Out of Tune: The Original 2015 Draft

chapter 23

If people should take anything from my music, it should be motivation to know that anything is possible as long as you keep working at it and don't back down—Eminem

Over the next few weeks, things started getting pretty...eccentric. Not only did Spencer ask me out on our first official date, which was happening tonight, Taylor also received an amazing offer for the band to go on the #SpectacularYou Tour with some awesome groups like "The Originators," "Sharp Edges" and "Level Headed."

To say we were stoked would be a complete understatement.

On top of all the craziness was school. The enthusiasm around our reveal had slowed down some and people had stopped following us around and staring whenever we entered a room. We went back to being the nerds but with a slightly larger fan base.

I'd been living at the Mathews' house for nearly a month. I'd gone back to my mom and Brad's house only to retrieve the rest of my belongings, but other than that, we hadn't spoken. From afar, I'd seen my mom or Brad, but I'd kept my distance every time. It wasn't that I was holding a grudge against them, either of them, but more like I had nothing to say.

Anna and Jared had accepted me as a member of the family. Anna was the type of mother I'd wished I'd always had, one who was able to accept anyone and everyone no matter what, and Jared reminded me so much of my own father it was almost hard to be in the same room sometimes. By any means, Jared's musical abilities were less than nothing but he had a great sense of humor and was always smiling. I'd yet to see him get really mad, excluding the one time his brother, Spencer's dad, had come up in conversation.

It had been during dinner and Anna had awkwardly handed Spencer a letter from Spencer's father containing congratulations on our success and slyly suggesting that Spencer come down to New York for a visit. When that little bit of information came to light, Jared exploded. I'd never seen him so angry but there he was, storming around the kitchen and ranting about his brother's self-righteousness. Apparently, Spencer's father had hardly stayed in contact, sending letters and packages only on special occasions like birthdays and Christmas. Spencer hadn't even seen his dad since he'd walked out and now, with the band's sudden fame, he wanted back in on Spencer's life.

I was able to understand Jared's anger. Though Anna hadn't had much to say on the subject, her eyes had burned with fury. Spencer had seemed at a loss as to what to say and instead held onto my hand in a death grip. His jaw had been locked, his posture rigid. I'd let him hold onto my hand for as long as he'd needed, even though I'd started to lose feeling in my fingertips and my palm was slightly bruised from how hard he'd been holding on.

On top of the Mathews' family dramas, was my own. They'd been fairly minimalistic since I'd moved out; at least, they had been until tonight.

Spencer decided to surprise me on our first date by not telling me anything. I didn't have a clue as to where we were going or what we were doing. All I knew was that we were going out for dinner, but he wouldn't even tell me where, which further led to the confusion of what to wear and what to prepare for.

It was early March which meant that the weather was warm but thankfully not scorching like it typically was during the summer months. I'd forgone shorts as I'd gotten ready, though I was certain I'd see several people out in the cut-off garments tonight. Instead, I'd opted for a pair of blue jeans and a white tee along with a pale blue scarf and ballet flats. I was just undergoing the actions of throwing my hair up in a simple pony-tail when the doorbell rang.

I disregarded the sound. My ears hardly even registered the sound. So, when Anna called for me, I went to find her in the kitchen without hesitation but with a large amount of curiosity. The second I stepped into the kitchen, the curiosity was instantly replaced with another emotion.