Chapter 14 Sydney - Decisions, Decisions
Chapter 14
Sydney - Decisions, Decisions
A fter Venus and Austin left, my family reconvened in the living room. Abby sat down next to me and took my hand. My parents sat on the sofa, and Brooke took the rocking chair. This felt like an intervention. Brooke clasped her hands in front of her.
“Who wants to start? I know you have questions and concerns.” She surveyed us as she waited.
My mother spoke. “Is this woman legitimate, Brooke? How long have you known her?”
“One hundred percent. We were in Alpha Sigma Alpha together. I don’t run in the same circles with her professionally, but she is the real deal. She rarely takes on rookies, but she’s making an exception for Sydney and Austin. That’s how special she thinks your song is.”
I appealed to my parents. “I need some guidance. I’ve worked to become a music teacher, not a singer. I have zero desire to sing in front of other people. Showcase was the exception. This isn’t what I planned to do after graduation. Principal Lewis told me how impressed he was with my teaching skills. He already offered me a job when school starts in August. ”
“As I told you before, you’re twenty-two now. It’s up to you,” my mother remarked. “I don’t want to steer you in one direction, then have you upset with us when things don’t go the way you expect.”
“Dad?” I watched him and waited. “What do you think?”
“Your mother and I discussed it, pumpkin. You must decide for yourself.” He never had an opinion if my mother had already spoken. It frustrated me, but I wasn’t surprised.
Brooke interrupted. “Sydney, I think you misunderstood what Venus proposed. All you and Austin will do is record the demo. It’s a few days, not a complete career change.”
I thought she was asking me to commit to a different career path. This changes things.
Abby squeezed my hand. “I have an idea, Sissy. Let’s go out together, just us Campbell sisters. Shopping, mani/pedi, and dinner at that crab place you like. How does that sound?” She opened her eyes wide in Brooke’s direction.
Brooke picked up on her cue. “Yes! That’s a fantastic idea! I’m going to freshen up and grab my purse. Meet you both in the driveway in five?” She jumped up from the rocker and ran down the hall to our bedroom.
I rolled my head towards Abby. “All I want to do is take a nap.”
Abby wouldn’t accept no for an answer. “We never get together with Brooke. Let’s take advantage.” Then she shouted down the hallway, “Brooke’s buying dinner!” She turned back to me. “Now grab your purse so we can go have fun!”
They both treated me like royalty all afternoon. We bantered during our pedicures, then tried on silly outfits in the department stores. They bought me three new dresses and strappy sandals at the trendy boutique in the middle of the mall. I usually passed it by because I didn’t think they carried my larger dress size. I bought new eyeliner and mascara at Sephora. Then we capped it off with dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack. Crab legs taste delicious, but they require a lot of work for a little meat.
When we finally came home, I dropped my shopping bags on the floor in my bedroom and flopped onto my bed. How did Abby know I needed that? She always took care of me, even when I didn’t know how to take care of myself. I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling and watching the fan spin. I checked my phone. 9:00 p.m. Hoping to talk to Danny, I dialed his number .
“Hello, gorgeous. What’s up?”
“Did you work with Austin today?”
“Yes. We worked until eight, then I drove him out to the farm to drop off his mom’s car. We got back about ten minutes ago. He told me about the meeting at your house. Something on your mind?”
I sighed. “I don’t know. I thought my parents would give me advice, but they weren’t super helpful. Austin and I decided to talk to Professor Nelson tomorrow morning during his office hours.”
“That’s a good plan. Will you let me know how it goes? For selfish reasons, I don’t want you to leave. I know we’ll probably go our separate ways when I report for basic training in August. But I thought we had time before we talked about the future of our relationship.”
“How could you have known this would happen? I don’t want to have that conversation either. Statistically speaking, long-distance relationships usually go the way of the Titanic, a slow drowning. I don’t want to sign up for that. Do you?”
“Not at all. I like you, Sydney, and I care about you. I can see us together, but it’s a mighty big expectation to wait four years while I defend our country out on an ocean. That’s even if I manage to make it home in one piece.”
“I agree. Whew! That’s a relief!”
“If I may be so bold, I wouldn’t mind having more hot, horny sex before we part ways.”
“Agreed. I’m tired. Good night, Danny.”
“Sweet dreams, Hot Stuff.”
Abby popped her head in the doorway. “We’re going to play Pictionary. Parents versus kids. You game?”
“Absolutely!” I rolled off the bed as I found my second wind and followed Abby.
Austin and I arrived on campus a half hour early and walked down to Professor Nelson’s office. His door hung open. Austin knocked on the door frame and Professor Nelson raised his eyes from his daily crossword puzzle.
“Good morning, Mr. Mitchell, Miss Campbell. What brings you to my door this early in the morning? You foiled my plan today. ”
I raised my eyebrows. “Should we come back another time?”
“Not necessary, Miss Campbell. I like to make my office hours as early as possible. If a college student rolls out of bed this early, then it must be important. I hope you’re not here for a vote recount.” He smiled as he set the puzzle on his desk and gave us his attention.
