amelia?
what is she even doing here?
brad tries to breathe normally again, but his vision is still blurry, only focusing on her. his mind is spinning with thoughts, unable to find a reasonable explanation as to why amelia is standing just over there in the same building as him.
he puts his hands into the pockets of his trousers to hide that they're shaking and sweating. he numbly looks at the people talking around him but he doesn't capture anything. he's eyes have definitely decided to stop seeing - except for her. he turns his head back at amelia's direction, who's inside this huge room with glass walls, and she's sitting at a black leather sofa typing on her phone distractedly.
what is she doing here?!
he's completely out of his mind. probably the most nervous he's ever been in life. peter loveless and amelia at the same time? too much for him to handle. he manages to make his eyes start working again and then pretends to pay attention to the conversation in front of him, nodding when he notices the boys doing so, and looking at peter loveless with the fakest concentration expression he can make.
but his head is stuck in an infinite loop: what is she doing here?
everyone smiles at each other and start shaking hands, so brad forces himself really hard to understand what's going on.
"thank you so much, guys, it's been a pleasure to meet you. i'm really looking forward to your performance at the party, i'm sure you'll do great." he can hear peter loveless say.
what is she doing here?
"thank you, sir, for taking your time to talk to us and for inviting us to the party. the pleasure is all ours." james replies.
"it's a huge honour to meet you, sir. thank you for your time." connor adds.
"we can't wait to perform at the party either. we can guarantee you won't be disappointed." tristan nods, smiling widely. do i have to say something too?
but what is she doing here?
"we'll make you proud of signing us, sir." brad manages to say, somehow.
what is she doing here?
"oh! i'm already proud, believe me." peter loveless says. "now, as much as i'd love to spend more time with you guys, i really have to go." he gazes at the watch on his wrist. brad's phone vibrates in his pocket, brad's heart skips a beat in his chest.
he quickly glances back at amelia - she's now peacefully looking out of the window, biting her lips and resting her chin on her hand, still sat on the sofa.
what is she doing here?
"i have an important lunch appointment with my daughter and she's already waiting for me." he chuckles, shaking his head lightly. "i'll see you later, boys. nice to meet you all." he smiles at them one more time before turning around and entering the room. the same room where amelia is.
joe looks away from peter loveless and stares at the four boys, a grin glued to his face.
"so?" he asks. "how are you feeling?"
what is she doing here?
brad watches the scene that unravels inside that room. amelia gets up from the sofa, putting her phone in her bag and turning to face peter loveless. he says something to her and she laughs, walking towards him while she replies something that makes him laugh even harder, throwing his head back. she joins him and then goes up to him, being embraced by his arms. peter loveless places a soft kiss on the top of her forehead and she smiles, her head resting on his chest, eyes closed.
what is she d- wait! wait wait wait. what?!
brad's brain clicks suddenly. what?! it can't be it. no, i must be getting something wrong.
"you're awfully quiet today, brad." joe's voice reaches brad's ears.
"i'm just overwhelmed by the fact that we just met peter fucking loveless." he quickly replies, looking away from her, surprised by himself. how did i just say that? i thought i was frozen.
"yeah, we all are." connor sighs. have they noticed i've been staring over there this whole time? i hope not.
joe starts walking with james beside him, connor and tristan right behind them. brad forces his legs to walk forward, his head wanting to look back at her one more time. in order to keep this from happening, he takes his phone out of his pocket, and it's not a surprise when he sees a text from amelia-three-exclamation-points. but he still smiles gladly, feeling a bit relieved, actually. okay so maybe she doesn't hate me.
