Fighting for the Fairytale

Cole

"We need a great theme. Something to tie this album together. Like one great word." Kendall stared at the piece of paper before her and crumpled it up. "I got nothing." She declared, tossing it in the trash. 

She missed completely.

I leaned forward, picked it up, and underhanded it into the black bin just a few feet away from me. "Okay, so we're back to square one."

"Yep. Again," Paige said, not looking up from her computer. Her beat headphones hid her ears from view.

Was she even listening to anything? 

Frustration graded on my nerves.

"Well, if you'd offer ideas instead of staring at your computer and listening to who knows what all the time, then maybe we would get somewhere." I stood up. The swivel chair that had been my prison for the past two hours rolled away loudly.

Paige stopped typing and looked up at me. 

"This is all bull shit," I said, angrily running my fingers through my hair. "Devin won't like anything we come up with anyway, and Mathers doesn't even know we exist."

"Whoa, Cole miner, take it easy." Kendall walked over to me and touched my shoulder lightly. "We're all feeling the pressure, okay?" 

I breathed heavily and squeezed my eyes shut.

Shit, man. Get your shit under control. Stop fucking venting your frustration about this job and Nora and whatever his name is and your parents and everything else on these two people. 

Inhaling, I exhaled hard, forcing my mind and mouth to recite lyrics.

I'd give you a ring and I promised you things. I always thought we'd do. But my best-laid plan slipped right through my hands.

"What are you saying?" Kendall's question dragged me from thoughts. 

"Nothing," I replied immediately. 

Walking back to the table, I straightened my chair and sat down. 

"Your lips were moving," Paige stated.

"Yeah, you were definitely saying something," Kendall persisted, scooting closer to me. "What were you saying?"

"I didn't say anything," I continued to protest, ducking my head. 

"Cole," Kendall's soft voice made me turn to her. "We're not going to make fun of you. We're your friends."

I internally groaned. If there was one thing I learned about these two girls, they weren't going to quit. "It was a Travis Tritt song."

When the girls remained silent, I explained. "Song lyrics calm me. I had...issues...as a kid. Music... helps."

"That's..." Kendall broke off, her words hanging in the air.

Such bullshit. The harsh words of my father filled my brain. The boy needs to toughen up. Anger builds character. He should be angry. He's coddled too much, Deb! And that's not because of me. You're the one who ruined him. 

"Brilliant," Paige said.

I looked up. "What's brilliant?"

"Oh my god, yes!" Kendall agreed. "That's brilliant! Music is comfort. Monica's new form of music can be marketed as comfort!"

"I don't understand," I said, shaking my head.

"Monica wants to release a Christian music album. We can have the theme of her first release be comfort. God as a comfort for her, her as a comfort to others." Paige's smile was smaller than Kendall's, more contained. "That's a good base."