something better. | calum hood

3 : grown

For a moment, Cam's heart beats a little faster. Sweaty palms, heart in her throat, curiosity piqued. She dares to ask the question.

"Which one?" Curious, leaning forward. There's that suppressed, excited glint to Aaron's eye that Cam can't ignore.

"You ever heard of 5 Seconds of Summer?"

Were it not for the chair she was sitting in, she's fairly sure her legs would've given out.

To say she knew every one of their songs would be an overstatement, but to say she never heard of them would just be a lie. Nico liked them, and put their songs on in the car when she'd drive him to school. She had her favorites and an appreciation for any artist that came from a small town to be something. So yeah, she'd heard of them — she just never imagined that they heard of her.

Judging by the way Aaron's grinning, he's seeing right through her to that part of her that wants to scream or jump around the room. Probably both.

"Yeah I— I mean... who hasn't, I just— okay, no offense, but how did you—,"

"They came to me about it," he explains, "or rather, their manager. They saw that video of you in San Diego that ended up going viral," Aaron reaches for his coffee mug, takes a sip. "And something about a girlfriend being at that show too. I told them I'd talk to you about it and—"

"I'll do it." It's so quick that she hardly even realizes she's said it before it's slipped out of her own mouth. Aaron sets down the mug.

"Slow down, Cam," he chides. "It's the European leg. Overseas, for two months. And I know it's a good business move but you're the one who has another album to write, am I correct?" She nods at that, lets her gaze hone in on her own barely-there reflection in the glass portion of his desk. "Is that something you can do? Writing on the road? You've been talking about writer's block for a minute now."

That was the thing about managers, and Aaron had explained it to her as such. Sure, he was there to make sure she made smart business choices, didn't sign bad contracts or anything like that. But he's also there to pull her down to Earth.

And yet, the idea of remaining stagnant right now sounds nauseating. Suffocating, even — just staring at her notebook and sitting in a studio trying to force something that won't come out. Going home hadn't helped much, being here didn't help either.

Maybe she needed something new.

"I can do it," Cam says after a moment. "I... I want to do it. But I think I uh... need to renew my passport. I haven't left the country since I was sixteen." Aaron chuckles at that, but nods all the same.

"Then I'll let them know. Rehearsals start in a month. Once I have all the details I'll forward them to you."

And at that, Cam brightens, feeling as on top of the world as one can be.

—

FAMILIA♡

cam: guess who's going to europe in april? :)
mama: What!!!!! That's amazing!!! Why?
old man #1: Please don't get lost in the airport
cam: Aaron booked me as an opener
cam: opening for 5sos for their EU tour
nico: for WHO??!?
mama: Oh so NOW he decides to open the family groupchat!
mama: So so proud of you mija <3 Please send us so many pictures!
nico: as ur favorite brother u should totally fly me out... just saying...
cam: i'll think about it x

—

She gets out at four, after another hour with Aaron, who was already starting on getting her papers in order. That was how he worked — always wanting to be ahead of the curve whenever possible.