The knot unraveled and I relaxed. As long as Cole loved me, it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. I felt beautiful in the dress and it didn’t matter what it cost. At least I had bought it with my own money, money I’d earned through working.
We left shortly afterwards, all walking toward the center together with bodyguards forming a human ring around us. Everybody we passed watched us but nobody tried to get an autograph. That wasn’t a decision made by the boys, but Scott. Plus, it was for security purposes.
All the boys were wearing suits and bowties. They looked so different from the shorts and tees they had been wearing when I saw them last. They truly did know the meaning of going formal, because they wore their outfits with the maximum level of hotness possible.
We walked fast, which was easy for them. My high heels made it a little like torture but we eventually made it. The red carpet started miles away from the building’s entrance. It was completely crowded with celebrities and their entourages. On both sides of the carpet were even more people. They each had microphones and television crews, all ready to get the scoop from those walking by.
The moment Two Dimension stepped onto the red carpet, a scream erupted from fans sitting in stands behind the media. All the boys had their names yelled out by people trying to get the attention of the one they most wanted to look their way.
It was overwhelming to say the least. I’d witnessed the boys’ fame before but I’d never been there with them, right in the thick of things. With everyone wanting something from them, it was so difficult just to stay focused on walking.
But walk, we did.
Very, very, very slowly.
“You look so beautiful tonight,” Cole whispered in my ear, making me smile from happiness. Somehow I’d managed to land myself right in the middle of a fairy tale book.
The boys answered questions thrown at them by the media, they posed for photographs for the wall of cameras yelling their names, and they greeted other celebrities they knew along the way. They were truly professionals, constantly joking and smiling with everyone as they moved.
I was in awe of all of them. When they needed to be a group, I stood out of shot of the cameras. Their publicist waited with me, listening and watching their actions so she could intercept where needed. This wasn’t a social event, it was work, and one wrong step could start a scandal.
A lot of the photographers wanted a shot of Cole and I, so we posed together for a bit. I smiled but I knew I didn’t do as good of a job as the professionals. It felt like I was posing for a prom picture and this was something else entirely.
It was only toward the end of the line that I felt I could actually relax a little. My cheeks were sore from smiling and my feet hurt, but the world hadn’t ended around me. I hadn’t made a goof I would regret later on.
Yeah me.
We only had a few meters to go when it all went so wrong. Ten Minutes of Winter were there, spread out on the carpet so it was all but impossible for us to pass by them. Which was the point, they didn’t want us going anywhere.
“When you are going to realize you’re old news?” their lead guitarist sneered. They formed a line then. It was very clearly a battle between them and Two Dimension.
“Just let us through,” Nick said.
“Why, are you chicken?” They all started to act like chickens and it was really annoying. They were making fools out of themselves but that was probably the point. I could feel the eyes of the world watching from the edge of the carpet.
“What’s your problem?” Reid asked. It was a fair enough question, given the circumstances.
“We have a problem with you,” the guitarist spat out. “We are challenging you right here, right now. If we win Album of the Year, Two Dimension is over. For good. This is our turf now and we want you losers to accept that.”
Reid stepped closer to him, so close they were almost nose to nose. “You don’t scare us, kid. There’s room here for everybody. Now move out of our way.”
They didn’t move.
But Two Dimension did. They barged through, trying not to make a scene but it was impossible not to. Ten Minutes of Winter were making it impossible for us.
The media went crazy with questions but they were all ignored now. We went inside and everyone was barely concealing their anger. If they stayed like this, then the boys outside had won. They couldn’t win, not when they were playing dirty.
“Just shake it off boys,” Scott said. “We have a job to do tonight and we’re not going to let them ruin it. Let’s find our seats and act like the superior band we are.”
The boys all nodded and they really tried hard to not let it affect them.
Not even winning Single of the Year could make them feel better. They went through the motions and pretended to be happy, but their eyes weren’t as sparkling as I knew they should be. They managed to say everything they needed to and remembered to thank their fans in the most sincerest of ways.
I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. They were all really good guys, they’d managed to stay normal and humble in a crazy industry, and now they were being pulled into a scandal they didn’t cause. If it wasn’t something that could affect their careers, it wouldn’t have been as serious as it was.
I excused myself to go to the bathroom and took off when there was a small break for the television ad. That’s when most people moved around so it looked better. When they were back on air, people returned to sitting down and smiling.
The queue for the ladies’ restroom was much longer than for the male bathrooms. I stood in line with some of the biggest names of the international music industry. I had to stop myself from gaping at seeing all the people I’d heard on the radio only a few hours before.
Finally, I made it into a stall. As I sat there, the conversations from those fixing their makeup and hair in front of the mirrors drifted my way.
“Can you believe what she’s wearing? My publicist said it’s a dress from Walmart.”
“I know, right? I mean, if he’s going to bring someone as an act of charity, at least buy the girl a dress.”
