-Misty's P.O.V.-
"How is this suppose to help!" I panted relentlessly as my feet pounded the treadmill ferociously as I mouthed the words to one of my songs on repeat. I was dripping in sweat, exhausted and wasn't exactly sure what I was doing or how it was going to help with my singing career.
"Misty, this is about getting in shape. You're going to be moving around stage singing and dancing and with stamina like yours I don't think you'll make it a quarter into your song." He explained to me.
I huffed, "That's an exaggeration. I'm on my 5th repeat now." I complained.
Andre chuckled softly, "I'll be satisfied when you're on your 10th repeat...now sing." He ordered me.
I sighed, but obediently began to sing.
"Why I feel like you always moving further away,
Come closer,
Come closer,
The distance separating you and I can't stay, I see you,
Coming Closer,
Coming Closer." I breathed heavily through my singing.
"You're dying on me!" Andre pushed.
Exhausted but still determined to complete the song I continued to sing. After about the 7thtime of singing he gave me a water break, I've never been so happy to see a bottle of water in my life. I plopped down on the nearest couch and downed the entire bottle, grateful for the cold, sweet tasting liquid in my mouth.
"Tired yet?" Andre asked me after observing my silent and dehydrated body sprawled on the couch. I looked up arching my eyebrow at his question.
"If you wondering if I'm giving up the answer is no." I replied to him.
He smirked, "That's good to hear, I like an artist with determination...even when it comes in a out-of shape college student." He said sarcastically.
"Har. Har...just wait and see I'd sing circles around the stage." I threatened.
"I see a lot of talk but not action, Ms. Paul." He stated.
I frowned. It was going to take a while before I finally got into shape, I don't even remember the last time I went for a jog and I knew tomorrow morning my legs were going to be killing me. They were numb right now and If I got up I'd probably collapse from the exhaustion.
Andre laughed at the face I made at him and clapped his hands together. "Alright, we can take a break on stamina and work on your pitches." He said gesturing at the piano. I nodded in agreement and threw my empty water bottle in the garbage before I slid into the piano bench.
"Warm it up." Andre advised me.
I already knew what I had to do to warm up the vocal chords but he made it his job to continue to remind me.
I played a few notes on the piano to warm up.
"Mhmmmm." I hummed.
Before I could get to the next part of that, Ginger comes bursting through the door frantically, curly hair flying all over the place. I calmly watched as she dropped a stack of papers on the piano and turned to me. Ginger had to be even more exhausted than I was, every time I see her she's working or doing something relating to me so whenever I see her bursting through the door in the middle of my sessions I know I got some more stuff to do. I'm not too sure if I was excited about that.
"Misty." She started.
I arched my eyebrow, "Yes, Ginger?" I asked her.
"You have work to do." She stated.
I smiled, "Like, I don't already know that." I said gesturing to the work I was pulling right now.
She sighed and shook her head. "I'd tell you what you'd have to do, but your mother-I mean Ms. Paul asked to speak to you." She said.
I almost laughed at her correcting herself mid-sentence to change mother to Ms. Paul.
"What, now?" I asked her.
She nodded. "Right now." She repeated.
I pouted. I didn't want to see my mother right now. It was already bad enough I had to see her around her house since I stayed there every time I came to Cali which was every weekend. I saw her a bit too often than I had planned to when I agreed to stay with her.
I stood up abruptly, "Excuse me." I excused myself out of the room and towards my mother's office which I've become oh too familiar with in the short amount of time I've been recording at the studio.
I passed a couple of people I've come used to seeing around the establishment. They were all nice and friendly to me either waving or saying hi whenever we crossed paths.
"Hey, Misty." A girl said to me.
"Hey." I replied back continuing the long walk to the office which was on the other side of the building. My mother always chose the right times to call me into her office. Especially when I was starting to feel my legs cramp up at this point.
Eventually I made it to the room, I knocked lightly on the door and heard my mother's formal and direct voice call out for me to come in, which I did closing the door behind me as I entered.
She looked up from some paperwork on her desk and gave me a once-over.
"Yes?" She asked me when I just stood there waiting for her to tell me whatever the hell was her reason for calling me to her area.
"You called for me." I reminded her.
She gave me a confused stare for a moment before she nodded to herself.
"Oh yeah." She put her pen down and leaned back into her spinny chair.
"I got more things for you to do." She started.
"Oh really? What is it?" I asked her curiously.
