Connection -- A Ross Lynch Story

The Party

"I hate parties," I groaned to Carson as the GPS gave the last directions and we ended up at the end of a long driveway that led up to an average sized home. Cars were lined up along the curbs on either side and flashing lights were visible from the windows. "Well, we can't find anywhere to park," I sighed. "We tried. I guess we should just head home."

Everyone in the car laughed to themselves, but Carson squeezed into a small open space with ease. "Nice try, Trina," he said with a smile as he pulled the key out of the ignition. We all piled out of the car and stood on the lawn, staring up at the house. Carson was the only one that wasn't particularly nervous. Parties were his scene. He straightened his button down shirt and casually made his way up to the door, leaving the three of us behind.

Piper struggled to make her way to the pavement. Her heels sunk into the soft ground beneath her. It didn't help that the dress she was wearing was so tight that she could barely move her legs. That was classic Piper, though. Asher offered her his arm and escorted her up to the door. I was left alone, standing by the car in my converse.

Once I finally convinced myself to join in on the party, I was overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. I barely recognized anyone there. Bright multicolored strobelights flashed as the music boomed by the makeshift dance floor. I could already tell that this was a bad idea. I found Carson with a drink in his hand, swaying to the music. "Dude, I don't know anyone here," I said to him.

"Sure you do," he shrugged, looking around the room. "We've interviewed with a lot of these people. It's fine. Just go strike up a conversation." I raised one eyebrow as I looked up at him. "Or just go dance alone. Once you get a few drinks into you, you'll loosen up."

"Whatever," I muttered under my breath as I broke away from him in search of something to drink. I found the kitchen and grabbed the first thing I could get my hands on, taking a long swig of the mystery liquid. It burned on the way down and didn't taste great, but it would do the trick. The music boomed and a funky pop song started to play. It started out slow, but quickly picked up and got everyone excited. It was extremely catchy and grew on me instantly.

Eventually, the craziness of the party got to me and I needed to get a breath of fresh air. I walked out the back door to the yard, thinking that I was going to be alone. I was mistaken. Ross was sitting with a notebook on his lap and his feet extended onto another chair across from him. He had his hair pulled into a top knot, keeping it out of his face. His fingers messed with his rings as he stared down at the pad. Once he realized he wasn't alone, he quickly shifted his feet. "You can join me," he offered.

"Thanks," I said quietly, taking a seat across from him. "What are you working on?" I set my glass on the table between us and crossed my legs.

"Just some nonsense," he shrugged, closing the notebook. "How are you enjoying the party?"

"I'm not much of a party person." I glanced back through the screen door and watched everyone having a great time. "I don't know anyone in there. It's kind of weird, you know? Piper and Asher have each other, and Carson thrives in this environment. I'm kind of the odd man out."

"You never struck me as the shy type," Ross laughed.

"I'm not shy. I hate networking. I hate having to deal with all of this bullshit. My true passion lies within the music, and I wish the music could sell itself instead of me having to go through interviews and promotions." I watched a smile start to grow over Ross's face. "What?" I asked, smiling nervously.

A small chuckle escaped his lips. "You sound a lot like my brother Rocky," he mentioned.

"Brother?" I had no idea he was related to his lead guitarist.

"Yeah, that's kinda our thing," Ross said. "We're all related, except for Ellington. But he's dating Rydel, so he's basically family."

"I had no idea." I started to bite my nail as he looked at me with a soft intensity.

"That's because you judged us before you got to know us," he laughed. "Speaking of judgement, what do you think of the album?"

"What do you mean?"

"We've been playing it on repeat for most of the night." He stopped talking and we listened, and the funky pop song was playing once again.

"This is you guys?" I asked incredulously. "This song is so catchy. I really like it."

"F.E.E.L.G.O.O.D. is a crowd pleaser," he nodded.

I took a deep breath and tried to remember the music that had been playing throughout the night. There was a lot of keyboard heavy, funky pop vibes. One song even used a synthesizer, which intrigued me. A few of the songs were heavier and definitely matched the vibe that my band was projecting. I was about to do something that I rarely ever did. "I was wrong," I admitted.

He grinned and leaned forward in his chair. "Does that mean you'll accept the tour deal? I mean, this is really short notice. We already have all of the dates booked, and most of them are sold out shows. We really wouldn't have agreed to this if we didn't think it would work out. We take this very seriously."

"I can't officially accept anything before we talk it over as a group, but I'm pretty sure it's a done deal. I was the only one that needed convincing. The rest of them were more than willing to jump on the opportunity right away." The way he smiled and watched me made my hard exterior melt away for just a second. I felt vulnerable. "I misjudged you, Ross."

"Most people do," he shrugged. "I forgive you."