Meet the Band: Song For You

Tammy found me in my kitchen staring at the contract. It had been obvious the moment she had arrived; everyone had made a fuss, introduced her to Laurel and she and Min had gotten into a mini-argument. When she had finally made her way to the kitchen, she got straight to business.
"What happened?" she asked. She glanced at the contract. "What's that? It has your signature on it. What have you done?"
I was momentarily distracted by her hair. I'd forgotten she'd dyed it blue.
"It's a contract," I said solemnly, pushing it towards her. "About an hour ago, I signed away the next five years of my life to the modeling section of Fan E."
She picked up the contract, her eyes wide with shock. "Are you kidding me?! A model? You? And for five years?"
I sighed. "Yeah. It was either that or hide out for months and hope hungry fans of Just 4 U don't recognize and maul me."
Her mouth dropped open. "Oh. My. God."
"I know."
"But you don't--"
"Nope."
"And that's a lot--"
"Yeah."
"And you'll have to--"
"That and more."
She flopped against the counter, taking it all in. "Woah. . ."
"I don't think 'woah' covers it," I said, joining her against the counter, "but yeah."
"What about painting?" she asked seriously.
"I don't know," I told her honestly on a sigh. "I guess I'll paint in my spare time."
Tammy brightened. "Maybe this will inspire you again."
I smirked at her optimism. "Maybe. I hope so."
Maybe she was right. Maybe some good might come out of all of this. . .



They all felt bad, that was obvious enough by the way they were sitting quietly in Merideth's living room. They air was heavy, their expressions were grim, and their hearts ached more than they thought possible. But no one felt worse than Song. It really had been his picture that had sparked so much interest. If she hadn't looked so good, the fans wouldn't have gone so berserk. But it was done. There was nothing anyone could change. It just killed him to know that he had helped destroy her life. It had been obvious enough by her increasing horror that Merideth didn't want anything to do with fame or showbiz in the least. And there Song had been--along with the rest of his band mates--snapping pictures, dragging her around and unconsciously pulling her further into their world.
"Before you ask," Laurel started, switching to Korean and breaking the silence. She was scary when she was angry and, right now, she was very angry. "Yes, you're all selfish. I've told you time and again not to get random fans mixed up in your business, but you never listen. Now we have to deal with the consequences."
"Laurel," Jin said, his voice apologetic. "Take it easy. She's signed the contract, she's safe, and we've avoided a scandal. Everything's great."
Song winced. Okay, it looked like Jin was a little more oblivious than he let on. That was the wrong thing to say.
Laurel glared at him. "'Great'?" she seethed in a low voice. Juil shivered and Shin put his face in a hand. No one liked it when Laurel was pissed. Bad things happened. "Did you see her face? Merideth is scared out of her mind! Were you even listening to what she was saying? She's obviously not good with attention of the mass-media sort and you're thinking everything's great." She shook her head. "No. you just took away that girl's dream and forced another one on her because you all were curious. The life she knew--the life she wanted is over and that's all thanks to you five. So the next time you go to describe someones life, look at the facts; she's miserable."
Juil seemed close to tears and Song couldn't blame him, though he knew those tears were an act to get sympathy. He almost felt like crying, too. "We're really sorry, Laurel."
Laurel sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Juil had a way of getting to her. "Stop the water works, Juil. Besides, it's not me you should be apologizing to. It's Merideth. We're just lucky this whole thing could be solved with a contract."
Song couldn't help but feel that it really was luck. After all, now that Merideth had joined the company, they could take official pictures together without any negative hype. it also meant that they would see more of each other. And when they left, Merideth would come with them. To Korea. For five years she would be only streets away instead of countries. The thought made him giddy.
He mentally shook himself. There was no reason to be happy over such a small thing. Besides, there was no guarantee that Merideth would want to see him when they got to Korea. It was all more or less his fault that she would be there, anyway. He would just be an uncomfortable reminder of what had happened. God, she probably hated him already.
"Feeling the guilt, Song?" Laurel snapped. At Song's pained, shocked eyes, she sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean that." She glanced back at the kitchen to make sure Merideth was busy. "Just make sure to keep that promise to help her, okay? I'll do my best, too."
"We don't really have a choice, do we?" Shin said calmly. "We got her into this, after all."
Suddenly, Min grimaced and made a disgusted sound. "This means we'll have to see more of that girl, doesn't it?"
"You mean Tammy?" Shin asked.
"Who else?" he grumbled.
"You really don't like her, do you?" Song asked. This was the first time Song had seen Min so unaccepting of someone. It was so weird. Tammy seemed so nice. What could Min have against her?
"Not in the least," he answered easily.
"Why?" Juil asked. "I like her. She's funny."
Min's face turned red, and he crossed his arms stubbornly. "I don't know."
They all pressed their lips together in an attempt not to laugh. Jin, on the other had, let it all out, his laugh echoing around them loudly and making it harder to be polite. "That's so stupid," Jin laughed. "Just let it go already, Min. She's not hurting you."
"Shut up, Jinho," Min gritted angrily.
