The Odd One Out (Hailee Steinfeld)

Chapter 25

    Alex walked into the studio as a man with a blazer stood up quickly shaking her hand. "Michal" he said introducing himself. "Alex" she said even though they had already talked on the phone. "Please have a seat." He said looking around at the red sofas around them. Alex softly sat down sinking into the comfortable couch. "So what were you thinking about singing today?" Michal looked up from his shoes finally making eye contact with Alex. Alex set the backpack she had brought with her on the ground. She pulled out her black notebook full of her songs that she had started writing down. She flipped to the page with the song she wrote last night. She handed it to him as he scanned over the words. He let out a sigh as he read it making Alex start to doubt this whole thing. She scratched her arm as she tried to read Michal's face. He scratched his chin as his eyes still scanned the page.

Surely it doesn't take this long to read a song.

Alex thought as they sat there for a few minutes as she anxiously waited. He hummed setting down the notebook on the table while still looking at it. "And you wrote this yourself no like other people did this for you." "No sir" Alex answered, "I actually have a few more songs that I have been working on for a while if you wanna take a look." He shook his head, "I'm happy you do for future things but for right now let's focus on one song at a time." Alex nodded her head keeping her mouth closed. She felt she may as well of bombed a test or someone told her she was never going to graduate. Alex subtly put her hand over her stomach trying to ease down the clenched feeling. Michal took a deep breath, "Alright go on in whenever your ready." Alex nodded standing up walking over to the recording booth and stepping in. She found a small chair in there with a table in front of her but it was so silent that she could have sworn her thoughts were actually speaking out loud. Alex slipped in the headphones that sat on the table in front of her, suddenly there was a voice coming through as Michal spoke. "Alright whenever you're ready." Alex nodded her head as the track from her guitar started playing but it sounded almost distant for fuzzy in her ears. She didn't say anything or take any mind to it as she started singing trying her best not to jumble over her words or get off beat with the song.

   Once it was over she stepped out of the booth walking over to where Michal was sitting. He took another deep breath but this time it was more of a sigh than a breath. "You ready to hear this?" Alex slightly nodded her head afraid to open her mouth because if she did she might throw up. He played it out loud as the song filled the silence that covered the room. Alex closed her eyes as her own voice poured into her head along with a slight guitar in the background.  She heard every word in a different way almost like this was the first listening to this song.

   After the song was over Michal spun his chair around looking at Alex. "Alright look kid-" "26 not a kid." Alex said interrupting him making him look at her for a second with an annoyed look. "Anyways I'm going to be completely honest with you being a singer is a very hard job. It's full of pleasing other people," Alex lifted her eyebrows as she looked at the ground.

  Well that shouldn't be too hard I already do it anyways.

   ",Risking your life and mentality. A lot of things come with a job like this but one of the number one things is having a good voice. Listening to this here I feel like you might have some potential but I'm not sure you're good enough to be playing in the big leagues." Alex looked at him for a moment trying to take everything he just said and soak it up. She felt her mind clear out, she felt that clenching in her stomach again, and she felt almost nauseous. She nodded her head before turned and quickly stuffing the notebook back in her bag and grabbing her backpack. She hurried out the door without another word as she sped walked down the hallway. She rushed back to her truck before quickly getting in. It felt like her surroundings were closing in on her and it started to get hard to breathe. Alex grabbed the steering wheel in front of her hanging on for dear life hoping she didn't pass out. Her breathing got so heavy she started getting dizzy. The panic in her mind was so high she wasn't sure she was ever going to recover. Finally after the whole world started spinning around her and she was unable to get her bearings her vision went black.

   She woke up to a pounding on her window as she quickly shot up hitting her head on the side of the steering wheel. She put her hands to the back of her head before muttering, "Ouch" she forgot about the pounding until it quickly came back into her mind making her look to her left but there was no one at her window. Alex looked at the right but still no one at the window. Alex rested her hand on the door-handle contemplating whether or not to open it. She finally decided to open it as she stepped out of the vehicle. She looked around at the setting sun around her. How the orange, pink, and yellow blended so perfectly together. Suddenly she heard her name being shouted from across the parking lot. She quickly turned around seeing her.

   Alec's mind flooded with thoughts as Hailee came jogging over to her. Alex thought about just getting back in her truck and bolting away to avoid the conversation as a whole but it's too late now, Hailee already knows Alex heard her. As Hailee got closer she stopped jogging, "Hey Alex, I haven't seen you in forever." Alex nodded, "Yeah it's been a little bit. How are you doing." A small smile appeared on Hailee's face after hearing Alex try and make conversation. "Yeah I'm good I just got done recording one of my new songs." Alex raised her eyebrows, "Oh I'm sure it's going to sound great." "Yeah I hope fingers crossed." Hailee said but then quickly stopping as a look of confused washed over her face. "Wait what are you doing here?" Alex looked down at the ground for a moment kicking a small pebble trying to think about a response. "Oh I came here to also record a new song." Hailee's eyes widened,  "Your finally sharing your songs with the world?!" She squealed clapping her hand together. "Well not exactly." Hailee completely ignored her last statement as she went on and on about recording. Then after a little bit a cold breeze blew through the air making a small shiver come over Alex. "How about we talk in my truck where there is some sort of heat." Hailee nodded she head, "Oh yeah that might be a good idea." They both headed for Alex truck quickly hopping in as the truck started up. Alex quickly turned on the heat a it came softly blowing into their faces.

   They talked for a little bit but Alex could never come around to saying the Michal didn't like Alex's music. "Hey do you mind taking me back home? I had an Uber but I told I would be back soon, so I'm pretty sure they already drive off. Alex looked down at the time seeing that they had been talking for at least two hours. They kept getting on random topics one of them being Hailee's new boyfriend. That topic was pretty short though when Alex shut it down by asking a different question. "Yeah I can take you home." Alex said unsure.