Across The Stars

Chapter 8.

Over the next few weeks, I've completely transformed into Anna Star. I took the liberty of dying my blond locks brown, reinventing my style, and even wrote a few songs to bring into the studio with me.

Today was my first day in the studio, and I was completely beside myself. I hadn't really heard from Toby, given that we were both busy with our lives. Texting him for comfort didn't exactly seem like the right thing to do at the moment.

Besides, I had Austin.

He's been such a great help these past few weeks with my transition into this new life. I think it was safe to say that I considered him a friend rather than some annoying stranger who stumbled into the little record shop that I worked at.

Because I was gone for most of the day, Astrid was currently looking for someone to fill my position. At first, I was against the idea, thinking that I might need to find a new place to live if I hadn't been working for Astrid anymore. However, she was kind enough to let me continue living in the apartment.

"Okay Annie, let's take it from the top." Lowery says into the microphone. I give him a thumbs up before beginning to sing the first verse of the song I wrote.

Lowery cuts me off moments later. "You're coming in a beat late."

"What do you mean?" I ask defensively. "I wrote the song. I know when I'm supposed to come in."

I was singing along to the backing track I made myself on the piano, and according to Lowery I was missing my cue.

I made the goddamn cue!

"Let's just run it again." He says, making a circular motion with his finger.

I let out a heavy sigh before signaling once more that I was ready.

Lowery cuts me off again, sending me over the limit. I can feel my frustration growing by the second. If this is what I knew making music would entail, I would've never signed up for this.

"Can you give us a second?" I hear Austin ask.

He opens the glass door of the small studio I stood in and gives me a sympathetic smile. "What's up?"

I cover the microphone with my hand. "Lowery's downright pissing me off. I don't understand how I keep coming in late on a song that I wrote."

"Why don't you just play it and sing it at the same time? Why are you using a recording?"

"I don't know. I figured it would be easier to do one at a time."

"Let's give this a try." He suggests.

I follow him out of the studio and over towards another booth where they kept a baby grand piano. Austin sits down next to me on the bench, adjusting the microphone attached to the piano so I could reach it.

Austin turns to Lowery and gives him a thumbs up.

"Go ahead, Anna." Austin smiles at me.

I begin to play the intro to my song, glancing over at Lowery who had a look of approval on his face as I started to sing.

Singing while playing ended up going much more smoothly then trying to sing along to a recording. I had full control of what was happening and being able to play made it even better.

After the first run through of the song, Lowery asks me to run it again once more.

I end up going through the song three or four times, but I don't complain.

I was making music.

This is what I wanted.

I truly felt as though I was making something out of myself.