Falling Slowly

Pt.2|Ch.3

One Week Later

"...and that's three hours!" Sky announced, marking another tally mark on a piece of notebook paper.

"Skyler, stop it." Aiden scolded as she twisted Austyn's hair into a braid. "She's just nervous. She doesn't have to talk if she doesn't want to."

"I'm just saying." He raised his hands in surrender.

Austyn glared at him, but didn't say anything.

Aiden rubbed her hand up and down her shoulder. "Ignore him."

"I could slap him if I wanted to." She mumbled.

Sky gasped. "She speaks!"

Aiden shot him a look that could've made a rose wither and die.

He scurried away from her and stood behind me, latching onto my shoulders. "Hold me."

"I'd recommend not talking for a little while, okay?" I advised, patting his head.

He nodded, gazing cautiously at her from behind my arm.

"You're gonna be fine." Aiden ignored us, tying the end of Austyn's braid off. "You do fine with auditions and run-throughs as Katherine. This'll be easy."

"I haven't actually had to 'go on' as Katherine yet, remember?" She looked down at her hands in her lap. "I'm not sure why they hired someone with zero experience."

"They hired you because they saw potential." I spoke up, taking a step forward and dragging Sky with me. "Also, allow me to remind you that they set you up with a voice trainer after they hired you, and now your voice is even more incredible than it was before."

She looked up at me, remaining silent.

"I'd listen to your boy, if I were you." Aiden shrugged, a small smirk dancing across her lips. "He's not as stupid as mine is."

Sky pouted at her. "Why can't you just love me?"

"See?" She continued to ignore us. "Stupid."

"Aiden," he whined.

"Careful." Austyn warned her. "He might start crying, and then you'll feel bad."

She shrugged. "Gotta toughen him up somehow."

"Ben," Sky turned to me. "Can you punch me, or call me names, or something?"

"Why?"

"So I'll start crying, of course."

"Fine." I crossed my arms. "You're ugly."

"Whoa, okay," Aiden interjected. "No one makes fun of Sky except me."

"See?" I looked back at Sky. "She sticks up for you."

Aiden shrugged. "Doesn't change the fact that I hate him."

"I know you do." Sky smirked, giving her a wink.

She rolled her eyes, blushing against her will. "We should get going."

"Okay." Austyn mumbled, standing up and smoothing her dress out. "Who's driving?"

"We can drive separate." Sky suggested. "I can take Aiden."

"Why are we driving separate?" I asked.

Sky's ears turned red, and he looked down at his feet. Austyn and I glanced at each other before gazing questioningly at Aiden.

She dismissed our confusion with a wave of her hand. "The inside of his car's a wreck, and I'm the only one who's seen it."

"Oh," I looked down at Austyn. "I can drive you there, then."