A/N: Here's a quick little chapter. Updates like these won't be too common if I can help it.
I'm really pulling for chapters where a character or couple of characters are the main focus. I like to experiment with the pacing, having quick moments and slower moments when they are necessary. Next chapter will be better, but I am just so exhausted and been using the weekend to catch up on some sleep.
Work has been hard these last couple of weeks. Someone quit, which means I had to pick up their responsibilities. I interviewed someone the other day, so fingers crossed they will lighten the load.
Lauren noticed her phone vibrating, as she was increasingly losing love for her ringtone. Until she found a new one she liked, the teen would rather leave her phone on vibrate or silent.
It was an unknown number. But these weren't common for her, so she took a chance and answered.
"Hello?"
"Good afternoon!" came a woman on the other end. "Is this Lauren...Jackson?"
Lauren sat down on her bed.
"Speaking."
"Good. Well, I am happy to inform you that you have been hand-picked to try out for the musical produced by Xander Tundra!"
Her eyes widened as she laid down in disbelief.
"Lauren, Lauren...are you still there?"
She shook her head and came back to earth.
"Yes, I'm here. I was...just..."
The lady laughed.
"I work with theatre people all the time, honey. That is a normal reaction."
"So, what happens now?" Lauren asked.
"Tuesday, July First you will report to the same theatre where you and your fellow performers will meet Mr. Tundra. We will send you an email shortly with all of the details. And congratulations again."
Lauren rolled onto her side, gnawing on the side of her other hand in excitement. Normally this would hurt but the girl was too pumped right now to feel pain.
"Thanks, again. Bye."
She let her hand go and released a scream that shook the house.
Her mother came running in.
"Baby, what's going on?!"
Lauren sat up, holding her chest.
"Th-They called me b-b-back!" Lauren replied.
"You got cast?" her mom asked, arms folded.
"No, not yet. But they liked my audition, so I get to try out for the show."
Louise rubbed her ear.
"For all of our sake, how about taking it easy on the old vocal cords? Don't want your instrument to have a blowout."
Lauren swallowed and smiled.
"Good point."
"Come here," Louise smiled.
The mother and daughter hugged tight.
"Let's go downstairs, I'll make you some lemon tea and a couple aspirin for my head."
"Sorry," Lauren chuckled.
Chase was packing his bag when Neil walked in.
"Hey, buddy" he grinned. "Little early, aren't we?"
He had about a week until he was going to head back to Nashville. Chase's nerves about going home were weighing on him, so he decided to keep his hands busy with something productive. Besides, he knew if he rushed the packing process, he was sure to forget something.
"How about we take a break," his uncle sighed.
Chase's hands stopped moving but he keep his head lowered.
"Come on," Neil said, reaching for his wrist and gently leading him away from the task at hand.
The boys walked over to the couch and sat down.
"What's bugging you, Chase?"
"I just got a text from Lauren. She's moving onto the next phase of the audition."
Neil lit up and slapped him on the back.
"Was there any doubt? That girl's incredible..."
"But the auditions begin in July, and I'll already be away."
His uncle rubbed neck.
"Oh...I see."
"I just...I was there to cheer her on the first time and now...I won't be there."
He side-hugged his nephew.
"I get it, dude. You two are so lucky to have each other. I dated in high school, and it was an emotional wasteland. After the making out and..." he locked eyes with Chase. "...erm, never mind. The point is after all of that, we barely talked, and we definitely weren't there for one another the way Lauren is there for you. And you for her."
Chase's phone dinged and he took it out his pocket to check.
"Lauren?" Neil asked.
The teen nodded.
"She just realized the date and that I would be out of town."
Neil put his hand on his shoulder encouragingly.
"This is your moment, man. You like this girl; you care about her?"
"Of course I do," Chase sighed.
"This musical obviously means a lot to her. A lesser man would give her grief, but you need to let her know everything will be okay."
He stared at his phone screen.
"What do I even say?"
Neil cleared his throat.
"For starters, I'll miss you and better call me before so I can wish you all the luck. And tell me how it went."
Chase bit his lip.
"Just like that, huh?"
"Love is best when it's simple. She told you to visit home and now it's your turn to do the same for her."
The long-haired boy took a deep breath and proceeded to type out his words of understanding and encouragement. Chase then hit send.
"Doing the right thing is going to be hard sometimes," Neil explained. "But a special gift you can give to someone who matters to you is the ease to make these decisions."
A few seconds later, Lauren replied with a cavalcade of hearts and an animated gif of two otters hugging followed by an otter holding a sign that says: I Miss You!
"See?"
Chase smiled.
"Part of being in a relationship is being as strong apart as when you're together."
"Thanks, Uncle Neil."
"Anytime."
What had gone down at The Onyx the other day rubbed Jenna the wrong way.
She had not anticipated seeing those girls, or any of the Northridge Vikings for that matter ever again. And the way they piled on her and made it miserable for everyone else.
