Unexpected Harmony

9. Picnic Panic

Chapter 9

Picnic Panic

“ N o, not like that. Try this.” Aspen nudged Zoey’s shoulder as she sat next to her, changing the placement of her hands on the keys. The lower range sounded odd, but it was the rhythm she was focusing on. “Hear the difference?”

Zoey's nose scrunched up in concentration as she worked on what Aspen showed her. After a few bars, she asked, “Like that?”

“ Na na nnnnnnaa . Hold. Bam. Yes, exactly.” Aspen cheered after she finished the bridge.

“I'm sure the song will be a hit with killer lyrics such as nnnnaa ,” Zoey teased, standing from the bench to stretch her back.

Zoey had finished working on the yard for the day, freeing them to work on music. It was their third session, and they had already completed two songs. Aspen was working frantically on the lyrics, but her mind was jumping all over the place. Having the tune down helped, but she was having difficulty getting back to the mood she’d been in when the notes had first started playing in her mind.

Suspecting her music companion had a little something to do with her inability to find a bad mood, Aspen just continued working on the music and hoped she’d be able to find lyrics to fit.

“I like where this piece is headed,” Zoey remarked, shaking out her arms.

“You seem more comfortable with playing,” Aspen noted, dodging Zoey's arms as she stood from the bench.

Zoey side-eyed the instrument. “I think I've found a better balance with it... For now,” she added after a pause.

The comment didn't make sense to Aspen, but Zoey always sidestepped any follow-up questions she posed, and since she didn't want her to feel uncomfortable, Aspen stopped asking.

“Well, whatever it was, I’m grateful for your help. It’s nice to have someone musically inclined to help workshop some ideas.” Aspen closed the lid to protect the keys. “Can I interest you in some dinner? You’ve got to be starving after pulling all those weeds.”

The soft smile Zoey was sending her way slid off her face when Morgan walked in without knocking.

“Aspen, I'm lining up a few things in the coming weeks—oh, hi.” Morgan directed the icy greeting towards Zoey, who had started gathering her things.

Sighing, Aspen cursed Morgan's lousy timing for the thousandth time. She was sure Zoey was going to give her a yes this time around. With the weekend upon them, she wouldn’t see Zoey for a few days, and the thought of her leaving created a sore spot in her chest.

“I should get going home. Aspen, can I talk to you for a second?” She almost missed Zoey’s soft question but indicated to Morgan that she’d be right back and followed her outside.

“Tomorrow, my family is having this barbecue in the park, and I wanted to know if you'd like to go?” Zoey’s fingers were clasped together, turning white. It looked like she was trying not to fidget.

Thoughts of previous parties passed through her memory, but when she looked at Zoey's calm eyes, there was no answer but, “I'd love to. What do I need to bring?”

“There will be plenty of food. Are you allergic to anything?”

“Shellfish. I even have an EpiPen for it,” Aspen answered right away. Her throat tightened just thinking of the time she was handed a Bloody Mary without knowing it had been made with clam juice.

“I'll keep that in mind and spread the word. But other than that, bring whatever you want to drink, although there will be plenty there. I can either pick you up, or you can meet us there whenever you want.”

The thought of not having to spend a chasm of the weekend away from Zoey was appealing, but having her own transportation was necessary for quick getaways.

“I can check in tomorrow morning if you don’t want to decide right now. And whenever you want to leave, we will,” Zoey offered when she didn’t say anything.

“No, it’s okay, I’d love a ride.” Aspen decided it would be better to get there at the same time.

The smile on Zoey’s face could melt icicles. “Great, I’ll pick you up tomorrow around one.”

“I can't wait. See you tomorrow.” Aspen nodded, watching her traverse the stairs under the darkening sky.

She waited until the truck’s distinct sound started up. The thought of being driven in the large work vehicle made her laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Morgan asked when Aspen walked back inside.

“Oh, nothing.” Aspen waved her hand, making her way to the kitchen. “Have you eaten yet?” She opened a cupboard, bummed to see it bare.

She was either going to have to brave the grocery market again or arrange for a delivery. The thought of throwing away money on a task she could handle gave her hives, but then again, maybe she wasn't capable of it.

“I have a service that delivers food. You can, too, if you weren't so cheap,” Morgan scolded, getting up to help herself to a drink.

“Yeah, yeah.” Aspen grabbed an orange, not feeling like cooking anything.

