Save the Day

Days passed and I spent most of my time outside of the studio. Yes, I still ate Chinese with everyone at lunch time, but I created reasons not to be there (I dragged out copying jobs, things of that nature). I even spent obscenely large amounts of time in the bathroom to not be in there. I just didn’t want to be anywhere near Nick and Joe.

It’s not like I wasn’t flattered or that I didn’t like them; it’s just confusing as hell. What on earth possessed Kevin to tell me that? I’ll never know. I mean, at that point I only knew them for two days. That is surely not enough time to establish any type of ‘fond’ feelings for someone without being superficial.

Hell, maybe I was overreacting. Maybe Kevin was trying to scare ‘the new girl’. I mean, they have to have some kind of fun, right? It was just too surreal for words.

One day, I walked back to the studio from one of my especially long bathroom breaks to find a note on the door ordering me to go inside no matter the color of the light. I sighed shakily, knowing that, one, that wasn’t a good sign, and two, I’d have to see them.

The red light was lit, so I walked in as quietly as possible. The room wasn’t filled with people like it was for lunch a few hours ago. It was only Uncle John, Mr. Jonas, Nick, Joe, and Kevin and they were all seated around the table in between the control panel and the glass wall.

All of their heads snapped towards me as the door shut behind me. “Where have you been?” Uncle John asked frantically.

“Bathroom. Where is everyone?”

“That’s not a pressing matter. Does it really take you fifteen minutes to use the bathroom? I put that note on the door fifteen minutes ago!” My uncle started yelling.

“I’m sorry.” I said softly as I tried to diffuse my bubbling anger. “What do you need?”

“We need some help,” Nick said before my uncle could yell at me again. “We wrote these lyrics a few months ago, but they don’t mesh as well as we thought they did. We thought, maybe a new set of ears could help.”

“Uh… sure.” I said skeptically as I walked over to the table. Sheet music was thrown across the table’s surface, but there was one sheet that was the main focus. Kevin handed me the sheet and I turned it in my hands. “Well, it reads nicely.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t sound… right.” Uncle John said frustrated and rubbed a hand over his face.

“Well can I hear it?”

Nick and Joe glanced at each other and nodded. Nick started to sing:
I’m stuck in a room where everyone’s watching
Caught in a dream and I won’t wake up
If you hear my cry
Running through the streets
I’m freaking out
And come rescue me

Joe finished for Nick as he stretched out ‘rescue’. I assumed there was some harmony or whatever.

I glanced at the sheet as I played the notes in my head. “Pen,” I said instantly, putting my hand out. Someone placed some form of writing utensil on my palm and I started to cross out and make my changes. “There.” I said placing it on the table. “Is it better?”

Uncle John picked up the sheet and read it. He glanced at me with an astonished expression before passing it to Nick.

Nick took a deep breath before he started to sing:
Stuck in a room with staring faces
Caught in a nightmare and I can’t wake up
If you hear my cry
Running through the streets
I’m about to freak
Come on rescue me

“It’s good.” Mr. Jonas said smiling.

“Good?!” Nick exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. “It’s excellent, perfect even. Morgan, you are a genius.” He said and rapped my in a hug.

“Alright then, let’s record.” My uncle said and started walking towards the controls.

“What about the band?” I asked as I watched the three brothers walk excitedly into the booth.

“We’ll just feed the stuff we recorded earlier into their headphones. They went home earlier.”

“Ah,” I said as I nodded. I went to sit in my usual chair as the brothers got ready. I locked eyes with Kevin for a split second too long and he mouthed the words ‘told you so’ to me. I just rolled my eyes and diverted my attention elsewhere.

It only took them about an hour to record the fixed version of the song. I then was ordered to place the songs on Uncle John’s computer, alone, in the room, by myself. Not safe. I worked as quickly as possible, but that seemed impossible with the seventy music files that took about one minute to copy… each.

I sighed when I heard voices coming from the hallway and quickly put my headphones in, trying to look like I didn’t want to be disturbed. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye but pretended I didn’t notice. A hand waved in front of my face and I swatted it away. “I’m busy,” I said loudly to keep up my headphone charade.

“Morgan, your headphones aren’t plugged into anything.” Joe said, holding the end in front of my face.

I sighed and pulled the ear buds out, “What do you want Joe?”

He sat beside me and pushed the laptop away from me, “I want to know why you have been avoiding my brothers and me.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, “And why would you thing that?” I asked as I glanced at him.

He turned his entire body towards me, “Well for starters, the only time you’re in the studio is after recording and during lunch. The door has been closed and locked the past couple of days after recording so we couldn’t get in. And, I know you’re a girl, but no girl takes fifteen minutes in the bathroom in the middle of the day at her job. So, I concluded that you are avoiding us.”

“Well I’m not, I’ve just have had a lot of work to do. As you pointed out, this is my job.” A bing came from the computer saying that the files were done copying. I pulled the laptop back towards me and shut it down, placing it in its bag. “And now I have to go home and you probably do too. Night Joe,” I said and started walking towards the door.

“Wait,” He said, running up behind me and grabbing my forearm.

I turned around but he kept a firm grip on my arm. “What?”

“Tomorrow, we are having a barbeque at our house; you know just some friends and stuff just hanging out. I wanted to know if you wanted to come.” He said smiling.

“Now do you just want me there or do your brothers want me there too?”

He smirked and stepped closer to me, “My brothers probably would like you there too. I didn’t ask.”

“Well then, maybe I’ll be there.” I said and started to walk away. “Can you let go of me?” I asked, noticing his grip was still firm on my arm

“Two o’clock in my backyard.” He said and dropped his hand. “You remember where that is?”

I smirked, “Oh, I think I’ll figure it out. That is if I decide to go. Bye Joe.” I said and left Joe befuddled in the studio.