Shelly's plane was to come in the next day in the middle of the afternoon. Jacob had told all of the other guys his plan and what was happening. They didn't want to spoil it for Ashley so they agreed to keep quiet about this as well.
****
The next day in rehearsal, Ashley was just as depressed as ever. All of the guys knew how happy he was going to be. They almost slipped the secret a few times during dance rehearsal. When all of the guys were whispering and pointing at him, Ashley was feeling even more depressed. He thought that something was going on that he didn't know about but obviously should have.
It was just after 1:00pm and they guys were in their vocal lesson. Ashley was now hitting more notes that were either sharp or flat, and was totally missing the harmonies. His vocal coach was finally fed up with Ashley's lousy performance.
"Take a break Ashley. You are getting worse as time goes by. Go outside and clear your head… and you throat!" Ashley walked out of the studio with his eyes glued to the floor.
"Can I take Ashley somewhere for an hour or two?" Jacob asked his coach. "I am positive that his singing will improve 110%… actually, I guarantee it."
"Well, if you think it will help."
"I know it will!" Jacob rushed out of the back door to catch up with Ashley. "Hey, are you OK?" Jacob asked.
"You tell me," Ashley said while kicking the rocks under his feet and looking really frustrated.
"Well I have something for you that I think will make you feel better," Jacob explained.
"If you think it can cheer me up, I've got to see this thing," Ashley replied sarcastically. They both got into the band's car, and Jacob drove them to the airport.
The whole drive there, Ashley had his head down and didn't even notice where he was until Jacob had stopped the car and parked.
"Why are we at the airport?" Ashley asked with curiosity in his voice.
"Oh, you'll see," was all he said with a wide smile across his face. Jacob walked into the airport, with Ashley following close behind.