“There are a few things I have lined up. Another late-night talk show—don't worry, it's local, but I do think you should consider traveling back to New York. That’s where your base is. It’s time to stop hiding here. People are clamoring to talk to you.” Morgan poured a hearty dose of whiskey into the cup and sipped before adding a few cubes of ice. “The album is still going strong. Three songs have hit the top hundred list. We want to ride this momentum.”

The tension in Aspen’s shoulders racked up as Morgan drawled on. Finally, she stopped talking.

“I don't want to go back yet. I like it here. I'll do two shows, but I'm still not ready to run the gauntlet.” Aspen waited for the backlash.

“I get it. You still need a break, and I'm trying to give that to you, but it's also my job not to let you become obsolete. How about going live? Andi is working hard on your social media pages, but your fans want to see you.”

“Maybe. I’ll think about it.” Aspen peeled a slice of orange off and popped it in her mouth, the sweet juices hitting her tongue.

“Well, there is a show tomorrow. I'll con?—”

“No,” Aspen interrupted. “I have plans tomorrow. Any day but then.” There was no way she was giving up spending time with Zoey. She was already looking forward to seeing her outside of her living room or yard.

Morgan's eyes narrowed towards the door, but she didn't say anything more on the subject. “Last order of business. I still want to set you up on a date. I'm telling you, that kind of publicity is perfect for this album.”

“Morgan,” Aspen warned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Fine, fine, you win for now. No date, but I won't drop it.” Morgan slid off the stool. “I should get home. Your fame doesn't manage itself.” She slammed the rest of the whiskey without a reaction and headed towards the door.

“You're not driving, are you?” Aspen asked, ready for peace and quiet after Hurricane Morgan blew out of her house.

“Rideshare, dear. You pay me enough.” Her tone was already slurred as she headed out the door. “I'll be in touch.”

She left the same way she came in, disregarding Aspen's time or what was on her mind. Not for the first time Aspen realized how much she needed to set boundaries to help curtail the increasingly bad behavior.

Plus, the coldness towards Zoey was getting old. She'd have to say something if it got much worse. The thought of Zoey finally relaxed her shoulders. She went to her closet, wondering what one would wear to a family picnic. She picked up her phone and texted Therese with a few options and an SOS for help.

A few minutes later, they were FaceTiming a fashion show. It was fun to pick out her outfit for an event—especially one where she didn't have to pretend to be anyone but herself.

The best idea she’d ever had was escaping the bubble of New York. It felt like Aspen was learning how to let loose and have fun. Not everything had to be so serious after all.

Zoey sat at the piano in her living room, trying out the orchestra piece she'd been working on. Sectioning things out on the piano was the first step in determining whether she had a workable piece. There were a few parts that needed to be rewritten, but it sounded like a solid first draft.

Standing from the uncomfortable bench, she patted herself on the back for being able to step away. The time spent with Aspen was indeed helping her conquer her fear of the pit she could get pulled into. The weekly therapy sessions weren't hurting either.

Smells from the kitchen led her away from the living room, where she found her parents dancing in front of the stove.

“Do you need any help for the barbecue tomorrow?” she asked, feeling guilty when they broke apart. “You know Aspen is allergic to shellfish, right?” She eyed the pot of shrimp shells that would be made into a sauce.

“Yes, Zo, we’ve been properly warned and have taken all the preparations.” Her dad playfully rolled his eyes towards his wife.

“We are aware. We have a large family with many different dietary needs. This isn’t our first party, and we take allergies extremely seriously. We even washed everything before and after.”

“Thanks. She has an EpiPen, so I just wanted to make sure.” Zoey eyed everything, satisfied her family wouldn't accidentally kill Aspen at tomorrow's get-together. “So, do you need any help?” she asked for the second time, plucking a deviled egg from the container and quickly stuffing it in her mouth before her mom could swat her with a wooden spoon.

“No, get out so there will be some sides left tomorrow. Kelsey’s is coming over soon to drop off more ice. You two go get into some trouble. Your mom and I have this handled.” Her dad shooed her out of the kitchen as the doorbell rang.

“What are you doing ringing the bell?” Zoey asked when she opened the front door. Her cousin was standing on the porch, looking towards the front.

“I think someone followed me?” Kelsey said uncertainly, pointing to the darkness behind her.

Squinting, Zoey saw a car drive by, but who’s to say it wasn’t a coincidence. “I don’t see anything. Need help with the ice?” She held onto the doorframe, slipping on her Crocs before strolling to Kelsey’s truck.

In the bed, piles of ice were stacked three deep. “My dad went a little overboard.”

