Catastrophic Happenings

The photo shoot went well and their EP was up on iTunes a few weeks after. Buys were relatively low, but the band was proud of themselves none the less.

Before they knew it, the band was running on a completely new schedule because Azalea had to go back to school. And none of them were happy about it.

They tried having a routine practice schedule, but during the weekdays Azalea often had to cancel because she was swamped with homework or had club meetings after school. This only left them the weekends, which many of them were reluctant to completely give up, and the few times a week Azalea tried to squeeze practice in. But even that didn’t work sometimes.

“Are you done yet?” Cade groaned.

Azalea didn’t bother to look up from the computer screen. “I’m sorry. Just twenty more minutes,” she pleaded.

It was nine o’clock, and practice was supposed to start at 8:30. But Azalea insisted for more time to finish her problem set for physics

“Can’t you finish it after practice?” Austin suggested. “We’ll be out of your hair by eleven at the latest.”

She brought the edge of her pencil to her teeth, the stress getting to her. “I would, but this is due online by midnight tonight. Just let me finish this problem. I’ve been on it for fifteen minutes and I’m worried that if I wait until after practice I’ll have to start it all over again.”

Rick shot Cade a look when he saw that he was about to make another complaint. Afterwards, Austin made his way over to him.

In a low voice Austin said, “We can’t keep doing this. We aren’t practicing nearly enough as we should be.”

“I know,” Rick replied as he stared at Azalea’s stressed form. “But what are we going to do? Azalea needs to keep her grades up to stay in this band.”

“But if we don’t practice there won’t be any band,” Austin returned.

“That’s a little dramatic,” he chuckled. But despite the lightness of his response, Rick knew that Austin’s words had some merit. He took another look at Azalea, her attention completely focused on the problem she was attempting to solve. “I’m going to go talk to her,” he said to Austin.

Rick walked to the part of the basement that Azalea had made her homework station. Her laptop, notebooks, folders, and textbooks were open and all scattered around her in a semi-circle.

“If you’ve come to tell me to hurry up again, I may just bite your head off,” she said as the approaching footsteps came to a halt.

“I’m not. But can we talk for a little bit?”

“I’m guessing this is important,” she said as she put her pencil down and faced him.

Rick squatted down, “You’re stressed.”

“You’re stating the obvious,” she replied.

He cracked a small smile and asked, “What else do you have to do tonight.”

Azalea emitted a long sigh, and flipped the bangs out of her face. “Well, I have three more problems for physics that I have to submit online by twelve. And then after that, a four page essay that I haven’t started, a few Spanish workbook pages, and I have a math test tomorrow. So, not that much,” she finished sarcastically.

“I don’t remember high school being that hard when I went.”

“Well,” she shrugged. “You didn’t go to my school.” Azalea turned her head to the side and watched her fellow band mates. Cade was upset, Austin slightly annoyed, and Sammy was growing more bored by the minute. “You’re all fed up, aren’t you?”

Rick carefully thought of what to say. Honesty was normally the best policy with Azalea, but at that moment Rick feared the stress may have made her a bomb that was just waiting to go off.

“Not fed up,” he replied. “Worried. About the band, and about you.”

“I’m doing my best,” she stressed. “But what do you expect me to do? Blow off my school work for practice? I can’t.”

“I know you can’t,” Rick iterated.

“Then what do you want to say to me, Rick?” She pulled her hair out of the messy bun it was in, just to retie to it. “I’m handling all this shit that is on my plate the best that I can. I know that I’m the only one that doesn’t have this band as their main priority but to be honest, I’m not completely sorry that I’m putting school first.”

“Can I get a word in?” Rick asked in response.

Azalea nodded. “Sorry, I’m just a little bit—“

“Overwhelmed?” he finished. Rick sat down next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I know. We all know. And I’m coming over here to remind you that we’ve all been to high school. I know that we all probably didn’t care about it as much as you did and I definitely know that we didn’t take as many AP classes as you, but we can still help. Our intelligence might surprise you.”

“Doubtful,” she replied jokingly.

“I’m pretty decent at Spanish. Sammy is actually good with mathematical stuff. And I think Austin used to have plans to be an English major. Help us by letting us help you.”

Azalea smiled and jested, “See! I knew this was all for personal gain.”

Rick chuckled. Shrugging his shoulders, he played along, “I can’t get anything past you.”

Azalea pushed herself up into a kneeling position, and reaching over the barrier of books between them, put her arms around Rick in a close embrace.

“Thanks, Rick,” she said earnestly.

Rick didn’t hesitate to return the hug in full, “No problem, kid.”

Neither immediately let go, wanting to savor the sweet moment just a little bit longer. Rick smiled as he thought, She’s the little sister I never got to have.