The High Note

by Harmony Jones

  “Naturally,” said Lark with a grin. “After all, it is the family business.”

  “There’s more to it than that,” said Donna, still serious. “I’d want you to sign with me so I can take care of you. Guide you in making good choices. Protect you. Like I’m looking after Ollie, Max, and Teddy. This is a hard business for kids. You know all the horror stories. I would never want you or Abbey Road to end up like some of those poor young stars who took the wrong path because no one was looking out for them.”

  “I won’t,” Lark assured her. “The boys won’t either.”

  “I want you to look at that Hollywood sign and tell me what you see.”

  Once again Lark peered through the chain-link fence at the towering white letters propped on the hillside. From this angle, she could see how flat and narrow they were, not to mention the unsightly grid of metal work that held them upright. Not exactly a pretty sight.

  “They look different close-up than they do from down below in the city,” she said thoughtfully. “From far away they look impressive. But up close you can see that they’re pretty insubstantial.”

  “Exactly,” said Donna. “And as a girl who got an A on her last creative writing assignment, you’ll understand what I mean when I say that your observation is an extremely accurate metaphor for stardom. Like this hike we just took, fame is truly an uphill climb. And when you get to the top, you might discover that it’s a lot less impressive than it first appeared.”

  Lark considered this. “So are you saying you don’t want me to pursue a career in music?”

  “Nope.” Donna shook her head. “I’m just saying I want you to look at the issue from all possible angles and take your time. You don’t have to decide anything now.”

  “That’s what Fitzy said. She told me to stop worrying about what I want from life for a while and wait to see if I can figure out what life wants from me.”

  “Sage advice,” said Donna with a nod. “Fitzy is a treasure, isn’t she? Well, as long as we keep her away from the lima beans, that is.”

  Lark laughed.

  They took another few moments to admire the breathtaking views of Los Angeles, then headed back down the trail.

  “But there is one decision I feel qualified to make right now,” Lark said as they walked.

  “What’s that?”

  “I’ve decided that I’d like to spend my February vacation in Nashville.”

  Donna smiled. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

  “I’ve been working on the new song you asked me to write, and I’ve been having some trouble with it. I think being back in the place where I first fell in love with music might help to clear out the cobwebs so I can write something great.”

  “Sounds like a wonderful plan,” said Donna. “In fact, I’d go with you if I could. Holly Rose is appearing at the Grand Ole Opry that week and as the owner of her record label, not to mention her longtime friend, I’d love to be there.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  When Donna raised her eyebrows and looked at her quizzically, Lark laughed.

  “Oh, right!” she said, unable to believe it had actually slipped her mind. “Abbey Road’s album is being released the following week!”

  Donna nodded. “I really need to be here in town to oversee the craziness leading up to the release. There’s planning the launch party, finalizing the details of the tour, and God only knows what else. I explained it all to Holly. She understands.”

  “Can Daddy and I go see Holly at the Opry?” Lark asked.

  “I’ll set it up,” said Donna, nodding. “It’ll be nice for Holly to have old friends in the audience.”

  “Awesome!” A thrill shot through Lark as she imagined herself in the audience, seeing her former babysitter on the legendary stage where all the greats of country music had played. It wouldn’t be Lark’s first visit to the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, but it would be her first time seeing a performer she actually knew personally.

  “You can call Daddy and let him know your plans as soon as we get home,” said Donna, her expression clouding. “Unfortunately, I’ll be dealing with the ‘I Wonder’ video.”

  “Dealing with it? What do you mean?”

  “It’s a train wreck,” Donna said glumly. “Nobody on the team is happy with it at all. We may have to reshoot the whole thing. Although if the director didn’t get it right the first time, I don’t know why he’d be any better the second time around. Maybe we need a fresh pair of eyes.”

  Lark stopped walking. “Mimi!”

  “What about Mimi?” Donna asked, halting in her tracks.

  “Mimi can be your fresh eyes! Let her direct the reshoot. Or at least contribute. She’s got a lot of cool footage from the day we went shopping with the boys, and she’s a genius at editing.”