“You think?” Zoey reached over, grabbed two bags, and headed back to the garage. “This should be enough to last the apocalypse,” she joked, entering the code to open the garage.

“Or an Estrada family barbecue. Remember when Uncle Thomas nearly lost his finger last time? All we had left were a few measly cubes. It scarred my dad for life.”

“Oh, right. I forgot about that.” It was around the time when Zoey first started exhibiting signs of mental health issues. Zoey had spent the whole day squirreled away at a table. People had been trying to get her to talk. A few younger cousins even tried to drag her into a game, but she'd been too focused on the sheets before her. Even the screaming over her uncle’s finger accident had barely gotten her to look up.

Two days later, her mom had set her up with a therapist. It had helped enough that by the time she went to college she’d stopped the sessions.

Three trips from the truck and Zoey's arms were freezing. “It's good that Dad got this second freezer, or we wouldn't have enough room for all this,” Zoey remarked, noticing Kelsey's arms had turned bright red. She glanced down at her own, which were numb. With all the yard work, she'd started developing muscles she hadn’t known existed.

“We should have just found a way to insulate the truck bed and kept the damn ice there,” Kelsey grumbled.

“Yeah, but the truck can’t get close enough to the picnic area. You know Theo and I will be breaking down all this into the ice chests tomorrow morning.” Zoey sighed. She'd been excited to spend the day with Aspen but forgot about all the prep work that went into a large party like this.

“Speaking of which, there should be four more chests in the front. Don't let me forget them before I leave.” Kelsey slumped against the truck before jumping back. “Damn, that's cold.” She wiped her brow. “So, how are you doing? Not in the general sense that strangers ask, but the real one from someone who knows what happened and cares about your well-being.”

Zoey took stock of everything that had happened the last time they hung out. “I’ve been helping my mom with her work. There’s this yard I’ve been working on pretty much on my own. It’s not what I want to do forever, but I think it’s been good for me to get out of my head and work a different part of my brain.”

“It’s definitely working on your body. I haven’t seen guns like these on you in…ever.” Kelsey lightly punched her arm.

“Yeah, I've enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Plus, the client doesn't hurt things any.” Zoey's eyebrows rose and fell.

“Ooh, do tell. She's a hottie, huh? Is she famous?” Kelsey slumped down in a foldout chair in the garage.

“Very.” Zoey hid a grin as she rearranged the last of the ice to fit in the freezer.

“Hottie or famous?” Kelsey asked, crossing her legs.

“Yes,” Zoey responded teasingly, leaning against the freezer.

“Fuck you. Stop being coy, tell me.” Kelsey sent the bird her way.

“Okay, fine. I’m only saying this because she’ll be at the picnic tomorrow, and I don’t want it to be a big deal. But it’s Aspen Lake.”

Zoey wished she had thought to cover her ears before her cousin started yelling.

“Get the fuck out of town! You’ve been working on Aspen Lake’s yard?” Having stopped screaming, Kelsey finally asked a coherent question.

Not wanting to get into how Zoey had indeed been working on more than her yard, she just chuckled at her cousin’s antics.

“And she’s going to be coming to the party? Wait, so I get to meet Aspen Lake? Oh boy. That is… I haven’t prepared.” Kelsey shot up from the chair and started pacing.

“If you can get your act together, I might pass your way with her in tow. But you need to get all your intense-ness, or whatever this is, out of the way right now.” Zoey slapped her on the back.

“Okay, okay. I'm cool. This is cool. Tomorrow, I get to meet Aspen Lake. Damn, this is better than Christmas.” Kelsey bounced around the garage. “I'm good. Everything is fine.” With supreme effort, she pulled herself together.

“I’d think since we have a few famous people in our family you’d be more under control. It shouldn't be hard to pretend she's our cousin Joseph or Aunt Meredith, or even Grandfather,” Zoey added, grabbing two sodas from the garage fridge and handing one over to Kelsey.

“It's so different. Those are people we've grown up around. I don't think of them as anyone but our family. This is someone I've listened to since I thought it was edgy to have an all-black outfit. I feel like I’ve grown up with her.”

Zoey laughed, holding out her soda to cheers her cousin. “I don't know what I'd do without you.”

“Let’s hope you never have to find out.” Kelsey grinned. “I’m glad you’re doing better. You look good. Those dark circles under your eyes have gone away.”

Hanging out with her cousin was exactly what Zoey needed to take her mind off of tomorrow's party. She had to agree that it was like Christmas, and just like when she was a kid, she later found it hard to settle down enough to sleep.