and the stars will all come out

chapter forty-one! ☆

THE BEST PART OF RECORDING, LANDRY THOUGHT, WAS THAT BY NOW, EVERYTHING HAD SUNK INTO PLACE.

It was early February, they'd officially had a few songs written and recorded and scrawled down on the huge whiteboard to choose from when it came time to organize the final tracklist, and Studio 606 was operating like a well-oiled machine. There was something warm and comfortable about everyone instinctively knowing where they fit in the 606 ecosystem. Adam was poised by the soundboard as ever, and next to him, Dave had a large microphone by his mouth, and he'd belt out the same mouthful of lyrics a few times for Adam to record. Once it was deemed satisfactory enough, Taylor would be waiting by the drums, and they'd record his parts - sometimes with Taylor's drumming, and other times with Dave's. Landry knew deciding who went on the drums was a thing that was up to Taylor and Dave alone, so she let it be.

Over on the couch next to a lounging Nate, Landry was laying with her feet on the coffee table, buried in her notebook. For the last little bit, ever since it had became apparent that she was going to be helping them write, she had been locked in an endless state of writing and revising, writing and revising. Writing things down in her tiny curly handwriting, and equal parts crossing them out, then underlining the parts she wanted to save for later. Minutes flew by when she had her nose buried in her notebook, and she often lost track of time.

Sometimes, she would blurt out a line she found most captivating, and pitch it to the band right then and there. And to her surprise, the band would listen. Dave almost always spoke first, and he almost always found what she wrote interesting. Taylor would do a double thumbs up, Adam would nod his head, and Nate would hum, mulling it over.

It made Landry smile every time. She felt valued.

She didn't wonder things now as often as when it was October and everything had been uncertain. She knew it was because of the warmth familiarity of the basement that she was able to write as fluidly and unrestrained as she did. She only had the first month of 1999 under her belt, and already, her newfound confidence in herself was making her feel like a different person.

But a pang of anxiety still shot through her at the thought of what she had planned.

Everything wasn't perfect, and she felt as though there were an Evelyn-shaped stain in her life, holding her back.

She had long decided that she needed to quit the band, and for the last three days or so, she had been rehearsing what she was going to say to Evelyn when she did in her mind. She couldn't tell whether she wanted to be blunt, or apologetic. Truthful, or polite. Professional, or cheery.

Just thinking about it, a shiver ran down her spine, and Landry impulsively checked her watch. 11:23.

"Shit, I've got to go," she announced suddenly, taking her feet off the coffee table and closing her notebook. "Practice at Evelyn's is at 12:30."

She stood up.

"Bye, Lani!" Taylor exclaimed, simultaneously twirling his drum stick from behind the kit and waving.

Dave turned from his spot at the soundboard and smiled sadly. "Yeah, bye babe."

She walked over to his chair and leaned down to kiss him. One of life's smallest but greatest pleasures, and she wanted to have it as often as she could. "Bye, baby."

She straightened up and started for the basement stairs. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. I'll be back as soon as practice's over."

"I miss you already!" Taylor shouted as she went up the stairs.

Landry just laughed and stepped into her shoes.

Waiting just beyond the porch was her brand new black Charger, still somehow spotless black and glistening even though it had endured late January Virginian snow, and she felt the same cool rush of happiness and accomplishment as she slid into the red leather interior. Hope had nearly fainted when she'd brought it home, and Landry still felt like fainting, even though it had been a few weeks now since it was officially hers. Honestly, she hoped this feeling never ended.