"You're on break now, right...with school and all?" She asked.
I nodded my head.
"Good...you're performing at summer jam." She stated.
My eyes would bug out at that moment but like I said I lacked the functions of a normal person at this point so only thing I could manage was the noise in the back of my throat uttering my utmost surprise.
My mother rolled her eyes, "Don't be surprised...you're on the radar now it's almost expected of you to show up." She said to me.
I crossed my arms over my chest. "I just wasn't expecting it to be so soon." I said.
She smirked, "Nothing is too soon in this industry, daughter of mine..." Her eyes trailed over to me for a second before she sat back up in her chair.
"Of course since the summer is here, that means you need to put out a summer hit, which means you need to make a new song...preferably something jumpy people can dance to since it's all about the parties now." She folded her hands together and her eyes remained focused on my unfazed posture.
"I'm assuming I'm going to be performing this song at summer jam as well?" I asked her.
"You're catching on quick." She said sarcastically. "I'm sure it's not going to be a problem for you since you're so good at writing songs, hit songs to say the least...you need this song to do well, think of it as a promo before your promo for your album...what are you calling it by the way?" She asked me.
I shrugged, "I hadn't thought of a name yet." I muttered.
She furrowed her eyebrow. "You should probably get to that at this point." She suggested.
I should be getting some sleep but instead I'm in her office. Sometimes people don't get what they want whenever they want.
"It takes time, I want to get a really good name for it...something that means something." I explained to her.
She looked away from me and out towards the window for a moment. "Means something." She mumbled to herself.
Was she losing it or something?
"Are you okay, you're acting weird?" I asked her which caused her to snap her head right back into my direction. Her eyes were wide and looking at me like she wasn't expecting me to still be in the room or something.
"Of course I'm okay...you need to get that song by the end of next week, album name by the end of the month understand?" She asked me.
"Understood." I replied to her plainly.
She leaned back in her chair. "Good..off you go." She said dismissing me from her room back to the new million things I had to do thanks to her. I couldn't lie about one thing though, I was pretty excited for summer jam it was a cool place to be if you wanted to chill and see your favorite artists up on stage bumping your favorite jams.
My mind shifted focus and immediately went to the deadline my mother had given me to write, sing, and publish a summer song. I honestly felt like lately she's been adding pressure on me for some reason.
When I got back to my session it was work, work, and more work. I didn't leave until maybe 7 o'clock and the promise of a better, healthier diet. I decided I would head over to Larz's place to check on him before I went to my mom's place since I haven't really spoken to him much since the little incident. Part of it was due to my anger but it's been a while now and I was over and ready to let it go. The other part was busy with high demands by my mother, it was hard.
As soon as I got his place, I hopped out of the car I borrowed and rang the doorbell.
After about a minute or two of waiting Red picked up the door.
She smiled when she saw me. "Hey Mist! Come in." She pushed the door wider for me to walk through which I did. It was super cool inside the house compared to the hot, humid weather outside where I was standing.
"We were all just munching on some take-out in the kitchen there's some left over if you want?" Red ushered me towards the kitchen which in fact was filled with Brendan, Brad, and Larz. Everyone greeted me as soon as they saw me.
"Angel voice! I didn't know you were here!" Brendan said excitedly.
"Neither did any of us until the bell rang." Red said sarcastically.
Brendan flipped her off. "I meant that we didn't know you were in California." He explained.
I laughed, "Don't worry Bren I got what you said, don't let Red get to you." I smiled.
Brendan smiled and Red frowned. "I thought we were suppose to stick together, Mist." She whined.
I rolled my eyes. "You are so dramatic." I said taking a seat at the counter.
"That's crazy because that's usually Brendan's job." Red sniffled as if she were really crying.
"You're just throwing these hits like crazy aren't you." Brendan said to her.
"Only for you, babes...Brad pass Misty a plate." She called over to Brad who was the closest to the kitchen cabinets. He turned, grabbed a dish and slid it over to Red who passed it to me.
I felt eyes on me as Red put some food on my plate and I looked up to meet Larz's gaze.
"Hey, Larz." I greeted him.
"Hey." He replied.
"Look at Larz, he's baby shy now." Brendan teased him. Brad and Red chuckled and I rolled my eyes. Is it me or do guys have a hard time letting go of things? Or at least in my case.
"Mhmm..so funny how it only happens when Misty is around." Red further teased.
"Shut up." Larz muttered stuffing rice into his mouth.
