HAZEL FINE SINGS ALONG (WATTYS 2022 Winner!)

Chapter 44: One Shot

Hazel sank into her bath with a sigh. Finally, finally, this day was almost over, and she could soak it away and hopefully get some sleep. She'd poured half the bottle of bubble bath that came with the room into the tub and one mini bottle of scotch into a glass and made the water as hot as she could stand it. When she was fully in it, she almost disappeared.

If only someone wasn't knocking insistently at her door.

Go away, she shouted in her mind, but that didn't stop the knocking.

Hazel pulled herself from the tub. She wrapped herself in her robe and went to the door.

"Nick! What are you doing here? Is it Checkers?"

Nick ran his hand over his face. His eyes were tired, and his shoulders drooped. "No, I'm sorry, he's still missing."

"We're never going to find him."

"Don't give up."

Hazel wiped a tear away. "Hard not to."

"I get it. Can I come in?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"It's not for that ... I wanted to ... just let me in all right? I don't want to talk about this in the hall." Nick was nervous. Hazel wasn't sure about what.

She stepped back and let him in. He closed the door and followed her past the bathroom, glancing in as he walked past the door.

"That looks perfect."

"It was."

Nick grimaced. "Sorry to interrupt ... It's just I finished it, and I thought you could sing it tomorrow night."

"Finished what?"

"The song I was working on. The one you were looking at earlier." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of sheet music. "You don't have to use it ..."

"I'm sure it's great." Hazel took the paper. "I'm sorry to be rude. It's ... it's been a day."

"It has."

"Did Georgia tell you ..."

"That she's going ahead with the story?" Nick nodded. "Yes."

Hazel moved to her bed, sitting down on the end, and pulling her robe tighter to her. "So that's it, then?"

Nick leaned his backside against the TV console, facing her. "We'll see. Martin's a snake. Maybe he'll just slither away from all of this."

"He said he wasn't giving me a record deal even if I won."

"Do you want a deal with him?"

"Of course not. But what's the point of all this, then?" Hazel tapped the piece of sheet music against her hand.

"If you win, you'll have other opportunities."

"You so sure?"

"I am." He sighed. "Anyway, I wrote out the chords for guitar as well if you're more comfortable that way. And like I said, you don't have to sing it. If you don't like it, I mean."

"Nick, come on. You know I'm going to love it."

Their eyes met as Hazel said the word love and it lingered there in the air, like it had been written. Hazel felt heated, but that might've been the lingering effects of the bath.

"I really appreciate you doing this for me," Hazel said. "Truly."

"Sure." Nick pushed himself off the console. "I'll let you get back to your bath."

"Okay."

"You'll be great tomorrow. Just get some sleep and it will all work out."

"I hope so."

Nick smiled briefly. "I have faith."

As he stood there, Hazel was certain that Nick wanted to say something else. Maybe she did too, but in the end, she said nothing, and Nick said, "Night, Hazel."

"Goodnight."

He left the room as Hazel swelled with regret. Nick was a good man, maybe not perfect, but who was? Not her, certainly. Hazel wished there was a way to know what it might've been like between them if they met in different circumstances. Would anything have happened? Or was it simply the crucible of the competition that had thrown them together? She was never going to know, and all the lies that lay between were still there, a wall she didn't know how to scale.

That made her sad and disappointed. She didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to have to restrict her life to random hookups on terrible dating apps. She didn't want her parents' life, but something stable, something where she could be herself without having to hide her flaws away—that she did want.

She hadn't been acting like that though. Instead, she careened off one thing to the next, never stopping to think about what she truly wanted or how to get it. Never asking herself whether it was safe or right to want it at all. She should've done better with the choices presented to her. She had to do better in the future if she ever wanted to break this pattern with herself.

But for now, all there was left was the Sing Along. One more day, a few more songs, and then she'd know. Had she done her best? Had it all been worth it?

She unfolded the paper Nick had given her. The song was called "Opportunities." Her eyes scanned the words as they filed with tears.

This is my chance

This stage, these keys

All I see are opportunities

This is my shot

These words, this verse

So full of possibilities

So, I'll play these chords

I'll sing it out

I'll do as I please

I've learned it by heart

There is no doubt

I've got a future to seize

Because this is my shot

This is my life

I want all the opportunities

So, I'll play these chords

I'll sing it out

I'll do as I please

I've learned it by heart

There is no doubt

I've got a future to seize

And I deserve all these opportunities

"Thank you, Nick," Hazel said to the empty room, bringing the paper to her lips as the tears fell, blurring the words.