Sold Out

by Melody Carlson

  “Yes,” Dad backed me. “He seems the natural choice, and he’s already been doing—”

  “I’d like to hear more of what Chloe’s mother has to say,” said Mrs. Mitchell, her dark eyes flashing.

  “Right.” My mom nodded in her direction as if they had some secret alliance (and maybe they did). “I’m just worried that things are moving too fast right now.”

  “Too fast?” Willy stood and cleared his throat. “Well, maybe you don’t quite understand the nature of the music industry, but fast is just the way they work. Two weeks to negotiate a contract could be a dangerous thing in some circumstances. Another girl band could come on the scene and turn the heads at Omega, and that’s it—” he clapped his hands for emphasis—”Redemption is out on its ear.”

  I saw Allie’s eyes grow wide.

  “Yes,” my dad picked it up from there. “As it is, considering the holiday ahead, we actually have just a few days to figure this out and get it nailed down. So let’s not waste precious time arguing—”

  “I thought we were here to ask questions,” continued Mrs. Mitchell. “I know I have a few.”

  “Honey.” Mr. Mitchell patted her arm. “Let’s give them a chance to explain everything first.”

  “So anyway,” continued Willy, “Omega seems very willing to meet us halfway on just about every—”

  “But what about our attorney?” my mom demanded. And she’s always telling me not to interrupt. I guess working at a law firm makes some people forget their manners occasionally.

  “I thought you were planning to give us a report on your findings,” Willy said evenly. I like that this guy doesn’t get easily ticked. Another good reason to have him as our manager. “Are you going to share his interpretation of the contract?”

  “Yes, but I thought the attorney was going to do the negotiations.”

  Willy frowned. “Do you really think it’s worth paying him an hourly wage to do something we can easily do for—”

  “That’s not all,” my mom continued. And honestly I felt like digging a big hole, just then, and jumping right in. “Our attorney thinks the girls need an agent to represent them.”

  “An agent?” Willy scratched his head. “Well, now let’s see. An agent will take 15 percent, right off the top, and then you add on the attorney, and—”

  “And how much will you take?” my mom locked eyes With Willy.

  “I’m only negotiating for 10, which is below the going rate. But I’ve also gotten Omega to agree to a 50 percent increase in their offer.”

  “Fifty percent?” My dad suddenly stood and gave Willy a high five. “Good job, Willy!”

  “Way to go!” I said from my perch on the hearth, restraining myself from jumping up and down and yelling, “See Mom? Willy does know what he’s doing!”

  “Right on!” said Allie.

  “Sounds like Willy’s got a handle on the negotiations.” Laura’s dad grinned.

  “It’s not all about money,” Laura’s mom said quickly. “I’m worried about the girls touring—”

  “Wow, honey—”

  “Don’t honey me. You know what happened with Christine.” Mrs. Mitchell looked very upset now. I knew that Christine was Laura’s older sister, the one who’d gotten involved in drugs.

  “It’s not fair to hold what Christine did against me,” said Laura. Then she turned to the rest of us. “Just because my sister got hooked on crank, my parents are overly protective of me.”

  The room got uncomfortably silent for a few moments. Then I finally spoke. “Well, we have a similar situation in our family.” I glanced over to Dad, desperately hoping he’d help me out here. “But I don’t think my parents assume the same thing will happen to me.”

  Dad sighed. “Our older son has some problems too, but I try not to let that negatively influence how I parent Josh and Chloe. I try to respect that they are their own people. And so far they haven’t disappointed me.” He smiled now. “If anything they’ve both made me very proud.”

  Way to go, Dad!

  “That’s all well and good,” said Elise, speaking up for the first time. “But my situation is different. Allie’s my older child and she’s only fifteen and-”

  “Sheesh, Mom. You make it sound like I’m in kindergarten.”

  “But you’ve only been in high school for a year.”

  “But I really want to do this.”

  Elise folded her arms across her front, leaned back into the couch, and shook her head. But her face looked so sad that I really started to feel sorry for her. I mean, her marriage had just broken up last year, and she has a handicapped child to cope with, and now her only daughter wants to hit the road. Suddenly I had an idea.

  “Hey. doesn’t our contract include the expenses for a chaperone?” I reminded everyone.

  “And that’s another thing,” said my mom. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I certainly can’t leave my job to go touring with the girls.”

  “I can’t either,” said Laura’s mom. “And I really believe they need a woman to watch over them—that is IF they actually get to do this crazy thing.”

  Trying to ignore that last comment, I turned to Allie’s mom. “How about you, Elise? You’re always saying you hate your job anyway.”

  She brightened for a moment then frowned. “What about Davie? I can’t leave him behind.”

  “What about him?” I asked. “I know I’d love to have him come along.”

  “Yeah, so would I,” chimed in Laura.

  “And I’d miss him terribly if he stayed behind,” added Allie.

  “He could be like our mascot,” I suggested hopefully.

  Elise shook her head. “But he can be such a handful sometimes.”

  “We’ve got a lot of hands,” offered Willy.

  She almost smiled now. “But what about—what do the rest of you think?”

