CODA

Twenty

"Where the hell have you been?" Delanee yells the moment Carter walks through the door.

"Someone asked me to leave, so I did." She snaps back, glaring at Ava.

"If you were really here for the band like you keep saying you are you'd have been home and not with Calum." Ava scoffs.

"Jaydan told us to be ready to head for the salon at noon. Its ten, I'll be fine. Maybe if you had been a little more open minded and a little less bitchy when I tried to talk last night I wouldn't have had to run from where I felt unwanted."

"Maybe if you hadn't been a self involved bitch I would have been." Ava shrugs. "But instead you ran off to cry to your famous little fuck buddy about me."

"STOP!" Olive yells out as Carter goes to open her mouth. "What the hell is wrong with both of you? We are a band, friends, sisters for fuck sake! Act like it. We are celebrating the biggest night of our lives and careers thus far. Kiss and make up now! I'm fucking done with both of you!"

"Same. You two need to figure your shit out. And don't say it's all the other. It's both of you. And if you can't fix it in the next two hours, then fake it. End of story." Delanee glares between the two.

"I'll fake it. Thanks. I tried the whole talk it out shit yesterday. It failed." Carter rolls her eyes.

"That's all you do anymore anyway. Must be nice, not having the moral conscience to not be a fake bitch all the time. Just kiss every ass until you're a star. Hope you enjoy how lonely you'll be when you get there." Ava chuckles dryly, turning to the hallway and disappearing. Her bedroom door slamming seconds later.

"Car-" "just don't, De. I have tried to talk, to explain why I'm doing what I'm doing, to show her how my actions are all trying to help us. She won't hear any of it." Carter sighs, heading for her own room to find her outfit for tonight and some clothes to wear over to the salon for hair and make up.

"Carter! You have a visitor." Olive calls through the apartment about an hour before they are supposed to leave.

"Who?" Carter frowns, poking her head from her room. Her eyes going wide as she sees the middle aged man grinning at her.

"Dad!?" She signs quickly, running down the hall to hug him. Relaxing into the familiar smell of books and coffee that surrounds him, the smell of home.

"What are you doing here? Why didn't you call first?"

"Good to see you too, Carter." He chuckles pushing her hands down as he starts signing. "I wanted to surprise you girls for the release tonight. I'm CODA's biggest fan after all. I couldn't miss this. Plus, I haven't seen you since Christmas, I missed you."

"I'm so happy you're here, dad. I've missed you too."

"I'm here to represent the whole community at home. All your families- Hey, where is Ava?" He questions, glancing around as if to see her suddenly appear.

"There's been some tension in the band. She's hiding in her room. I'll see if I can coax her out." Olive answers timidly.

Carter's eyes moving to meet her dads as he turns to her, "fighting with Ava? You girls are better than that."

"She started it... and I'm trying to figure out how to fix it... but it isn't working so far."

"Try harder." He signs sternly, looking over her head, she turns to see Ava and Olive reappear.

"Papa Heart! So good to see you!" Ava signs, ignoring Carter as she pushes past her to hug him.

"You too, Ava. Why are you and Carter fighting? Whatever it is, this band is more important to you girls than your issues. So you should try and fix it."