Indigo Sky

Chapter Two: Don’t Forget Where You Belong
*Bree’s POV

Lex and I crept down the hall towards our condo as quietly as we could, our heels dangling from our hand. I made the mistake of looking at her and we both dissolved into giggles. It was our first real night in LA and we couldn’t not go out and see what the town was all about! And it had been worth it. Lots of bright lights, beautiful people, and the glitz and the glam that made LA. We hadn’t even needed the somewhat shady fake id’s we had bought in Chicago before we moved here, the bouncer had just waved us into the club.

I put my finger against my lips and turned the key in the door. Callie had asked us to please be home by midnight and it was a little bit past that. I hated disappointing Callie, but I was having too much fun to really notice the time. We still had plenty of time to sleep before the studio tomorrow morning. Well, we had some time to sleep.

The condo, which had come pre-decorated in trendy neutral toned furniture and abstract modern art, was quiet as we tiptoed in. Lex headed straight for the bathroom but I couldn’t resist poking my head into Callie and Nikki’s room to see if they were asleep.

Nikki sleeps like the dead and has to have the tv on to sleep, which I’m sure drives Callie nuts but she would never tell her that. My heart lurched a little as I looked at Callie, who was asleep with her hand curled around her phone, probably just in case we called her for anything. I pulled her phone out of her hand and set it on the bedside table. Callie cracked open hazel eyes to peer at me. “Bree?” She asked sleepily. “It’s late.”

“Shh.” I said, flicking off the tv and backing out of the room.

Lex and I’s room was still a jumble of boxes and suitcases, clothes spilling out of them in a haphazard manner. “Sound asleep?” Lex asked, as I entered our room. There’s a full bathroom that conjoins the two rooms (four girls with one bathroom is a dangerous set up).

“Mostly.” I admitted, chucking my heels into the closet and throwing myself down on the bed. “Think we should have come home earlier?”

Lex didn’t even pause as she wiped makeup off her face. “Did you have fun?”

“Hell yeah.” I said immediately, remembering the flash of lights as we danced with some cute LA boys in the club. “I probably had one drink more than I should have. It’s going to be murder to wake up in the morning.”

“If we had fun, that’s all that matters.” Lex said, reassuring me once again why she was my best friend in the whole world.

I pulled my dress over my head and wrapped the comforter around me. “Truth.” I mumbled, my eyes already drifting shut.

“Bree,” Lex laughed. “Don’t you want to take off your makeup or put on some pajamas?”

“Nuh uh.” I mumbled. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” She said, and I knew she was smiling. She flicked off our bedroom light and the room went blissfully dark.

It seemed like minutes later that my phone was jarring me awake. I groaned, rolling over to silence it. “It can’t be morning already.”

Lex stretched, sitting up. “I call shower first.” She announced.

“I hate you.” I muttered, covering my eyes with my hand.

“Do not.” She shot back, throwing back the covers and heading into the bathroom. A second later I heard the water turn on.

I laid there in bed for a few minutes, blinking and trying to summon the courage to get up and get moving. I was starting to think that Callie had been right and I should have gone to bed earlier.

“You awake Bree?” Callie asked, pushing open our door. “I made coffee.”

“I’m trying to be.” I answered, sitting up and pushing hair out of my face. “Lex stole the shower.”

“Early bird catches the worm.” Callie told me, extending the cup to me. “C’mon, there’s cereal and stuff.”

The thought of breakfast wasn’t very appetizing at the moment but I knew that if I didn’t eat anything I would only feel worse later. “Mark stocked the fridge for us and everything?” I asked in surprise. I think we had lucked out with our manager, who was turning out to be pretty cool.

“I think Lauren, his assistant did, but yeah we’re all set up.” Callie surveyed our room. “You may want to think about unpacking. Your room looks like a warzone.”

I shrugged, taking a sip of coffee and scalding my tongue in the process. “I’ll get around to it. We may not even be here that long, right? Mark’s trying to book us on a tour for the summer as soon as possible so I may be smarter with no unpacking anything.” I reasoned.

