One For All

Chapter Twelve: Owen's Audition

Chapter Twelve: Owen’s Audition

“Is this Owen Licota?” the voice had asked.

“Yes it is,” he had answered and from then on everything seemed to go by extremely fast and really slow. Everything had changed in those moments. One minute they were all standing there waiting to go into Wyatt’s service. And the next they all received calls at the same time.

“Yes well I’d like to inform you that your duet with a Miss. Malone was viewed and congratulations you have been chosen to move onto the next step,” the voice had begun. “In a month’s time you will attend the auditions held in your town. You will be judged by the competition’s creator Mr. Darren Masterson and two other judges. Best of luck and keep a look out for following information via email or phone calls,” the voice concluded. He’d thanked the man multiple times before hanging up. Owen couldn’t help but grin in that moment as he looked around and saw each of his friends wear a similar grin as they concluded their own calls. He smiled big because they’d all miraculously made it. Madison and he were auditioning as a duet. The rest of the guys would all be there as well. They were all that much closer to fulfilling their dreams.

Wyatt’s service had consisted of people glorifying him for the athlete he was and the person he was. There were several people who Owen was sure hadn’t even known Wyatt that well that had spoken. Every time someone spoke he felt like getting up and yelling at them all. Wyatt had been messed up in the head. He’d attempted murder and there he was being treated like a saint. It had infuriated Owen. But he’d kept his cool for the sake of Declan who had been pale throughout the whole service as people talked about Wyatt’s life. He’d noticed tears falling down Declan’s face when Declan’s parents thanked the school for going but Owen had pretended he hadn’t seen it.

  After Wyatt’s service they’d all gone to Owen’s parents’ diner afterwards to celebrate. Aiden had told his mom about it and he’d told his parents. They’d all sat around and talked about the competition, forgetting the whole ordeal with Wyatt at least for a while.

Owen hated to admit that the thing with Wyatt had affected him as much as it did. But it had. He’d experienced the worst asthma attack of his life and in those moments where his inhaler had been missing and his breaths were leaving him he’d considered the possibility of giving up and dying. But he remembered Declan’s yells and he’d seized that chance and had come back. But only to find out that Wyatt was dead. The school bully was gone. Wyatt had had a plan that day and he’d attacked them all. And yet Owen couldn’t bring himself to truly be glad that Wyatt was dead. He was relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with his torments anymore. But it’d all been put into perspective.

In those moments he’d thought of Madison and he wasn’t sure what he felt for her. But he promised himself that he’d always be around to help her. He would do whatever he could for her. Just as the song said he’d look after her.

He knew she had been affected as well. He saw it every time she was quiet and stared off into space. She felt guilty and thought it was her fault Wyatt was dead. Mason had explained that she was not at fault but that didn’t change her thinking. Wyatt’s death had affected Avery as well. She had not spoken a word since that day and she seemed to stop caring about her image. She no longer did her hair; she kept it in a consistent ponytail and wore ordinary clothes. She sat alone at the lunch tables and no one made an effort to talk to her. She was a social outcast. The Avery they had all known and hated for so long was gone.

“Hey! Pay attention!” Mads snapped her fingers at him drawing him out of his thoughts.

“What?” he asked.