HAZEL FINE SINGS ALONG (WATTYS 2022 Winner!)

Chapter 29: Interlude

"Hazel, I'm sorry. Please let me in."

Hazel had flung herself on her bed, the tears flowing, pity enveloping her.

She should leave. All she did was spread misery wherever she went. Maybe she wasn't as bad as Martin, but she seemed to have made way more people unhappy.

"Go away, Nick."

"No, I'm not going away. Just let me in. Come on."

"Why?"

"Because I want to apologize but I don't want to do it through a hotel room door."

Apologize? Hazel almost laughed. Nick wasn't someone who apologized. She hadn't known him that long, but she was sure about that.

But he sounded sincere, and Hazel could use someone who cared about how he treated people right now.

She pulled herself from the bed and wiped her face with a wet towel in the bathroom. Her stage makeup was a mess, but what did it matter?

She opened the door.

Nick was standing there, his shoulders hanging low. "Can I come in?"

Hazel stepped aside then closed the door behind him. There wasn't anywhere to sit in the room except for the beds, so she directed him to Zoey's bed, now abandoned, and sat on the edge of her own bed.

He looked around the room, his eyes coming to rest on Checkers cage where he was sleeping.

"The famous rabbit."

"His name is Checkers." Hazel's voice was clipped.

"I'm sorry," Nick said. "What I said backstage. That was uncalled for."

"You so sure? Seems to be the prevailing sentiment around here."

"Yeah, well ... I was mad. I've been angry."

"At me?"

"Mostly at Martin. Some at Kate." He was staring at his hands which were folded in his lap.

"Why?"

"I know she was the one who tweeted about Martin. She told me about it. And that you encouraged her."

"So, you are mad at me."

"It's complicated." He rubbed his hands over his face. "Look, I'm glad she came out about it. I am. I tried to get her to do that when it happened, but she wasn't ready."

"I didn't know that."

"Yeah, well ... Anyway, everything is a fucking mess right now. The studio is freaking out and there was talk of cancelling the whole season, but they seemed to have backed off that now."

So, the rumors had been true. "Was that a real possibility?"

Some of the edge crept back into Nick's voice. "It's Martin's show, Hazel. It's his production company, he owns the rights, all of it. There is no Sing Along without Martin, not unless he sells his stake. And he's not going to do that."

"I didn't know that."

"Right, I figured."

"You could have lost your job."

"Yes. We all could."

Hazel's shoulders slumped. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think it through. He wouldn't stop and I just wanted to stop him. It was stupid to try to do anything."

"No!" Nick said with passion and anger. He stood from the bed and moved toward Hazel, crouching in front of her. "No," he said more quietly. "It wasn't stupid. It was brave."