Disconnected
20
I woke up to my alarm ringing through the room, and despite the fact that we had been up so late, I jumped excitedly from the bed. Luke groaned from the bed.
“Come back and cuddle.” He whined.
I laughed and kissed the top of his head before bounding over to the closet.
“Can’t, babe. Remember what today is?”
It took him a second, but then a look of realization crossed his face.
“You’re writing with Mark Hoppus today.”
“Bingo.”
I started to pull clothes over my head as Luke sat up, rubbing his eyes.
“We’re going to be in the studio today too.” He informed me, standing up.
“Oh, are you recording anything we wrote together?!”
“Maybe.” He teased, pinching my side before walking to the bathroom to shower. “Good luck today, Absy. Rock their socks off. I’ll see you tonight.”
Luke closed the door to the bathroom and I shook my head before going down to the kitchen, grabbing a poptart before walking out the door. I walked to the studio, since it wasn’t far away and it was a nice morning, stopping on the way for coffee. I called Jack and asked if they wanted coffee. When he said yes, I ordered 4 coffees and then made my way to the studio.
“I come bearing coffee!” I called out as I entered the room.
“Bless you!” Alex screamed, grabbing a coffee from the tray and kissing my cheek. “Morning, love.”
“Good morning!” I chirped.
Jack bounded over and grabbed a coffee as well, before turning to introduce me to the other man in the room. I took a deep breath.
“Abby, this is Mark. Mark this is Abby!”
Mark moved forward and extended his hand. I took it and grinned at him, offering the remaining coffee. He smiled gratefully and took it before speaking.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Abby! Basically Jack wouldn’t stop talking about how great of a writer you are, so I needed to see for myself.”
I blushed and glared at Jack.
“Well, no pressure or anything!” I joked, chuckling.
Mark laughed and looped an arm through mine, leading me over to the table where a notebook sat, Alex and Jack following behind. We all sat hunched over the notebook, writing, when my phone started to ring. I blushed and quickly went to silence it.
“Sorry.” I mumbled.
“You can get that if you want.” Jack said, raising an eyebrow.
I shook my head and continued to write down what was on my mind as Mark played the melody out. Once we got the chorus and one verse down, we decided to take a break for lunch, and I looked at my phone to see multiple missed calls and just as I was about to look at them, my phone started ringing again, Calum’s face flashing on the screen. Calum was calling? That was unusual. Quickly, I clicked answer.
“Oh, thank god, Abby!” He yelled, not even giving me a chance to say hello. I heard shouting in the background, then Calum muttering something to someone.
“Cal? What’s wrong?” I asked. Jack, Alex, and Mark all looked over at my panicked tone.
“Abby, listen, something’s happened and we need you to come down here.”
“Calum Thomas Hood, what happened?”
“Abby, can you please just come I…”
I heard Michael’s distinct voice in the background, shouting something about the police. I froze.
“I’ve got to go, Abby. Please come.”
Calum hung up and I sprung into action, standing up immediately.
“Abby, what’s going on?” Jack asked. “Are you leaving?”
“Yeah, I uhm, something happened to the boys at the studio and they’re shouting and I don’t know what’s going on but I…”
“C’mon, I’ll drive you.”
“No, you stay here and write, I’ll…”
“No, Abby. You walked here. Let’s go. C’mon.”
I turned to shoot Mark an apologetic look, embarrassed that I had to run out on my first day meeting him, then ran with Jack to the door and toward his car, scared about what was waiting for me.
“Come back and cuddle.” He whined.
I laughed and kissed the top of his head before bounding over to the closet.
“Can’t, babe. Remember what today is?”
It took him a second, but then a look of realization crossed his face.
“You’re writing with Mark Hoppus today.”
“Bingo.”
I started to pull clothes over my head as Luke sat up, rubbing his eyes.
“We’re going to be in the studio today too.” He informed me, standing up.
“Oh, are you recording anything we wrote together?!”
“Maybe.” He teased, pinching my side before walking to the bathroom to shower. “Good luck today, Absy. Rock their socks off. I’ll see you tonight.”
Luke closed the door to the bathroom and I shook my head before going down to the kitchen, grabbing a poptart before walking out the door. I walked to the studio, since it wasn’t far away and it was a nice morning, stopping on the way for coffee. I called Jack and asked if they wanted coffee. When he said yes, I ordered 4 coffees and then made my way to the studio.
“I come bearing coffee!” I called out as I entered the room.
“Bless you!” Alex screamed, grabbing a coffee from the tray and kissing my cheek. “Morning, love.”
“Good morning!” I chirped.
Jack bounded over and grabbed a coffee as well, before turning to introduce me to the other man in the room. I took a deep breath.
“Abby, this is Mark. Mark this is Abby!”
Mark moved forward and extended his hand. I took it and grinned at him, offering the remaining coffee. He smiled gratefully and took it before speaking.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Abby! Basically Jack wouldn’t stop talking about how great of a writer you are, so I needed to see for myself.”
I blushed and glared at Jack.
“Well, no pressure or anything!” I joked, chuckling.
Mark laughed and looped an arm through mine, leading me over to the table where a notebook sat, Alex and Jack following behind. We all sat hunched over the notebook, writing, when my phone started to ring. I blushed and quickly went to silence it.
“Sorry.” I mumbled.
“You can get that if you want.” Jack said, raising an eyebrow.
I shook my head and continued to write down what was on my mind as Mark played the melody out. Once we got the chorus and one verse down, we decided to take a break for lunch, and I looked at my phone to see multiple missed calls and just as I was about to look at them, my phone started ringing again, Calum’s face flashing on the screen. Calum was calling? That was unusual. Quickly, I clicked answer.
“Oh, thank god, Abby!” He yelled, not even giving me a chance to say hello. I heard shouting in the background, then Calum muttering something to someone.
“Cal? What’s wrong?” I asked. Jack, Alex, and Mark all looked over at my panicked tone.
“Abby, listen, something’s happened and we need you to come down here.”
“Calum Thomas Hood, what happened?”
“Abby, can you please just come I…”
I heard Michael’s distinct voice in the background, shouting something about the police. I froze.
“I’ve got to go, Abby. Please come.”
Calum hung up and I sprung into action, standing up immediately.
“Abby, what’s going on?” Jack asked. “Are you leaving?”
“Yeah, I uhm, something happened to the boys at the studio and they’re shouting and I don’t know what’s going on but I…”
“C’mon, I’ll drive you.”
“No, you stay here and write, I’ll…”
“No, Abby. You walked here. Let’s go. C’mon.”
I turned to shoot Mark an apologetic look, embarrassed that I had to run out on my first day meeting him, then ran with Jack to the door and toward his car, scared about what was waiting for me.