Planning Your Future

Alyssa Greene

August 4, 1993

Veronica's POV

The band is rehearsing "Stand Tall" in the attic. JD told me that he planned a surprise for Owen on the day of the festival. He wouldn't say anything else for some reason. He knows I'm great with secrets. I was amazing at keeping them from him. I wonder what it is. I feel like it has something to do with Will. I don't know for sure, but I'm fairly certain that's what it is.

"Are you guys ready for Friday?" I lean against the piano. "Definitely." Owen smiles. JD has a smirk on his face, probably because of whatever plan he has for Owen. "I'm so ready." Sam sits down on the pull-out couch. "Great." I say. "Can you please play your song for us? I want to hear it before Friday?" Owen asks. "Fine." I sigh. JD grabs his acoustic guitar. We play the song for them and they clap. "I love it. But when you were playing it, I had an idea. What if at this place right here," Owen points at a spot in the music, "We sang with you." He looks at me to see what I think. "I like that. I say you sing this line, I sing this one, we both sing this one, and then JD and Sam join in here." I mark down what I'm saying on the second copy of the music. "Let's try it." JD says.

We do it like we said. "I love it. We're doing it." I put my hand out for Owen to high five it. He does and then I leap up to hug him. "You're brilliant!" I shake him. "Why thank you." He laughs.

Alyssa's POV

I sit in the kitchen, eating lunch. My mom storms in the house. "What's wrong?" I get up and meet her in the entryway. "This." She holds up a flyer for the end-of-summer festival. It has Veronica and JD's band listed under the musical acts. I have to hide a smile. "What is this?" I play dumb. That's that wicked girl's band. The one I invited for Thanksgiving." She has a look of disgust on her face. "What's wrong with it? I work at the talent agency that they belong to. They are really talented." I'm also hopelessly in love with the lead singer. "She still doesn't deserve to be able to perform. There will be children there." She says. "And? She's just singing. Her music has nothing to do with her being... y'know." I look down. "I went to their show earlier this summer and their music is child-friendly." I tell her. She just sighs and goes to her room. I look at the flyer. I'm glad they got to be a part of the festival.

August 5, 1993

I knock on Veronica's door. "What?" I clearly came at a bad time or something. She's in a bad mood. "I heard you got on the list. Congrats." I say. "We did." She's really not in the mood. "What's wrong?" I hope I'm not what's wrong. "My mom came over and she's just unbearable. I guess you can relate." She crosses her arms. "I know you won't change your mind, but I really care about you. I even defended you when my mom was saying that you shouldn't perform. I don't expect you to take me back, I just wanted you to know that." I tell her. "I just don't understand why you were so quick to abandon me." She shakes her head. "You know what my mother is like. She wants me to be flawless. You don't know what it's like to be Alyssa Greene. I have to be the best. I think my mom is convinced that if I'm perfect, my dad might come back." I'm trying to hold back tears. Veronica doesn't know what to say. "I should go. My mom will want to know where I am." I turn and go to my car.

August 6, 1993

Veronica's POV

I get up, ready for tonight's performance. I hear two car doors opening and closing. I run downstairs and outside, JD has a hand on Will's shoulders. "Hey! Is this the big surprise?" I knew it was. "Yes. Go wake Owen up. And put this over his eyes." JD hands me a blindfold. "Okay." I go upstairs to Owen's room and shake him awake. "What?" He groans. I continue to forget that he's the worst in the morning. "Put this on and come with me." I throw the blindfold at him. "Why?" He stares at it. "Just do it. JD's orders." I tell him. "Okay." He puts it on.