I walked downstairs trying to follow Zion.
"Zion, wait!"
"Brandon, lets go."
He walked into the living room where all the boys were so I followed him.
"Zion, can you please just wait?"
"Brandon, c'mon."
"Uh..you sure you don't want to finish-"-Brandon
"No, let's go."
"Why are you acting like this?"
"I'm done talking about this, Nessa. You chose what your priority was tonight."
"I didn't choose anything or anybody as my priority, Zion."
"Exactly, that's the problem."
I looked over and saw all the boys staring.
"I'm gonna go uhm.. read."-Edwin
"Yea.. I'll go ..read with him."-Austin
"Can we just talk about this?"
"There's nothing to talk about. I'm going to the studio. Brandon, let's go."
Zion opened the door and walked out. Brandon looked at me and grabbed his phone and walked to the door.
"I'll talk to him."
"Thank you."
He turned around and shut the door. I looked over and Nick was the only one still sitting there.
"What happened?"
I realized I hadn't updated him since I left the house to go to the dance complex so I explained everything that had happened since then.
"First of all, congrats."
"Thank you."
"Second, don't worry about Z he'll be fine. He just needs some time."
"I just didn't think he would be so angry because of this. I mean he just looked at me like he didn't trust me."
"It's not that he doesn't trust you, it's the fact he doesn't trust other people around you."
"Yea, I guess. Maybe I should drive to the studio and try and talk to him again."
"Nah, I think B's got it. Just try talking to him tomorrow."
"Okay... thank you."
"No problem."
Nick and I had started to become really close. He was always there when I needed him, and I could talk to him about anything.
"I'm gonna head out then. Thanks again."
"Don't sweat it."
I grabbed my phone and walked outside. I got in my car and drove back to my apartment. I walked in and sat on my bed, and picked up my phone to text Z.
Me
I'm really sorry. I didn't think you would get so upset, but I apologize for skipping out on our date and I promise I'll make it up to you. I hope your studio session goes well. I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you❤️.
I was too tired to stay awake and see if he replied so I went to bed.
NEXT MORNING
I woke up and took a shower. I went to the kitchen to make some breakfast and glanced at my phone and saw a notification from Z from last night.
Z💛
I love you too.
I smiled and then texted back.
Me
So does that mean you forgive me?
I waited a second then saw the typing bubble pop up.
Z💛
Yea, and I'm sorry for freaking out and not talking it out with you.
Me
It's fine, you were upset.
What are you doing today?
Z💛
Have a meeting at 2 but after that I'm free.
Me
Wanna come over and watch a movie later?
Z💛
Yea, i'll text you when I get done with the meeting.
Me
Okay
I set down my phone and then finished up making my breakfast. I finished eating and then got dressed and decided to go to the gym. I walked outside and drove over there. I only stayed for about an hour and then drove back to my apartment. I took another shower and then looked over at my phone and saw a missed call from Mav so I called him back.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Nessa."
"Hey, what's up?"
"Uhm.. what's up is Cade calling me this morning saying that you need to find a new producer to work on your stuff."
"Yea..."
"What the hell happened?"
I didn't want it to come off like Cade was trying to come on to me when he was just joking around and I knew it would just cause more problems especially since Mav was very protective over me.
"We disagreed on something with the track and then we got into this big fight."
"Over a track?"
"He wanted to cut out a part of the song I wrote, and I didn't because I wrote it with Z and I wasn't about to take a chunk out of it and then it just spiraled into an argument."
"Well you need to fix it, because Cade is good as hell at his job and he could really help you. I understand you not wanting to compromise your work and that's good to be able to stand your ground as an artist but don't let this opportunity slip over a disagreement over a song."
"I know, I'll talk to him today."
"Thank you, text me later and tell me how it goes."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye."
I hung up and the phone and fell onto my bed. Having this conversation with Cade was not going to be easy. I picked up my phone and texted Cade.
Me
hey, I know you're probably still super pissed at me but can you come over so we can talk about last night?
I set my phone down because he was really angry last night so I didn't expect him to reply quickly. I was about to turn around and then I heard my phone ding.
Cade✌🏼
sure, what's your address?
Me
454 Creedmont Lane
Cade✌🏼
I'll be over in like 45 minutes
I went back in my bathroom and finished getting ready.
MY OUTFIT
I finished getting ready and picked up my phone to call my mom.
"Hello?"
"Hey, sweetie."
"Hey, Mom."
"Haven't heard from you in awhile, what's up?"
