Reforming Society •• OneRepublic {2}

A Beautiful Mess

Ryan's P.O.V.

Three more days passed. Ryan sat at the soundboard in the studio with his face in one hand, leaning on his elbow, and clicking the back of a pen on the tabletop with the other. He wanted to leave early. He was about to. Brent was the only one still remaining and even he was packing up to go.

"Ryan, just leave. The other three did."

"I don't wanna get fired."

Brent let out a laugh, "If you don't for staying, they - and I - will for leaving. And then you'll quit."

Brent was right and Ryan hated it. Then Josh came in and began updating them.

"So you guys have got---"

He looked around, cutting himself off, as Ryan saw out of the corner of his eye. Brent wasn't looking at him and simply started putting his guitar away.

"Where did the other three go?" Josh asked.

Ryan didn't answer, so Brent did for him, "They left."

"And you're leaving too?"

His tone was of pure condescension. Or disapproval. Or both.

Brent picked up his guitar in its big black case and turned to Josh, shrugging.

"Sue me."

Then he gave Ryan one last look - one of both a warning and a "good luck" - before walking out. Josh was left speechless before he finally found his voice and turned it at the only other person in the room: Ryan.

"You didn't think to stop them?" He demanded, pointing a thumb at the open door. Ryan stopped clicking the pen.

"They're big boys, Sparks. They can handle themselves."

Josh gave a cold glare, "It's against the rules to leave before any of us say you can."

"As Brent said, sue me."

"I won't sue you, Tedder, Nikki will fire you."

"Good."

That one was a lie. It wasn't good. It wasn't bad either. Ryan hated the situation completely. Yet it was more good than bad - he'd leave a toxic job and be with Ramona constantly, and hopefully she'd get better from there. Leaving - or being forced to leave - was starting to not seem so bad after all. But some god damn thing stopped him.

Josh sighed, exasperated with Ryan's behavior (which Ryan wasn't sorry for). He said, "Well, until you are laid off, Scotty and I finished two tracks and we are ready to release your second single in four to five weeks."

He was about to leave and Ryan watched him. He stopped at the door, though, and nodded his head over a second.

"If you make it that long, anyways."

This wasn't an insult. Not as much as it would've been two weeks ago. So Ryan let him leave and then decided to follow in Brent's footsteps himself. What was he to do? Not to mention the boredom got worse now that he was alone.

Ryan feared he would be permanently alone, though, because he was definitely the last to turn to quitting. He was annoyed that he was still conflicted about it. Especially after Ramona was thoroughly convinced Ryan would always pick his job before her, but he would, in reality, go through the worst pain and torture for her.

It was almost sundown when Ryan walked out of the building. He was alarmed to see faded sunlight at the edge of horizon, as he was more often faced with sneering stars and a moon in the middle of the sky.