Catastrophic Happenings

Ben dropped Azalea off at seven in the morning, the darkness of winter making it seem much earlier than it really was. He went around to her side of the car to kiss her goodbye, but eventually that innocent kiss turned into a heated make-out session.

Ben was the one to break it off. “Are you trying to prolong going into your house because that means you’re officially home, and have to call Rick saying that you’re back?”

Azalea leaned on Ben so that his back rested against the passenger door of his Range Rover. “You caught me red-handed, sheriff.” She started playing with the ski-lift tag that was still attached to the zipper of his jacket. “I just hope I’m making the right decision. All of the what-ifs are killing me.”

“What’s meant to be will be,” Ben replied. “Like me and you,” he added with a smile.

“You’re so corny, and I love it,” Azalea laughed.

“You love me,” Ben retorted.

“That I do.”

“Call me after you talk to them.”

“Of course,” she replied. She watched Ben as he went to the trunk of the car to retrieve her bag. He gently placed the duffle bag across her shoulders.
Ben gave her a warm smile before kissing the top of her forehead, “See you later, rock star. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Azalea opened the front door of her house, expecting to be welcomed by silence since her mother would already be at work. However, she wasn’t totally surprised to see four guys standing in her foyer.

“How did you guys get in here?” she asked as she locked the front door behind her.

“I broke in again,” Austin joked.

“Ha. Ha,” Azalea laughed dryly.

“We came before your mom left,” Rick replied, his voice serious.

“My mom leaves at six to go to work.”

“Rick made us get up early,” Sammy whined.

“You’ve been waiting in my house for over an hour?”

Rick shrugged, “This couldn’t wait.”

Azalea dropped her bag off at the bottom of the staircase before making her way into the kitchen. The band followed her.

“Have you guys had breakfast?”

“If you count a cup of coffee,” Cade remarked.

Azalea couldn’t believe that they had gone through so much trouble to see her. Feeling a little bad, Azalea grabbed a carton of eggs from the fridge to make breakfast as the guys each took a seat around the kitchen table.

“I hope you all like your eggs scrambled, because I am not doing eggs to order. No one here is lactose intolerant, right? Because milk makes the eggs fluffy.”

No one said a word in response. Azalea sighed as she placed the egg shells in the trashcan. She knew she had to tell them her decision right at that moment.

“I’m really sorry bu-“

“No way!” yelled Sammy.

“Are you serious?” Austin asked simultaneously.

Cade tried to hide his slight smirk as Rick ran a hand through his hair, his face filled with worry. Then he reached into his pocket and focused on the screen of his phone.

Though Azalea planned on defending her choice no matter what any of them said, she hadn’t anticipated the enormous pit of guilt that was rapidly building in her stomach. She didn’t realize how much she cared about the feelings of these four guys that she had known for less than half a year.

Make that three guys, she thought to herself with a mental laugh, thinking about Cade.

“I can’t give up everything for this band. It’s not worth it. Not to me.”

“It’s not worth your dream?” asked Austin, who thought that Azalea would have a different answer based on their phone conversation the night before.

“It’s not worth the shitty grades, the strain on my relationship, or the endless stress,” she replied as nicely as possible. “I’m only sixteen. I’m supposed to have the next ten years to figure out what I want to do with my life. I’m supposed to experience college, maybe grad school, and then a few different jobs to figure out what I like doing. But if I commit to this like you guys have right, here right now…all of those possibilities go away.”

“But you already know what you like to do,” Austin argued. “You love singing.”

Instead of responding, Azalea focused on pouring the eggs into the hot pan.

“You can’t leave, Zaley,” Sammy said to her.

“If she wants to leave, let her leave,” Cade shrugged.

“I think this is the one time Cade and I will see eye-to-eye on something,” Azalea said.

“Don’t you have anything to say Rick?” asked Austin.

He merely shushed Austin in response as he continued to stare at his phone. Austin looked to the two other boys at the table for some clue as to what Rick was up to. They shrugged in response, knowing as little as Austin did.

“How can you just turn your back on everything that we’ve accomplished?” Austin asked as Azalea walked over with a stack of plates and forks to distribute.

“It’s the same question I asked myself about my grades. And that’s something I’ve been working on since pre-school.”

Austin scowled before leaning back in the chair. He wasn’t sure what else to say.

“I really am sorry, guys,” Azalea said in earnest. Then she began scooping eggs on each of their respective plates, as if it would be some sort of consolation.

As she came to Rick’s chair, her hand paused. He wasn’t even looking at her.

“Would you please say something?” she begged. “Your phone cannot be more interesting that the current turn of events.”

Azalea looked at his screen to see a new message pop up on the conversation he had open.

“Actually,” Rick began as he turned to Azalea with a mischievous grin, “it is. My friend in Baltimore wants us to play a gig tomorrow.”

“Rick, have you not been listening to anything she’s been said?” Cade asked.

“Denial is the first stage of grieving,” Azalea said half under her breath. “I can’t play the gig because I’m no longer in the band.”

Rick stood up and placed both of his hands on Azalea’s shoulders. “I heard what you’ve said Azalea, and I think your reasons were legitimate.”

Sammy and Cade exchanged surprised glances.

“What?” Austin spat.

Rick ignored him. “Just agree to play one more gig. You’re still on vacation, so why not?”

Azalea reached to place the pan and serving spoon on the table. Rick refused to let go of her shoulders. “It’s not going to change anything,” she told him. Azalea knew Rick was up to something, but could tell he was not going to let her on as to what.

“Do it for me?” he asked.

Azalea sighed. She then looked at the faces of her fellow band members. Sammy and Cade wore similar expressions, both were confused, but hopeful. Cade was more curious than anything else.

“Please, Zaley,” Sammy begged with large eyes.

Azalea shook her head, but reluctantly agreed anyway. “Fine.”

Rick smiled widely and squeezed where he was holding her. “You won’t regret it,” he told her.

“What are you up to?” Cade asked him.

Rick simply held his index finger in front of his lips.

“It’s not going to change anything,” Azalea repeated.

Little did they know that tomorrow would be the day that changed everything.