The Rock Rollercoaster

14. A Little Time

________________________________________________________

In the following weeks, it was as though the scene between Nate and I had never happened. Which is what we agreed on, I suppose. But still...I expected something to change. Not in the sense that he would finish Robyn and declare his undying love for me or anything. I didn't even want that. But I didn't expect nothing at all to happen.

We worked in Number 4 all day every day. Chris and Freddie seemed to notice something had happened - they kept shooting us side-long looks. But they didn't ask, so we didn't tell. As if we would anyway. But honestly, I felt sick with guilt. Because the band was the best thing that had ever happened to me in my whole life, and kissing Nate was the worst thing I could've done. Inter-band relationships never work. Its basically a fact. And there I was, flouting my sense of 'I'll do what I want and just regret it after'.

The atmosphere inside Number 4 had never felt so tense and, frankly, uninviting. It was my favourite place yet lately, I hated every minute inside it.

I was just thankful there was only 3 more weeks left of not being able to sing. Granted, my throat felt better already with the help of those pain meds, and I could speak much easier, but I still had 21 more agonising days of melodic silence.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Can I have a drink of water?" I ask Charles, who is still watching me.

He nods and pours me a glass from the jug on his desk. I gulp it down thirstily.

"You know we've been here much longer than your usual sessions." Charles states.

I raise an eyebrow. I don't care how long we've been here, not now that I am finally allowing myself to think of that time I had been so shut up about. Now that I was admitting how it had affected my whole life.

"You don't care, do you?" Charles says, sighing.

I shake my head. I'm scared to speak, scared to say anything at all. I feel that every emotion I felt back then is building up inside me, threatening to implode me from the inside out if I open my mouth.

Charles slumps back in his chair. "Alright. Carry on."

I didn't need his permission to resume my story. Now that I've started, I have to tell it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The day I was allowed to start singing again was the day Psychedelic Disadvantage's new single hit Number 1 on the Billboard Charts on entry. It was also the day Elliot requested his next meeting with us.

The heat of the summer was at a stifling level, every trip outside felt like I was wading through sticky mud. The air evaporated off the pavements in shimmery waves of heat, and I had taken to wearing my hair up in a high bun to keep it off my neck.

I entered Number 4 with a huge grin on my face. Freddie and Chris were the only ones there, and they beamed back when they saw me.

"Hey there!" Freddie said, bounding out of the sound booth. "Sing us a note!"

I laughed and launched into the chorus of Here Comes The Sun. Chris frowned and said, "She needs to take it easy. It won't take much for her throat to shut down again. Start of simple, learn how to take care of your voice, Lyra."

I rolled my eyes. "OK, mother." I joked. "But I know, Chris. That was the first thing I've sung in months though."

Chris smiled begrudgingly. "Well, I am honoured to be the audience of your debut."