  Donna looked skeptical. “I don’t know, honey. Mimi doesn’t have any real experience.”

  “She has plenty of experience,” Lark countered. “The videos she made for my songs are amazing. Just let her show you the mall footage, and maybe brainstorm a few ideas for fixing the ‘I Wonder’ video. Please!”

  “Well,” said Donna, grinning, “it wouldn’t be the first time a friend of yours stepped in to save Abbey Road. Teddy was a godsend. Maybe Mimi will prove to be the same.”

  Lark didn’t doubt it for a minute.

  CHAPTER 12

  The following Friday morning as Lark waited for the school bus, she reflected on all that had happened since her hike with Donna to the Hollywood sign—a mere five days ago.

  Mimi had thoroughly impressed everyone with her footage of the impromptu concert at the mall. She’d been brought in as a “media intern” to help with conceptualizing, producing, and editing the “I Wonder” video.

  Lark was proud of her, but if she were going to be honest, she was also the tiniest bit jealous. Mimi, in her capacity as intern, had been spending most of her after-school free time working with the director, the lighting crew, Jas (the choreographer), and of course, Abbey Road. Ordinarily, Mimi would have been hanging out with Lark.

  Lark missed Mimi. It wasn’t that she didn’t want “I Wonder” to be a huge success; she just wanted a little best-friend time, too.

  But it couldn’t be helped. The video had already been delayed, so things had to move quickly. Mimi was going on a ski vacation to Colorado with her family next week and Donna wanted the editing completed before she left.

  Which was why Lark did not want to miss the bus this morning. She was leaving for Nashville the next day and this would be her last chance to spend time with Mimi for a whole week.

  Mimi had saved Lark their usual seat, but it wasn’t until Lark was halfway down the bus aisle that she realized Mimi was sound asleep! She noted the dark circles under her friend’s eyes, and understood that all the late nights Mimi had put in on the video had really taken their toll on the budding filmmaker.

  Slipping quietly into the seat beside Mimi, Lark took out her songwriting journal and tinkered with the chorus of “Holding My Hand.” But when the bus driver took a tight corner a little too quickly, she went sliding across the seat and crashed into Mimi, who awoke with a start.

  “Huh? What? W-where are we?” Mimi sputtered groggily.

  “Almost at school,” Lark reported. “I didn’t want to wake you up. You look tuckered out.”

  “If that means exhausted beyond belief, then that’s exactly what I am,” Mimi said through a yawn. “I was up most of the night editing the footage we shot yesterday. But I’m happy to say it looks great. Hey, have I thanked you for recommending me for this job?”

  Lark giggled. “Only about twenty trillion times.”

  “Well, let’s make it twenty trillion and one.” Mimi threw her arms around Lark and gave her a grateful squeeze. “Thank you again. This has been the most exciting and interesting week of my life!”

  “Thank you,” said Lark. “You’re doing my mom a huge favor helping out like this.”

  Now Mimi eyed the
journal on Lark’s lap. “How’s the new song coming along?”

  “Slowly,” Lark admitted.

  “You’ll get there,” Mimi told her. “You always do. And going to Nashville is going to be a huge help.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping,” said Lark, slipping the journal back into her backpack as the bus pulled into the school drive.

  Lark didn’t run into Teddy until fourth period, when they were both heading toward the science corridor. He looked extremely stressed.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, giving him a sympathetic smile. “Aren’t you excited for February vacation?”

  “Yeah, totally,” he said. “It’s just that there were a bunch of paparazzi outside my house this morning. One of them snapped a photo of my mom when she went out to get the newspaper. Her hair was a mess and she was wearing her old bathrobe. Trust me, she was not happy.”

  “I don’t blame her,” said Lark.

  Teddy managed a smile. “I’m sorry to be such a downer. I know I should be on top of the world right now, with school break, and then the album launch after that. I think I’ll be a lot more relaxed after I get through my science exam. It’s this period. I just hope I don’t find a photographer hiding under the lab table.”

