Billy anting heavily on his cot in the military barracks. They had dowo extra jumps, eae incredibly powerful, eae following the captai instrus, so strid rigid that they’d bee routine. Jack Sauce shifted unfortably in his room, pag bad forth.

  -Stop moving around.- murmured Billy.

  -Sorry, I’m just a bit shocked.- Jack replied.

  -Is it because you couldn’t jump without a safety harness? Or because you embarrassed yourself in front of Kate? The glorious blonde wanted someone daring, but it turns out you’re a coward who’s too scared to jump from a pne.- Billy ented.

  -What do you know about it?- Jaapped.

  -Well, women always want a strong man, and unfortunately, you’re not that man anymore. You’re only strong until you're scared to do something.- Billy added.

  They both turned in their spots, and sooarted arguing, scolding each other, but fortunately, there was a clear divisioweears and the military guys—something about people and separation, a sort of… VIP treatment.

  -You’re a fool. We’re superstars, man. She likes the artist who sings about love and makes her feel things, it’s like you’re making them e alive again. It’s the electricity… that you create by being a rocker. Yuitar or bass is like a mag, and the fidehat’s what makes you who you are.- Billy tinued.

  -What do you mean?- Jack asked.

  -Damn it, Jack. Jumping out of a pne doesn’t make you cool. You have to make love passionately. Another easy way to tell the difference is emotions. Jumping from a pne isn’t any different from a party—dang, and living life—both create emotions.- Billy expined firmly. -So just do what you’re supposed to, do what you want, the way you want.-

  Billy turned his bad fell asleep…

  -You’re always an idiot.- Jack muttered.

  The m, with plenty to do, their training ground had bee their new normal. They were doing physical training again and more jump practices, so intehat Billy sidered it punishment. Jack disappeared that night and didn’t expin much, but training tinued unged. Four days passed, and Billy decided not to answer his phone. May was halfway through, and something about the yacht waiting for him took up spa his mind.

  Leighton wasn’t answering his texts, and their brief romance had fizzled out like a summer storm. Sadly, she lost i after he kissed another woman in publi a strange way. His messages went unread. Oher hand, Avril was intense, sending dirty texts whenever she could—a stark trast.

  The soldiers had bee calmer ohey lost the fear of jumping from pnes. Now, they just looked forward to more aviatios and being part of the elite military unit.

  -This Friday, we could go grab a beer at that pub you keep talking about.- Billy said to Andrew.

  -I think the guys will like it.- Andrew replied.

  ***

  Jerry was deep in thought, refleg on how different things had bee. Warner was o after a call from Barry Meyer himself, a pint about Billy’s treatment and the fact that he wasn’t getting any roles, among other reasons. The call for Billy to participate in a real movie had finally e—a small role in which John stantine, pyed by Keanu Reeves, was the lead. Billy would py a teenager who drove the taxi; not much was required beyond that.

  -Let’s push the project to year. He has a tour, a rec project for a film, and a promotional campaign. But year, let’s hope a good series tires him out of ag. He’s pining, but I’ll put a stop to that.- Jerry Wrexler sighed deeply.

  They tinued as instructed, fulfilling every task on the list.

  -We weren’t aware of the schedule.- someone from Barry Meyer’s office remarked.

  -The kid has a tract with you for Harry Potter, along with promotional work. There’s a European tour scheduled for September and a Latin Ameri tour in November and December through most of the tries. He also has to record a soundtrack for the James Bond film, which might start year. However, these studios give artists time to create their songs, so he’ll have space, but the release of his album is squeezing an already tight schedule. We have a tract that obligates him to produce eight albums. The kid’s already made five, and the tract will double pletely.- Jerry expined.

  -The tract expires after eight albums. What’s the problem?- the assistant asked.

  -It expires in 2008, but we extehe time to retain the rights until 2015. However, he tinue produg albums, but this time, with another bel. But he’ll sign with Atnta as long as I’m around.- Jerry Wrexler said, downpying the matter, but alerting the assistant, and by extension, the directors who now viewed the retionship differently. Everyone knew Elvis, Jimmy Page, and Kurt; they all handled fame differently, and Billy’s path was different too. His music wasn’t trendy, but he was.

  -So, you’ll handle everything then.-

  -I will. Don’t talk to the kid, or he’ll blow it out of proportion. It’s better to stay silent about the elephant in the room.- Jerry said.

  Taking note, Jerry had a flight to catch. He hated flying, but it was necessary to keep an eye on Billy. He visited the pirl whose heart had been broken; she was devastated. Now Billy was with Avril or maybe just pying around. At least his website gave updates on what he was doing sometimes.

  ***

  In a fotten town, where only one room stood along a single main road, it resembled a hamlet, if not for the public building that firmed the popution of 56 people. It was plete tranquility.

