Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Standing on the grounds and looking up at the Gateway Arch with Trent’s hand in hers was much different than it had been the day before when Bree had been there with her bandmates. She’d been angry at Cat and frustrated at Zach. Now, she was still upset at Cat, but Zach was with her, and she was pretty happy with him.

Especially since he and Shawna seemed to be hitting it off so nicely. The girl they’d met the night before at the club had been a little hesitant to come along with just the three of them, but Bree had managed to talk her into it, and now, after having gotten to know one another over a late breakfast, here they were, getting ready to go up into the landmark.

“Have you been up there before?” Zach asked Shawna.

She shook her head. “I’ve only lived here a few months. Pretty much everyone who lives in St. Louis has been up so many times, they don’t want to go again, so I didn’t really have anyone to visit with.”

“Well, now you do,” Bree said, patting her on the shoulder. She was really enjoying talking to Shawna. She’d told them all about the little town in Georgia she’d grown up in, how her dad had taught her how to play piano, as well as the other instruments she’d listed off the night before. She said piano had always been her favorite.

Zach had caught Bree’s eyes at the mention of Shawna’s passion, and Bree had smiled in return, trying to let him know they were on the same wavelength. It would just be tricky going about making the switch. Unless Cat quit of her own accord, then, it wouldn’t be a problem bringing on whomever they liked.

The trip up inside of the arch was a lot different than Bree expected it to be. They rode a little cart that was sort of like a miniature elevator. The windows were tiny slits, and she swore she could feel the entire building swaying in the wind. Once they reached the top, there was a landing, and they all got out to explore, though there wasn’t much to see. They could look out the windows again, and since it was a clear day, the view of the St. Louis skyline was pretty amazing. Other than that, it wasn’t as thrilling in real life as Bree had thought it would be when she was imagining it in her mind. Still, it was worth the time and something she’d never forget.

Eventually, they boarded the elevator and went back down. Bree was glad to be back on solid ground. “Have you been to the museum?” Shawna asked. “They have some interesting animatronics from Missouri state history.”

Since none of them had done that either, they decided to go, and Bree thought it was interesting. It was sort of like the Hall of Presidents at Disney World, only with historical figures that were important to St. Louis and the surrounding area.

After they had lunch at a local restaurant, Shawna suggested they get ice cream and go for a walk down by the river. That sounded romantic to Bree, and she was quick to agree. Soon enough, she found herself walking hand in hand with Trent as she licked a strawberry ice cream cone. Looking at Zach and Shawna walking next to each other several feet away her, having their own private conversation brought a smile to her lips.

A steamboat paddled by on the river, and she and Trent stopped to watch, his arm around her. “Do you feel like you’ve stepped back in time?” he whispered in her ear.

“No, not exactly. But it is cool.”

He laughed and kissed her cheek. Bree nuzzled against him, happy to have his arms around her. She heard a loud chuckle from a bench a few feet away and glanced over to see Zach and Shawna sitting next to each other, laughing like they’d known each other their entire lives.

“Good call on that one, babe,” she said to Trent. “Now, if we can just get Cat to see that she doesn’t belong in the band and hire Shawna, we’ll be all set.”

“That might not be so easy,” Trent reminded her.

“I know,” Bree said with a sigh. “But… we’ve been lucky so far. Maybe it will continue.” She gave him a smile and turned her attention back to the melting ice cream in her hand. If only problems were so quick to melt away.

***

The moment she sat down on the bus, it was clear to Bree that the others had not had such a good day. Cat had her arms folded and that disgusted look on her face, while the remaining guys who were supposed to have spent the day with her seemed fed up and annoyed.

It would’ve been easier to let it go, but Bree had to ask what their day had been like since she was hoping Cat would call it quits before too much longer. So, she sat down next to Cat and asked, “Did you guys have fun today?”

“No, we did not have fun,” she said, glaring at Bree. “I can’t believe you bailed on me again.”

“What do you mean? I told you yesterday I wasn’t going with you today. I wanted to go up into the arch.”

“You could’ve done that with us yesterday.”

“But I wanted to see it with Trent. What was wrong today?”

Cat shook her head and pressed her fingers to her forehead. “Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it. I ended up leaving before lunch.”

“Really? Wow. That doesn’t seem like much time at all.”

“No, it wasn’t. They’re all assholes. I can’t stand them.”

“So… how are you going to play in a band with them tonight?” Bree asked.

Cat shrugged. “What choice do I have? I’ll tell you what, Bree, as soon as Zach quits, I seriously think we should consider replacing everyone else, too.”

“Are you being serious right now?” Bree asked. “You think I need to replace everyone else in the band?”

“Yes! Replace them with females. That way, we’re sure to all get along.”

“Cat, no offense, but it’s not as if you and I have been getting along the last few days.”

“What are you talking about? Yes, we have. Any problems we’ve had have stemmed from them.” She said that loud enough to get eyes from a few of their bandmates turning in her direction.

“Cat… I am not replacing the entire band. I’m sorry, but I can’t get rid of everyone else because you don’t want to get along with them.”

“Don’t want to get along with them? Bree, I’ve done everything I can to try to get along with them. They’re a bunch of chauvinist pigs!”

“Are you talking about us?” Griffin asked from a few seats away.

“Nobody is talking to you!” Cat shouted back.

“Calm down, Cat,” Bree said. “It’s fine, Griff.”

“No, no it’s not!” Cat spat back. “I was just telling Bree how awful you three were today and how I had to leave before lunch because I couldn’t put up with your bullshit anymore!”

“Well, maybe if you weren’t high as a kite before breakfast,” Chase said.

“What’s that?” Bree had heard what he said, but he had no idea what he was talking about. Was Cat doing drugs? Was that why her behavior and personality were so erratic? Had she been on the phone with her dealer when she’d come out of the bathroom the night before?

Cat glared across the bus at Chase. “Nothing. He’s just being a douche--again.”

“Cat, have you been doing drugs?” Bree was beginning to put a bunch of pieces to the puzzle together.

“No, Bree. Oh, just a little pot. But come on, we all do that.”

“We don’t all do that.”

“It wasn’t pot, Bree. She was smoking meth this morning. She does it all the time,” Dominic said.

“Bullshit!” Cat spat. “Bree, do I look like a meth head to you?”

“I don’t know,” Bree said. “I don’t think I’ve ever known a meth head before.”

“Well, I still have all of my teeth!”

“For now,” Griffin muttered.

Cat spun on him and started yelling curse words at him, but Bree wasn’t listening. She’d already locked eyes with Trent and knew what she needed to do. “Cat, we can’t have someone who openly does drugs of any kind in the band. I know that’s par for the course for a lot of musicians, but not in my band. I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to let you go.”

“You can’t be serious!” Cat exclaimed. “Bree, are you sure you want to do this, right before we take the stage? What makes you think you even have the authority to do that?”

“I definitely have the authority.” Bree folded her arms with conviction. “We’ll be fine. I’ve played all of these songs with just my guitar before and made it work.”

Cat was so angry her eyes were slits. “You’re going to be sorry you made this decision.”

They pulled into the parking lot, and Bree saw Shawna stepping out of the same door as the night before, coming to greet them. “Maybe,” Bree said, “but… I doubt it.”