I take my mom up on her offer to stay the night here, and Ryan and I fall asleep on the couch watching Seinfeld reruns.
He wakes up a little past midnight and picks me up off the couch, leaving the blanket wrapped around me. I am not fully awake or asleep as he carries me to the basement, to the room that used to belong to me. He lays me down on the bed and tucks me in, ruffling my hair with his hand.
At this point I am closer to sleep than consciousness, but I think he sits down on the edge of the bed. I am not sure how long he sits there as I fall into the kind of sleep that can only be achieved at home.
It is still dark outside when I wake up, but I don't roll over and go back to sleep like I usually do on Sundays. I am glad to be awake, glad to face this day. This day that could change everything.
The smell of coffee draws me up the stairs and I open the basement door to find Ryan sitting at the small counter stool, reading a newspaper. Without looking up, he slides an empty coffee mug over to me. Smiling, I take it and fill it before taking the seat opposite him. He holds up a finger to let me know that he is still reading. Several moments later he lays the paper down.
"What was so intriguing?" I ask him.
"Just reading about your future career," he smirks, sliding the paper across the counter to me. The headline, along with a picture of 5 boys standing on a confetti-littered stage dominate the Entertainment section.
ONE DIRECTION'S 2-NIGHT STINT AT PHILLIP'S ARENA
I skim the article; the writer was impressed by the show and even more impressed by the stars' attitudes. Ridiculously, I feel a sense of pride in my chest.
"I'm going to Nashville today, to meet with Paul Higgins," I say.
"Nashville? Are you driving?" Ryan asks. He is always concerned for me.
"Yeah, it's not that far. Only like four hours."
"I can drive you, if you want," he says. I really hate driving long distances, so it's hard to turn down his offer. But this feels like something I need to do on my own, something symbolic even.
"I think I need to do it myself," I tell him. He understands. For a moment I am caught up thinking about Ryan's own struggle for independence, and wondering if he will fully have it.
Soon, our mother joins us in the kitchen. I tell her about Nashville and she offers to lend me one of her dresses to wear. The three of us sit at the counter sipping coffee and making morning small talk, the way we did for so many years before I left.
For some reason I am feeling extra nostalgic, and everything from the past seems to be haunting me today. During a lull in conversation, I glance at my mother and see that her eyes are glossy again. It was hard for her when I moved less than ten minutes away, I can only imagine how difficult it is for her, the prospect of me leaving for a long period of time.
My mother brings me down four dresses to try on, and I end up selecting an emerald green, knee length one. It is sleeveless, but it comes all the way to the base of my neck, so I feel it is modest enough.
I groan at the thought of driving four hours in a dress. I haven't heard from Paul yet today, but I am eager to get on the road. Around 10 a.m., I am restless. I stand from my spot on the couch.
"I think I'm going to head out," I announce. My mom and Ryan stand to walk me to the door, both of them hugging me a little longer than usual. They tell me to be safe, to be careful, to call if I need anything. I wave them off, pulling out of the driveway and beginning the drive to my future.
About four hours later, I am glad I left early. It is June and the traffic is heavy and I miss the exit twice. I finally locate the correct road to take and I find myself in the heart of downtown Nashville. It is beautiful, but it is hot. Holy crap is it hot.
As I am looking for a place to park, a place to eat, a place to kill time- a place to do anything, really, my phone buzzes. I answer it hoping to hear Paul's voice, but it's only Ryan checking up on me. An hour later, I still have not found anything to do but aimlessly drive around.
My phone buzzes again, and again it is Ryan. I resist the urge to roll my eyes, he is just being protective. Two minutes after I hung up on Ryan, he calls again.
YOU ARE READING
Written
Fanfiction"Written" follows the story of 20-year-old Hayley Reid, a fiery young woman who never realized her potential in the music business until she was recruited to work on the biggest concert tour of the year. Hayley's passion immediately draws the attent...
