Karlie and the guys are sitting on the couch at the back of the control room. She takes a sip of her coffee and watches Taylor behind the glass of the recording booth. The singer is focused, reading over the lyrics as she listens to Jack giving her instructions through the intercom. The sound engineer sitting next to Jack is pushing a regulator up and down on the control board.
"Yes, let's record the chorus of 'Golden Days' again" she hears Jack say. "Then we can mix in Brendon's parts in the background and see how it sounds."
Taylor nods and starts singing again. Karlie can't hear her, but she knows it's good. It's fascinating to watch Taylor in her element. It makes her feel confident about the album they're producing.
A while later Taylor comes out of the booth and plops down on the couch next to Karlie. She empties her water bottle in almost one gulp. Karlie laughs, and Taylor grins at her.
Jack comes over. "Why don't we record the vocals for 'I think he knows' next?" He looks at Taylor expectantly.
Karlie is glad to have finished recording her drum parts for the day. She could go home, but she enjoys watching the others and seeing how the album is coming together. Earlier, she and Taylor already recorded the finger snapping for the song, and Karlie smiles at the fresh memory and the fun they had. Now, however, the mood in the room has shifted considerably.
Brendon stands up from the couch at the other end of the room and clears his throat. "Why can't Taylor and I record the song together? We sing it together at practice."
Jack sighs and turns towards Brendon. "Because she's the lead singer of the band."
"It's my song. I wrote it. We sang it on stage together the other week. We sing on Golden Days together, too. Why can't I record it?"
Karlie looks from one to the other. She sees Taylor gulping. Austin is busy looking at the floor.
Jack lifts his chin. "I will not let you sing a verse on the record with male pronouns. You refuse to change them for your part, you're not singing it. Taylor does lead vocals. We want the album to be sonically cohesive."
Karlie almost snorts. It's rock'n'roll. We can do whatever we want.
"It's my song, too. Taylor does an amazing job, but I wrote it." He crosses his arms in front of his chest. Karlie can see the hurt behind the angry expression on his face.
Taylor bites her lip. Jack turns towards her again. "Can you come into the booth again now? I want to be home in time for dinner."
The discussion is over. Brendon groans and walks past Jack, then leaves the room. Taylor stands up and catches Karlie's eyes. She gives her an apologetic look. Karlie only shrugs. They finish recording the song before the sun goes down.
***
"Where's my leather jacket? Did you pack it?" Todrick asks, and Brendon rolls his eyes.
"No, you probably forgot to wash it. Pack something else, we don't have time."
Karlie and Derek are standing in the living room of the other guys' apartment, moving out of the way every time one of them rushes past them. Taylor is trying to help Austin pack as well.
"You would think they've learned to pack after our last tour" Derek laughs.
Karlie grins and yells to no one in particular "We're only going to Pasadena for one night, guys! Why are you like this?"
