It's Always Been You

Work Part 4

The next morning I wake up when my pillow starts vibrating. It takes me a moment to realize it's Zach talking, "yeah just be quiet don't want to wake her what's up?"

"We need to get to work, so uh meet us in the studio asap." I don't recognize the voice but Zach nods. The door closes again and he sighs. I feel his fingers move the hair from my face. I open my eyes and look up at him.

"Don't mean to make you run behind."

"Ah no worries, I don't want to get up anyways." He chuckles causing my head to bounce with his chest.

"Hey your manager says to be serious you need to go help them." I push myself off of his chest and stretch.

"Ugh maybe I should've left you at home." He grumbles and gets out of bed. I leave the room so he can change and cross the hall back to my room. I quickly make my bed and put on some appropriate clothes. I come back out and Zach's door is wide open and he's gone. I find the bathroom a couple of doors down. I brush my teeth and unruly hair. I throw it into a braid and go to the kitchen.

The studio door is closed so I don't expect to see anyone else. I grab an apple out of a basket on the counter and take a bite. Quick and simple until I know my way around. I took the partially eaten apple back to my room and closed the door behind me. I text my mom to tell her how it's going and that the guys are already working. I finish my apple and decide to work on my music. I pull out my lyric notebook and grab the pen out of the spiral. I pinch the cap between my teeth and scan over the lyrics I wrote a few days ago.

Then I remember the song Zach was playing last night. A counter melody immediately popped into my head. I recorded myself humming it and compared it to my lyrics. I looked over at the apple core on my nightstand and sighed. I picked it up and walked back to the kitchen. I was whistling my new tune and tossing my apple core up and down when I ran into someone. I look up and immediately apologize, "oh I'm so sorry!" I pick up the apple core I dropped.

"You're fine." The voice is female.

I actually register who I'm looking at.

"Are you here helping the guys?" She asks.

I walk to the kitchen looking for the trash can, "no I'm moral support actually." I continue opening cabinet doors.

"Last one on the left." She points to one of the doors. I open it and find the garbage can I'm looking for.

"Thanks, so what're you here for?" I laugh.

"I'm supposed to get the guys where they need to be." She smiles.

"More useful than my job." I joke, "I'm Blake by the way."

"I'm Kendra." She holds out her hand and I shake it. "nice to meet you Blake." I take a a moment to actually look at her. She's a little taller than me with blonde hair. She's got bright blue eyes and thick lips. Damn this girl could've been a model.

"Nice to meet you too." I let go of her hand and head back to my room.

I spend the rest of the afternoon brainstorming. After a while there's a knock at my door. "Come in." I close my lyric notebook but relax when I see it's Zach. He's read most of them anyways.

"Hey." He comes in and sits on the bed.

"Hey, everything okay?" I rub his shoulder.

"Oh yeah just tired, I hadn't realized how exhausting this would be." He admits.

"You're not giving up already are you?"

"What no of course not, I'm just-" he hesitates and looks at me, "am I leaving you alone too much?"

"Zach don't change the subject it's only been one day!" I tell him.

He laughs, "yeah I know."

"Don't worry about me anyways, I've made more progress on my lyrics."

"Oh let me see!" He holds out his hands eagerly.

"Fine but you can't tell the other guys. If you use it I better get paid!" I flip the notebook open to the correct page and hand it to him. His eyes scan the page quickly.

"Blake- these are amazing." He turns the page and I snatch the notebook from him.

"Spoilers. No way." I close it and set it next to me.

"You're no fun."

"Hey you were complimenting me only moment ago!"

We laugh. Our laughter is interrupted by a knock on the door. I look up to see Kendra. "hey what's up?" I ask her.

"I just need to borrow Zach if you don't mind." She smiles at me then him.

"Not at all." I tell her. She turns and leaves. Zach raises his eyebrows at me and points to where she was standing. I roll my eyes and wave him off. I only get my room back to myself for a moment.

"Hey Blake." It's Corbyn.

"Hey Corbyn." I wave him to come in. "What's up?"

"Nothing much but we're all planning on going to the beach. I- er we were wondering if you wanted to go too?"

"Sure sounds fun." I smile at him.

He returns the smile, "alright cool we'll leave in a few." He leaves and I close the door to look for my bathing suit. I look through the drawers that I filled earlier today. Dammit where is it? I know I packed it!  I walk out to the living room empty handed and still in my usual clothes. "Why aren't you changed?" Corbyn asks.

"I forgot to pack my bathing suit. Sorry I'll have to go buy one before you guys go next time."

"Darn that sucks." He says and I give a weak smile and turn to go back to my room.

"Hey Blake I'll take you shopping." I turn to see Kendra walking out of the studio with Zach.

"Oh you don't have to do that." I wave it off. I really don't want to bother her.

"No really it's not trouble at all, there's a shop near here. We can meet the guys at the beach." She offers again.

"Alright sure let me get my purse." I meet her outside after the guys left. She's in the driver's seat of some kind of convertible. "is this yours?" I ask getting in the passenger seat.

"Sure is, my uncle got it for me." She smiles proudly.

"That's really cool." You can tell she lives in LA.