“He can do so much better.”
“I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to convince him to move on. You should make your move tonight.”
“It’d be too easy. Just one look at that dress and he was probably wondering how to get out. Stepping in now would be child’s play.”
“I can’t believe her nerve. What was she thinking? This isn’t the school prom.”
“I know.”
I stayed in the stall longer than I needed to while my face burned with embarrassment. I didn’t want to walk out there while they were talking about me. And they had to be talking about me, I’d seen nobody else in a dress that didn’t cost thousands of dollars.
All of a sudden the idea of trying to be a role model for other kids felt stupid. Of course they were still going to look up to the celebrities and want to be them. They would continue to love girls like the ones making fun of me because they never got to see this side of them.
I should have upheld the status quo and just gone with the designer dress. Then they wouldn’t have had a reason to single me out from all the other women here. Nobody would see me as a role model, they’d only think of me as a cheap girl who didn’t belong in this world.
The girls continued on with their onslaught but time was ticking down quickly. I needed to return to Cole before he sent out a search party for me. Apparently hiding until they were done wasn’t going to be an option for much longer.
I unlocked the stall door with heavy trepidation before stepping out and heading toward the basins. All the voices silenced when they saw me and my Walmart dress. They exchanged pointed looks which I pretended I didn’t see.
My hands were taking way too long to dry but I couldn’t rub them against my dress to get the water off them. Even though it was a cheap dress, I still loved it. It was beautiful in my eyes and I wasn’t going to let those girls ruin that for me.
/> I turned to face them when a different voice spoke. “I happen to think her dress is gorgeous and I can’t believe you have been speaking about her so rudely.”
Surely I had to be mistaken about the owner of that voice. Surely it could not be the one singer in the world that I loved more than Cole Newton and Two Dimension.
I spun around on my heels to face them all. Including the little group of girls I had managed to make freeze in the restroom. There was more drama in here than in the award’s hall.
It was her.
Leyla Fast.
She stomped between the group to stand at my side. “Melrose is outrageously beautiful and if she wants to wear a dress from Walmart, there is nothing wrong with that. I commend her for doing it, because there are plenty of people in this room that don’t have the kind of courage it takes to be unique.”
I was speechless.
Leyla Fast, ladies and gentlemen. In the flesh, standing up for me. My life was pretty much complete now. I loved her before but now she was going to be the saint I worshipped.
She turned to face me. Leyla Fast was looking at me. She knew who I was. She knew my name. “Don’t ever listen to people like that. They aren’t the ones who make the rules. You are awesome, Melrose. Never stop being awesome because of people like them.”
She stepped around me and tugged at the door to leave. And just like that, Leyla Fast was gone. She left us all in shock, for different reasons. I took one last look at the girls that I once loved and left the restroom.
As I walked back to the table with more confidence than I ever thought possible, they announced the biggest award of the night – Album of the Year.
It was the biggest deal of the night. Winning was a guarantee of further success. Nearly everyone that won went on to win multiple Grammy Awards at the next ceremony. It was like hooking that brass ring.
I just made it back to the table in time and slipped my hand in Cole’s to let him know I was there for him. All the boys were tense, even more so when their name was read out as a nominee.
Time seemed to slow down while the presenter held the card that would change the lives of the person printed on one side of it. The tension in the air was stiff and electric as everyone waited for the six names to be read out. They clapped politely but the nominees could do little more than force a smile and wipe away the beads of sweat.
Finally, the silent hesitation before the winner was announced. I said a silent prayer for the boys. They’d worked so hard on their last album, they deserved to win.
“And the winner is Ten Minutes of Winter.”
Everyone clapped and some cheered as the boys jumped from their seats and ran up to the stage. I squeezed Cole’s hand but I couldn’t make losing feel any better for him.
It was just an award but it meant so much in the grand scheme of things in their industry.
Something was changing.
In a big way.
I just hoped we didn’t end up as nothing but star dust.
Starlet
Chapter One
The magazines were having a field day. The number of covers showing Two Dimension and Ten Minutes of Winter locked in an argument were mind boggling. Even if I stared at them all day, I would never be able to take them all in.
The bands’ fight was the biggest news to have hit the tabloids in decades. They both claimed to be the best band on earth and were arguing about it openly.
Well, not quite.
Ten Minutes of Winter were doing a lot of talking. They were being interviewed on a daily basis and turning the feud into an all-out war. They kept baiting Two Dimension into saying something in response to their taunts.
When I’d spoken with Cole last, he had told me how difficult it was at the moment. The boys had put their hearts and souls into the band and were now seeing it torn to shred by the newcomers. Ten Minutes of Winter were only after the publicity, and they had decided to take down Two Dimension in the process.
There was room enough for both bands.
But nobody told them that.
