My Imagine

Chapter 35

"Alright, sounds good! Just once more, then we're done for the day."
It's five days after you first arrived at the studio. Things are going smoothly, and Sawyer is sounding better than ever. You're grasping the basics of controlling the sound booth, and DeeDee is a great teacher. Right now Sawyer's finishing singing the chorus of a new song. He looks relieved to be done, and you don't blame him. He's been singing nonstop this entire time. The poor thing needs a break. Good thing his day off is tomorrow.
He starts to build up his volume for the highest note of the song, but then stops.
DeeDee, who you've been messing around with the entire time and has been distracting you from Sawyer, grabs the back of your rolling chair and starts to pull you away from the soundboard. "Cmon Tigress!" she laughs. You laugh with her and try to stop her by grinding your feet into the floor. "Wait wait wait wait!" you giggle as the war ensues between your feet and DeeDee's grip. She grins and continues to drag your chair out the door, but you grab the doorway and hold on until she finally lets go. You walk back over to the board where Ryan (aka Chainsaw) is replaying the music.
"Are you okay there Sawyer? You've been sounding a little hoarse all day."
Ryan calls. Sawyer shakes his head and takes a sip of water. "Nah, I'm fine." he says. "Just tired. Let's get this done."
He's still a little grumpy because his right wrist was the one that broke, so he can't strum his guitar.
In the past few days, the four of you have become super close. You're spending the entire day with them, so it's better to be friends in that scenario, and it's going great. Although you still get slightly jealous of Sawyer's relationship with DeeDee, you know that it's probably all in your head. They're just friends.
DeeDee's a genius. She just graduated high school and is now enrolling in college already. Ryan's out of school too. He's eighteen, graduated last year. He and DeeDee got into the same internship program a few years back, so they're just as much siblings as you and Sawyer. It's a good system.
Sawyer does look exhausted, and you can't blame him. He's determined to get the high note though, so Ryan restarts the music. Sawyer starts to sing, and at first he sounds good, but then he stops again. He clears his throat and adjusts the mic in front of him. "Sorry. Can we go again?"
Ryan nods and turns to you so Sawyer can't see his face. "Is he okay?" he asks, face knitted in concern. You shrug and look at Sawyer again. He's fiddling with a piece of his hair and waiting patiently for you to start. You look back at Ryan.
"He's a tough little cookie. He'll power through if he wants to. I say go for it."
Ryan sighs, but reluctantly turns the music back on. "He just doesn't seem right," he mutters.
Sawyer begins yet again, but this time you can hear what Ryan's talking about. There's a noticeable strain on his vocals. Just at the high note, he breaks off into a cough. You reach over and hit the button to cut the music and start gathering your stuff together.
"Nice try Sawyer, but you can't pull it of. You're exhausted and you need to relax. Cmon, Barry's waiting for us." With a defeated sigh, Sawyer walks out the door behind you.
"Sorry guys," he says. "We'll have to finish another day. See you later."
They both say goodbye and watch you go. You head out to the parking lot where Barry is waiting in the car. You both get in the back and buckle up for the ride back. Once you get there, you make Sawyer stretch out on the couch while you arrange a few things.
"You, pajamas, couch, now." He starts to argue, but you interrupt him with a look and he shuffles off to his room and comes back wearing sweatpants. He sits on the couch and awaits his next command. You toss the TV remote at him and he catches it with ease. "Find a good channel this time please," you call from the kitchen. He chuckles and flips through the programs.
After finding the recipe, you take out the ingredients and start throwing them into a large pot. Sawyer heard the commotion and tries to come in to help you, but you shoo him back to the other room.
"Do me a favor and be a good sick little boy please. No helping for you, only being spoiled rotten."
He groans. "Look, I'm fine. You're overreacting. I'll wake up feeling great tomorrow. Just watch me."
"You would think most people would love to be waited on for a day and do nothing," you scoff as you turn back to the task at hand.
"Well, I'm not most people. I'm Sawyer."
"No kidding! Nice to meet you Sawyer, I'm Be Quiet And Don't Argue. I believe we haven't met before."
"Hahaha. Hilarious."
"Oh, hush and be lazy."
"Can I at least watch you? Please?"
"Hmm, let me think... Uh, no."
"Even if I sing?"
"I'm putting you on unofficial vocal rest, which means no shouting and no singing. Do you got that?"
"Ugh. Fine. Since when did you become a doctor?"
"Since now. Shut up and be a vegetable."
Since you're already in the kitchen anyways, you make a quick pot of boiling water and distribute it into two cups and dunk the little teabags into the liquid. You bring one to Sawyer while you wait for the soup to heat up and contradict every channel he tries to turn on.
"TLC?"
"Nah. Too many brides and not enough plot."
"A&E?"
"I've seen that episode of Criminal Minds before. The clerk did it."
"Nobody likes a spoiler."
"Shush. Keep pressing buttons."
"Alright, alright. Tell me when to stop."
"No... No... No... Yes! That one! Right there! Two channels up! Sawyer, your other up! No, that's too far up. Three down. Yes! That one!"
"This one?"
"Well, duh Doofus. Yes that one."
"I thought I was supposed to be picking the show!"
"Shh, be quiet child. They're interviewing her to see if she killed that dude."
"You're such a stereotypical teenage girl."
"Ew, no. I take that as an offense. Zip it."
"But really thou-"
"Sawyer, sweetie, do I have to duct tape your mouth shut?"
"No ma'am. Shutting up now."
"Good boy. Now check on the soup for me."
"I thought you said I wasn't allowed to,"
"You aren't. That was a test. Which you passed. Stay here, don't light anything on fire, and don't blow anything up. Got it?"
"Fine."
Sawyer sighs and mocks your false tone, but it's all because you care. This is going to be a long and fun day of playing doctor.