“Yes. But that doesn’t make us good.”
She just laughed.
I’d tried to organize my suitcase when the trip started by clothing articles, but this far into the tour, it was hopeless. And of course today was the day I needed something other than Limitless Apparel running shorts and a tournament T-shirt, which seemed to be my entire wardrobe.
I managed to find a pair of high-waisted black shorts and a cropped, gray tank top. I locked myself in the bathroom as I got ready. There was knocking on the bathroom door as soon as I stripped off my pajamas.
“What are you doing?” Connor yelled.
“Go away!”
He let out a loud groan. “I need to use the restroom!”
“It’s a girl emergency.”
There was a moment of silence outside the door. “Oh. Okay.”
I did my usual makeup routine, adding a pop of color with my chapstick.
“That’s your definition of an emergency?” Connor demanded, as I came out of the bathroom. “Actually getting dressed?”
I knew that if I tried to explain, it would lead to more questions.
Questions that I didn’t want to answer, that I didn’t know how to answer. “Shut up, Connor.”
He surveyed me for a moment. “What’s the special occasion?”
“What are you talking about?”
He gestured toward my outfit. “You’re not wearing running shorts, for one. And your shirt is cropped.”
Connor never notices what I’m wearing or what I’m doing. Why today, of all days? “I’m just getting dressed.”
“Where are you going?” he asked, as I pulled on my black Vans.
“Out.”
“With Zach?”
“No, with Skyline.”
“Which includes Zach.”
I looked up to see a teasing smile stretching across Connor’s face.
“You like him!”
“I thought you needed to use the bathroom,” I said, as I pushed past him toward my mom.
“Katelyn likes Zach!” Connor sang, dancing around the narrow hallway.
“Katelyn likes who?” Dad asked, coming out of the back room and heading toward the bathroom.
“Nobody,” I snapped, giving Connor a warning look.
Connor burst into laughter, collapsing on the floor.
“I want to file a petition for a new family,” I muttered, as my mom stood up from the couch.
“Sit,” Mom said, gesturing toward the couch. “They’ll be here any minute.”
I did as I was told, my mom twisting my hair into braids.
“I swear, if your hair isn’t in a ponytail, it’s in braids,” she said.
“You’re going to break your hair.”
“Alex Morgan still seems to have hair, so I think I’ll be fine,” I said, referring to my favorite soccer player.
A knock came on the tour bus door as my mom wrapped the last hair tie around the second braid.
“Perfect timing,” she said, taking a step back from me. “Now go.
Have fun. Stop thinking so much.”
“What great mom advice.”
She kissed my forehead before opening the tour bus door for me.
And Ross then held open the taxi door for me.
“Welcome!” Jesse called from the front seat.
“Thanks.” I climbed in.
Both Ross and Aaron were on their phones. Zach was asleep.
He’d balled up his hoodie and was using it as a pillow against the window. I leaned back in my seat as the taxi started off onto the main road.
“What have you been up to this fine morning?” Ross asked, looking up from his phone.
“Nothing much,” I said, answering Jenica’s text about my flight.
We were originally supposed to get to Los Angeles around the same time, but Jenica’s flight had been delayed. Which meant that we wouldn’t be able to share a taxi along with our nerves and excitement.
“Your morning run then?” Aaron asked.
“What?” I asked, turning to face him. I know for a fact that I’ve never mentioned my morning to run to the boys. “How do you know that?”
“This is our sixth tour stop with you,” Ross said, laughing. “We know a lot more than you give us credit for.”
“Like what?” I challenged.
“Like how you only eat the yellow Sour Patch Kids,” Aaron said, eyes glued to his phone.
“Or how you order a side salad practically every night from the place that delivers our pizza,” Ross said. “But you still eat the pizza too.”
“Or how your entire wardrobe consists of soccer T-shirts and running shorts,” Jesse said.
“That’s really freaky,” I said. “And that last one was a little hurtful.”
