Billy was doing his job as best as he could, without realizing it, he had bee the talk of the town. The British sensationalism felt like a high sovie about gossip, maybe "Mean Girls" was truer thahought.

  They made headlines of all sorts, even about trivial things, like what he ate, what he liked, and the brand that represented him. Burberry wao work with him, but Jerry pointed out the plications and refused many of the cuses.

  -So, do you think the way forward is indifferend edy? - Billy asked his image sultant. He had a deep versation with Jerry about the dire he should take and even the song he should sing.

  They lined him up for "Top of the Pops," questions, performances, and all.

  -Yes, don’t take the topic too seriously for now… Public opinion is currently in your favor, and if you sing that bar song on today’s show, I think it would be perfect, - said Gilliam.

  -I’ll do it… Thanks, Gilliam, - Billy replied.

  Billy undoubtedly khat image was important, but there was something in him that didn’t allow for fake expressions when his emotions took over. He was a bit of a mess and didn’t want to make things worse. He certainly wasn’t going to nd that Narnia role—well, he was never sidered for it anyway. It was just a silly way of saying that he’d failed in all possible dires.

  Billy ehe versation, and in the room, Avril was waiting… she was lounging in bck pajamas with white stripes, pying PyStation. Billy grabbed a troller, and the two started pying. They liked rag games or "Crash," but they kept going until night fell. They slept ed around each other, the blonde drooling on the pillow or his chest, as messy as she ulling at the bs, tossing and turning, and pouting at the slightest ge. That’s why Billy always had extra bs on hand. He rested for a bit, but around 3 a.m., sleep wouldn’t e, and he cradled the blonde in his arms as she whimpered like a baby.

  But she slept again. He held her close, trying tet the nightmares that haunted him with memories best left behind. But her presence eased those dark thoughts, just a little.

  The warmth was the best way to sleep, now that he was basically trapped in a hotel. The legion of paparazzi outside was overwhelming, and even passing through the lobby had bee a dangerous mission. People would sneak in and snap pictures. At times, their bizarre behavior tested his patience. Fame was a double-edged sword.

  He fell asleep with the thought that tomorrow he had an interview with Pop Art.

  ...

  Pop Art didn’t usually invite rock artists, but the occasion called for it, and the ratings would be through the roof. They recorded in the m and aired at night. Billy wore tight bck jeans, ripped from the ao the knee, and a gold button-up shirt left open to reveal his smooth chest, adorned with two neckces: a hippie symbol and a silver .

  He sported his earrings and the mischievous vibe he was known for. Wheered, he was met with the popur appuse—enhanced by sound effects, of course. The hosts, a man and a woman, weled him. The set was Victorian in style, with wooden furniture and red curtains mimig windows behind them.

  Not far from the set were his instruments, though sadly, his band wasn’t with him this time. The interview was mostly focused on his music. He took a seat as the cameras zoomed in on his face, the profile of a rock star... acc to the test buzz.

  -It’s a pleasure to have you on ‘Top of the Pops.’ Today, we have the sensation of the moment, Billy Carson, who hasn’t stopped creating musid is about to release his fourth album, Castles in the Sky. What you tell us about the meaning behind the title? - asked Augustus, one of the hosts, with Aura sitting beside him.

  -It’s a pleasure to be here, Augustus… Aura, - Billy murmured, opening his arms in a rexed gesture. - I think Castles in the Sky refers to that rebellious part of us all, those moments we experiend wish for—castles in the sky that are unreachable, at least for me, - he said, giving a nod to the cept. Some of his songs this time dealt with sex, al love, and the wild swings of youth, with a few virtual allegories.

  The title was, in fact, about a castle in the sky, just like his album, and like all his previous ones, each tained an imaginary, elusive castle. Making note of this, he gave a zy wave to the camera.

  Several more seemingly random questions followed, all focused on his new album and the two singles he had already released. Now, there was a third, created in a bar.

  -Are your songs based on your experiences? Or rather, what’s your process—experience or inspiration? - Aura asked.

  -Both. Sometimes I just see something that catches my i and decide to go with it... I tend to get stu these themes, but often I need more than just experiences; emotions of some kind usually trigger those sparks of inspiration that hit me like movie subtitles, - Billy expined.

  -A fsh of insight, and you write your song. -

  -Exactly. You sit down, something es to you. I listen to music… most of the time. I’m no expert, but I have great teachers. Sav somethiiful is hard for us. I try to do it whenever I have the time, - Billy added.

  Aura, a woman with dark hair and a sharp nose, had lips that Billy couldn’t help but g, lips made to kiss. He calmed his rising urges.

  -Love is the same way. It’s too beautiful to be overlooked… the way it’s shared, how it fills us. It’s perhaps the purest joy, - Billy said with a wink, casually.

  -Your st song was written drunk in a bar, - Augustus ented.

  -Oh, I guess it was. But that’s the beauty of creation... You take what you need, and you make it yours. The desire to create something is the same as the desire to exist. We want to improve our lives, be better people, raise our status. That’s creation, - Billy said, his tone suggestive, and Aura uood—procreation, love, and desire. The words were deep, though she brushed them aside, but the charm was still there.

  The camera caught Aura’s subtle rea, her bright eyes being even more captivating.