Jin just grinned. "No way. This is the best ammunition against you since we found out you can't stand horror movies and are a big wimp. But that almost two years ago. We've been looking for another flaw to use against you."
He sniffed in derision. "I'm Lee Min," he said indignantly. "I don't have flaws."
"Yeah," Song said dryly with a smile, "and I don't have teeth."
"Chill," Shin interrupted. "This isn't what we're here for. But, yes, Min. I'm almost positive that we'll be seeing more of Tammy. Merideth seems unnaturally attached to her."
"Lesbians?" Min asked hopefully, thinking that that would answer the question of why she seemed so unaffected by him. They all looked at him like he'd sprouted horns. Song wanted to kill him for even letting the thought cross his mind. "What?"
"Uh, no," Shin continued, a little shocked. Sometimes he really couldn't tell what Min was thinking. "That's not what I meant. She just seems to rely on her more than a normal person, I think."
"It's probably the culture," Song ventured.
"Or her circumstances," Laurel offered. When they all turned to her with confused, intent expressions, she fought back the urge to roll her eyes. They really didn't pay attention to the obvious. "Do you see any pictures of family anywhere? I don't. There are only a few of her and Tammy. Tammy is probably family to her." She paused long enough to take a sip of her tea. "Much like you all are to each other. You should feel grateful that she let you into her world, closed-off as it is."
Closed off? What could Laurel mean by that? Song looked around the room and did notice that, in fact, there was a great lack of anything particularly personal in the apartment. It was lived in, but there wasn't anything you wouldn't find in any apartment. The only personal thing, really, was the painting above the couch. Song couldn't help but wonder why that was. Didn't she have a family? Had something happened to them? Maybe they didn't get along? There were so many possibilities that Song didn't really know where to start, but if she did have a family, how was she going to tell them about the contract?



"That's easy," Tammy answered without batting an eye.
Song had just popped the question that had been bothering me for the past hour. Though I had the contract to prove it, my dad and older brother weren't going to believe the truth so easily. They certainly weren't going to let me just take off, either. Not after what had happened with Mom. They were still dealing with the side-effects and that was almost ten years ago. It was going to be hell convincing them I wasn't leaving for good, so any suggestion was better than no suggestions.
Tammy gestured to the men in my living room. "Take them with you."
A few of them sat straighter and that certainly jerked me straight. "Excuse me? Have you lost your mind? My dad will eat them alive! And if he doesn't, Jordan certainly will!"
Tammy was smiling, perched on the arm of my couch by Shin. It seemed she had a new favorite--which wasn't surprising, considering he was a lot like Daniel. "Nah. You worry too much. I'll come, too. It'll be fine."
"You're insane," I accused in a disgusted voice, slumping into my couch cushions.
"I will come, too," Laurel offered. "If it will help."
I looked at her, ready to tell her no, but stopped. Laurel was pretty and capable. My dad was a sucker for those types. Jordan would have a hard time dealing with her, too. I just hoped they wouldn't be able to say no, either.
Sighing, I gave them a pleading look. "Would you mind if I asked you to help with my family?"
They all smiled. "No problem," Jin said.
"Anything to help," Shin comforted.
Juil laid a hand on mine. He gave me an awkward smile. "It'll be okay. We'll help."
Looking at the hopeful and worried eyes of Juil, I felt something stir inside me. It wasn't like the oppressive weight of my over-bearing brother or even the protective chain my dad kept me on. No, this was a different kind of warmth, a different kind of affection. It wasn't love just yet--that much I knew--but the overwhelming fondness that grew in the pit of my stomach made me realize that this close-knit group of boys was the closest thing to a family I'd come across since I had met Tammy. And that was enough for me to trust them wholeheartedly.
"Okay," I agreed quietly. "Let's go."



"No," my father said firmly, sitting back against his couch and folding his arms.
We had gotten to my father's house almost fifteen minutes ago, but it had taken more than half an hour to convince me to step out of my apartment. Now, after all the introductions had been made and we'd migrated from the shop in front of the house to the living room. My older brother, Jordan, had handed management over to Kevin for the moment while we. . . discussed things.
And it wasn't going well.
"Absolutely not," my dad repeated. "There is no way in hell I'm letting you."
"You remember junior high?" Jordan put in, his blue eyes glaring at the contract. "How is this any different?"
I opened my mouth to speak, only to be cut off by my father.
"You're just a little girl," he intoned. His deep voice, strong arms and wide chest made him imposing even sitting down. Whatever he said, went. There were no arguments. "You're not joining any company and you're definitely not leaving. We need you here." His chin came up and he added, "To help with the flower shop."
I rolled my eyes. I couldn't believe I was fighting for the contract, but it just might be my key out of this cage they'd put me. Just because the bars were made of roses didn't mean the prison was any less suffocating.
"The flower shop," I told him, "hasn't needed me for three years." I crossed my arms and stared at him defiantly. "I'm twenty-one years old, Dad. I'm a big girl and I can make my own decisions."
Though I saw the pride well in his eyes, I also saw him crush it with that familiar bitterness that had taken over when Mom left. "Of course you can't." He stood. "That's what I'm here for. You don't know what you're doing."