We sat down in the chairs next to Professor Nelson’s desk, and Austin took the lead. “Something happened to us yesterday. We want your perspective.” He gave him the details of our visit with Venus. He listened attentively and asked an occasional question. Once Austin finished, we waited to hear his verdict.
“This is a unique situation, for sure. I’ve taught you both for the last four years. You have grown miles from the freshmen I first met. In the twelve years that I have been hosting the Talent Showcase, there has never been an audience reaction to a performance like you had. With interest from an agent in the mix, I think you have a good chance at having a hit record.”
“You think it will be worth it to go record a demo?” I asked.
He leaned back in his swivel chair and laced his hands together on his chest. “Like your parents told you, it’s not my decision to make. Five, ten, twenty years down the road, is this the moment you’ll regret? If not, then decline the offer. But if you think you will regret it, then it’s worth it to take that chance. The worst thing is that nothing happens with your song. The music industry can be tough, especially when you are unknowns trying to get your foot in the door.”
He stood up and grabbed his travel mug. “I’m going to get a refill from the main office. I will leave you two to talk for a few minutes.”
We sat in silence. Neither one of us wanted to speak first.
I broke the spell. “I think we should do it.”
Austin’s eyes grew wide, and his mouth formed the letter O . “Seriously?”
“Yes, I’m serious. He brought up a good point. I don’t want to regret this. The only way we will know is if we take that leap. I’m used to doing the proper, predictable things because that’s what my parents expect. This, I’m doing for myself.”
His grin got so big I feared his dimples would fall into his cheeks. “You made my millennium! Can I hug you?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. He got out of his chair and pulled me up into a giant bear hug. My feet left the ground, and he spun us around. I worried that he might hurt his back lifting me.
Professor Nelson reappeared. “Hey! No PDA in front of the teacher. Do you want me to lose my breakfast?” He chuckled. “I think you decided. Care to share?”
“We’re going to roll the dice and see what happens.” Austin pumped his fist in the air.
Professor Nelson held up his hand and Austin gave him a high five. “Sit for a minute? I have to tell you something important.”
We all sat. “Remember when we talked about copyrights and plagiarism in class?”
We nodded in agreement.
“The smartest thing you can do right now, before you sign any legal documents with a studio, is file for a copyright for your song. You can do it online. It takes a few minutes and costs sixty-five dollars, last time I checked. Then you have extra protection for your intellectual property in case you fall into any legal entanglements later. And make sure you have an ethical agent.”
“Thank you for your wise advice. I knew we came to the right teacher.” I felt better about this. We both hugged him on our way out.
Our classmates trickled into the hallways. We found an empty classroom down the hall and closed the door for privacy. Austin retrieved the business card out of his wallet and dialed Venus.
“Hi. It’s Sydney Campbell and Austin Mitchell. Can we talk? We have a few questions before we get on a plane.”
Journal Entry
My parents should have learned a long time ago that they don’t stand a chance against the Campbell sisters. We wiped the floor with them in Pictionary. Final score: 25 to 5. I love games and it was fun to be together as a family. Especially since I was the only one still living at home. This week is going to go by too fast, and then I’ll be left missing Abby and, yeah, even Brooke.
It bugged me that Mom and Dad purposely decided they didn’t have an opinion on this major decision. If you can’t ask your parents for advice, who’s left? I hoped they would be excited for us, but I didn’t get that either. How many kids come home and say, “Hey! This song I wrote might be in a movie!” My guess is, not many. It’s not an Olympic medal or the Nobel Prize, but it’s still significant. IMO.
I’m glad Austin and I went to see Professor Nelson. He was way more helpful than my parents. I could tell that Austin wanted to do this. His dream has always been to break into the music business. That’s why he sang at the local opry whenever he got the chance.
Austin told me during a practice session that Wendy would not let him go to Nashville until he graduated with a degree. He has a great deal of love and respect for his mom, so he waited. I only got to talk to Wendy briefly after Showcase, before Danny and Austin whisked me away with our friends. It’s clear that Austin has a close relationship with her, and it made me a little jealous.
I like Danny a lot, and I hoped we could have a committed relationship. We had sex for the first time a few weeks ago. It was tender, sweet, and unsure. We’ve been practicing and getting better at it these past few weeks.
I’m writing this while I should be packing for our trip to L.A. tomorrow. I’m excited to see some place other than the cornfields of the Midwest. It’s difficult to decide what to take. I know it’s hotter there than it is here. I am taking the beautiful dresses Abby and Brooke bought me. Shorts and t-shirts should finish off my wardrobe. My biggest fear is that I will be the fattest person in the room wherever we go. At least we’re flying first class. Now I won’t have to worry about whether or not I will fit in my seat. That’s a relief.
I hope I can get to sleep tonight. I’m excited and terrified at the same time. Venus attempted to reassure me when we talked a couple of hours ago that everything will be fine. Time will tell....