You're My Favorite Song

It had been a week since Jake and the boys had left for their radio tour. Today they were scheduled to appear on a local New Jersey radio show, which was set to air in five minutes. Most of the radios had live streams so I would watch from my laptop at home, today's show was no different. I was sitting in my bed with my trusty laptop sitting on my lap waiting patiently to hear Jake's voice come through my speakers while at the same time writing a paper for school. Stupid school.

"Hazel? Can I come in?" I heard my sister yell from across the adjoined bathroom.

"Sure thing baby girl I responded," refreshing the radio page I was on once more. Ryan walked in and assumed her position to the right of me.

"Is Jake on yet?" She questioned with curiosity. I nodded my head and she sat quietly waiting to hear her sister's boyfriend talk about his band.

Jake didn't usually talk much at the radio shows, seeing as he wasn't the vocalist. The boys were all pretty good at letting each other get their points in though, and they all seemed to captivate the audience. I refreshed the page once again, to be welcomed with the sound of the radio host introducing The Monster Inside. Ryan moved in closer to hear better.

"So how are you guys liking this whole life on the road thing?" he inquired, jumping right into the standard radio show questions. The boys went in to their generic answers they had been giving all week long.

None of the radio show had been doing anything different with the interviews and you could tell the boys were getting tired of the same routine. From what Jake had expressed to me, because they were so new the questions would be simple so the listeners could get to know them. The boys tried to spice up their answers but at some points I could tell they were bored.

"So what is the biggest change not being in old Los Angeles?"

Their was a pause. I imagined the boys trying to decided which one of them was most capable to answer this question. Jake hadn't done much talking so when I heard his voice I almost melted, Ryan chuckled under her breath.

"LA is obviously our home so its definitely hard, we all grew up there. We miss our family and loved ones a lot, but since we grew up with each other we're our own little family so its cool."

"I think its hard to balance the time changes though," Trevor, the drummer, added.

"Definitely, especially when we do early morning radio shows. We'll finish recording and head back to our van and call up home and when someone answers we realize its only 4 in the morning on a Saturday there. We feel bad some times," Cameron continued.

"Sounds like the rock and roll lifestyle is hard to get use too. Is everyone at home supportive?"

"Rock and roll lifestyle, I don't think we're there yet," Mike laughed. "Everyone at home is really supportive, we all have our little fan club back there."

The boys erupted into laughter. "Well when we get home we know who's getting yelled at," Cameron joked.

The radio show continued on a couple minutes more before wrapping up. The boys appeared to be getting more comfortable being asked questions and such, they also took their management's advice and attempted to keep aspects of their lives private, like all us girls back home. I shut down the laptop and turned to Ryan who was smiling at me. She had been smiling a lot more since our parents pulled her from school.

"Don't you have to finish writing that thing?" She asked, referring to my paper I was suppose to write during the interview.

Shit. I don't think I even saved it. "I'll do it later, let's go eat dinner."

***

After dinner I stayed to watch a show with everyone and then retreated to the depths of my bedroom, I really did need to finish that paper. It was already February which meant I only had 3 more months left of school before I was done for the rest of my life. This thought was wonderful but it didn't always help. My guidance counselor, even after having the conversation with my parents, was still riding my ass about college and as of lately I was friendless. When Stephanie learned I was going out with Jake she basically dumped me. She never was a true friend and I guess I knew that all along. My anxieties about being alone had come true, Stephanie wanted nothing to do with me and Jake was off touring the country.

It was now 10 o'clock and I had written only 100 words of a 500 pages paper due tomorrow at nine o'clock. Senior year was suppose to be easy but I guess my teacher didn't get the memo. I usually did really good writing essays for english but I couldn't articulate my words properly. Honestly, I just didn't care about the analytical aspect of The Invisible Man.

Jake was off living his dream and I was stuck here writing a paper. My dad was in Salt Lake producing another sold out show, while my mom and step dad cleaned up from dinner. Three more months of high school was nothing but to me it felt like I was wasting my life. The kids in my classes were three months away from graduation and half of them had not a clue what they wanted to do with their lives, it was like high school was their opportunity to kill time before reality set in. For me, I knew my dream at the age of 7 but here I was killing time in a school I had no desire of being in. School subjects would only get me so far in my goal for life, I needed to go out an experience it.

I started to help my step-dad a lot more at the studio, doing little intern things of coarse. The girls of the band were also really welcoming, since the boys had been gone they have kinda adopted me. At first it was awkward seeing as they all went to school together and such but they didn't let that become an obstacle. We had hung out a lot since I started dating Jake and I learned that these are the type of people I was meant to be friends with. That was helpful outside of school but inside I was still alone.

I missed Jake, a lot more than I thought I would. My dad was always on tour and I thought that had prepared me for these two weeks without Jake. I would go months without my dad around, but it was different. The day Jake left I sulked in my room until my mom came to get me, I'm glad she understands what I'm going through, everyone in my family does. Props to having a musical family.

I gave up on the paper and picked up my guitar instead. I began strumming aimlessly until my cell phone rang from across the room. I got up annoyed that I had to stop playing but relieved when I answered the phone.

"Hey beautiful," Jake murmured from across the country.

"Hey," I said.

"Only one week left until you can be back in my arms," I chuckled and I could hear the boys in the background laughing too.

"Aren't you Mr. Romantic," I remarked. "Good show today, I hope the rest of your fan club thought so too."

"Dammit Mike!" Jake yelled before laughing. "Well you know I gotta represent my ladies somehow. So listen my mom's working late tomorrow and she won't get a chance to check on the apartment do you mind doing it?"

"Let me check my schedule," I chuckled. "Yea I'll go by, since your car is here I'll even take it for a spin."

"Dude you trust her with your truck? I've known Valerie since forever and she's never allowed to drive my baby," Cameron added.

Oh boys I thought to myself. Jake just ignored the comment.

"Thanks. Your the best. Well I'll talk to you tomorrow," He murmured once more.

"Have a good night," I stated.

"You too gorgeous." I heard the boys chuckling in the background and then the line went dead.

Phone calls are great while they last, but once that line goes dead you realize you're back where you started, alone without someone to hold you. The good news was my dad was coming home soon, at least for a couple days, anytime I got to spend with him was worth it. Though he probably wasn't going to be back in time to meet Jake, I guess he'll just have to wait.

I picked the guitar back up and continued strumming until my eyelids got tired. This is how it had been for the last week, I would play until I was too tired to stay awake. One week would go by fast, I know it will.