Interview Of The Hart
Riley settles into the couch, turning the TV in and flicking the channels until she lands on channel 9. Her dad and Auggie had just went to the batting cages and she promised she'd be there right after she watched the Hart To Hart interview.
Auggie loved sports just as much as any other teenage boy, but he had preference to baseball and soccer, much to Riley's disappointment. She had hoped he would develop her love for basketball, but at least he didn't choose football. It was her least favorite sport; there wasn't much action, it was a very slow places game, and she didn't understand it very well, anyways.
The commercial ends, opening up to a pretty black woman in a professional-looking, blue and white dress. She flashes the camera her whitest smile and then launching a into a speech about Hart to Hart, starting from their roots, then to their first tour and album, and then, finally, introducing the band themselves and sitting down for the actual interview.
"So," the lady says, leaning in as if she had a secret to tell. These interviews were always a little over the top, Riley thought, but then, she understood, it made for good entertainment. "It's been almost six months since Mason left the band and you replaced him with Miss Isadora Smackle. How are you enjoying playing with these guys?"
Isadora, who Riley knew preferred to go by Smackle, gave a tiny smile. "I enjoy playing with Maya and Isaiah very much. They have become like family to me."
Smackle was awkward and a little unsure, Riley noted. But she knew she wouldn't have done any better being in front of a live, national audience.
"So they have," the interviewer says, turning to Maya. "And miss Hart, we hear you wrote a lot of songs on this new album. Tell us about that, what was the process like?"
Maya nods, pretending like she's hanging on he interviewers every word. She could go in to acting if music hadn't worked out, Riley thought with a laugh.
"Yeah, the first album we were just starting out, and Mason was like the main writer." Maya says, "Mason and I met in New York and we just really hit it off, but then we went to California, like most people who have dreams of making it big, and we were playing a bunch of different gigs, small things, and we felt like something was miss."
Maya looked at Zay, and the two shared a heartfelt moment before Maya continued. "We were like, we need a drummer. So we were gonna hold an audition, but Zay came up to us while we were out and was like, hey I know you, I heard you at The Crystal Cafe, I love your sound. And he said he'd love to play with us some time, and the rest is history."
Maya laughs, realizing she hasn't even answered the question. "Sorry, anyways, obviously Mason wasn't here to help write, so I kind of though, hey, I can try this, it can't be too hard. And it wasn't, you just take from experiences, whether they're your own or someone else's, and you out them to music."
The interviewer seems pleased. Maya was a natural interviewer, Riley could tell. That's why Hart To Hart concerts always got rave reviews, even if she had never been one to herself. Even through videos on YouTube, she always seemed so personable. Except, know one knew the real Maya. But after meeting her and even just after this interview, Riley wanted to know her even better.
They continue with questions about the tour ("I don't wanna give too much away," Maya says, voice getting slightly quieter, "but there may be pyrotechnics involved!), their love lives (all single, all looking to mingle), and the next album ("We aren't even finished dealing with our second one!" Zay says, mock exasperation) before wrapping up the interview and Riley heads to the batting cages.
---
"Okay, elbows like this," Cory demonstrates, pretending to throw an imaginary baseball bat, "and then follow through."
Riley had decided to pitch to Auggie while he swung, but she wasn't very good at it. Sports just weren't her thing, but she liked them, as much as she sucks.
Riley tosses the ball up slightly with one hand, catching it each time it comes down, for a total of three times, the pulls her arm back, aims, and flings it as hard as she can. It curves and hits the wall and Riley grimaces, "Sorry..."
Auggie throw the bat down, rolling his eyes. "Okay, I know dad isn't much better than you, but I think I'd better luck hitting his slow balls."
Cory pretends to be offended and Riley laughs, taking a seat on the bench. After a few minutes Cory joins her, and they watch Auggie and two other boys throw around the baseball.
"So," Cory finally says, "who is this friend of yours? Your mom tells me she was staying at a hotel?"
Riley chews on her cheek for a moment. "You know that band I like, Hart to Hart?" Riley waits for Cory to nod, then continues, "Well the lead singer is named Maya. And I met her on the subway."
Cory nods, wrapping an arm around his daughter,
"I really like her," Riley says, then adds, "she seems like a good friend." Which wasn't a lie, she did like Maya. And Maya did seem like a good friend. But maybe there was something more to it.
"Well I'm glad you've found a good friend."
Riley gives her dad a thin smile.
---
The next morning there's a knock at the door, and Riley yells to her parents that she'll get it. She trudges to the door, opening it through bleary eyes. It takes a moment to register, but standing right in front of her is Maya Hart.