ᴛᴏᴏ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ » ᴢᴀᴄʜ ʜᴇʀʀᴏɴ

Chapter Four

February 12, 2018

Months had passed, and the day had finally arrived. Maeve was set to depart from Virginia for the two weeks of preparation in L.A. before the Invitation Tour began.

"I want updates at least every couple days," Jess said, her arms on Maeve's shoulders, her eyes full of bittersweet pride. "I don't care what we talk about, I just need to hear from you, about your job, or sightseeing, boys."

She put emphasis on the last word, grinning as Maeve shoved her away lightly.

"Come on, Marge," she said. "A day isn't a day if we don't talk."

Jess nodded, letting the nickname slide for once. She pulled the slightly shorter girl into a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you, but I'm so happy for you, and so proud," she said into Maeve's shoulder.

"Thank you. I love you, girl," Maeve said once she pulled away.

"I love you too, hun." Jess was smiling, the smile she had teasingly called 'the proud momma' in the past.

"Now," she exclaimed firmly, "enough sap. You've got to get on a plane!"

Maeve moved on to embrace the woman she considered her second mom, Anna Kithe, who showered her with warnings of taking care of herself and staying safe. Jess's dad, Doug, couldn't make it to the airport due to work, like her own parents.

The only other person that was absent was Greyson, and that, Maeve reflected, didn't surprise her. With their past, she couldn't say she hadn't hoped for a different outcome, but at that point, it was to be expected.

It was normal for him to let her down. 

***

Maeve had never been to L.A. before. The movement of the city astounded her. Every street was choked with traffic, every sidewalk was teeming with crowds of people, every building was colorful and vibrant and loud.

Needless to say, she stared out the window from the time David picked her up from the airport until he parked the car in front of the Why Don't We house. She was meeting the boys there, but staying at a hotel nearby until the tour.

David walked with her to the front door. As she moved along the sidewalk, she felt surprisingly calm about meeting four of the five guys for the first time, mostly just excited about seeing Corbyn again after several months.

The front door was opened by her young friend himself, and before she could say anything, he had gathered her up in his arms, swaying them back and forth in a rather violent manner. He was laughing in her ear.

"Hi," he said, drawing it out.

"Hi, Corbs," she said as he released her, grinning.

"It's good to see you, Wendy."

She was about to respond, but her attention was drawn to the tall boy rising from his position on the couch. He had dark hair and a kind smile.

"Hey," he greeted, waving before shoving his hands in his front pockets, "I'm Jonah."

Maeve nodded in his direction, smiling a little.

"It's nice to meet you—"

"Is this the famous techie?" a voice to her right interrupted.

A boy nearly as tall as Jonah with short brown hair and stunning bright eyes fell under her gaze as he exited the hallway, walking towards her with his arms opened wide. He pulled her into a tight hug, catching her off guard.

"Sorry," he breathed out in a laugh, releasing her, "I'm a hugger. My name's Daniel."

"Hi, Daniel." She managed another soft smile.

"Zach, Jack!" Corbyn called as Daniel asked her how her flight was.

By the time she'd answered him, a curly-haired boy had entered the room, the last member of the band following behind him.

She learned the first's name was Jack, and after she said hello, the other boy stepped up a bit.

Judging by appearances, he was most likely the closest of the five to her age. She suddenly felt flustered, acutely aware that five sets of eyes were on her. Nerves attacked her stomach, simply because the boy standing across the room was ridiculously attractive, but she shoved it down in an attempt to avoid letting it control her.

"Hey," the guy, who she assumed was Zach, said. The corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

She returned the greeting.

It was Corbyn that spoke next, moving to stand closer to her.

"Alrighty, proper introduction. This is Maeve Orland, young genius of the tech world and reigning stage champion of Fairfax, Virginia."

The group of guys chuckled a little; Corbyn had always had a way with morphing a normal sentence into something worth listening to.

Minutes passed for Maeve with basic conversation, a short tour of the house, and more catching up with her old friend.

The time came, however, for David to cut their visit short, planning to take Maeve to look over all the tech equipment that was at the studio. He wanted her to have an early start on adjusting to the soundboard that was drastically different from the one she worked with at home.

After everyone had said their goodbyes and the door closed gently behind David and Maeve, Corbyn turned to Zach.

A memory came to his mind, one that had occured months before, after he'd ended a phone call with Maeve yelling about the news that her parents had agreed to the tour. He was at the studio with the boys, working on new music, and he looked across at Zach, telling him something as soon as he hung up the phone.

Now, with a huge grin he said, "I told you you'd like her."