The Higher We Soar

13. Maddening ideas

A/N: Hello! I'm sorry it took me so long to publish another chapter. Life and my muses become extremely cranky and refused to cooperate with me :) But here it is now, and I hope you'll like it <3

Take care!

(beta reader, my wonderful Julcia_404)
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Some days are quiet and peaceful, with everything unfolding just as you planned. The coffee tastes exceptionally rich, your responsibilities align perfectly with your capabilities, and the weather strikes a perfect balance-neither too cold nor too hot. Your jokes land with a clever, witty charm, making you feel as though you could conquer the world if you chose to. But on days like these, the urge to conquer it fades away, replaced by the sheer delight of the moment, bringing an involuntary smile to your face. But at times these serene days have a knack for sneaking up on you, only to transform abruptly into overwhelming chaos. Suddenly, everything happens at once, and you find yourself trapped in the eye of the storm, paralyzed, with nowhere to run.

And that was a day like that.

"...so with the festival, that's about two weeks, right?" Anthony's voice floated through the break room.

"No way!" Katie snorted, a teasing smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she leaned back in her chair, idly twirling a fork between her fingers. "How on earth did Sophie convince you to leave the studio for that long? You love this place too much!"

Tony, Kate, and Maddox were seated around the table, picking at their lunches. I offered a nod and a small wave as they glanced up, acknowledging my presence.

"Not two weeks," Maddox corrected, his casual shrug and the playful glint in his eye. "It's only twelve days... And I couldn't just leave Soph hanging, could I?"

"But doesn't the studio assistant job kind of imply that you should be, you know, at the studio?" Katie shot back, her eyebrow arching in mock concern. "Or are you not taking it seriously anymore since you work here permanently?"

Maddox feigned deep offense, pressing a hand to his chest with a dramatic flair that earned a chuckle from Tony. "Try telling Sophie 'no,' eh?! Believe me, I have no idea how I'll survive without the studio... or, more importantly, how the studio will survive without its trusty assistant!" He glanced my way, his eyes twinkling with a mix of jest and sincerity as I leaned against the counter, trying to shut out the unfinished arrangements that still buzzed in the back of my mind.

I exhaled slowly, finally allowing myself to be pulled into the conversation. "Am I hearing this right? Madd, are you going somewhere? You've been the studio assistant for less than a week, and you're already planning a trip? An employee of the year!"

Maddox chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "What can I say? I love Sophie. She needs someone to help her with her speech and presentations."

I shook my head in disbelief, a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Wait, wait... You're telling me you're going to the Auteur Alley Film Fest with her? Tony, weren't you supposed to go this year?"

Anthony smiled, glancing down at his sandwich as if the answer might be buried somewhere in its layers. "I was, but-"

"I'm going instead!" Maddox cut in, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Sgt. Pepper's is one of the sponsors this year too! And after the festival, we're heading straight to the workshop Soph is running. And get this-" he paused for dramatic effect, "she's letting me do a Q&A about my internship and work at the studio. Can you believe it? Me? Talking to the masses? Is there anything better than that?"