowhere to be found, it was just Finn by himself. "Is Aj here yet?"

"Nah, he went to go pick up some pizza for lunch." Finn said. "Close the door behind you please."

Elsie nodded once then closed the door, setting her tote bag on the coat hanger by her side. "So what are we doing first?"

"Well, Carolynn sent me the songs that were written and the chords. So we're starting with the first song on the list." He did not sound too thrilled about the songs, speaking to her in a sarcastic tone. His eyes traced over her once she was fully in the room, taking note of her outfit. She wore a long flowy black skirt, the same dark green tube top she wore the day they met, doc martens, and a brown cardigan.

"Why are you dressed like a fairy?"

Elsie looked down at her outfit in confusion. "What?"

He shook his head, looking away from her. "Never mind..." He noticed she was still standing, looking stiff and awkward as she scanned the room. "Jesus, sit down, you're making me nervous."

"Oh, right." She nodded, speed walking across the room to sit on the couch next to him. She picked up a weed leaf pillow with a cartoon smiley face on it that was perched in the spot she was going to sit in and held it in her arms as she made herself comfortable. She needed something to do with her arms, so suffocating a cute plushie would have to do. "What are the names of the songs?"

Finn unlocked his phone, pulling up Carolynn's contact and cleared his throat before reading, "Hopeless Eyes, A Darker Kind of Soul, Bad Idea, Heavy Hearted, Crybaby, Collapse Into You, Where the Dead go to Die, Eulogy of Life, In This House, and Weak." He read off each song title with a blank stare, looking unimpressed as he said them aloud.

"And you didn't write any of those?" Elsie asked.

Finn looked to the side, turning off his phone and sticking it back in his pocket. "Nope."