Battle of the Bands: Full Disclosure {Wattys 2016}

Wild Horses and an Original Song

Chapter 14

<Beckham O'Halloran>

"Hendrix has totally got the legs to rock that dress." Antebellum sing-songs as we walk back towards the elevator.

"Maybe, but that lipstick definitely wasn't his shade." I laugh as she pushes the up button on the panel by the elevator doors.

The elevator comes and we step in along with a few people from other bands in the competition. The ride up to the tenth floor we're all staying on is silent, all of us feeling too self-conscious to carry on a conversation with people we don't know. When the elevator dings and the doors open, we all step off and head in our separate directions.

"What shall we do with the rest of our time?" Antebellum asks as she knocks on our hotel room door.

Morley opens it with a sleepy expression.

"You missed quite a show, sleepy head." Antebellum winks and scruffs up Morley's hair.

"Delilah made Hendrix and his friend dress up like Taylor Swift and then they had to sing to us."

"Did anyone at least get a video?" Morley asks as she closes the door.

"I would never let such a moment go undocumented." I smirk and pull up the video on my phone, handing it to Morley so she can appreciate that glorious performance.

"You're despicable, Beckham." Antebellum shakes her head, a wicked grin spreading across her lips. "I need to see this again."

I laugh as the three of us crowd around my phone to watch Hendrix make a fool of himself. After three more times and enough laughing to give us a workout, we decide to go to the pool. I pull on my swimsuit and grab a towel before going to stand by the door and wait for my friends to be ready. They come out and the three of us walk towards the elevator.

"Where's Rose?" I ask as we step into the elevator.

"Practicing with the instrument teacher." Antebellum replies as she presses the button for the thirtieth floor.

I tap my fingernails on the railing that runs across the back of the elevator as I wait for it to arrive on the penultimate floor of the hotel. Soon enough, a carpeted hallway comes into view and we follow it around until we reach the pool where dozens of patrons are already splashing around.

The walls of the room are made of glass, which lets in sunlight and gives one a perfectly terrifying view of the city below. The pool itself spans the entire length of the room and includes a hot tub and a sprinkler in the shallow end for kids. Wild Horses by the Stones is playing the background, almost completely drowned out by the sounds of people having fun in the pool.

The three of us walk to the other side of the room and grab three, free pool chairs where we set our stuff. I take off my flip-flops and walk around the pool to the deep end, which is considerably less crowded than the shallow end. My feet are poised on the edge of the pool and I'm about to jump in when I hear my name being called.

"Hey, Beckham, did you enjoy the show?" I turn around and find Hendrix swaggering towards me with his friends following close behind.

I don't reply and jump in instead. I come back to the surface and move my hair out of my face, giving him a challenging look. He smirks and takes off his shirt before jumping in after me. I squeal and swim away as fast as I can. Unfortunately, Hendrix is taller and stronger so he reaches me before I really even have a chance to get away. He grabs me around the waist and holds me close as he uses his other arm to swim to a place where he can stand.