I was trying my best not to get angry and in the end, I just ended up tired. It was the same old routine. I had nearly begged for a week to let me move out. Even now he thought I lived with Tammy and Danny. He would flip if he found out I lived alone. . . And now I was moving to Korea in a month. He'd be thrilled.
So I turned to Laurel for help.
Calmly, she took back the contract and tucked it away in her binder. "Unfortunately," she said diplomatically. "Merideth has already signed the contract, and considering she is over the age of eighteen, she is legally allowed to enter into contractual obligation without your consent."
I closed my eyes. That was not exactly the greatest approach to getting on my dad's good side. Her sweet smile took away the bite my dad would find in her words, but that really wasn't going to help.
"Fine," he said angrily. "If you want to leave, then leave. I won't stop you. I certainly didn't stop your mother."
"I'm not Mom!" I snapped. If there was one way to get me angry, it was comparing me to the bad side of my mom. Though I knew I took after her in the looks department, I was my own person.
My dad, greying hair flashing and face angry, stormed out of the house to the shop. I'm sure he had been even more handsome in his youth than he was now, but his bitterness made him the ugliest person I knew sometimes. Even as he stormed out, I loved him, though. He was just so afraid of losing us.
"Is he not let you go?" Song asked, breaking the silence.
I sighed. "He doesn't have a choice. I'm leaving anyway."
"No, you're not," Jordan said quietly.
Oh, right. The other chain. My brother was almost identical to my dad apart from his hair being a darker brown and being taller than him. Aside from the minute differences in appearance, Jordan was even more suffocating than my dad was. He hadn't wanted me to move out at all, let alone even entertained the idea. With the incident from junior high to high school and the bullying, he'd become even more overbearing.
I narrowed my eyes on him. "You may be three years older than I am, but I am my own boss. I'll thank you to keep that in mind."
He slammed his fist on the table, making the boys jump, Laurel shift, and Song grab my hand tightly. However, I was used to his angry outbursts, so I didn't even twitch.
"Bull shit!" he shouted. "You're not leaving, end of story." His eyes connected with mine. "You don't even want this."
I sighed, the comfort Song offered making me calmer. "Of course I don't want this, but you heard what's happened. I can't just stay in my apartment until this blows over. It's ludicrous. This is the best solution. Deal with it."
He was seething, completely pissed. "You're a child!"
Song squeezed my hand when I stood. The conversation was over. I was done. I'd made up my mind and he was running out of excuses. I was no longer a little girl. I didn't need a curfew and I was capable of living on my own. He needed to see that.
"We're done talking about this," I told him, turning towards the store. "Whether you accept it or not doesn't matter. It's already done. I'm going. In a month or so. If you want to help or say goodbye, you know where to find me."
With that said, I gathered up the rest of my courage and left the house, entering the flower shop adjacent to the front. I had never really had to stand up to my family before and, though it felt good to finally feel those chains drops away, it was hard to see Jordan's face twist in worry and fear. He would get over it--he had to. If he didn't, I wasn't going to be the first to call. I certainly hadn't done anything wrong.
"Dad?" I said softly as I came into the front of the shop. The cloying smell of flowers assaulted my nose as I came up behind him. He obviously knew I was there, but he didn't turn. I let out a breath before going up and wrapping my arms around his waist, lying my head on his back. "I'll come back," I whispered. "I'm not going to disappear. I promise. It'd be hard to do anyway since I'll be super famous here in a few days."
He stayed silent, fixing the flowers he'd been messing with.
"I love you," I tried.
Finally, he sighed. "You're leaving me." His voice quiet, accusatory. That hurt. "It was one thing when you moved out of the house, but this is so far away. I won't be able to just go a few streets over to visit you anymore."
I squeezed. Dad always had a way of coming around. That meant that he would convince Jordan later, too. The realization was a relief that could move mountains.
"I'll come visit," I promised him. "Whenever I can."
He patted my hands. "Korea, huh?"
I let out an explosive breath. "Korea," I confirmed. I rubbed my face against his shirt, stirring up the familiar scent of flowers and sunshine, but it wasn't as comforting now that I was an adult. "I'm scared."
His soft fingers tightened on mine, but he didn't turn around. I couldn't remember a time when he'd been good with words or showing affection, but when he tried, it was obvious he cared. The love just overflowed with abundance. It was probably why the flowers grew so well.
"You've made up your mind, Merideth," he started. "You've always been the most stubborn out of all of us. Put it to use and do your best. You can do it."
"Thanks, Daddy."
He cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, just remember that you're not off the hook yet. When you come back, you're going to work full-time at the shop."
I smiled. that was as close as I was going to get to a blessing, and I'd take it. So, as I pulled away from him and started helping with some arrangements, I was reminded about how much I appreciated my dad. Though he was a little suffocating, he was as sweet as the flowers he cared for and just as thorny. he took care and constant supervision, and, where I could give the care, I knew Jordan would watch him carefully while I was gone. And I'd be okay on my own. I had Laurel and the band. I had Song. Everything was going to be fine. . . .
I just had to get through this first photo shoot.