𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐭 || 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐧 [𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝]

14- Good Job Hayden

Hayden, 18 years, 7 months, & 7 days old

I woke up early the next morning out of excitement. Atlantic Records emailed me about going on tour with my best friend's band. They wanted me to send a video of me playing the guitar but as I scrolled through my camera roll, I couldn't find any.

"Mom, do you have any videos of me playing my guitar?" I asked her right as she opened her eyes.

"Huh?" She groaned. "Why?"

"Atlantic Records contacted me," I said wide-eyed.

"Atlantic Records?" She was awake now. "Do they want to sign you? How did they find you?" She gasped.

"It was Zach! He asked his managers if I could tour with them as their opener. They want to see how I play and maybe have a meeting but I don't have my guitar or any videos to send them."

"Congratulations Sweet Tart, but I'm sorry I don't have any videos."

I sighed. "We need to buy a guitar."

"I'm not buying you another guitar," Mom announced.

"Why?" I cried. "That guitar could make me famous!"

"I'm sorry, we can't invest. Why don't you ask Zach to help you? Doesn't he have like four guitars? Ask him to help you."

I quickly pulled out my phone and texted Zach. Can I borrow a guitar? It's an emergency.

He texted me back three minutes later saying, Yeah, I have a few at the house.

Pick me up in fifteen? I asked.

Sure.

Fifteen minutes later, Zach came to my hotel and picked me up. He drove to his house and we searched for a guitar (which wasn't very hard). When we got a hold of one, I asked Zach to help me record a video to send to Atlantic Records. 

The two of us shuffled down the stairs and they led me to their small recording room that was padded with foam mounts, carpets, and blankets all over the walls. Daniel, Jack, Jonah, and Corbyn were sat inside also, listening back to a new Why Don't We track.

"Oh, hey," Daniel nervously said as he quickly got up to pause the music. I looked at him weirdly.

"Hayden needs help with a video to send into Atlantic so she can come on tour with us," Zach explained. Jonah and Daniel understood and moved their recording things out of the way and Corbyn got out of his seat for me.

"Here," Daniel said.

I gave Zach my phone and told him to record me.

"Ready?" Zach nodded. "In three... two... one..."

My fingers started strumming along the instrument and noise filled the room. After two measures I started singing.

"I can't stop
Thinking 'bout you
I'm missing you and me
We used to be
I remember what you said
Trying to get that out of my head
And I never thought that
I would make it through"

We finished recording a few minutes later. I had played that song so many times I only needed one take to make it flawless.

"Wow, that was amazing," Jonah breathed.

"It was incredible!" Jack clapped.

"Isn't that Zach's song?" Corbyn asked. We all looked at Zach who had sad eyes and was looking at the floor, a bit of red cheek showing.

"Zach?" Daniel patted his back out of concern.

"Good job, Hayden," Zach whispered before he put the phone down on the table, got up, and left the room.

"I'll go talk to him," Jonah said before he followed Zach out the door.

"What was that about?" Daniel asked.

I grabbed the phone off of the desk and hit play on the video, listening back to it to make sure it was okay to send in. I watched it for a few seconds before I answered Daniel.

"It was Zach song, I helped him make it a long time ago. I'd been playing it nonstop and thinking of myself and how Zach left me and all I wanted to know was 'Why'. I guess Zach finally saw the lyrics the same way I did."

"Zach left you? What do you mean?" Corbyn shifted in his seat.

"Before he left for the Impact Tour, he said he'd be my best friend and that he'd be there for me for forever. Then he joined your band and he stopped talking to me. I reached out a few times but he never responded. All those years I just wanted to know why he left."

"I'm so sorry," Jack said. "You are an amazing person, so talented. You are beautiful too. I don't know why he ever left you behind," Jack grabbed my hand and smiled at me. I pulled away.

"I'm sorry Jack, I don't know what's going on between us, if you like me or anything, but I don't like you in that way. I'm sorry."

He coughed and took his hand back. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed. I mean, I met you yesterday," he chuckled slightly. I gave him a friendly smile.

"Ahem," Daniel coughed from the corner of the room, "So are you going to send that video in?"

"Yeah," I said. I opened my email on my phone and attached the video file. I got nervous but eventually clicked the tiny airplane send button.

"We can't wait to go on tour with you," Corbyn smiled.

:::

a/n: I'm going on vacation this week so the next few updates might be on a weird schedule