Lover/Leaver (Jake Kiszka)

Chapter 3: The Meeting

The first light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over the small apartment room. Amelia groaned as her alarm blared, pulling her from a restless sleep. Today was the day. Her phone buzzed with a flurry of notifications, but she ignored them for now focusing on getting herself together.

Her roommate, Jess, was already up, sitting at the kitchen table sipping her coffee. Jess was an aspiring photographer with a knack of capturing the perfect shot, that's why Amelia had let Jess come to their shows to get experience in her favorite field.

"Morning, rock star," Jess greeted with a grin. "Ready for the big day?"

"Morning Jess. Barely slept," Amelia admitted, rubbing her eyes. "But yeah, I'm ready. Nervous as hell though."

"You'll be great," Jess reassured her. "Just remember they chose you for a reason. You've got this."

Amelia nodded, feeling a bit more confident. She grabbed her clothes and headed for the shower trying to shake off the grogginess. The warm water helped, and by the time she was dressed and ready, she felt more awake.

"Breakfast?" Jess asked, holding out a granola bar.

"Thanks," Amelia said, taking it. "I need to get going. Got a class before the meeting."

"Good luck!" Jess called after her. "Knock 'em dead!"

Amelia made her way across the campus to her first class of the day: Music Theory. As she walked into the lecture hall, she spotted a few familiar faces and exchanged smiles with her classmates. The professor Dr. Mitchell, was already setting up.

"Morning Amelia," Dr. Mitchell said. "Big day today, huh?"

"You could say that," Amelia replied, taking a seat at the front of the class. "I'm a little nervous."

"C'mon Amelia, you'll do great," he said encouragingly. "You have pure talent and dedication."

The lecture passed in a blur of notes and musical concepts, but Amelia found it hard to concentrate. Her mind kept drifting to the upcoming meeting. After class, she grabbed a quick lunch and headed to her next lecture, trying to keep her nerves in check.

By early afternoon, her classes were over, and it was time to meet up with The Echoes. She walked briskly to their usual rehearsal spot, her heart pounding with anticipation. As she entered the studio, she saw her bandmates already gathered, their faces a mix of excitement and nerves.

"Hey everyone," Amelia greeted them, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

"Hey, Amelia," Lisa said, giving her a quick hug. "Ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, she replied, "How about you guys?"

"We're good," Max said twirling his drumsticks. "Nervous but good."

Eddie nodded. "Let's do a quick run-through of the setlist, just to make sure we're all on the same page."

They played through their chosen songs and it was evident that they were well prepared for Greta Van Fleet.

"Alright," Mike said, clapping his hands behind the glass. "Let's head over to the venue and meet them!"

Amelia looked over at Lisa and said, "When did he get here?" with a laugh.

The drive to the venue felt longer than it was, each minute stretching out as anticipation built. When they finally arrived, Amelia's heart was racing. They were ushered into a sleek modern office building downtown, and a friendly receptionist directed them to a conference room where the band and their manager were waiting.