Every day that I saw the magazines and online articles, it broke my heart. Both from a girlfriend and fan point of view. I loved Cole and his band, none of them deserved to be going through this band war.
“I hope they’ll all get through this,” Dallas said as she reached for a magazine and started to flick through it. “I mean, I love both of these bands. I can’t live without either of them.”
“You seriously love Winter as much as Two Dimension?” I asked in disbelief. We were supposed to pick a side, not vote for both of them. At least, that’s what they were all hoping for.
Dallas shrugged. “I like their music. They’re cool. You can’t deny that ‘Moonlight Girlfriend’ isn’t the catchiest song of the year?”
“Uh, yeah I can. Have you not heard Two Dimension’s new album? It’s awesome, way better than anything they can produce.”
She nudged me playfully in the ribs. “No, I haven’t heard it yet. I’m not the one dating the lead singer, remember? It’s still a secret until next week.”
My cell phone rang. “Right, sorry. Mind if I get this?” She shrugged again so I took that as permission. Caller ID said it was Cole. A little butterfly flittered across my stomach at seeing his name on the screen. “Hey, honey.”
“Hey, baby girl. How are you?” Cole’s honey voice covered me in a warm and fuzzy feeling. I loved hearing from him, even if he did call at odd times occasionally. Thankfully we’d been in the same country for a while now so I didn’t get those middle-of-the-night calls.
“I’m doing okay. How are you?”
“We’re all just trying to ignore what’s happening. We can’t drop the ball when the album comes out next week. We can’t lose focus on that.”
“Stay strong. Once the album is out, you’ll prove how superior you are. The music will end the war between you.”
“I hope so.” Silence dragged on the line for a moment. “But that’s not why I’m calling. In light of everything that’s going on, Scott has decided that we need a holiday. We have a week off starting right now.”
Now that news was exciting. “That’s fantastic! What are you going to do with your time off?”
“I was thinking about taking my beautiful girlfriend to Hawaii. What do you think?”
I wanted to do cartwheels, I was so excited. Not so much about Hawaii, but because I would get to spend an entire week with Cole. “I would love that so much. But I’ll have to ask my dad first.”
“I know. Tell me how it goes and call me back, I’m dying to get out of here and see you.”
“I promise I will.”
Getting the grocery shopping now seemed so boring, but it had to be done. Dallas and I whipped around the aisles, throwing the things on the list into the cart and then racing through the checkouts.
Dad was home when I arrived. “You have to let me go to Hawaii,” I said.
His brows wrinkled into confusion. “What’s in Hawaii and why should I let you go?”
Oh, right, I’d forgotten about all the details. I explained about Cole’s vacation and his invitation. We were currently on break from school for two weeks and I’d had no other plans besides moping around the house and avoiding seeing my estranged mother.
“Please, please, please let me go,” I begged. I was about two seconds from getting on the floor and really begging him. I would do it, especially for this.
“It’s a long way away, Mel,” Dad said.
“Cole will be with me, you know how well he looks after me.”
“Hmmm, maybe a little too well.”
“Dad, you let me travel around Europe all summer, that’s a lot further away than Hawaii. This is still the same country.”
“But you had adults with you then, the band’s manager.”
I had to bite my tongue before I admitted the band’s manager hated me. I needed my father to believe the responsible adult I always talked about would continue to look out for me in the future
. I may need to tour Europe with the boys again next summer.
It just didn’t help this case.
“Come on, Dad. You know how responsible I am. I’m going to laze on the beach for a week, nothing will happen.” I could feel him weakening but I needed that magic thing, the one thing that would convince him to let me go. “If you let me go, I promise I will return in one piece.” It wasn’t exactly a great argument.
But apparently it was enough. “Fine. But you must call me every night and every morning to let me know what you are doing and how you are going.”
“Deal.”
We shook hands.
I was going to Hawaii.
Chapter Two
I called Cole and gave him the good news. He said he would immediately start making the plans and we could be leaving as early as tomorrow.
“I’d leave right now if I could,” he’d said. We were both so excited about it that I could not wait to see him again. It had been three weeks since I’d last seen him at the Major Music Awards. The time went slowly and quickly all at the same time.
Dad, Jemma, and I all had dinner together. It felt like nothing could dampen my mood. In my mind I was mentally packing, trying to decide what to take to Hawaii. I would have to Google what people wore there.
We were doing the washing up when there was a knock on the door. I went to answer it before Jemma could, the kid had no concept of stranger danger.
I would have preferred to see a stranger on the other side of the door to who was actually there.
Our mother.
If it were me, I would have slammed the door in her face but I had to fight that urge. Apparently I couldn’t keep her out of our lives, not when she had fooled my father into believing she’d changed.
“What are you doing here?” I asked through gritted teeth. It was my standard response to seeing her.
Mom smiled kindly, all happy and bright. “I’m here to pick up Jemma. We’re going to see a movie.”
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