  “I think it’s a great plan,” said Dad. Dear old Dad!

  “I like the idea of having a parent along,” said Mr. Mitchell.

  Only my mom and Mrs. Mitchell remained silent.

  “That doesn’t answer everything,” my mom said—determined, it seemed, to keep dragging her heels.

  “What else is troubling you?” asked Willy in a gentle voice.

  “Legal things, financial things, lots of things …

  Suddenly Laura’s mom stood up. “Well, it is still troubling me that these are just kids!” The words seemed to explode from her mouth. She shook her fist at the men. “And I will not see them exploited like this. We cannot send them out there to be exposed to all the wickedness in the world. It’s just not right. It’s—it’s irresponsible.”

  Suddenly the room went dead silent. Even my mom didn’t respond. Finally, Willy spoke up. “You know, I think we should all be taking some time to really pray about this whole thing. In fact, I think now is as good a time as any to begin. I know I’ve been praying about it myself. I keep asking God to show us His way. But I need to beg your forgiveness tonight. I have been remiss this evening. I should have started this meeting out with prayer.”

  “That sounds like a wise idea, Willy,” said Mr. Mitchell in a calm voice.

  So we all bowed our heads. And I’m sure that Elise and even my parents felt just a little uncomfortable then. (Since I don’t think they have a prayer life to speak of, and according to Allie, Elise doesn’t even have a relationship with God.) But at the moment I really didn’t care if they were uncomfortable. Because the fact of the matter was and still is: This is God’s business. And it’ll never fly if we leave Him out of it.

  After we prayed Willy started in again. This time he quickly went over his notes and concerns without interruptions, and then he invited questions and discussion from the rest.

  Naturally, my mom was the first to leap in. “Okay, it seems to be established that Willy is going to manage the band. And I can see that it’s probably a good thing. He appears to understand the music business better than the rest of us, and it’s clear that
the girls respect him. But would you still like to hear what the attorney thinks?”

  Of course, we all did. And my mom proceeded to read from her notes. And ironically (or not) the attorney’s concerns were almost identical to Willy’s. My dad pointed this out and Mr. Mitchell agreed.

  “Now that you mention it—” my mom set her notes on the coffee table and sat down—”I guess you’re right.” She turned to Willy. “Looks like you’re doing a pretty good job.”

  “Why, thank you.” He smiled at her.

  “But what about this touring business?”asked Mrs. Mitchell. “I can’t bear to have Laura gone for six whole months.”

  “Mom—”

  “Oh, that.” Willy waved his hand. “It’s not six months in sequence. It’s just six months in general. The trips will probably be broken up into a few weeks here and a few weeks there, or perhaps one month on the road and one at home. And Eric even said the girls might not need to tour for the entire six months anyway. Omega just likes to cover themselves legally in case the band becomes really popular and that should happen.”

  “And I assume that the more concerts they perform, the more money they make?” This from Laura’s dad.

  “You bet. Everything is based on percentages. How many CDs they sell, how many tickets they sell—the girls will always get their cut.”

  Mr. Mitchell looked relieved. “I don’t know about you people, but I don’t mind seeing Laura all set for her college and whatever else comes along. It’s an amazing opportunity for all of them.”

  Elise nodded. “I have to agree with you on that. There’s no way I could pay for Allie to go to college with my job as a grocery clerk.”

  “And I do like the idea of Allie’s mother going with the girls,” said Mrs. Mitchell, as if she were finally climbing aboard. “I feel much better knowing a parent will be along.” She glanced at Willy. “No offense.”

  “None taken.” He smiled. “And if it makes you feel any better, I’ll be driving my own little motor home along. It’s not nearly as ritzy as what the ladies will have, but it’s fine for an old bachelor like me.”

  “So are we getting close to an agreement here?” asked Willy.

  I silently prayed that God would do a miracle.

  “It looks like we’re closing in on one,” said Dad. “Should we put this thing to a vote yet?”

  They kicked it around for a few more minutes, then Willy asked everyone to vote. Thank God, it was unanimous. All the parents had come completely around. It really did seem like a miracle after hearing them bicker and argue there for a while. Laura and Allie and I sneaked out and discussed this in the backyard.

  “Whew,” said Allie. “I thought we were going to get the ax tonight.”

  “I thought my mom was going to ruin everything,” I confessed.

  “Or my mom.” Laura shook her head. “I didn’t realize how badly I wanted this thing until it started to look as if it was caving in.”

  “It’s going to happen,” I told them, the excitement creeping back into my voice.

  “This is so cool!” Allie’s eyes were bright. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy before—not in my entire life!”

  And I know how she feels. It’s like things appeared to be going sideways there for a while, and I almost start to lose hope, then suddenly it all changed, and the next thing you know everything was falling right into place. It makes me believe that God REALLY is guiding this thing. And that makes me more excited than anything.

  MAKE US FIT pieces, so many pieces

  how will this puzzle fit?

  all sizes, shapes, and colors

  come together bit by bit

  people, so many people

  how will we get along?

  so different and so separate

  together we’ll be strong

  mold us, form us, make us

  bring us together for You

  so we can give You glory

  today and our whole lives through

  amen

  Sunday, June 29

  I had a great time with Cesar last night. We didn’t do anything really incredible, just burgers and a movie, but it was really fun just being with him.