  Lark laughed. “If you did, it would be almost as weird as what happened to me last weekend.” Then, in an effort to make him feel less self-conscious about finding photographers camped in his yard, she proceeded to tell him all about the pushy music executive from Zeitgeist arriving on her doorstep and offering her a recording deal.

  “The guy actually came to your house, rang your doorbell, and offered you a contract?” Teddy said, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “Creepy, huh?”

  “A little, I guess. But also pretty darn cool.”

  Lark gave him an astonished look. “Cool? How is that cool?”

  “Granted, this Baylor dude’s tactics were kind of aggressive,” said Teddy. “And I don’t blame you for feeling uncomfortable about it. But think about it—there are people who spend their whole lives dreaming about getting that kind of break. Most musicians struggle for years, trying to connect with a manager or a producer or a record label, and it never happens. But you’ve got people literally knocking down your door.”

  “I guess it was kind of flattering,” Lark admitted.

  “There’s just one thing I don’t get,” said Teddy as they arrived at door of his science classroom. “How did the guy find out about you?”

  Lark’s heart sank. She’d totally forgotten that Teddy didn’t know anything about Songbird’s YouTube presence.

  Thankfully, she was spared answering his question by the third-period bell.

  “Oh, gosh … there’s the bell … gonna be late for English,” she stammered. “Good luck on that science test. I know you’re gonna crush it!”

  “Wait …,” said Teddy. “How did he know?”

  But Lark was already halfway down the hall.

  “Songwriting journal?”

  “In my carry-on.”

  “Computer and cell-phone chargers?”

  “In my suitcase.”

  “Did you remember to pack your toothbrush?”

  Lark rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mom, I packed my toothbrush. And even if I didn’t, I’m sure Daddy would buy me one in Nashville.”

  “You’re right,” said Donna with a nervous sigh. “Of course you’re right. I’m just feeling a little antsy, I guess. I hate the thought of you being away for a whole week.”

  As they made their way through the airport, Lark shook off the embarrassing memory of fainting in the baggage claim the day Ollie and Max had first arrived from London. The security guard had thought it was Ollie’s smile that had caused her to swoon, but really, it was because her mother had asked her to sing in public.

  It was hard to believe, since she was now actually entertaining the idea of becoming a performer.

  “Are you going to ask Daddy for input on the new song?” Donna asked as they hurried through the departures terminal.

  “Definitely,” said Lark.

  “Good. And have him take you shopping for something cute to wear to the Opry. Or maybe Holly has something you can borrow. You did pack your cowboy boots, didn’t you?”

  “Nope.”

  Donna looked stricken. “Why not?”

  “’Cause I’m wearing them, Mama, that’s why!”

  When they arrived at the security checkpoint, Donna pulled Lark close and gave her a powerful hug. “Safe trip, darling. You be a good girl, hear? And you make sure Daddy takes you to our favorite restaurant!”

  “Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint,” said Lark, her mouth watering just thinking about it.

  “That’s right. Have some ribs for me.”

  “Half slab?” Lark asked, grinning.

  “Well, since I won’t actually be eating them, make it a full slab,” said Donna. “As they say at Martin’s, you might as well go ‘whole hog’!”

  Lark had every intention of doing just that.

  CHAPTER 13

  “Songbird!” Jackson Campbell’s voice rang through the arrivals terminal at Nashville International Airport.

  Lark ran straight for him through the crowd. He caught her and swung her up into a hug, kissing her cheeks and nearly squeezing the breath out of her.

  “Welcome home, darlin’.”

  “Thanks, Daddy. It feels good to be back.”

  As they followed the stream of travelers toward the baggage claim, Jackson reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

  “What’s that?”

  “A little something Garret Givens asked me to pass along,” said Jackson vaguely. “Go ahead, open it.”

  Lark tore into the envelope and gasped at what she saw: a check! For a lot of money.

  “That’s a whole bunch of zeroes, isn’t it?” she said.

