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

Rachel (Extended Teaser)

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.

Driving up to her school, I'm not gonna lie, I feel pretty intimidated. I mean, her school is huge and beautiful and huge. I had to say that again because it's really that big and I have no idea how I'm gonna find her.

I walk into her school and stop by the visitors' office. "Just in time," the shy-looking lady behind the desk tells me quietly. "They're switching between periods now." I nod politely and make my way into the already bustling corridor. I seem to recall her saying something about her locker being near a music classroom, and how ironic it was.

I find a music classroom and look around, searching for that familiar bobbing head in the throng of students, chatting and laughing and walking.

I stand and wait. And I wait. And I wait. The corridor slowly clears up, 'til there are just a few groups of friends leaning against the lockers deep in the midst of their own conversations. And I can't help but wonder if I'm invisible.

Leia's probably in her lesson in the other side of the school. I probably missed her. And I probably am invisible. Just as I'm about to turn around and go home, upset, a girl approaches me.

"Hey," she smiles warmly, "can I help you?" I look at her, a bit confused.

"Oh, uh, you looked a little lost and I've never seen you 'round, so I was wondering if there was anything I could do to, y'know...help you out," she explains confidently, her friendly grin not leaving her face.

"Oh, right! Thanks! Uh, yeah, I am lost because I don't go to this school. I'm actually here to visit a friend," I reply, relieved. I didn't realise people here would be this friendly, but this girl seems really nice. I wouldn't be surprised if she was one of the most popular girls in the school.

"Oh, I should be able to help you find her. I mean, I'll give it my best shot," she winks. "Why are you here to find her anyway? I mean, how come you're not at school?" That comes out sweetly, somehow, as though she's concerned about me. She really is one of the nicest girls, no, people I've ever met.

"Well, I actually have a day off from school today. It was just spontaneous. Random, I guess," I tell her. "So then I decided to go to a place where I'm involved in this extra curricular music thing, to see if I could spend the day there, but I kind of forgot that they gave us a day off, too! So next thing I know, I'm here to visit my friend," I finish.

"I hope you get actually get something out of this trip," she chuckles, "because otherwise I can imagine it being really frustrating!"

"I hope so too." We exchange a smile, and I can't help but wonder, again, who this girl is. We're actually really getting along, and I bet we could be really good friends.

"Hang on, one second, I couldn't help but notice that you mentioned, um, extra curricular music? What do you mean?" she asks.

"It's a...programme called Lost and Found Music Studios. It's a place that I go to after school and in my spare time to make music and try to become a successful musician." Not a great explanation, Rachel.

"Oh. That sounds really cool! I-I just feel like I've heard about it before. Like someone was talking to me about it but I wasn't really paying attention..." She trails off, her eyebrows knitted together, as though she's focusing really hard on something.

There's a minute's silence and I realise how much small talk we've made. But somehow it doesn't feel like small talk. It's weird.

Suddenly the silence is broken. "Oh my gosh! I just realised I never properly introduced myself. You don't know my name!" she exclaims.

How did we miss that?!

"Well," begins the friendly girl who's name I've just realised I don't know, "I'm-"