amelia (!!!): oh will don't worry about yesterday! it's okay, really :) i'm actually very good, tbh, thank you. after like idk maybe 5 months? me and my dad have finally found some time to hang out together! and we're going out for lunch - i'm starving omg. oh btw i thought maybe we could meet each other at the cafe today but i couldn't stop there this morning :-( anyway i'm rambling i know sorry but i'm bored cause i'm alone at my father's office, he's left to talk to someone about work but whatever that's not important what i wanted to ask you is - you're a musician, you said? are you in a band?! if so, that's sooooo cool. if not, it's still super cool cause everything about music is cool so tell me what kind of musician are you i'm curious okay i'll stop now sorry hahaha xx
brad's entire body relaxes as he reads her message. the most adorable person ever, indeed. he chuckles silently, entering the lift along with the others. he locks his phone, but the shy smile on his lips insist on staying there. he starts paying attention to what he's feeling - warm heart and twisting stomach. what is this girl doing to me?!
there's chatter happening inside the lift around him, but he can't focus on that. it's probably just the boys freaking out about peter loveless. see, peter loveless doesn't seem that important to him anymore, compared to what amelia means to him and how she makes him feel.
they get off the lift, heading back to the studio. lunch is a privilege only for people who have their singles done, which is definitely not their case. brad's looking down at his feet while they walk calmly, trying to make sense of the conversation going on beside him.
"we'll probably have the song done by monday, joe. it's nearly finished, brad just recorded the last vocals we needed." james' voice say. brad looks up at them and sees joe nodding, a serious look on his face. "that is - if brad decides to not be late for the rest of the week." james teases, watching brad's reaction. he frowns, opening his mouth to reply but nothing comes out. he tries again.
"i won't be late anymore." he simply says.
"good thing, then." joe nods. "what about the instruments and the production?" he asks.
"we're just adding a few more chords on the bass, cause it felt like there was something missing." connor explains. brad gets surprised by this information - he doesn't know they're doing that. that's what happens when you're always arriving late, brad. idiot.
"it's new but it's sounding good so far, we really think this is gonna improve the song as a whole." james adds.
"okay, just show me later when it's done." joe says. they arrive at the studio and tristan opens the door, entering first, being followed by the others. "i can't stay here right now but i trust you. do your best, as always." his phone then rings, and he leaves.
"brad, come here, give us your opinion on this." connor says, taking his bass and starting to play the new thing they've been working on.
...
"can i really?!" amelia asks, her eyes shining happily. "won't i disturb you, dad? i don't want to be a bother."
"if i'm inviting you it's because you won't bother me." he says, furrowing his eyebrows. "it's gonna be just like old times!"
amelia smiles radiantly, glad that her dad invited her to spend the day with him at the office.
"okay, then! today is the most boring class i have, actually, so i'm lowkey pleased that i'm skipping it." she giggles, as they walk out of the restaurant.
"i'm so happy you're loving your classes, bee. you deserve it." peter says, holding her hand. they walk to his car and amelia smiles at him, delighted. she admires him greatly.
"thanks, dad." they hop into his car and start heading back to the building, amelia turning on the radio.
"...yeah all i ever wanna be yeah yeah is somebody to you, all i wanna be yeah all i ever wanna be yeah yeah is somebody to you, everybody's tryna be a billionaire, but every time i look at you i just don't care..."
"so, about this party, dad, will i have to attend it as a guest?" amelia asks, nodding her head casually to the beat of the song that plays softly on the radio.
"yes! it's gonna be fun though, i promise." he glances at her with the corner of his eyes, knowing she's not very fond of these sort of events. "we'll have this band playing some songs and they're really good, and i am definitely introducing you to them cause they're all nice fellas." he says, and amelia can't help but roll her eyes. "they're all your age, also."
"...but now i wake each day looking for a way that i can see your face..."
"dad!" she moans. "stop trying to set me up with boys from your label! you and mum, always doing this, it's annoying and exhausting."
"i'm not trying to set you up, bee! i just honestly think you'd like these boys, they're lovely and talented. i just met them today, oh no i could've introduced you!"
"there was no need for you to introduce us today, let's leave that for the party." she sighs. every time she attends one of her father's events, he introduces her to every single person he can. it sounds cool but, with time, it gets boring. "who are they, though?"
"...look at me now, i'm falling, can't even talk, still stuttering, this ground of mine keep shaking, oh oh oh now!..."
"oh, um... the... the..." he starts talking but stops, frowning.
