Along for the Ride

by Rachel Meinke

To my surprise, Ms. Matthews sang along with all the songs, smiling and dancing the entire time. She was truly their biggest supporter.

  After their set I offered to take her back to their dressing room, but she refused, saying that she wanted to stick around for Connor.

  Connor’s set went flawlessly, including “Illusion,” when he successfully disappeared off the stage, and “Shades,” which was perfect now that he didn’t have a wobbly chair to contend with.

  “Your brother is incredibly talented,” Ms. Matthews said, once he left the stage. “That was amazing.”

  “That’s not the end,” I said, with a smile.

  The crowd began to chant for an encore, the lights still off on the stage and in the arena. Then the spotlight came up on Mackenzie, and the crowd went crazy.

  The song went beautifully. It was like everybody was on top of their game tonight, even Zach.

  “That was spectacular!” Ms. Matthews exclaimed, once the song was finished.

  “Now the show’s over,” I shouted to Ms. Matthews.

  “That was delightful,” she said, as I led her back to Skyline’s dressing room.

  “You liked it?” I asked, knocking twice on their door. I entered the room, where they were all talking and high-fiving each other, still high from the show.

  “I’ll see you guys later,” I said, leaving them to spend their only night with their mom.

  CHARLOTTE, NC

  CHAPTER 23

  For the first time in a while, I wasn’t spending my day with Zach.

  My mom had insisted that we share a mother-daughter day, so we were headed out to get mani-pedis and possibly facials. I had to admit that my skin was in desperate need of a good exfoliation.

  “Don’t take the calluses off my feet,” I said to the pedicurist. “I need those for soccer.”

  “Gross, Katelyn.”

  “You don’t know how long it took me to build these. I rely on them for games.”

  I leaned back in my chair, letting the massage settings dig into my muscles. I let out a sigh of contentment, my eyes slipping shut.

  “We should do this more often,” Mom said.

  “It’s nice to be spoiled sometimes.”

  “Sometimes?”

  “Very funny.”

  My toes were painted with a clear gloss, with my fingernails painted red, white, and blue to match the U.S. team colors.

  “Are you sure you don’t want color on your toes?” the pedicurist asked.

  “They’ll only get ruined during practice and games. Not worth it.”

  She was clearly confused but didn’t ask any further questions.

  “What’s the latest?” Mom asked me. “I feel like I hardly see you these days; you’re always off with Zach.”

  “Nothing to report,” I said, with a shrug. “We like hanging out.”

  “You guys were gone for a full day in Atlanta. I kept checking your location, and you two were always somewhere different.”

  “First off, stop tracking me.” She laughed in response. “And he had this whole tourist day planned, so we went to the Coke factory and then out to lunch, and then spent the afternoon in Centennial Park before doing the Skyview for sunset. And then we had to get back to the hotel for a livestream at eight.”

  “Busy girl these days. As long as you’re happy.”

  “I’m very happy.”

  After the mani-pedi was complete, we were led to another room for a dual facial. I pocketed the receipt for the mani-pedi as we walked; it would be my memento for this tour stop. It wasn’t often I got a spa day with my mom.

  “I feel like after touring for so long, I could use a good exfoliation and deep hydration,” Mom said.

  “My oily skin disagrees with the deep hydration,” I said. “But I could definitely use a good exfoliation too.”

  We laid faceup on the tables, a technician assigned to each table.

  Much like with the pedicure, my eyes slipped shut in contentment.

  I wasn’t accustomed to getting facials, and was very surprised when the technician massaged my face. I quickly realized how much tension I was holding in my jaw and let out an audible groan once it was released.

  “You okay over there?” Mom asked.

  “This is perfect, Mom,” I said. “Thank you.”

  She reached out, grabbing my hand between the facial beds. “I love you, daughter of mine.”

  “I love you too, Momma.”

  I slipped backstage at the arena, trying to be discreet as I kept an eye out for Zach. This was the first time since I’d returned from L.A. that I’d gone all day without even speaking to him.

