GODSPEED | HARRY STYLES

FIVE.

It's hard to sleep in this big, empty bed. Especially when every time I roll over, I expect to see Talia's peaceful face beside me. It's like a ghost at this point.

A stupid, cheating ghost.

No matter how many times I wash these sheets, they still smell like her. I'm probably going to have to buy a whole new mattress at this point. That girl is indented in this bed.

I keep thinking about what Maeve did. What she told me. Maybe she might be right. Maybe this is exactly what I need to get on with my life. If I don't take a leap, I probably won't get anywhere in life.

And do I really want to manage a record store for the rest of my life?

As mad at her as I am, Talia was never wrong when it came to my life and career. She was always nagging me about actually doing something for once. The record store was just a safety net for me, something I was relying on to make paychecks while I figured out what to do with my life.

In her eyes, I would've ideally went to college and studied something like law or teaching. I'd then move on to become a successful lawyer or professor or maybe even a high school teacher because I "had the humor for it." I don't think I realized how much of my life she had quietly planned out for me.

I'm not meant for those careers. I can't just sit still and do something I'm not passionate about. Which is why I'm actually considering Maeve's offer instead of immediately shutting it down.

Here's how I see it:

If I go and I fail, I could at least say I tried. Maybe it'll set me up for another opportunity in the future.

If I go and I succeed and they actually want me, it could give me that boost I need. I could actually make it somehow. Maybe not as a bassist in my own band, but a bassist in a band. At least someone will know my name. Someone big.

There's no use, I won't be sleeping tonight anyway, I think to myself as I pull my laptop toward me.

Harry Styles, I type into the search bar.

Are you kidding me? This guy cuts his hair and gets thousands of articles written about him?

I mean, it was pretty long and he did donate it to charity.

Ugh, that damn band again.

The entire world is obsessed with this man. I don't even want to imagine what the store will be like when his album drops.

I don't know what to do. One decision could affect my entire life. But in a good way or a bad way? Now that's the real question.

Up on the roof, I dial Mom's number. I'm sure she can give me some solid advice.

"Monroe, hey." She answers immediately.

"Hi, Mom. Don't tell Mama I called, okay?"

There's some shuffling on the other end of the line before a door shuts.

"Of course. Everything okay?"

"I need some advice."

"Oh," She sounds relieved. "Okay, what's up?"

"So you know how Maeve went to London to do the article on that one guy?"

Maeve is very close with both of my parents. They're always kept up to date with her.

"Yes, it's that one British guy, right?"

"Right. So, while Maeve was there, she found out the guy is making his first solo album. Apparently, he needs a bassist so Maeve dropped my name and now his manager is supposedly waiting for me to call and either accept or decline the offer. But I don't know what to do." I explain as briefly as I can.