“Today it’s different,” Jesse pointed out.
I looked around at the guys. They were all wearing jeans and graphic shirts, except Zach. Zach was wearing a pair of black sweatpants and the familiar thin, white T-shirt. The taxi pulled up to the destination, and Jesse reached back to shake Zach a bit.
“I’d get out of the explosion zone,” Ross warned, before ducking out of the car.
Zach rubbed his eyes for a few moments before looking between the two of us and then at the recording studio, putting the pieces together.
“Let’s hop to it!” Jesse announced. “We have the space for only two hours.” He turned to me. “We already laid down all the instrumental tracks, and today we’re just completing the vocals so we don’t need long.”
Zach grunted before climbing out of the car, letting out a yawn.
“Good morning,” I said to Zach.
“Morning,” he answered, his voice hoarse from sleep.
We went back to the space that the boys had rented.
“Hey, guys,” the guy at the console said, nodding at Jesse and Zach. He tilted his head at me, confusion written across his face.
He was a bit on the heavier side and had obvious laugh lines etched on his face. He had a little stubble on his face, as though he’d neglected to shave for a couple of days.
“And who’s this?” he asked.
“Katelyn, this is our sound engineer Terrence,” Ross said.
“Terrence, this is our friend Katelyn.”
“Nice to meet you, Katelyn,” Terrence said, waving at me. He turned to face the guys. “Zach, my man, you look like you could use some caffeine.”
“That’s the understatement of the century,” Zach grumbled.
“Oh great,” Ross muttered. “We got Mr. Grumps-a-lot.”
Zach glared at his brother.
“Good thing I have a green tea for you,” Terrence handed Zach a hot mug. “I’ve got you, my man.”
“All right, let’s set up,” Aaron said to Jesse and Ross. “Join us in a few, Zach.”
Zach sat down on a couch and sipped the tea. “Thanks, Terrence, it’s good.”
“Katelyn, right?” Terrence asked once the guys were inside the recording room. I nodded, taking a seat in one of the empty chairs.
“How do you know these boys?”
“I’m Connor Jackson’s younger sister.”
“Ah, you’re one lucky girl. These are four of the best guys I could ever want to work with.”
Zach interrupted the conversation by laughing. “You’re so full of it.”
“Shut up and drink your tea,” Terrence called over his shoulder.
“I finished it,” he said, standing up. “Thanks again.”
“No problem, kid.”
“What’s the name of the song?” I asked Zach.
“It’s called ‘L.A. Sunshine,’” Zach said. “I think you’ll like it.” He headed into the recording room. Terrence clicked his tongue as he leaned over the engineering equipment, having a quick conversation with the guys adjusting the machines.
The microphones came to life as the boys pulled on headphones.
The sound was open, so we could hear what the guys were saying in the recording booth.
&n
bsp; “I can hear you, Ross,” Jesse said.
“We heard your fart,” Aaron added.
“Disgusting,” Zach said. “We’re locked in a room together. Go fart outside.”
“Are you boys ready?” Terrence asked.
“If I can sing through this stench,” Zach muttered, shaking his head.
“Suck it up and get started,” Terrence ordered. “We don’t have too much time.”
The next couple of hours flew by. It was a very surreal moment to be sitting in a studio with my favorite band, watching them record a brand-new song. And it was hard to process that this was actually happening.
Throughout the recording process, it was seemingly obvious that Zach was having a hard time. He continuously missed his count ins, was off the beat, and fumbled over the lyrics. And by the look on Jesse’s face, this wasn’t an everyday occurrence.
“That was a piece of work,” Terrence said, once they finally finished recording.
“I get it,” Zach muttered, ripping off his headphones.
“Don’t egg him on,” Jesse said, grabbing a Coke out of the refrigerator. “It’s been a long session and he didn’t come in with a great mood.”
Zach came out of the recording room, stress lines creased along his face.
“Take a load off,” I said, patting the seat next to me.
He sat down next to me, letting out a long sigh.