  He’d texted me earlier, but to honor our mother-daughter day, I hadn’t responded. But after a late lunch and gossip session, we were back in time for meet and greets. And I was dying to see Zach. I peeked out into the arena, where Connor was holding his preshow meet and greet and sound check. I slipped backstage again to avoid the fans, taking the long way back outside.

  I found Skyline’s meet and greet off to the side of the arena. It was outside, in a shaded and cool area. They were in the midst of signing photos and merchandise, much too distracted to notice me slip into line.

  The girl in front of me turned to see who’d gotten into line behind her, a look of confusion flickering across her face. “Excuse me? Aren’t you Katelyn Jackson?”

  Okay, maybe I didn’t completely think my plan through.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why are you waiting to meet Skyline?” she asked, staring at me like I was an idiot. “You’re dating Zach.”

  “It’s a surprise,” I said. “Don’t tell him.”

  She slowly turned back around in line, probably thinking that I was crazy. Which was fair.

  The line slowly inched forward, and I ended up waiting an hour to meet Skyline. I played a game on my phone as I waited, helping to pass the time spent waiting to see my own boyfriend.

  I positioned myself so that I was directly behind Paul, none of the boys taking notice of me as they greeted the girl in front of me.

  “It’s so cool to finally meet you,” she said to Jesse, handing over a poster for him to sign.

  “It’s cool to meet you,” Jesse said, with a smile. “What’s your name?”

  “Anne, spelled A-N-N-E.”

  I wasn’t able to hear the rest of her conversation with the boys, my view blocked so that I could only see Aaron and Jesse. I tried to peek around Paul to get a good look at Zach, and in the process caught eyes with Jesse.

  He was in the process of taking photos with Anne, but that didn’t stop him from letting out a loud laugh, causing Aaron to glance at him in confusion.

  “Just a funny thought,” Jesse said, dismissively.

  And then it was my turn.

  “And what are you doing here?” Jesse asked me, as I stepped up to greet the boys.

  “I’m here to meet you,” I said. “Obviously.”

  “Got anything for me to sign?”

  I glanced around, seeing if there was anything I could grab. And then I held out my arm. “I’d love for you to sign my forearm.”

  Jesse laughed, taking my arm in his hand and scribbling his name in permanent marker across it.

  I held out my arm toward Aaron as well, who just signed it with a shake of his head. “You know, Katelyn, if you want our autographs all you have to do is ask.”

  “Not to mention that I already autographed all of the posters in your room,” Ross added, as he signed my arm as well. “So I should really start charging you.”

  And then I was face-to-face with Zach.

  He had a sign to the left of him, with the words Vocal Rest written on it in big, bold letters.

  A smile played on his lips as he scribbled his signature across my arm, before leaning in to give me a kiss.

  I heard a few gasps behind me.

  Zach pointed to the Vocal Rest sign, and then pointed toward his phone.

  I nodded. “I was having a day out with my mom. B
ut after the show tonight, if it’s not past curfew, maybe we can grab dinner?

  Watch a movie?”

  Zach eagerly nodded. He pointed to his watch and then phone.

  “You’ll text me after?”

  He nodded again.

  “Are we going to take some pictures?” Jesse asked. “Or are you two going to flirt all day?”

  “I would love some photos,” I said, slinging my arms around Ross and Zach before smiling for the camera.

  I was ninety-five percent sure that Ross held up bunny ears above me.

  “Funny face!” Ross announced, and the boys all cracked up before doing as they were told. The next few minutes were spent with each of the boys, aside from Zach, shouting out different faces to make.

  “Okay, time to move along,” Ross said, shooing me away. “You two can text later. We’ve got a few more people who want to play charades with Zach.”

  I waved good-bye before heading back to Connor’s dressing room, excited for another lazy date night.

  This time Zach came over to my hotel room and my mom agreed to a curfew extension, with conditions. We had to leave the door cracked and use separate covers if we were going to lie in bed.