"you forgot the name of their band, dad?!" she incredulously asks. "oh my god!"
"no! it's um... the tramps... cramps... something like that...?" he wrongly guesses, unsure.
"the cramps?! that's a stupid name for a band!" she huffs.
"no, it's not the cramps... oh god, i can't believe i forgot it already!" he nervously laughs. "maybe it was something to do with vampires?"
amelia just looks at him quizzically, frowning. vampires?!
"okay, i give up." peter finally says, sighing.
"just don't mess up the name in front of them at the party, dad." amelia chuckles, turning up the radio. "poor boys. and i actually really like this song."
"...can't even talk, still stuttering, all i wanna be yeah all i ever wanna be yeah yeah yeah yeah..."
peter pays attention to the sound leaving the speakers for the first time, raising his eyebrows and smiling as he recognises the song.
"...all i wanna be yeah all i ever wanna be yeah is somebody to you..."
"that's them!" he exclaims, pointing to the radio. "that's the band i'm talking about!"
"...all i wanna be yeah all i ever wanna be yeah yeah is somebody to you (somebody to you) all i wanna be yeah all i ever wanna be yeah yeah is somebody to you, everybody's tryna be a billionaire, but every time i look at you i just don't care (i just don't care) cause all i wanna be yeah all i ever wanna be yeah (yeaaaah) is somebody to you (somebody to you) cause all i wanna be yeah all i ever wanna be yeah yeah is somebody you... yeah you YEAH YOU!"
the song finishes and peter starts laughing.
"what a coincidence!" he says. "so you like them!"
"well yeah, they really are good, apparently. but that's probably the first time i'm hearing this song." amelia shrugs.
"now i can't wait to introduce you all! if i see them again today i'm totally doing it. you're gonna love them, i'm sure!" peter says.
amelia just giggles and shakes her head softly. now even she is getting excited to meet them.
...
they take the lift from the underground garage up to the entrance hall. peter walks over to the desk where the security guard is, and asks him something, while amelia waits for him just outside the lift. she sighs when there's a beep and the doors close.
"honey, can you wait here for me for just a second?" peter comes back, glancing over at the huge glass entrance doors, from where there's a woman walking in. "i have something urgent to discuss with that lady over there, sophia."
"yeah, sure, go ahead." amelia nods and her father's already turning his back at her and walking in the opposite direction. "i'll just wait over there at those armchairs." she murmurs, sighing and rolling her eyes, crossing the lobby over to the armchairs.
she sits down and sighs again. boring. she watches her dad talk to the woman, both serious and a bit concerned, apparently. boring. she moves her eyes at the security guard sitting behind the desk on the other side of the large room. he's just sat there, doing absolutely nothing. boooring. then she looks down at her phone, seeing the impressive amount of zero notifications. boring! amelia sighs again, frustrated, bored and a bit annoyed. she rests her chin on her hand and looks out the window, watching as the cars drive down the street a few meters away. boring. her eyes glance over back at her father. he seems to be having an argument with the lady. this might take a while. boring. she scans the room carefully, trying to find something that catches her attention. the marble floor. boring. the four small threes in white vases. boring. the paintings hanging on the walls. oh, beautiful. but boring. two people coming in through the entrance doors. boring. the rug under her feet. boring. a mosquito flying around. ew. boring.
but then! ooh, not boring! her phone beeps. a message from "will". four messages, actually. not boring at all.
coffee guy: oh my god amelia honestly i'm gonna say it again you're the most adorable person ever i just can't! really like how are you even real???????
coffee guy: okay sorry i just had to say it omg i'm so awkward forgive me.
coffee guy: oh, don't worry about the cafe thing, i also wasn't able to stop there today - i think it's destiny, huh? ;)
coffee guy: and you know what? i am in a band actually! i play the guitars and i'm also the lead singer. i play other instruments too like the piano, the bass and even dare to play some drums occasionally haha pretty cool! i love it tbh. now it's your turn please, what's your book about?!
