April 18.

  As soon as many people got wind of what happe the Nike meeting, they dove headfirst ireme sports. A song pyed, and it became a battle of wills, signaling the end of Jerry’s peace. It was the perfect pce for him to lose his cool in the right way. His calm always disappeared when Billy was involved. Ever since Billy’s obse behavior at a high-society event, Jerry had sweated bullets, but thankfully, the kid’s talent and youthfulness didn’t cause too many problems. But at that moment, Jerry was sweating even more as he watched the chaos unfold.

  --You little punk, do you think jumping out of a pne and pying the rebellious boy makes you the biggest idiot I’ve ever met? Is that funny to you? You even sighe damn thing without reading the tract! Do you think I raised you to act like a pig rolling in the mud? Are you out of your mind? Do you even have the fai idea of what you should or shouldn’t do? I’m gonna have to hire someoo teach you on sense! -- Jerry shouted from his apartment in New York, stressed to the point of frustration. Only those who truly knew Jerry uood that he wasn’t fully angry. It was Jerry’s ce that people had to fear. The heat of his temper was just a passing foolishness.

  -Sorry, old man, but I want to jump out of that pne. I saportunity and I went for it,-- Billy said, trying to keep from sounding offeupid, reckless, or anything else.

  or, standio him, couldn’t help but burst out ughing. Billy, now ied by the ughter, tried to stifle his own, but as Jerry’s voied from the speakerphone, both youruggled to keep their ughter under trol. It robably at that moment that Billy realized just how dumb he had been, doing something he really shouldn’t have.

  -Are you ughing?! Do you think this is a game?! The moment I see you, you’ll find out what real madness is. I’ll squeeze you dry like a damn circus ! You’ll have to work your ass off! Fet about parties, fet about gatherings—fet about everything! And when you finally realize just how stupid you are, you ungrateful little brat…- Jerry raged on, but Billy was too busy stifling his ughter. He couldn’t respond because of or, and both of them ended up jabbing each other in the shoulders, trying to keep it together.

  The versation was ed up with Billy and Jerry’s cessions. What did Billy have to give? Attending two interviews in the UK and possibly appearing on a quiz show—which sucked, but it was the only way to get the Nike session done and dusted.

  -Make it worth it. I don’t want it to hurt my market value,- Billy grumbled.

  -Oh, stop whining and do what they ask. Your campaign with Burberry is ready. You’ll o attend a few gas, and you might have to sit through the final matches, - Jerry added.

  -I’d rather watch football! -

  -You’ll attend, and no buts about it! - Jerry roared o time, ending the versation.

  Billy and or cracked up o time. The messy room, with an Xbox game on the bed, was all these young men needed for these long days.

  -That was something, man. I guess in the few days, you’ll have to py your part for the pany. I’m off to California to enjoy the beaches, -- hed, seeing Billy’s sour expression.

  -It’s just a bunch of zy old dudes asking about my personal life—this, that, and the other. It’s those old creeps who don’t even know how to run an interview anymore. And don’t ugh, it’s not funny. It pisses me off that I have to sit there with those idiots in cologne,- Billy pined, hitting a nerve. He hated doing interviews and hated even more having to smile and pretend he liked talking about his private life. Very few people could pull off an interview properly.

  -, dude, st about it. Let’s py. I o practice my drums,- or said.

  -What if we do some sports?- Billy suggested, eyeing or’s look of fusion. One of the biggest problems with or was that he didn’t like sports or anything that involved physical activity. He had terrible eating habits, loved Ameri junk food more than anyone, and had the depressive air of a music artist. The band always teased him about needing to be more active, but or wasn’t built for that—he was built for bad habits.

  or’s drumming was fast, but Billy’s voice was what guided the jam. Some parts were slow, with or using double tempo to fit in 1/4 time vocals, while or doubled the music to 1/8. It was a way to py with the song, adding doubled beats.

  -That was a good one, Carson,- ented or, beating his drum with numerous powerful strokes. Each hit was intehe song was more like a narrative, and Billy had to adapt with his guitar and operatic vocals, pying with the tempos. It was a style that involved singing in different ways... a challenge, but an acceptable one.

  The two boys headed to the garage to py music, p their emotions into the art. Spencer found them amid this musical battle. He loved this kind of exercise, especially now that he had begun his seaster's degree in Ameri folk, Celtic traditions, and the roots of music. Many ideas for song positions were born from his deep study of music, a passion that very few shared, but Spencer loved music as much as he loved his work.

  -Check this out,- Spencer said, sharpening their attention as he introduced the sound of a lute and flute.

  ***

  - I don’t think that boy’s any good, - were the words Avril often heard. Fotten and pletely lost ihoughts, it hurt her for two simple reasons: Billy was just her friend, but the idea of surpassing that boundary was killing her slowly. Sleeping in his arms had bee on, the way she held him at night, the weight of her body against his, how she ran her fihrough his hair and inhaled his st.

  -Sighing over Billy?-- asked Vanessa Carton, a friend of Avril’s. Both were musis and singers and there on the ceiling oster of Billy, one of her guilty pleasures. It was an ad he had done, and he looked so handsome.

  -You’re two years older than him. Don’t waste your time. There are plenty of guys way better than that brat. Mature, desirable, and, of course, better men than that boy, - Vanessa Carton ented, who didn’t have the best retionship with Billy. She had met him briefly and had two impressions of him: a musical genius and a womanizer.

  -I don’t see it that way, but you do...- Avril sighed. --I’m gd you’re here with me. I’ve missed you so much, and you wouldn’t believe how bad things went for me at the Grammys,-- Avril murmured, hugging Vanessa tightly, the weight of the disappoi heavy on her.

  -They say Billy took home six awards,- Vanessa replied.

  -Ughhhh, fet it.-

  The two girls shared some songs.

  -I have a new song that needs a bit of polishing,-- Avril mentioned. Billy's tour was nine months long, and with his new role, which was supposed to be kept secret, there were things they couldn’t talk about. The film industry wasn’t something Avril wao be part of, but now she had this sudden urge to act, to be involved ihing Billy was doing. She couldn’t deny the desire to be part of Billy’s movie, standing in front of the mirror, staring at her imperfes.

  -What are you doing? Sing it already. You’ve been lost in your thoughts,-- Vanessa said, snapping her back to the present.

  ...