“Give me a few minutes here,” Terrence said. “And then you guys can hear a rough cut of the final product.”
“That’s so cool,” I said.
“Do you ever go to the studio with Connor?” Ross asked.
“No,” I said. “He’s in his tense mode when he’s at the recording studio, and I don’t want to be around that.”
“His tense mode?”
“Like stressed-out and hyperfocused.”
Ross thumbed in the direction of Zach. “Sounds like somebody we know.”
“I can see you,” Zach said pointedly.
“All right,” Terrence announced, turning to face us. “For your listening pleasure, here’s a rough cut of ‘L.A. Sunshine.’”
After witnessing the hard work that went behind the recording of the song, it was satisfying to hear the end product. The song depicted a girl who was a little quirky, a little stubborn, but had a heart of gold. And who resembled the L.A. sunshine.
“You’re the man, Terrence!” Ross said, reaching over to high-five him. “That sounds so good.”
“It really does,” Zach grinned.
“Now that Zach confirmed my opinion,” Ross muttered.
“I sent you guys the file,” Terrence said. “I’ll keep working on it over the next couple of days and send you the finished product.”
Jesse and Terrence started going over timelines as Aaron called for the taxi.
“We have to be back for sound check,” Aaron said. “And Katelyn has a flight to catch.”
“What did you think?” Ross asked me, as we walked out.
The fangirl poured out of me before I could stop it. “The overall beat is sick. And the line about two passions aligning into one?
Absolutely brilliant.”
“Glad you liked it,” Ross said. “As our biggest fan and all, your opinion is valuable.”
I resisted the urge to facepalm as I let out a groan, Ross clearly pleased with himself at my discomfort.
“Taxi’s here, pick up the pace!” Aaron called out. “We’ll get killed if we’re late to sound check again.”
My mom sifted through my duffel bag, double-checking that I’d packed everything I needed before heading to the airport. Once a momager, always a momager.
“Did I pack up to your standards?” I asked, as she zipped my duffel bag closed. “Is it Candace Jackson approved?”
She gave me a pointed look over her shoulder. “I’m your mom.
I need to make sure you have everything you need before you fly to another state and realize you forgot to pack underwear.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Taxi’s here!” Dad called from the front of the tour bus.
With my duffel bag over my shoulder, I headed outside with my mom following close behind.
“Be careful, honey,” mom said, giving me a light hug and a kiss on the top of the head. “Call me when you land in L.A.”
“I will.”
“I hope you have lots and lots of fun.”
It wasn’t the ideal preshowcase speech, but I could tell she really was trying. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Wait!”
Zach and Ross were sprinting toward our tour bus.
“We wanted to make sure we wished you good luck,” Ross said, a bit breathlessly. “Unless that’s bad luck. Then break a leg.”
“I think you’re thinking of theater,” I said, with a laugh. “But thank you, Ross.”
Ross saluted me. “By the time you get back, ‘L.A. Sunshine’
will be released as a single for the whole world to hear. Your seal of approval better be sincere.”
“That’s not what she needs to hear before she leaves,” Zach said.
“She’s busy. Get out of here.”
“Okay,” Ross said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “I can take the hint.”
Zach turned to face me. “Good luck. I know you’re going to do great.” He held out a small box toward me. “For good luck?”
I took the box and opened it. Inside was a crystalized soccer necklace with my number engraved in the center, number two.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed, looking up at Zach.
His usual, confident smile had been replaced by a nervous half smile. “I’m glad you like it.”
I carefully put it back inside the box and gave him a tight hug, which he quickly returned.
“I’ll see you when you get back,” Zach said, tenderly.
“Would you two kiss already?” a voice called.
Zach’s eyes widened, and his face turned bright red.
“Bye, Zach,” I said, laughing. I slipped into the back of the car, still clasping the box in my hands.