"Hey, I'm just being real Lazaro." Red said finishing up my plate. She handed me a fork and I had no trouble digging into my food. I was starving after that long day with Andre and now the added stress of producing a song in a short amount of time.
"Are you enjoying yourself over there, Misty?" Brendan asked. I stopped eating momentarily to glance up at him. He had a slight smirk on his face and then it dawned on me that he was probably judging how ferociously I was eating my meal. I couldn't help the fact that I've been deprived of food.
"Don't judge me, I've had a long day today." I said calming my pace at eating.
"What's gotten you shook, Mist?" He asked.
I sighed. "I'm performing at summer Jam." I stated.
Red arched her eyebrow. "That's a good thing If I'm not mistaken." She said.
I nodded, "I know that's great but my mom dropped the bomb on me that I have to throw out a song between now and then to perform." I said putting another fork full of food into my mouth.
"Uh...that could be a problem if you don't have a song, do you?" She asked me.
I shook my head. "It has to be a booty shaker too!" I managed to mutter through my food.
Red smiled. "Well, if it's a song you need help writing, I got you." She suggested.
"Thanks, Red...but then now I need a beat." I said with frustration.
"And that's when I come in." Brendan said abruptly coming out of his chair in a happy-like frenzy. His smile was wide and anxious as he approached me with glee.
"Is what when you come in? What are you talking about?" I asked him.
"Mist do you not know what Brendan does?" Red asked me curiously.
To be honest it never occurred to me that both Red and Brendan both had jobs since they seemed to be here most of the time, but then yet again I wasn't here with them during those times so I wouldn't really know what they do.
"No not really, what do you do?" I asked him.
He smiled wider, I don't think he could smile anymore than that. "I'm a producer." He said.
I quirked my eyebrow. "Really?" I asked him.
He nodded frantically but Red spoke.
"This is the guy behind the bangers you here on the radio these days, Brendan is a regular to celebrities here in L.A. And wherever else they need a beat." She explained to me.
"Wow, you must be a big deal then, Bren." I said to him.
He shrugged. "I don't like to think of myself as that, I just like making music so....." He trailed.
"So....?" I repeated.
"Can I produce your song?" He asked me.
I furrowed my brow. "You had to ask?" I said sarcastically.
"I didn't want to just throw myself at it for heavens sake!" He said excitedly.
I laughed, whenever you heard Brendan speak in his English accent it just added to his personality by 10 it was hilarious and refreshing to watch.
"Let's get to it now!" Brendan grabbed my arm and pulled me away from my food.
"Nooooo!" I cried grappling for my food but missed entirely.
Brad stifled a laugh in the background and Red just grabbed the plate for me as Brendan dragged me downstairs where the studio was set up.
"What are we doing, we don't even have a song yet?" I complained.
Brendan chuckled. "It only takes Red a matter of minutes to make a song, love." He replied.
Well, I got my work cut out for me.
But at least I got my Chinese food.
-
It was about a couple of hours later we were all downstairs chilling and recording, and yes recording because we really did finish the song which was amazing Red and Brendan have some talent. All it took was Red asking me what I wanted the song to be about, to be me blankly singing it, then to Brendan actually making the beat, and just like that a song.
After I finished singing the song which I decided to call Thump my heart, Brendan and Red were demanding me to do an encore after I sang it like 30 times.
"But I already did it." I whined.
"But I want to hear you hit those high notes again!" Red pleaded.
"She sounds just like an angel." Brendan cried.
I groaned then stood up abruptly and instead of calling it in for the night I grabbed Larz's arm and pulled him up as I ushered him up the stairs and up to his room where it was quiet and private and no repeating of songs, my voice was finished for today.
When we got into the room I plopped us both into bed, pulling Larz's face to mine and our lips met instantly like connecting pieces. For a moment it was just quiet with us in our little world but Larz broke the kiss and had the most confused look on his face.
"What?" I asked him.
He was silent then he spoke. "I thought you were mad at me." He said.
I scoffed laying my head back on a pillow. "I was mad at you...two weeks ago." I said.
Larz sighed and rested his head on my chest. "You're driving me crazy." He mumbled.
My hands rummaged through his soft, dark, curls. "Lazaro, I told you I don't want none of this drama okay? What happened before happened, I just hope you learn not to provoke Jayden again." I said to him.
"I'm sorry...I was just trying to protect myself." He explained.
I was confused, "Protect yourself from what?" I asked him.