  Cesar came to pick me up at seven. I had tried on about ten different outfits before he arrived. Now, I know this sounds crazy when my “uniform” usually tends to be worn and torn T-shirts and old baggy jeans. You might be wondering: How hard is that? But I really wanted to look special tonight. So I pulled out a couple of the things I’d gotten while shopping with Beanie last week. (We’ve officially signed her up as our fashion coordinator—it’s actually written into the contract.) Anyway, she’d talked me into a couple of things that at first seemed very un-Chloe-like. But somehow she convinced me and I bought them. So finally I decided on this one top with embroidery and a pair of flare jeans. I guess it looked pretty cool. Cesar commented on how nice I looked. It was kind of fun to dress differently.

  I must admit that I felt nervous. Why is that? I guess it’s because it was a real “date” and it’s official now—we are going out. But I was so relieved when Cesar didn’t suddenly get all mushy and physical on me. The only thing he did was hold my hand during the movies. And that was just so cool. I really appreciate that about him. It feels like he really respects me.

  Now I suppose I thought he might try a goodnight kiss at the door. But instead, he took my hand in his again and just told me how much he’d enjoyed the evening, and then he said good night.

  I felt a weird mixture of disappointment and relief. But after thinking about it more carefully, I am glad he did it like that. And I’m even planning on telling Caitlin about it. It might help her to see that it’s possible to date without going all hot and crazy.

  But here’s what’s strange about going out and not kissing—it makes everything seem way more romantic. Kind of like those old movies where they don’t show too much, but it feels like so much more. It’s hard to describe, but I like it.

  HONOR

  i will honor

  myself

  my belief

  my boyfriend

  my parents

  but most of all

  my God

  i want to honor

  You

  in all i do

  and when i do

  i know

  it will honor

  everyone around me

  help me to

  honor You

  amen

  Twenty

  Friday, July 4

  My dad invited everyone connected to the band (as well as anyone else who we wanted to come) to go out to the lake for a day of celebration, picnicking, and boating. Both Dad and his buddy Ron Stephensen had ski boats there and gave kids turns tearing up the lake.

  After I’d heard Allie and Laura announce that they were inviting Ryan and Taylor, I felt it only fair to invite Cesar. And of course we asked Caitlin and Beanie to come, and Caitlin brought along her little brother, Benjamin. Altogether I think there must’ve been more than thirty of us there. It was so cool!

  We stayed until late, enjoying the fireworks reflecting off the glass surface of the lake. Very beautiful. Cesar held my hand but did nothing else. And I was perfectly happy with that. I noticed Ryan with his arm around Laura, and even him sneaking a kiss or two when they thought no one was watching. I also noticed Allie and Taylor slip away. And this bothered me. But then I thought, well, her mom and little brother are here—as well as the rest of us. I guess I don’t need to worry about her so much. And like she says, she’s “not a baby.” Besides, it seems as if Taylor is nicer than I thought. Maybe I did misjudge him. I hope so.

  SPECTACULAR DISPLAY

  Your love

  is brighter than fireworks

  o my God

  Your joy

  is more spectacular than a shooting star

  Your peace

  is more beautiful than the lake in moonlight

  Your grace

  more refreshing than coo
l water on a hot day

  nothing compares to You

  o my God

  praise and thanks

  I give to You

  my God amen

  Saturday, July 5

  Willy called this morning and said that Omega has agreed, with a couple of minor changes, to the contract that we FedExed to them after our final vote. I called and left messages for Laura and Allie, and then, too excited to just sit around, I went over to the Paradiso to tell Allie in person. But she wasn’t there.

  “Where’s Al?” I asked Mike. “I thought she worked this morning.”

  He shrugged. “I thought she did too.”

  “Maybe she’s on her way,” I suggested. “I know she’s not at home.” Then I noticed several customers waiting for their coffees. “You want a hand back there?”

  He grinned. “You kidding?”

  So I grabbed an apron and started making coffees, thinking that Al would show up at any moment. But by noon, she still hadn’t come. And she hadn’t answered her phone. “We’re supposed to practice at one,” I told Mike as I hung up my apron.

  He nodded. “Thanks for helping. I owe you big-time.”

  I waved my hand. “Hey, you’re the one who gave me my first big break in music. I think I owe you.”

  He laughed, then turned to the next customer.

  Laura was just parking her car in front of my house when I got home. “I heard the news,” she called as she walked over. “I am so glad that part is over with. I kept thinking my mom was going to change her mind and call the whole thing off.”

  “Yeah, me too.” I parked my bike. “Have you heard from Al today?”

  “No, I’ve been at work.”

  “She was supposed to have been at work too, but she never showed. And she’s not at home.”

  “Do you think something’s wrong?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you suppose something could’ve happened with Davie?”

  “Maybe we should try calling again.”

  So I went inside and called Allie’s number and to my surprise she actually answered. At least I thought it was her, but her voice sounded strange. “Allie?”