  “It’s payment for the lyrics for ‘Divorce Hurts.’ They think it’s gonna be a huge hit!”

  “Wow,” said Lark, still gaping at the number.

  “Any ideas about what you’d like to spend it on?” asked Jackson.

  “Actually, I know exactly what I want to spend it on. I’ll have to make a few phone calls, but I think I have just enough time to make it happen.”

  When Lark told Jackson her plan, he agreed that it was an excellent idea. Then she gave him a quick rundown of what was going on in her life, starting with her writer’s block.

  “It’s so frustrating,” she grumbled as they positioned themselves beside the conveyor belt. “I know the song is in there somewhere, I just can’t get at it.”

  “That’s not such an unusual situation,” Jackson assured her. “It happens to all songwriters now and then. You just need to set the song aside for a while. Leave it be, let it rest. A song is like a doe in the forest. If you go chasing after it, you’ll never catch it. You’ve just got to relax and be still, and let it come to you.”

  “Okay,” said Lark. “That’s what I’ll do, I’ll relax. Oh! There’s my suitcase.”

  Jackson collected her luggage and they were on their way.

  Dear Mom,

  Miss you! Dad surprised me by inviting Brandi and Kayla over to the house for a sleepover (Remember them? We were really close in fifth grade!). It was so much fun. We compared notes on middle school in Nashville vs. LA. The verdict: middle school is torture no matter where you live! I want to invite them to visit us in Cali, okay? Tonight we’re meeting up with Aunt Delilah and Uncle Bobby for dinner at Martin’s Bar-B-Que! Daddy’s already talking about the Catfish Redneck Tacos he’s gonna order! Hope things are going well with the album launch. Don’t work too hard.

  Love, Lark

  Hey Mimi,

  OMG Nashville is just what I needed to clear my head! Daddy and me went camping for a night in the Smoky Mountains. We brought our guitars and played under the moon. You would love the light and the scenery there. You’ll have to come with me sometime. Imagine the videos you could shoot! Speaking of v
ideos, I told my daddy all about Songbird being such a big hit on YouTube and he was super proud … of me AND you, for having such great artistic vision. Hope you’re having fun on the slopes. Miss U tons!!!

  XO

  —L

  P.S. How’s Trevor Yoshida? Wink, wink!

  Hey Max!

  Hope you guys aren’t using up all my good shampoo! How’s superstardom treating you?! Mimi texted me that everybody in Colorado is talking about the upcoming Abbey Road album. Congrats! You really need to come to Nashville ASAP. Music is everywhere! You can smell it in the air and taste it in the water. At night, before I go to bed I have to shake the music out of my hair. You guys would love it here. The whole city hums. Best news EVER: tonight Daddy and me are going to see Holly Rose at the Grand Ole Opry (remember the night she jammed with y’all in the backyard and Aidan tried to flirt with her? Ha ha). We’re going to visit her in her dressing room before the show. I bet she’s nervous, but who wouldn’t be? (Probably Ollie!) I would faint dead away if I ever set foot onstage at the Opry. Believe it or not, I miss you guys! Looking forward to your album launch party the day I get back!

  See you soon,

  Lark

  P.S. Tell Teddy I say hey.

  P.P.S. No, don’t tell him.

  P.P.P.S Okay, tell him, but don’t make a thing of it.

  Lark had been to the Opry before, but never backstage. Tonight she was going to experience the kind of magic known only to the biggest stars of country music.

  “C’mon, Daddy,” she urged, bouncing up and down in the passenger seat of her father’s pickup. “Can’t you drive a little bit faster?”

  “Not unless I want to get a speeding ticket.” Jackson chuckled. “Be patient. We’re almost there. How about a pop quiz to pass the time?”

  “Pop quiz?” Lark frowned. “Daddy, I’m off from school this week! Last thing I want to do is take a quiz.”

  “I think you’ll enjoy this one,” said Jackson. “Okay, darlin’, true or false: the Grand Ole Opry show began as a television variety show.”