  I’d ordered Zach chicken noodle soup from room service. He’d made it through most of his set at the show, but they’d had to cut it short due to Zach’s voice being unable to hold out.

  Jesse had let Zach come over with strict vocal rest instructions.

  I’d promised to take care of him, and although I could tell Jesse was skeptical, he didn’t question any further. And now we were back to watching Netflix while eating room service food, half cuddling while also keeping an eye out for my ever-present mother.

  The last thing I wanted was for my mom to catch us making out.

  “It’s so rude when Netflix asks me if I’m still watching,” I said, as I confirmed that we were, indeed, still binge-watching while grubbing out.

  I rested my head on Zach’s shoulder as he lightly ran his fingers through my hair with one hand, using the other hand to sip his chamomile tea.

  Conversation wasn’t needed as the two of us sat in content silence, my arms half-wrapped around him as he massaged my scalp.

  As the episode ended, I heard a clunk noise. I turned to see that the tea had fallen off the edge of the nightstand. There hadn’t been anything left inside, the cup hitting the floor and rolling.

  Zach’s gaze was focused on the teacup.

  “How did that happen?” I asked.

  He didn’t answer, not that I expected him to out loud. But he didn’t acknowledge my question, either, continuing to stare at the dropped teacup.

  “Did it slip off?” I asked.

  No response.

  “Zach?”

  I cupped two fingers under his chin, turning his face toward mine. “Zach, are you okay?”

  He blinked a few times, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. Something didn’t seem right. My heart raced as I sat up on my knees, snapping my fingers. “Zach? Can you nod? Show me that you’re hearing me?”

  His gaze rested on me, but it was as though he was seeing right through me, his eyes continuously blinking as it seemed he was trying to focus.

  This definitely wasn’t right.

  I fumbled for my phone, my body feeling shaky as I tried to think through my next steps. I immediately called Jesse.

  “Katelyn?” Jesse asked, as he answered the phone. “Everything okay?”

  “I don’t think so. Zach’s not acting right.”

  “I’ll be right there. Do you need me to stay on the phone? Is he saying anything?”

  I held my hand over the speaker. “Zach?”

  No response.

  “No, he’s not saying anything. He looks lost.”

  My hotel room door flew open, an out-of-breath Jesse coming inside.

  “Did you sprint down the hall?” I ended our phone call.

  Jesse nodded as he walked around Zach’s side of the bed, kneeling down next to him. “Zach?”

  Zach reached up and ran his hand down his face, his gaze resting on mine once again.

  I wanted to reach out and hold him, to calm whatever was happening inside of him. But according to the training, I was supposed to stay hands off. So I sat back.

  “Zach,” I said, softly. “Can you hear me?”

  “Bad news is that he’s in your bed, so getting him back to our room will be a bit of a nightmare,” Jesse said, quietly.

  He pulled out his phone, sending a text. “Hopefully Aaron is still awake so he can help me out.”

  “What should I do?” I asked.

  Jesse shook his head. “Nothing you can do. It should only be a couple of minutes tops.”

  Maybe I can’t help what’s going on inside of his brain, but I could at least try to keep him calm. I began speaking quietly to him, in soothing tones. Zach’s hand reached up, and he rubbed it across his eyes.

  “Hey, bud,” Jesse said. “You coming around?”

  Zach slowly nodded.

  “Okay, good,” Jesse said.

  Aaron came to the door, a water bottle in hand. “Ross woke me up.”

  “I’ll need your help getting him back to the room,” Jesse said.

  “He’s not come around quite yet, but you’ll need to take one arm and I can take the other.”

  Aaron nodded, leaning against the doorway. “I’ve got the w-a-t-e-r when he’s ready.”

  Why would Aaron spell it out?

  “We want Zach to say it,” Jesse said, answering my unasked question. “That’s how we know he’s coming to and not just repeating us.”

  Zach raised both arms above his head, before resting his forearms on top of it.

  “You’re okay,” Jesse said. “I’m here. Katelyn’s here. Aaron’s here.