"Uhm.. I need to tell you something."
"Omg, you're pregnant."
"No! No! God, no!"
"Thank goodness."
"Uhm.. please don't freak out."
"You're scaring me, Nessa."
"I uhm... I dropped out of the dance program.."
"What!"
"Just hear me out-"
"Vanessa Nahli Wilson! Do you know what me and your father did just to get you to that school!"
"I know I know, Mom. Just let me explain."
"Let you explain! I think you have done quite enough already! When did this even happen?!"
"It literally just happened yesterday."
"And it took you until today to tell me! What the hell are you gonna do now, huh? You gonna get your job back at Toast? You gonna come back home?"
"Mom, listen to me!"
"What!"
"I've thought about this a lot. AMDA provides acting, musical theater, dance theater, and performing arts. None of those dive into what I truly want to do. So I was thinking of... dropping out of college as a whole."
"What?!"
"At first I thought I would just change my major, but non of their majors truly pursue what I want to do. I know that-."
"NO! You don't know, Vanessa! What the hell has gotten into you! Why would you even consider dropping out of college?"
"To pursue music..."
"Vanessa, are you kidding me! When you came to me about this singing thing I thought you were pursuing it as a hobby not drop out of college for it! We had an agreement! You went to LA for SCHOOL! Not to go around doing whatever you wanted! You drop out, you come home!"
"Mom, please."
"No! I can't talk about this anymore. Goodbye."
"Mo-"
She hung up on me. She really just hung up on me. I mean I expected that conversation to go bad but that went absolutely horrible. I haven't really talked to anybody about dropping out of college, but it just made sense. I went to AMDA to pursue my dream of dancing, but now I really wanted to focus on singing, and school would just get in the way. I set my phone down and heard a knock at the door, and I walked over and opened it.
"Hey."
"Hey."
I stood to the side and let him walk through and shut the door behind him. We both stood there kind of looking at each other for a little bit. He turned and pulled out a chair from my mini bar and looked at me.
"Look, I know I shouldn't have accused you for purposely trying to make me late. That was really messed up for me to say that. I'm really really sorry, Cade."
He sat there for a second and didn't say anything.
"It's okay."
He paused.
"But this thing can't happen again, Nessa. I'm not gonna work with someone who's supposed to be able to trust me with their music who can't even trust me as a person."
"I know, and it won't."
I looked at him for a second.
"So does that mean we're good, and you'll still work with me?"
"Eh, I guess I got some free time on my hands I can spare."
"Oh, shut up."
"I was hoping you would call because I got some new beats I've been working on on my phone I wanted you to listen to."
"Oh cool, I was about to post mate some food. You want anything?"
"Nah, I'm good."
I picked up my phone to post mate some food. I heard a ding and saw a text from my dad.
Dad💚
When you get the chance you need to call me immediately.
"Nessa, you good?"
I looked up and set my phone down.
"Uh.. yea.. I'm fine."
"No, you're not. What's going on?"
"I just um.. I told my mom I wanted to drop out of college and it didn't go so well."
"Why do you wanna drop out?"
"So, I can focus on music."
"Damn, I remember when I told my parents the same thing."
"Wait, you dropped out too?"
"Yea.. I was going to USC and majoring in software engineering."
"No way."
"Yea. Music was always my thing, but my parents never saw that so they made a deal with me before I graduated high school. I could go to any school I wanted in California as long as I chose a major they agreed with."
"Wow."
"Yup, I was pissed but as long as I didn't have to live in a small town in New Jersey anymore I was okay with it."
"So what happened when you told them?"
"It was a lot of yelling and cussing. They just told me that if I wanted to stay in California they wouldn't support it. So I decided to support myself. I got a job bussing tables at a bar and slept on Mav's couch until I could get my own place."
"You slept on Mav's couch?"
"Yea, he was struggling to start his music and I would help him with his beats in exchange for a place to sleep."
"Wow."
He kind of paused for a second, and I saw his eyes fall to the floor and then he looked up and looked back at me.
"Can I tell you something, Nessa?"
"Sure."
"You are so talented, and I can tell you are serious about what you want to do. Don't let anybody whether it's your friends or your parents or anybody tell stop you from doing what you want to do. I could have let my parents stop me from pursuing what I wanted but I didn't. I just pushed harder for what I wanted, and remember if even if you feel like you don't got anybody rooting for you, you got me."
"Thank you. I needed that."
We both got up and gave him a hug, and then I heard the door open.
"Zion?"