  Michael Okcrs, who apanied him, stayed in a guesthouse, exhausted from all his tasks, while a young man snuck out the back.

  -Well… I didn’t know superstars were destio e to our little Worenburght, bring another round… - shouted an older man, amazed he could still stand, Old Stings, a farmer. The restaurant bar-inn, als as the town's unity ter, offered portions of fries aballs by the barrel as a te-night snack. Billy didn’t want to know where they were prepared, but they tasted good with the dark beer. Later, the wife came down and made a meal that the young man generously paid for, even footing the bill for more cider and beer after the first round ran out. While they sang, two meo the city to buy more alcohol.

  -Hahaha, let’s sing, let’s sing a song, - said an old drunk.

  -Make it something worth singing, - murmured Billy, keeping pace.

  Everythio hell when an Irish family arrived, including a beautiful redhead, just as the beer came in, along with rge bags of chips.

  Among the crowd, someone curiously had a video camera and recorded as they sang drunken songs and had a great time. In the U.S., it wasn’t on to see a young guy putting on a show. It became a kind of performaarting with Irish music. He was skilled at singing and recreating any tune, pulling off a cappel rendition with the system helping him along to the song An Irish Pub Song. The day’s noon news showed him jumping over the bar with Andrew, singing the song loudly.

  As they both yelled "Hey!" and the music pyed on, their voices rang strong, and for a poor-quality rec, it sounded fantastic. This video, sold for 200 pounds, loaded to the i by the paparazzo, ter making its way around the web, showing ten minutes of chaos. A guy bang on a bar pletely drunk while drinking a bottle of cider, with Billy waving at the camera as he did an Irish jig he had just learned.

  Two words: foolish and young.

  -Billy, wave at the camera, - said the redhead, Murphy.

  -Cheers to everyone, dies alemen, I hope you get more than 1,000 pounds for this and buy a pig for Christmas, - said Billy, king gsses with Murphy, a seventy-year-old man ughiily.

  -Marry my granddaughter, - Murphy shouted.

  -I’m not that dru, - said Billy, ughing with the kind of charm that brought the entire bar together. It was a wild party, funded by Billy’s 6,500-pound credit limit.

  The evening, Billy uploaded the inal video to his blog to avoid any trouble, along with pictures of the party.

  The military guys lost some face, but it was mostly Ahe other three stayed calm, and when they saw they were being recorded, Gray ordered them to avoid doing anything crazy, though they did dan circles and jump around happily.

  -What nguage are you singing, you madman? - Andrew yelled, dang with Billy. He looked much more sober, though he still liked to drink.

  -I think it’s Spanish, - ehomas, who had taken Spanish csses in school.

  Billy was rapping in Spanish, to the song “Aguante” by Calle 13, while Murphy’s granddaughter, a brave redhead, taught him some Gaelic, even though she was a bit drunk herself.

  They ended up in a drinking petition, with the young guy outsting the bar owner’s son, smashing his gss on the bar and yelling for another round.

  These were the ses cirg online. Warner reparing a campaign to discredit the footage, but the young man had already uploaded it to his blog and refused to take it down.

  ***

  Jerry took a nap until his phone blew up pletely. He was exhausted from the time zone differeil he saw the news. The British media had a field day with Billy. Mick Jagger could only shake his head, but what could the rock spirit say? Billy embodied everythiood against. The media was cm for an interview with the young man.

  -My God, Billy, you’re a damned idiot, - ented Jerry, who couldn’t help but ugh at the kid. The anger wasn’t for Billy; he khat. Scolding that kind of joy is what makes people sing.

  -I’ll hahe press meeting. Billy will attend intervieunishment. On the bright side, let’s make some mohe new album’s already recorded; we debut it in the U.K. first, - Jerry said over the phone, expining to his careless son how to ter the public backsh. Billy wasly a role model for young people, which was the issue. He paused to think.

  -And what idiot sold alcohol to a minor? - Jerry remarked.

  -Well, sir, it wasn’t teically a bar; it was a restaurant. Also, it’s the town’s unity ter for parties and celebrations. The kid didn’t buy the alcohol from a pub; we’re in a gray area here, - Michael Ockrs muttered, having sulted the wyers earlier. The previous night, Billy had gone back to the hotel and snuck out.

  -I’ll be right back; I o take some questions, - Jerry said, fag the press.

  Jerry took an hour to give expnations. Billy’s reputation was on the line, and he only offered a few statements and denials, so elegantly dodging the questions that all the reporters were left with was one clear phrase:

  -The kid’s got an interview in three days, - Jerry remarked, calling o re-evaluate the campaign, positioning Billy as the image of someone rebellious who loves living on the edge. Meanwhile, Billy was waking up with a bit of a headache. For now, he was safe because of the town’s remote location, but ihan an hour, the press would arrive, and Michael advised that they had to leave.

  ...