He didn't say anything at first.
"I don't know..." He was evading the question.
I sat up a bit from laying down. "Larz, talk to me." I said to him.
He groaned. "....."
I huffed and plopped back down. "Fine, don't tell me."
Lazaro turned his head and looked up. "Mist." He whined.
I didn't answer him.
Larz kissed my stomach softly trying to get my attention. "Mist." He called me.
"No." I refused to look at him, secretly hating that I liked the way his lips felt on my stomach.
"Mistyyy." He played around with me continually pressing his lips against my skin, and I was super sensitive so I was laughing in little to no time, I couldn't control myself.
"Stop." I laughed.
Lazaro's lips trailed all the way up to my neck before he spoke.
"I'm protecting myself from losing you." He whispered in my ear.
I went silent for a moment, "Larz-." I started but he cut me off.
"I can't help but keep thinking this is a dream, that you're not going to end up with me, that I'm getting my hopes up. Am I crazy for thinking that? Jayden still wants to be with you, Mist." He said.
I frowned. "So what Larz? You are crazy for thinking that...what is it going to take for you to understand that, huh?" I looked at him seriously in the eye.
He kissed my lips lightly, "I'm crazy about you, Misty." He confessed.
My hands caressed his jawline. "So am I." I replied to me.
"How crazy about me are you?" He asked me.
I smirked, "So crazy I'm sane." I replied.
He smiled softly.
"Let's go to sleep."
*
When I got to my mom's place it was maybe 1 in the morning or something and I wasn't expecting anyone to be up really, since the lights were out pretty much everywhere. So as I tip-toed up to my room like I was a 16 year old teenager sneaking in from a party I passed a room with a distinct blue light under the door.
Curiosity got the best of me so I pushed the door slowly to see who was in there.
Inside the first thing I noticed was the blue glow of the television playing a sappy like movie what was it called? The Vow. Next, my eyes trailed over to the only figure present in the room, my mother.
She was sitting up holding a carton of ice cream in her hand, sniffling at the t.v.
"How do you not remember Channing Tatum?" She sniffled.
I couldn't help but laugh at that moment, and upon hearing that sound her head snapped towards the direction of the door where I was standing.
"Who's there?" She asked.
I remained silent. Maybe she would forget I was there if I was silent.
"Hello?" She asked.
There's no one here. I thought to myself.
She groaned pushing her ice cream carton to her bed and walked over to the door.
Shit.
Before I could think of making a run for it, the door whipped open.
My mother squinted her eyes since it was dark in the hallway. "What the hell are you doing?!" She whispered.
"Nothing...I was just wondering what you were doing?" I asked her.
"I swear this kid.." She muttered to herself. She looked down at my outfit and then back to me.
"Where are you coming from?" She asked.
This had to be the first time my mother has ever been concerned about where I was at this time. I had to take this moment and cherish it for the rest of my life. 19 years and this has been the first time she's been concerned about me.
I sniffled. "This has been the first time you have ever been concerned about me, I'm honored." I said sarcastically.
She sucked her teeth. "It's like one in the morning what are you doing?" She asked.
"What are you doing?" I asked her.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I asked you first." She said to me.
"I asked you second." I replied.
"Girl you bett-." She started.
"Mother, I'm going to be 20 years old in about a month, why are you so worried?" I asked her.
She didn't say anything for a moment. "Go to your room or something." She waved her hand heading back into her room in the process.
I peeked my head back into her room. I don't know why I suddenly had the energy to bother her but it seemed like you could do anything at one in the morning it was amazing.
"You watching the vow?" I asked her.
She sighed, "Yea...is there something you needed?" She asked.
"I don't know, I wanted to watch too." I said to her.
She narrowed her gaze. "Are you drunk or something?" She asked me.
"I don't drink." I said to her.
She scoffed. "Goody two shoes." She muttered.
I narrowed my gaze this time. "I think some parents would applaud their children for making responsible choices." I stated.
She shrugged. "I guess..good job." She pulled up her thumb sarcastically.
"Alright, whatever." I waved her off and headed for my room.
"Plot twist, she doesn't get her memories back." I spoiled the movie for her.
I could hear yelling and throwing of items at the door and I laughed heading straight for my bed, I was exhausted.
As I laid there staring up blankly at the ceiling, I couldn't help but think that has been the most civilized and maybe...the closest motherly interaction I've ever had with my mother.
It felt....nice.