Something Great

Chapter 2

"Sorry if we're late," Ava apologized boredly. Her eyes searched for a clock only to find that it was just now two thirty.

What the fuck?

"Ah," the woman said shortly, grinning a bit as her eyes ran over the computer screen. "Right. No, you're just in time. You'll take the elevator up to the ninth floor and tell them that you're here to see Charlie."

"Alright, thank you!" Ralley chirped, following Ava over to the elevator. It was quite a big elevator. Probably the largest they'd ever been in. The floor was a peachy marble and the walls were a glossy black with the exception of the upper half of the back wall, which was a mirror.

Pretty pointless, Ava thought of it. You could see yourself in the black walls just as well.

They rode up to the ninth floor in near silence; the elevator music was the only noise. Ralley had gradually accepted that business buildings were usually quiet, but it was still weird. She thought there should be more sound, more signs of life.

The ninth floor was a bit more comforting. A local radio station was softly crooning from the overhead speakers, and Ralley could hear a coffee pot somewhere in the distance gurgling and making other coffee pot noises.

They easily found the desk, where an intern-looking type in olive skinny jeans rolled up to the ankle and a short sleeve denim button down sat leisurely with his Vans-clad feet propped up. How professional.

"Hello," Ralley greeted, trying to treat this boy with as much respect she had the woman downstairs. It was hard as he was eating a bagel and flipping through an issue of Strax Magazine that had her name on the cover.

"How may I help you," he offered with his mouth full, eyes still glued the magazine. Ava coughed loudly. He looked up and his eyes grew wide. He swallowed his food with a gulp.

"Ava Beaumont and Ralley Daniels. Could you please direct us to Charlie," she commanded, leaning over so her arms rested on the tall desk, waiting for him to get up.

He glanced down at Ava's chest before hopping up.

"I'm sorry, ladies. Thought I was on my lunch break," he apologized, obviously flustered by their presence.

Ralley rolled her eyes.

"It's two thirty," Ava stated, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I eat later than everyone else," he bullshitted. "Follow me. Charlie's down this way."

He lead them a round a corner and down a short hallway, occasionally muttering things like, "Didn't realize you were coming in today," or, "I really liked that last album you put out; it was so angsty," and, "I hope you're enjoying Aus," before stopping in front of a door labeled Studio 9.1.

"Thanks...." Ralley said, looking for his name.

"Evan," he told her. "Evan Whitt."

She held in a laugh.

"Thanks, Evan."

Ava pushed the door open and they both waltzed inside, leaving Evan standing in the hallway with his mouth gaping open and checking out their asses.

The first thing they noticed was a white backdrop. The room seemed empty, and there was certainly no Charlie here.

"Well, would ya look who finally showed up," the girls heard from behind them. They turned around slowly.

Ralley couldn't hide the smile on her face so she tried to turn it into a smirk.

"Calum," was all she said, staring at the boy in front of her confidently like she'd been expecting him. It was Calum Hood, her little Twitter buddy. They'd been chatting over the social network since she'd arrived in Australia.