  You’re okay.”

  “Okay,” Zach said, his voice hoarse.

  I’d never been so happy to hear someone speak.

  Jesse reached up, gently lowering Zach’s arms back to his sides.

  “Let’s release some pressure from your head.”

  Zach nodded. “Water?”

  Aaron tossed the bottle to Jesse.

  “Here,” Jesse said, cracking it open for him. “Drink slowly.”

  He took a few slow sips, lightly squeezing my hand.

  “Ouch,” Zach said, handing Jesse the water back. “Hurt my throat.”

  “Oh shit, I didn’t think about that,” Aaron said.

  Jesse waved him off. “How’s the head?”

  “Hurts.”

  I ran my fingers through his hair, wishing that I could rub the pain away. “I’m sorry.”

  Jesse stood up. “Let’s go get some rest, okay?”

  Aaron came over by Jesse’s side.

  Jesse handed me the room key. “We’ll need you to open the door.

  Hopefully I don’t end up having to carry the kid.”

  I climbed out of the bed, shoving my feet into my slippers.

  “What’s your room number?”

  “It’s 416,” Jesse said, as he grabbed Zach’s hand. “Ready, bud?”

  Zach hoisted himself up, stumbling into Aaron. Jesse slung Zach’s right arm around his shoulders, Aaron taking his left.

  “Think you can walk?” Jesse asked. “Is this enough?”

  “Yeah,” Zach said.

  The four of us made our way down the hallway, very slowly. I held the door open for the boys, and they got Zach into bed.

  “That’s your bed,” Aaron said to Jesse.

  “Doesn’t really matter right now.”

  I pulled back the comforter, making sure Zach was comfortable.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, bending down to kiss his forehead.

  “Please get some sleep.”

  “I’ll walk her back,” Aaron said to Jesse. “You good here?”

  Jesse nodded as he eased down onto the other bed. “I’ll call you if I need anything.”

  “I’m coming back,�
�� Aaron said. “You need sleep.”

  Jesse didn’t respond, but it was clear that he wasn’t budging.

  “Thank you, Katelyn,” Jesse said, as I turned to leave.

  “I don’t really think I did anything,” I said, with a bit of a forced smile.

  “You kept him calm,” Aaron said. “You haven’t seen Zach when people get upset after his seizures. Remaining calm and speaking in a slow, soothing voice is the absolute best way to ensure that it’s as smooth as it can be.”

  I felt like they were saying that to appease me, but I nodded anyway. “Thanks.”

  “See you tomorrow,” Jesse said.

  Aaron walked me back to my room, where my mom was waiting.

  “Did Zach go back to his room?” Mom asked.

  Aaron and I exchanged glances.

  “Yeah,” I answered. “He wasn’t feeling well.”

  “I know he was on vocal rest today,” she said, with a bit of a frown. “I hope he starts feeling better soon.”

  “Thanks again, Katelyn,” Aaron said. “See you tomorrow.”

  I waved good-bye as he headed back down the hall.

  “Such a nice group of boys,” Mom said.

  I leaned into her, my heart feeling heavy. “I know.”

  Mom bent down and kissed the top of my head. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Just tired.”

  “Get some rest, then. It’ll be an early morning to head out on the bus, but you can go right back to sleep once we’re loaded up.”

  “I will. Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you too, Katie.”

  She closed the door as she left, and I flopped down in my bed.

  My eyes were heavy, but my body was wired. I couldn’t sleep without knowing that Zach was okay.

  NEW YORK, NY

  CHAPTER 24

  In the city that never sleeps, I felt like a walking zombie. I hadn’t been able to sleep at all, my mind replaying the events of the night.

  When I’d sat back in that epilepsy training, I was concerned about whether or not I could help Zach on my own during a seizure.

  And now that I had seen what it looked like, my mind couldn’t comprehend what had happened. One second we were watching TV, and the next it was like he had checked out. And if it was terrifying for me to witness, I couldn’t imagine how it felt on Zach’s end.