(Was it true? Did the Dragons fall from grace after I left?)
(Or were those mean girls full of shit? It would be on brand for them, especially Carol or Bethany.)
Jenna decided to look up the official social media page for the Pitney Dragons and boy...the comments were brutal. She got more alarmed the further she read from previous posts. Game after game, it didn't look good. It was one thing to lose but they were losing by a wide margin. Out of all 30 games last season, they won 5. A couple were lost by forfeit because they actually ran out of players. Not surprisingly, they didn't make it to the playoffs.
Her head was spinning. This made absolutely no sense to her. Sure, they were a motley crew in the locker room but on the court they dominated.
"What happened?" Jenna pondered out loud to herself.
She drifted back to the old gang and was getting a wee sentimental.
Jenna opened her drawers, tore into the closet, checked under the bed; but she couldn't find it.
"Come on, where are you?"
"Hey, what's up?" asked her dad. "Looking for lost treasure?"
"No..." concern in her tone. "Can't find my yearbook from sophomore year."
Gary was all shoulders.
"Maybe your mom came across it the other day."
(That's right! Mom cleaned. Please tell me she didn't throw it away!)
"HEY, MOM?" Jenna shouted.
"Just a second!" came the echo downstairs. "I'm not running up these steps unless someone's dying!"
A bit out of breath, Miranda acknowledged her husband and poked her head in Jenna's room.
"You bellowed, sweetie?" she huffed in a sardonic voice.
"Um, mom; did you see my old yearbook? From Pitney, last year?"
Miranda leaned against the doorframe, clicking her tongue.
"Doesn't ring a bell, babe. What color was it?"
"It was royal blue with white and gold letters," Jenna replied. "I know I had it because some of the girls signed it..."
"If you're asking if I threw it out, I didn't."
Jenna continued to search around her room, not doing the best of jobs putting things back as they were.
Gary and Miranda exchanged glances.
"You're sure, mom?"
"Jennifer!"
The former jock froze in place, hearing her full name at a high register.
"I don't remember throwing out any books. But maybe it wouldn't be such a question if you did what you promised and cleaned this room!"
"But, mom..."
"Jenna, tap out" her father sighed.
That was his subtle way of informing his daughter that she messed up, mom's on a roll and to avoid further damage: let her cook.
"You swore to me that you would pick up this room," Miranda pointed. "I allowed you to go out with your friends, I worked around your summer part-time job schedule. I'm done!"
"Jenna," Gary joined in. "You are going to be a senior this fall. Next thing you know, you will be an adult. Responsibility is coming like a train. Are you going to lay the tracks or what?"
Miranda held the bridge of her nose.
(Honey, I love you and I'm happy I married you. But your metaphors are exhausting what should be a simple scolding.)
"Okay, here's the deal! You are going to be taking more responsibility for yourself, understand?"
Her mom sighed before going further.
"It will not be mine or your father's job to remind you when to go to work, or to school, or keep track of your assignments, or possessions. Instead of looking for things you misplaced with your mouth by calling us, look with your eyes and find it yourself!"
"Okay?" asked Gary.
Jenna shut her eyes and admitted defeat with a sigh.
"Okay, fine."
They silently left and headed downstairs.
The tall teenager went back to sifting through the room.
Fifteen minutes later, Jenna facepalmed when she realized the yearbook was in plain sight this whole time. Underneath the lamp, which was right beside her bed, was the blue book. God only knows why she stuck it there instead of a shelf or a box in the closet.
"Here we go," she breathed.
In big letters, the cover read: PITNEY HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK, 2029-2030
The former athlete flipped through the pages until she came across her class: the sophomores. In the middle was herself, looking different with her hair draped down over her shoulders. Mother insisted she lose her signature hair bun for the school pictures.
That would be her last picture as a Pitney student. No prom or graduation pics unless they are at Hollywood Arts. Jenna heard of this tradition called "The Prome" but that wasn't important right now. Along the way, she saw the individual portraits of familiar faces: Abby...Tambry...Steph...
(What did Carol mean by "Steph says hi?")
Toward the back where all the sports teams and Jenna stopped when she found the girls' basketball squad: The Pitney Dragons. The mostly tall females centered around Abby, the team captain. Steph and Jenna stood on opposite sides of the group photo; never really getting along outside the game. Steph was fierce but not the most gregarious of the bunch.
And then there was good old Coach Dickinson. He used to manage the boys' team while his wife coached the girls. When she passed away, Mr. Dickinson assumed duties for both teams. He would alternate between the boys and girls, week after week, giving both sets equal attention. Seeing as the girls' team was his late wife's responsibility, he couldn't help but take their training just as seriously. Nobody could fathom how he pulled it off. Jenna swore the man was made entirely of beef jerky and gumption.
Jenna's finger lingered over practically every member of the squad, memories flooding her brain.
"Alright, girls...I'm getting to the bottom of this."