LOS ANGELES, CA
CHAPTER 14
I shifted from foot to foot as I stood in line for check-in. We had to wait patiently in the queue to get our informational packets, which told us what room we’d be staying in and had our schedule breakdown. I stepped up to the table, my ID in hand.
“Welcome to the Limitless Apparel Showcase!” The redhead behind the table flashed me a bright, perky smile. “Name please?”
“Katelyn Jackson.”
She leafed through her papers, finding my name and dorm room number. “Right this way!”
The nerves were starting to set in as I followed her down the hallway, realizing everything I’d worked for up until this point was resting on my performance over the next couple of days. The Limitless Apparel Showcase had the power to propel me to the next level in soccer, with scouts galore pouring in and out of the facilities.
I had to be on top of my game at all times, and that alone was enough to make me feel nauseated.
“Your room number is 319,” she said and handed me a room key.
“Have fun!”
“Thanks,” I said, opening the door and heading inside.
She waited for me to get inside before leaving to greet the next set of girls, showing them to their dorm rooms.
I was the first one here, but I knew my bunkmate would be Jenica.
Coach Jefferson had put a bug in the coordinator’s ear to stick the two of us together for maximum performance. Jenica would want the bottom bunk, so I threw my stuff on top before walking over to the window. We didn’t have a great view, staring off at some trees and a parking lot. Part of me wished we could see the fields from our window, but I knew that would only hike up my nerves even more.
The door opened, and I turned, expecting to see Jenica. But in walked Marci Adams. She paused when she saw me, the perky redhead oblivious to the obvious tension that instantly filled the ro
om.
“Have fun!” she chirped, and walked away.
The door closed behind her, and we stood there in an awkward silence.
Marci crossed the room, throwing her stuff on the opposite set of bunks. “What a surprise. The universe must really like to screw with us.”
“Of all people, I end up roomies with you.”
“Feeling’s mutual.”
I took a seat on Jenica’s bunk, leafing through my welcome packet as Marci unpacked. It wasn’t a bad idea, to put some stuff away in the drawers. But I wasn’t going to look like I was taking a hint from Marci. Instead, I pulled out today’s schedule: Dinner at six.
Conditioning from seven until nine.
Lights out at ten.
Getting started right away. I could feel the buzz in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t wait for Jenica to get here to share my excitement.
We were all seated on the turf soccer fields. As far as I could tell, everyone who’d been invited to the Showcase was here for the conditioning. The fake grass was sharp against my thighs, and although the sun had already set, the heat still hung in the air.
There was a tall, well-built male standing next to the goal, an iPad in hand. He hadn’t looked up yet, his eyes glued to the tablet.
“Sunscreen is a definite must for tomorrow,” Jenica said.
“Seriously, my skin might actually burn to a crisp.”
As the time clicked to 7:01, the man cleared his throat, the chattering around the field immediately quieting down. “Welcome to your first conditioning session. I’m Coach Muldenhower, and I’ll be your worst nightmare.” His British accent came out strong as he stared us down, waiting for a response.
“Lord help me,” Jenica whispered.
“You’ll have two conditioning sessions per day. Each of them will be two hours, and each will be so brutal you’ll crawl off the field at the end. Both are mandatory, meaning if you miss one, you have no chances of making the eighteen-girl team chosen on Friday.”
The team of my dreams. “I’m going to die,” I whispered to Jenica.
“I’ll be right there with you,” she whispered back.
“We always start with ten minutes of stretching,” he called.
“Followed by a ten-minute warm-up.”
“There goes twenty minutes,” I said.
“Then there’s thirty minutes of plyometrics, thirty minutes of calisthenics, and thirty minutes of endurance testing. And then we’ll finish with a ten-minute cooldown.” He looked around us. “All of this will be done outside, which means we will take frequent water breaks to keep hydrated. However, keep in mind, this is conditioning, so you don’t want to overdo the water.” He looked at his watch. “We’ve wasted enough time with my intro, let’s get started. Circle up, ladies.”
Along for the Ride Page 11