Reforming Society •• OneRepublic {2}

Very Little Options

Brent's P.O.V.

Brent, the next morning, picked up his phone as it rang on the counter, taking the toothbrush out of his mouth.

"Hey, Ryan." He answered his friend's call after he spit out some toothpaste.

"Hey. Everyone but you and Eddie are in the studio, we need you over here now."

"Now?"

"Yeah. It's...pretty urgent."

"Alright. I'll be there as soon as I can. Do you want me to get Eddie?"

"I'll get him. Try to hurry."

Then Ryan hung up. Brent wondered what that was all about. Ryan sounded serious, even worried if one was willing to go that far.

Brent got ready within the next ten minutes and left his house, telling Addie and Johana goodbye as he entered the living room.

"Where are you going?" Addie questioned with furrowed eyebrows.

"Studio. Ryan said it was something urgent." Brent answered. Addie nodded, "When do you think you'll be back?"

"Not sure."

Then he opened the door with another word of farewell, which was returned by both of the women. He arrived at the studio within twenty minutes or so, which was one of the upper floors of a building in Los Angeles. Brent parked not far from it and as he walked up, he saw Ryan standing outside the front doors, hiding himself under a baseball cap and sunglasses while looking down at his phone.

"Hey." Brent greeted him. Ryan looked up and did not smile, and in fact gave subtle vibes of being intensely stressed and angry.

"It's not good."

Brent furrowed his eyebrows, and was about to ask exactly what all of this was about, but Ryan hastily turned around and opened the front door. Brent quickly and desperately followed him inside, and took the time to ask him what was going on as he went to the elevator.

"Ryan, what the hell is going on?"

Ryan slammed the button to go up on the elevator, "I'll let you see for yourself."

"I'd rather you tell me."

Ryan did not reply, but still maintaining a very hurried air, he stepped into the elevator as it opened. Brent followed him and saw Ryan press the five button. Brent wanted to ask him more, but was afraid to not only irritate Ryan, but also thought maybe he should see for himself. He couldn't help but internally freak out though:

Not good? Not good?! We managed to get by and win the competition for Colorado, now this? What have they done now?

When they reached the fifth floor, Ryan stepped in first, taking off his sunglasses. Brent looked around to see the decor of the place had been changed from their preferred cozy, Tuscan style to modern. The beige walls went to light gray, and the floors went from dark red carpet to white vinyl. This was just the entrance room, but then Brent followed Ryan into the room they usually hung out, just beside the actual studio. That had been changed as well; old-fashioned furniture became something "more fitting." The once potted plants were now hanging, and there was a bar near the kitchen area that was not there before. There were also no curtains on the windows, as well as no paintings or pictures on the walls. The vases on the tables looked like they'd come out of a Sci-Fi movie.

"God, what did they do?" Brent couldn't help but blurt.

"If you think that's the worst of it..." He heard Ryan mutter. Then he added, "Come on. In here."