The Last 24 Hours

Chapter 3

1 hour before lock in…

Audrey
    I never thought that I would be showing anyone my secret escape. Before my Dad died, he had owned a music shop, and when he passed, this place was passed down to me. I used to love coming here as a kid and listening to all the different CD’s and records, trying out the different instruments. Although I can’t bring myself to open it back up for good yet, my dad had left enough money for me to keep it open without making revenue, so I come here when I don’t want to be alone, it’s almost as if he’s here with me, guiding me.
    “ Okay, it looks a little run down at the moment, but trust me when I say there are some great playlists in here.” The paint on the building has begun to fade away, making it look a light shade of pink, when it used to be a vibrant red. The windows haven’t been wiped down in almost a year, and the sign in the front that reads Joe’s Music Station, has stopped glowing the neon blue that it used to.
    However once you step inside it’s almost as if it is a completely different shop. I clean the interior twice a week, polishing every instrument, dusting every corner. I’ve even added a few things such as a place to sit near the only piano in the place for when people play it. I hope that one day I can run this place as good as my father had.
    “ How’d you find this place?” Simon inquired, glancing around the room, his eyes wide.
    “ It was my Dad’s.” I noticed Tristan stop for a moment and sneak a glance at me. He knew about what happened to my dad, he was there, but before he could speak I walked over to the shelves that were stacked with CD’s. “ Alright, I think we should each pick two so that way there is plenty of variation.”
    We each gathered our selected discs and went back to the car. “ To Ember’s!” Simon said typing her address into the GPS. I looked back at the shop one last time before we drove away.

Ember
“ We have everything right?” Cleo asked as we were pulling out of Target. I nodded my head, paying attention to the road. “ Do you think I’ve been too harsh on Audrey? I mean I know Tristan isn’t going to talk to her that quickly but you and Si seem cool with her.”
“ I think that she made a mistake, and she’s owning up to it. If you want to be mad at her you can but she hasn’t really done anything to you.” I heard her sigh. I love Cleo, she’s my best friend, but sometimes she can be stubborn. She doesn’t see that caring for someone automatically means she’s obligated to side with them. I know that Tristan means the world to her, but Audrey is our friend too.
“ I guess you’re right. I just feel bad for Tristan. He deserves someone who will treat him better.”  The light we were coming up on turned red and I looked at her.
“ Mhm, and who would that be?” Her cheeks quickly began to glow a bright red.
“ Not who you’re thinking, that’s for sure,” she retorted, crossing her arms, “ I wouldn’t do that to Si.”
By the time we got back to my house, Cleo’s dad was waiting outside with the stereo. I don’t think anyone could argue that they weren’t related. They both shared the same chestnut hair and had the same rounded nose, the only difference was their eyes, Cleo’s are an icy blue, much like her mother’s, where her father’s are a honey brown.
“ You could’ve at least left the door unlocked for me you know.” He said as he drew Cleo in for a hug. Her laugh muffled by his shirt.
“ And risk you eating all of my treats? I think not.” She replied with a grin. I always envied their relationship. Don’t get me wrong, my parents are great, caring and understanding, but they are also always working, which meant that I didn’t get the chance for form a bond with them the way Cleo had with her father.
He opened his mouth to protest but was quickly silenced when Simon’s car pulled into the driveway. Tristan got out first, rushing over to Cleo’s dad and offering to carry the stereo into the house for him, but he refused saying that he wanted to see the treats that she had spoken of earlier for himself and went inside, closely followed by both of them.
Simon was next to get out of the car carrying a decent sized plastic bag in his hands, still holding conversation with Audrey. He waved me over.
“ We got the CD’s like you asked, but can you please explain to me why bluetooth speakers are not an option tonight?” Audrey got out of the car rolling her eyes.
“ Obviously Ember wanted to make the most of us all being here, and our phones,” she grabbed his cell from the car and started waving it around, “ would be causing a major distraction.” I smiled at her as she walked over to me, handing me Simon’s phone, pulling her into a small hug.
“ At least someone gets it.” I said mockingly towards Simon. He shook his head.                  
“ Weirdos,” he looked around the driveway, “ Cleo inside already?” I nodded as he made his way to the entrance of my house. Audrey hooked her arm through mine as we walked up the driveway.
“ I’m really glad you thought about doing this, we all needed some time together. Have you talked to Cleo about me?”
“ I think she’s regretting not talking to you, cut her some slack though, you know how much her and Tristan mean to each other.” She sighed in agreement.
“ I miss her friendship, probably more than I miss my relationship with Tristan, and that’s saying something but I deserve it, I understand that. Anyway, I’m starved, what kind of food do you have ready?”

Cleo
    “ Okay you guys, don’t eat everything at once.” Simon, Tristan, and Dad are all seated around the kitchen table, absentmindedly eating everything I had worked so hard at making earlier.
    “ Babe you’re baking is exquisite.” Simon spoke with a mouthful of cookies. Tristan nodded ferociously next to him, trying his best to give me a smile, I rolled my eyes and laughed. Dad had grabbed a bag and was putting some of the goods in there for later.
            “ You know I can never deny myself from your skills.” He spoke as he kissed the top of my head. “ I’ll see you tomorrow.” He walked out the front door just as Ember and Audrey arrived in from the side. They stared at Tristan and Simon with amused looks on their faces.