I Lost It All - a Lost & Found Music Studios Story [ONGOING]

Rachel

I clamber out of the car and sleepily wave my mom goodbye. I drag my feet as I drowsily trudge into Lost and Found. Guess that's what I get for napping in the car on the way over. Ugh, I get so groggy after naps. It's terrible.

As I'm walking, eyes on the ground, I bump into somebody.
"Sorr-" I begin to apologise instinctively, but stop myself when I see Parker looking at me, eyebrows knitted together.

"Hi Rachel," she smiles, still confused. "Wh-What exactly are you doing here? So early as well?" she asks.

"Well, my school has a random day off today. And, uh, I'm here for the same stuff as always," I reply, equally confused, "you know, making music and playing instruments and singing songs and that?"

"That's odd, because, uh, because today you have a day off here as well," she responds. My face falls. How could I be so stupid?!

"We do?!" I cry, glancing down at my watch to check the date. A loud sigh escapes me. "I'm so sorry. I guess it just slipped my mind." I hang my head in shame.

Parker smiles at me. "It's ok, Rachel, don't worry about it. Mr T and I have a ton of admin stuff to sort out for the studio and we have training and a course and just...a lot going on today, so we decided to give you guys the day off. That's all, to be fair." She finishes her explanation and subtly gestures towards the door. I apologise once more and make a hasty exit - I don't want to disturb them any more than I have. "Have a good day!" calls Parker after me.

My feet drag again and I pull out my phone.

As I wait outside the studio, I unlock my phone and find my finger hovering above my mom's contact in my Favourites list. You know, my most frequently contacted people. As I'm just about to press it, something catches my eye.

Leia's contact.

There's a picture of the two of us at her birthday party a few years ago, when I was the last one to stay behind. I remember her saying her other friend couldn't make it, and she thought we'd get along really well. And that was the one where I was literally the only one singing 'happy birthday'. I smile inwardly at the memories and let out a quiet chuckle, but the sweet moment quickly turns sour when I remember what state our relationship is in now. Her contact has sunk, like our friendship, and ended up at the bottom of the list now, since we're not even on speaking terms.

Then a light bulb comes on in my head, like a switch has been flicked. Like some smart part of my brain has been kicked into action.

I shove my phone in my pocket, adjust my bag on my shoulder, and run down the road with a new destination in mind.

I'm not gonna call my mom and ask her to pick me up.

Instead, I've decided to do something that could go either way and that, in all honesty, I'm kind of terrified to do.

I'm going to visit Leia.

I know, I know, I sound absolutely crazy. And I probably am. But no matter what's happened, in my heart, she'll always be my best friend. And I've really, really missed her. Sure, I have Annabelle and Maggie but it's not the same. They're not Leia.

In the years I've known Leia I've grown to see her as an amazing songwriter, a loyal but mad friend and a person who always, no matter what, stands up for herself. And when I made her seem like a song-stealing fraud, when I to exposed her, it was the first time I'd ever seen her lost for words. Unable to defend herself. It was the first time she'd ever shown her true feelings. And now we don't talk.

I don't want to lose everything that we've built, which is why I'm going to find her and tell her that I miss her. She might stop hurting for long enough to see that I still wanna be friends. She might find it in her heart to give me another chance.