  -I heard you py several instruments. Would you be able to perform for us here, to show the audience your skills? - Augustus asked, clearly angling for a show, which erfect for a program like this.

  -I’d love to, but I’m not great at anything besides the piano and guitar, - Billy replied.

  -They say yuitarist is a music teacher? - Augustus tinued.

  -He is, and one of the best people I know. He taught me how to py music, but I still have a lot to lear es to instruments, - Billy said.

  Although he didn’t firm it, the crew was already setting up a small synthesizer and a guitar, ready for him to perform the song he had prepared. But not before tinuing the interview, which was sted for 40 minutes, with 12- to 15-minute segments.

  -Music as politics. As someoh influence, you have a visible audience… Is that audience meant to see you as a role model? - Augustus asked.

  -I’m no role model for the younger geion. I like to have fun, I hate studying, and I think life should be lived to the fullest… all the opposite of what life is supposed to be, full of responsibilities. Let them n me, - Billy said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  -So, you’re saying you’re not a role model, - Aura chimed in, frowning. - As a public figure, you should be more mindful of that. -

  -Why? I like living this way. If young people want a role model, they should look to their authority figures. If they want to follow my path, that’s their choice. Identity isn’t something you leave to ce. They have to shape their personalities however they see fit. Aside from that, I’ll just tell everyone else to screw off. Screw the uptight ones, screw the liars, screw the hypocrites, and screw those who won’t enjoy their lives, - Billy said with a pyful defia wasn’t just the words but how he said them, with suatural fidehat won the audience over. He filled the space, and the cameras caught his every move—his serious, mischievous expression—leaving behind an impression different from what was expected. Young girls around the world dreamed of being held by this rising rock star, the ash-bloh hair lighter than most.

  -An anarchist ideology? - Augustus suggested.

  -Not at all. I immerse myself in culture and the pleasures of life... The rest is just a story for those who ’t ha, - Billy responded.

  A break was announced, and Billy moved to the stage to perform with his guitar. Without hesitation, he began whistling the rhythm of the song. With his guitar in hand, he recorded a few chords on the synthesizer, expining the steps as he went.

  Using two piano notes and some sharp cps, he readied himself to sing. Before the show, he had left a message on his blog for his fans, letting them know he would be on “Top of the Pops,” with a greeting. His blog, far from being obscure, now boasted 8 million unique visitors per month, and 60,000 hits per day. It was being more successful by the minute.

  An Irish pub song (the rumjacks)

  ?????

  There's a ty map to go on the wall

  A hurling stick & a shinty ball

  The bric, the brac, the craid all

  Let's call it an Irish pub

  Caffreys, Harp, Kilkenny on tap

  The Guinness pie and that cabbage crap

  The ideal addy trap

  We'll call it an Irish pub

  Whale, oil, beef, hooked! I son the holy book

  The only craic you'll get is a sp in the ear

  Whale, oil, beef, hooked! I'll up and burst yer filthy mug

  If you draw one more shamro me beer

  We'll raise the price o' beer a dolr

  We'll make 'em wear a shirt and colr

  We'll fly a bloody tri-colour

  And call it an Irish pub

  Jager bombs and double shots

  The underagers think it's tops

  We'll spike the drinks and pay the cops

  We got us an Irish pub

  ?????

  the urained life, is not the best song in their repertoire, but it is a rock song, full of movement, no matter how you look at it, the strident movement is one of the most important parts of a song.

  ?????

  The quie in the filthy bog

  The partin' gss across the lug

  O' the dy-O, the dirty dog

  We got us an Irish pub

  It's over to me and over to you

  We'll skip along the Avenue

  And who the hell is Ronnie Drew?

  We got us an Irish pub

  Whale, oil, beef, hooked! I son the holy book

  The only craic you'll get is a sp in the ear

  Whale, oil, beef, hooked! I'll up and burst yer filthy mug

  If you draw one more shamro me beer

  Psma ss and neon lights

  Kara-farkin-oke nights

  The bouhey pick the fights

  We'll call it an Irish pub

  Pstic cups, a polished floor

  We'll hose the blht out the door

  Ahe knucklers baore

  We got us an Irish pub

  ?????

  A cut, a quick py, is what the song needs, an unfinished product, whieeds ors, sugar egg, Jack saud Speo give a finished product. – he thought. – the boy making a quick take of his behavior.

  ing an end, he tried to expose the song to something of the feeling of anger.

  the sight of the presenters shaking their necks was enough for Billy, who was shining.

  ?????

  Whale, oil, beef, hooked! I son the holy book

  The only craic you'll get is a sp in the ear

  Whale, oil, beef, hooked! I'll up and burst yer filthy mug

  If you draw one more shamro me beer

  Oh top o' the mornin', Garryowen

  Kiss me I'm Irish, Molly Malone

  Failte, Sinte, Pog ma thon

  We got us an Irish pub

  Spike the pund strip the willow

  Strike me up the rakes o' Mallow

  The Liffey never ran so shallow

  We got us an Irish pub

  Whale, oil, beef, hooked! I son the holy book

  The only craic you'll get is a sp in the ear

  Whale, oil, beef, hooked! I'll up and burst yer filthy mug

  If you draw one more shamro me beer

  ??????????

  ….