Twenty Nine

"Guys, I'm going out. I'll see you two later." I say, removing my army green jacket from a hook by the door and sliding it on.

"Where are you going?" Josh asks as he swings around the corner, leaning sideways.

"Some studio. A guy last night heard me singing and gave me his card, he offered me to come to a studio so they could listen to me sing."

"What's his name?" Josh questions me, letting go of the banister and standing upright.

"Didn't catch it." I tell him honestly, nonchalantly shrugging my shoulders, although this was a huge deal. In just a night I already had an offer for a record label, or at least to perform for one.

"You said he gave you a card, you still have it?" Tyler asks from behind me, making me jump.

"Yeah!" Josh says with his usual smile. "Yeah, what he said." Making me giggle.

"Actually, I think I do." I say as I dig through my jacket pockets, managing to find the crumpled up slip of paper. "The label is..." I begin, squinting my eyes to see the lettering. "It's so crumpled I can't read it. Tyler?" I ask, holding out the paper to him.

He graciously takes the paper, using the corner of a cabinet to straighten out some crumples. Tyler's eyes widen and his full lips drop open as he barely exhales a breath.

"J-Josh look..." He says, holding out the paper for him to see.

"Atlantic Records?!" Josh says in shock, "That's amazing Oli! Do you know how big they are?"

"Not really, but the guy who offered it to me looked pretty fancy." I admit, smiling. "He had a nice walk." Tyler shifts at that, probably uncomfortable by the admiration I offered to another man.

"Walk?" Tyler says quietly.

"Ok." Josh says, holding up his phone to me. "Look at all the artists they have. They are an amazing label."

"Ooh, Melanie Martinez." I say excitedly. "She's an amazing singer!" I exclaim, patiently scrolling and closely reading each name presented to me. "Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Ed Sheeran? What do they want with a backstage singer like me?" I question, furrowing my brows.

"Backstage singer?" Josh repeats.

"I told you, the guy heard me singing." I remind him, my eyes barely leaving the screen to reply to him.

"A guy from Atlantic Records was at our show?" Tyler chimes in.

"Producer," I correct him, "And he said although you two are signed to Fueled By Ramen he still likes to come to your shows. 'In the case of meeting potential new artists' but I think he wants to get you two."

"We're able to have more than one label, Oli." Josh says with a laugh. "Me and Halsey were talking, and she has two labels. I forget the names, but you're able to have multiple."

"I ship you two." I tell him seriously, staring him dead in the eye. I turn around and give Tyler a fragile hug, making sure not to break him. "I'll see you two later, love you two." I say cheerfully, turning and running out the tour bus.~~~I shiver, nervous and of what's going to happen. I have never been to anything like this, I have never been recognized for a talent of mine. Though the warm winds of the large city blows viciously against me, I still stay upright, patiently waiting.

The studio door swings open and a friendly man appears.

"Hey! You Olivia?" He asks, pointing a chubby finger at me.

"Yes, I am. Some guy the other night offered me opportunity to perform at a studio and I couldn't say no."

"Yeah, that's Craig, the chairman of Atlantic." The guy says nonchalantly, like the fact the chairman of a big-shot company means nothing to him. Maybe it doesn't, he's just so professional. Or maybe it does, he just has a great poker face.

I lose all breath in my lungs and my eyes go wide. "Chairman, you said?" I repeat.

"Yeah, big deal, ha. He's cool." The man says with a warm smile. "I'm Ron, by the way. I'm a producer, engineer, and director here. Craig's here too." He informs me, waving his hand and beckoning me to follow him.

"Hey!" The same man from the other night says. Apparently "Craig" shaved his beard. Of course, I have to comment on that. I don't know him well, I just need to make myawkward first impression.

"Where did your beard go?" I ask like I am legitimately wondering.

"It spread wings and flew away." He tells me, his mouth in a straight line. "No, my wife convinced me to shave it. She doesn't like it asmuch as I do." He informs me with a nod. "Shall we get started?"

"We shall."~ ~ ~Over the course of the next two hours, I perform Can't Help Falling In Love by Elvis, Build Me Up Buttercup by the Foundations, and Mrs. Potato Head by Melanie Martinez.

The guys I get to work with seemed pretty excited that I was in the same boat as one of their current signed artists.

"You have a lovely voice." Craig says, firmly shaking my hand before I exit the studio. "I can't wait to do further business with you." He tells me, handing me a CD. "This was you. I bet you have someone to give two of those songs to?" He not-quite-asks me.

I giggle, kindly accepting the CD. "Thank you for this opportunity." I tell him, leaving promptly to wrap the two songs combined in a thin circle of plastic. It would make a lovely surprise for Tyler after the show, when I'm in the shower and he's waiting.

~ᎢYᏞᎬᎡ'Ꮪ ᏢᎾᏙ~

I tiredly climb into the large scale bus, blearily looking around. I am so exhausted, I just finished another day of putting all I have into aperformance and hoping to suffice all of the fans I had to then meet. Fans who spent so much money for an amazing guy like Josh and a boring, unusual introvert like me.

I walk to the bunks, barely able to lift my feet of the ground. Though I wear simple vans, I feel like they tie my feet to the ground. Like I am stuck.

I reach into my bunk, ready to pull myself in and rest as the pattering sound of water drains away my thoughts. This was a peaceful time for me, every night. After a show I'll go back to the bus and lie, listening to Olivia in the shower, her voice humming songs and singing melodies. The sound reminds me of rain, though rain brings storms and bad thoughts, rain might just could wash all my feelings away.

As I bring one leg into the bed, my knee hits a hard object, sending a shock down my leg. I immediately hold onto my knee, curious as to what the sharp object is.

I reach in to find a wrapped, thin square. Simple, blue wrapping paper. On the front is Olivia's signature, adding, 'I chose blue because on a cloudless day you have a dimple-y smile!' I chuckle at that, not quite sure what exactly Olivia was trying to get across, but my idea is probably sufficient. I assume 'Have a good day!' In Olivia's words.

I carefully take apart the wrapping paper, revealing a plain CD in a see thru case.

'Track 1-Track 2-"

It read, leaving me no idea to what they might be. I look around, wondering where I might have a CD player. The music room!

I walk back to the instrumental room quickly, although I feel like my legs could give out at any moment. I rummage through the cabinets on the far left wall, finally able to present a dusty, sphere like machine with oval speakers on each side of the front where all the buttons were revealed.

I carefully insert the CD into its rightful place, closing the top and hitting play. Olivia's lovely voice filled the room, her vocals dropping low and inclining quickly.

'If I can't help falling in love with you.'

I smile at the lyrics I ever so often sing.

'Like a river flows, surely to the sea, darling so it goes, some things are meant to be...'

My lips mouth the words, following along to the angelic voice pumping through the speakers.

'Take my hand Take my whole life too, For I can't help falling in love with you For I can't help falling in love with you'

The song ends and the next begins. At first, I can't quite place the song, although it's extremely familiar.

Finally, the melody appears and I can gladly sing along.

'Why do you build me up, buttercup, just to let me down? And mess me around And then worst of all You never call baby when you say you will But I love you still I need you more than anyone darling More than I have from the start So build me up Buttercup Don't break my heart'

Okay Olivia,I promise I won't break your heart.But can you promise you won't break mine?

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