Eucalyptus & Honey |H.S.|

Chapter 1 - Would You Believe it?

1 Year Later

Stevie

I sat on a hard wooden chair, the case of my bass guitar held tightly between my legs as I practiced controlled breathing. My head rested on my case as my leg bobbed up and down, my bare thigh rubbing raw against the rough plastic material. There were only three other people in the makeshift waiting room that was, probably up until an hour ago, merely the hallway leading to a practice studio. None of us spoke. 

The current audition sounded to be going really fucking well. When a mutual friend of mine called yesterday telling me Harry was searching for a new bassist, I was saying yes to an audition before I could even process the words. I wasn't all that close with Jamie—the mutual friend—but he knew I was a damn good bassist, and Harry was searching. And I knew that this was my opportunity to see him again. 

So, I agreed. Even though I had absolutely no time to practice. God, I had no fucking chance.

The door to the studio opened and the four of us in the waiting area seemed to still. A tall, lean guy with shaggy brown hair thanked whoever was behind the door as he exited. When he turned around, his face held a satisfied smirk, looking at each of us as though we were fucked. We probably were. 

He walked past us, smelling heavily of cologne, and the next person was called in. I sat in the same wooden chair for another hour while the three other people that had been in the makeshift waiting area auditioned before me. The last of the three walked out of the studio, indicating that I was next. She was a pretty girl with short pink hair and painted black nails.

"Good luck," she whispered and offered a genuine smile as she passed by. It annoyed me. People aren't supposed to be nice at these things. I wanted to tell her to fuck off. Instead I muttered, "Thanks," with a tight lipped smile and waited for my name to be called.

"Stephanie?" called a man with dark brown hair that was tucked behind his ears. He was tall and seemed sort of awkward but had a kind face.

"I go by Stevie."

"As in Nicks?" he asked with a smile. How fucking original. Somehow, his bad attempt at a joke didn't bother me though, and I decided I liked him. He seemed like one of those people that were impossible to dislike. I just nodded and forced a laugh, too nervous for any real humor. "I'm Mitch." He stuck his hand out for me to shake and I switched my bass into my left hand so I could take it. As we walked into the room he said, "Don't be too nervous, we're all pretty chill," and he left my side to sit on a comfortable looking chair.

A woman with features just as kind as Mitch's sat on the arm of his chair. She had long brown hair and gave me a little wave as she said, "I'm Sarah." The woman closest to her was sitting in a swivel chair and had pink hair with bangs. She smiled prettily at me and introduced herself in a soft voice as Charlotte. Ny was the final woman in the room. She was sitting on a black leather love seat, and her hair was cut into a short mullet that was bleached blonde.

I waved at each of them and introduced myself before finally looking towards the only other person in the room. He sat closest to Charlotte in another swivel chair. I knew it was irrational to be jealous of her in that moment, but I was. I craved that proximity to him again. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt tucked into loose black pin-striped pants, and black vans with a white stripe on the side. He didn't introduce himself. His eyes were just as green and his face was just as stupidly fucking beautiful as it was a year ago. But there was no look of recognition that I expected to find hidden in his features. The fuck? Did he not fucking remember?

"Why don't you have a seat?" Harry asked in a way that sounded much more like a command. I just nodded and sat at the other end of the love seat that Ny was on. I could hear my blood rushing in my ears as I felt his eyes track me the whole way. For some reason, the possibility of him not remembering our night together made me much more anxious to be here. And it pissed me the fuck off.