Heavy Wears The Crown

Eighteen

"Failure find me to tie me up now 'cause I'm as bad, as bad as it gets. Failure find me, to hang me up now  by my neck cause I'm a fate worse than death"

-------- Sarcasm - Get Scared --------

               "What on earth were you thinking?" Ace scolded.

"I know sir. I'm sorry sir." I spoked firmly, unwavering into the computer. We were skyping, Nolan sat beside me in just his jeans with little investment to the conversation. Ace was scolding me, perhaps worse than my own father ever even had.

"When I call you, you answer the fȕcking phone!" He continued on a rampage.

"Yes sir." I agreed. I agreed with everything he said to us. What choice did I have? I was just lucky I wasn't getting fired. I mean, that might not have been the worst thing that could happen to me but the overwhelming perfectionist that I was inside refused to accept such defeat.

He'd been going at this for at least ten minutes. Berating us, scolding us like children, talking about what could have happened, what this could have cost us, he had more what if scenarios in his head than I did, and that was really saying something. I was accepting my fate and lecture like a good little toddler would the entire time until he threw in something that did rattle me.

"You should know better than to start intimate relationship with your clients!"

"I-intimate?!" I sputtered.

"I was under the impression that you had worked with high profile clients before, get your head out of the stars and get on the job!"

"To be fair." Nolan cut in. "Wouldn't you say she took a new meaning to getting ON the job?"

I elbowed him in the rib and he coughed.

"What! It's not like he could expect us to share a bunk! And how rude would it have been to use the couch? I mean everyone sits there from time to time."

"We didn't-" I protested but Ace turned his rage elsewhere abruptly.

"And you." He finally turned his attention to Nolan who he had essentially ignored for most of this. In response Nolan lit a cigarette. "Need I remind you that you have signed a contract? And in that contract there is a morality clause?"

"Are you firing me?" Nolan asked calmly and exhaled smoke. It was at this point I caught a whiff of what he was smoking.

I was going to kill him.

Ace didn't falter. Although he knew he couldn't fire Nolan, he knew it, I knew it, and Nolan knew it. "Don't push this Nolan. I own you." He reminded him and Nolan rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Don't ruin this for the band." He said sharply and Nolan sighed heavily. Ace didn't seem to be able to tell what Nolan was smoking, over the camera it must have just appeared to be a cigarette. As we sat here listening to Ace tell us how we needed to buckle down, get more serious, get our acts straight, Nolan was smoking a blunt. If I reacted, Ace would catch on, and I knew that would make me look bad. I was sitting right beside him and I couldn't even control him for a fifteen minute skype lecture!

"I mean hey, I can leave?" Nolan suggested and Ace's frown deepened.

"And I can fine you for breach of contract." Ace shot back but promptly turned his attention to a battle he could actually win. Me. "You're hanging on by a thread Red, I hope you're aware of that." He said threateningly.