The Rise

Chapter 3: The Boys

This can't be happening. This can not be happening!

Why? Why can't anything good happen in my life?

Every single time something good happens in my life something bad has to come in and take my happiness away.

Right now everyone is arguing with each other while I'm over here sitting by myself arguing with myself in my head.

"What do you mean a group act!? I did not fly all the way from California to here to be in a group! I came here to be a solo act!" A boy with brown hair yells.

I look around and sink in my chair. I can not be in this room. My heart starts to beat faster and my palms start to sweat. It's getting harder to breath.

Calm down Alice.

Breathe.

Everything will be okay.

I keep telling myself to calm down but it keeps getting worse.

The boy with red hair next to me stops arguing and turns to me when he notices my struggled breathing.

"Hey, are you okay?" He says and puts a hand on my shoulder.

I nod.

Lies.

After some breathing practices I've gone through before I start to calm down.

When my breathing goes back to normal I notice that everyone was looking at me with confused expressions.

I sink further down my seat.

"Are you okay Ms.Brown?" Mr.Johnson asks.

I nod. "Yeah I'm fine."

Mr.Johnson looks at me for a second before clearing his throat. Everyone turns back to Mr.Johnson and the boy with red hair takes his hand off my shoulder.

"Okay, back to topic." Mr.Johnson says.

"So you're saying that we become a band?" The blonde boy asks.

"Yes."

"That's bullshit." A tall boy with black hair speaks up.

"Well it's either be a part of it or go home. We can't afford to have anymore solo acts."

Everyone stays quiet. Nobody says anything. We just avoid each others gaze.

The silence is killing me.

"I'll do it."

Everyone's attention goes back to me. Some stare at me in shock and some confused.

"Y-You will?" Mr.Johnson asks surprised that I even agreed to it. I think he was expecting everyone to get up and leave.

I sigh. "Yes."

I came all the way from Colorado to New York and I didn't come here to get my dreams crushed by some money problem. And I am definitely not going back home to give my mom the satisfaction of winning. I'm going to say here and show her that I can do this even if the situation has changed. That's not going to change my mind.

"I'll do it too. I might as well give it a try then go home empty handed." The boy with red hair says and now that my breathing has calmed down and I'm more focused I noticed that he has a British accent.

"Me too. My mom will kill me if all that trouble was a waste." The blonde boy laughs. Some of us laugh with him.

"You guys are really going to give up your solo act to be in this band?" The boy with brown hair says.