She just laughed. “Whatever you need to tell yourself.”

Less than an hour later, we were loading ourselves into the Surburban that Mark had leased for us. I had been voted not to drive and Nikki was behind the wheel. “When we get our first paycheck, I’m going to buy real Coach sunglasses.” She announced, sliding big frames over her face. “I feel like everyone here can tell these are knockoffs.”

“No one can tell, Nik.” Lex reasoned, giant frames already covering her face. “And who cares anyway? You look cute either way.” Lex had taken the time to straighten her hair but all I had done with mine was wind it up in a top knot on top of my head. It looked cute without being too high maintenance. Besides, we were going to be locked away in a recording room with Mark and the producers of our record. I didn’t really think they cared what my hair looked like.

We eased through morning LA traffic and pulled up to the recording studio, which was located in a massive black windowed building. I stared up at it for a minute as we got out of the car. Mercury studios was really pulling out all the stops for us, which was both flattering and intimidating. What if they put all this effort into us and we failed?

“We got this.” Lex answered, as if reading my thoughts. “We deserve to be here.”

I flashed a smile at her and we all kind of smiled at each other before heading into the building.

Lauren, our assistant manager, was waiting in the lobby for us. She looked up from her phone as we came through the door. “Right on time.” She announced, her eyes sweeping over us. I wonder if Mark had warned her that we were planning on going out last night and she was screening us to see if we were hungover.

I smiled innocently at her, pretending that I felt right as rain. I was a pro at hiding a hangover by now. I had fooled my parents all through high school.

We followed her to the elevator and we chatted about the condo and LA as we traveled to the 24th floor where the recording studio was. The producer of our album had a pretty great track record, he’d worked with Pink, One Direction, and Maroon 5.

We were introduced to Chris, our producer, and I flashed a teeth bearing grin at Mark, who was watching me closely. Somehow, Mark has already zeroed in on the idea that I am the trouble maker of the group. So, I may have gotten a speeding ticket on our first day, and he may have overheard the story of our fake id’s. I mean, we’re 19, we have to have some kind of fun. And honestly, I was just following the rest of the cars around me.

“Well, I’d like to get right down to it. Alexa, I’d like to get you right in the booth and run through you some songs. I’d really like to get a feel for what you can do with that voice.” Chris said after introductions were made.

“Sure thing.” She agreed.

“Don’t be afraid to push your limits because I’d like to know what you’re capable of. We’re going to do that song you guys tested in Chicago, Falling to Pieces. You remember it?”

“Of course.” Lex grinned. I could tell, though no one else probably could, that she was a little nervous. I knew that once she got behind that microphone she’d be golden though. Her voice speaks for itself.

The rest of us settled on the black leather couch behind where Chris and Mark sat at the controls and they began running through the song with Lex. Lauren stepped out into the hallway on her phone again. I assume that a lot of her calls are about us, so it’s funny to me that she spends so much time on the phone.

It had been less than an hour, they were really warming Lex’s voice up. I could tell that Chris was impressed. Lex is pretty much self taught, or just real talent. We all were. I know Callie took a lot of vocal lessons when she was younger and Nikki was in choir since before she could talk really.

I was stealthily drinking as much water as I could to try and hydrate while Mark was fixated on Lex. I had the Fiji bottle to my mouth when Lauren reentered the room, looking a little dazed. “Chris, you have a visitor.” She announced.

“Sorry to barge in.” A British voice said. I turned my head and choked, nearly spraying Nikki with water. It took a second for my brain to process who I was looking at. One Direction, or at least some of the members, were standing in the doorway.

I choked and Nikki turned to raise her eyebrows at me. “Drink much?” She questioned. She must not have put it together who was in the room with us.

I cleared my throat, swallowing. “Nik…” I said quietly, wondering how to tell her without drawing the attention of what was most definitely Harry Styles. My eyes scanned across the other members behind him; Zayn Malik and Niall Horan.

But Harry’s attention was focused on where Lex was still singing in the booth. His eyes were locked on her and he didn’t turn his head as I whispered, “That’s One Direction.”