CODA

Nine

"So, you got some rumors flying last weekend, Calum. Care to explain your thought process with that one?" Nate asks as the band meets Monday morning.

"Simple. I had a date, Nine Inch Nails announced a one off show and I wanted to go. So I took my date instead of canceling on her. We had an great time by the way."

"You held her hand, Cal." Ashton frowns.

"Did you see the shoes she wore? She was going to trip and fall. Plus, now CODA has more traffic to their pages and Carter is getting attention. Makes them more relevant, more available for touring options right? We are still working towards that goal aren't we?"

"Yes... don't let this be one if your stupid plans, Cal. Don't let this become something where she ends up hurt because you don't know how to communicate to her that it's more than just PR. Make sure she knows exactly what is and isn't real and what is and isn't going through your head. You can't destroy another relationship with your good intentions and bad communication." Luke sighs, lecturing Calum.

"She already called me out on that. I actually managed to relat my inner minds workings in a way she understood. I don't quite know how that happened, but it did. She was pissed too."

"That is a miracle. But seriously, Calum, don't do it again without permission, okay? PR is not your job." Nate comments, "Now get back to work, the album isn't going to put itself out."

"Be careful, Cal, I don't think you realize how quickly you are becoming attached to this Carter girl. We all know how badly it could hurt you if something goes wrong." Michael says quietly to just Calum as they grab their instruments.

"I'm being careful. I promise."

***

"Carter, you're in the booth, Scars to your Beautiful, let's get it done before we call it quits tonight. We want to get it online by the end of the week." Jaydan calls out, having to walk the girls through basically every part of the process right now. He seems to not be bothered by it, but maybe it's just normal to him. Carter on the other hand, hates it. She hates feeling like a burden, or a student. She wants to be a pro, wants to not cause any issues that could pull this oportunity away from the band.

Carter sings through different parts of the song for nearly an hour, this part over, that part again, in all sorts of orders, none of them start to end. Finally being told she's done and someone else is taking a turn to record backups.

"Tired?" Ava chuckles as Carter falls into her lap.

"This is grueling." Carter yawns.

"But everything we ever dreamed of." Ava grins.

"Yeah. I can't help but love it. Even as exhausted as I am." Cater nods, her eyes fluttering as Oli's voice reaches them.

"And you're trying to balance a boy into the schedule, how's that going?" Ava asks, combing her hands through Carter's hair.

"I don't know. He's hot then he's cold. He sucks at communicating, I can see that already and it scares me. Because I've been known to shy away from bringing things up that need to be discussed. But then he fucking took me to Nine Inch Nails, and like suggested another date that had Carter Heart written all over it. And he's so cute, and so nice." She sighs. "And when we were writing a couple weeks ago, I called dad, and he had me show him how to sign hi my name is Calum, nice to meet you. So he could actually sign it, instead of have me interpret and that was cute as shit. Ugh. Boys are hard."