she smiles warmly and re-reads the texts, suddenly feeling like the day just got more colourful than it already was. she starts paying attention to what she's feeling - warm heart and twisting stomach. what is this boy doing to me?! i don't even know him! but all her attempts to try and calm down and not feel so agitated over that whole thing are failing. she's already too affected by him. there's no turning back now.
amelia (!!!): stop saying that you're making me blush!!!
amelia (!!!): oh no! no way you're getting away with not telling me the name (!) of your band! are you famous? is it possible that i've heard of you? spill the infos! cmon
amelia (!!!): oh my book? well, my book... um, summing up quickly cause i don't wanna bother you too much, it's about this girl who's like a serial killer but nobody knows who she is, they only know her as "the daughter" bc all her targets are from this list that was originally from her father who was also a serial killer but she's not like a psychopath or anything so she's not really a serial killer she just follows the list bc of this promise or whatever (i haven't quite figured out this part yet) but obviously there's a boy etc etc you know where this is gonna end up.
amelia (!!!): yeah so that's my book (can i say something now. i feel kinda naked cause like... this story it's still way too personal and i haven't really shared it with anyone else so... yeah, congrats on being the first person to hear about it haha xx)
okay but why. why did you just tell him that. not even your closest friends know about it. and you just told him pretty much the whole plot.
but you know what they say. sometimes it's easier to tell personal stuff to a stranger.
she looks up at her father - he seems actually very annoyed, and so does the woman in front of him. but there are people walking in the lobby now, so she focuses on that. four boys. oh, wait. i think it's the same boys from earlier this morning! they're staring at her father - they probably know who he is, that's funny. it's always funny to watch people's reactions to her father. and then she notices the fourth boy, who's slightly behind the tall, blondish one - james? this new one has brown hair though. cute curls falling in front of his face. he's also a bit shorter than all the others. cute. he must be brad guy then. they all start walking. and then.
he looks over at her. she's caught up in his glance. she smiles shyly as she feels her cheeks starting to burn. he smiles back and winks. did he just fucking wink at me?!
her heart starts to pound like crazy and her cheeks are definitely as red as a tomato. she doesn't look away though - she keeps staring at him until he giggles softly and diverts his eyes, turning his gaze down at his feet, shaking his head slightly, making his curls bounce adorably.
cute. but what just happened?
...
brad finishes typing a reply to amelia's text just when they stop in front of the lift. it's coming up from the 2nd floor so they're waiting. he sends the messages and puts his phone away in his pocket, shifting his attention to what his friends are saying. they talk about the single and the things that still need to be done to get it finished by monday. the lift gets to their floor, so they go in and james presses the button to the ground floor. they're finally going out for lunch. another minute inside that studio and they'd all pass out.
"we seriously need a car." brad blurts out, thinking about having to walk all the way over to the restaurant. "or we could have delivery today?!" he suggests.
"nah man, we're here already. but i agree with the car thing. very much needed." tristan says.
the lift stops with a beep and the doors open. you're kidding me, right?! first thing he sees - amelia. is this some sort of joke or what? she's sitting on one of the big black armchairs, fucking looking down at her phone. brad bumps on james' back when he stops abruptly. brad looks up at him and sees that he's staring at some point in front of him - peter loveless is just over there talking to a woman. they both seem rather pissed off at each other. wait - peter loveless! amelia's peter loveless' daughter. he remembers suddenly. at least that's what he's deduced with the information he has. how in the living hell? his phone buzzes in his pocket repeatedly, and then stops.
james starts walking again and brad stays a little bit behind, walking lazily. he tilts his head up at her direction - and his heart stops for a second. she's looking at him. she's fucking looking at me. finally! it's about time! she shyly smiles at him. she's fucking smiling at me. her cheeks turn a light shade of red. she's fucking adorable. brad smiles back at her. and winks. she doesn't look away. her cheeks go completely red but she doesn't look away. brad keeps walking forward and doesn't look away either. until he does. he giggles softly and turns his eyes down at his feet, shaking his head slightly.
i guess that is destiny doing it right.
...