Zach was alone, lying in bed and smoking a cigarette. He heard the other boys talking, heard them wonder why Rebecca hadn't come back with him, why was he locked in his room with a bottle of whisky and no lights on.
he knew that he should sleep, try to rest, for he had to get up bright and early the next morning. It would be the band's first day in Josh's studios and he was excited, but at the same time, fear kept clouding his mind. What would happen if Maddeline was also there? What about the song (or possibly even songs, knowing his band mates) they had agreed to record together? His mind was going through all of the possibilities and some more, not failing to go over all the things he should've done years ago to keep Maddeline with him while he still could, but he was young and blinded by the fame and the money, and not, it was simply too late.
Eventually, he fell asleep, bottle cradled to his chest and still dressed in the clothes from the day before.
*
"Zach!" He heard a yell. "Open the damn door! And take a shower, we have to leave in half an hour!"
"What?" He retorted, voice raspy, a mixture of the whisky and sleep.
"I said get up, bastard," Nate yelled again, knocking on the door one last time before leaving.
"Fuck, I do need a shower." Zach tried to get up, but the hangover he was sporting didn't cooperate with gravity.
After a shower and a bottle of water, he was ready to go, standing by the door hiding behind dark sunglasses.
"Shouldn't you eat something?" Gabe asked concern etched onto every word as he rested one hand on Zach's shoulder.
"No. If I eat, I'll be throwing up for hours."
"Oh..."
One hour later, they pulled up onto the private parking lot of the record label, where they would be spending the majority of their time the next months, working on their new album.
By the door, Josh waited for them, with a short and nervous boy by his side.
"Are you ready boys?" he asked, slapping Zach on the back, making him trip forward, almost falling flat on his face, and wrapping one arm around Nate's shoulders and kissing the top of his head and shaking hands with other two.
They all nodded, and so Josh started leading them towards the elevator, where they all got in, the small, blushing boy included.
Quickly, they reached the floor their studio was situated on, Josh guided them down a corridor towards the last door on the right and used a key he had been holding to open the door.
"Hope you like it, because from now on, this will be your personal studio." Josh smiled, holding the door open for them to enter.
"Josh, I don't understand," Michael spoke up. " we just signed the contract, and you're giving us our own exclusive studio?"
Josh scoffed and rolled his eyes as if the answer should be obvious.
"Boys, you'll earn me millions, literally. With the number of fans you have? And now that they see you as the bad boys of the music industry, and Zach is single, your new album coming in a few months will be on top of every damn chart worldwide the minute you release it." He offered.
"Still. Josh, we were with our previous label for almost five years and we never, and I mean never, had a private studio." Michael pressed.
"Shut up, Michael, just the fact you are in the building, is money were making." Josh cut him off.
"Well, if you put it that way and insist so much..." Michael finally mumbled his form of an agreement.
"Now, things you need to know: be careful with all the electronics and the instruments; if anything is damaged, you'll have to pay for it; if you ever need me just call my secretary and I'll come as soon as I can, even though I'll probably be in my office or in the studio across the hall; this little guy here will be your personal assistant, so if you need anything, just let him know. Any questions?"
"Yes," Nate spoke up for the first time since he had said a brief hello to the man. "Who is in the studio across from ours?"
Josh cleared his throat and looked around awkwardly for a second, avoiding eye contact with the boys, even though the jealousy radiating from Nate gave him a little self-esteem boost.
"Maddeline," he mumbled almost inaudibly.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Gabe perched in.
"Maddeline. The studio across from yours where Maddeline is recording her first album." he huffed.
"Oh." Nate nodded and looked down, his ears burning red.
After a few more minutes of silence, Gabriel spoke up once again, putting in words what they were all wondering.
"Is she in? Can we go say hello?"
Josh took a deep breath and rubbed at his eyes, knowing that the boys would keep persisting until they got what they wanted.
"Sure, just be sure to keep quiet, I believe she's recording," Josh spoke sternly before walking off.
Silently, the four men followed him across the hall and quietly got inside the room, closing the door behind them gently.
"What if I had a thing on the side
"Made you cry?
"Would the rules change up or would they still apply?
"If I played you like a toy
"Sometimes I wish I could act like a boy" Maddeline sang from inside the recording booth, eyes closed and moving ever so slightly to the beat.
Nate, Michael and Gabe were ecstatic to see her, especially because she was finally becoming the person they always saw in her. By their side, Zach was looking at her in a trance once again, consumed by the way she looked and sounded.
Maddeline kept singing, oblivious to the new presence on the other side of the glass. Her hair was back to its original colour, just like it had been at the ball, but this time, falling down in front of her face while she was so consumed by the song, that she didn't even bother to move it away. At least, not until she finished the song and pushed it back, opening her eyes only to be faced with the four boys staring at her from the other side of the glass.
________________________________
Author's Note: Hello loves! Thank you for being patient and for putting up with me and my procrastinating self (not really, I've been consumed by exams, I promise). But good news: I'll be on vacation starting Monday, so more updates (YAY!).
Now, if you liked it, please Vote and Comment.
Besitos,
Jessy.
YOU ARE READING
MAD
RomanceStrong willed, smart, beautiful, funny and talented were a few of the adjectives that described Maddeline. After going through a hard time in her early twenties, she found the right place where she could be herself and didn't need to have people fin...
