2. The Concert End
THE CONCERT END
GRAYSON
T he crowd cheers as our band logo flashes over the stage, closing out our concert. The stage goes dark, letting one more flood of red glowing water strike down with silver confetti falling, the curtains shutting.
Finally, I take my guitar off and sit in its stand. “I can eat now,” Charlie says, pulling out his earpiece and turning it off. I remove my earpiece along with everyone else, but my ears feel slightly sore from the two hours of wearing them.
“I can finally take this tight skirt off,” Scarlett says, shimmying a bit to adjust.
“You choose to wear it,” Kenan states, and Scarlett rolls her eyes, probably thinking he responded just like a boy would.
While we close the stage down and put our instruments in their cases, Austin’s wife, Bridgett, welcomes the VIP’s backstage to the greeting room. I make sure to tell the staff my guitar needs to be put in my car so I can take it home as I walk off the stage.
“Good job tonight, guys. Meeting in my dressing room after meet and greets,” Austin, our manager, calls out while making his way across the stage.
Great, another meeting. Lately it’s like we have three meetings a week about something. Most of it is because of our great success: everyone wants to interview us, have us on their show or want tours placed somewhere else. Austin and Golden Star are demanding a lot recently.
“Have you finished the new song?” Charlie asks me as he slings his arm over my shoulders and starts to walk with me off the stage.
“I’m working on it. Just gotta get the last verse down, and then it’ll be good,” I answer.
“Alright, remember we need it in two days, but no pressure,” Charlie reminds me.
“I remember. Two days…” I say. Charlie pats my shoulder and walks off. I head to my dressing room to finally catch my breath.
I run my fingers through my sweaty hair and mark another show off my calendar. Before I leave to go to the meet and greet, I take a seat on my black leather couch, letting out a deep sigh. I need a break.
Another show, another check. Another lonely night is coming up. No time for a pity party, I have fans waiting to meet the great Grayson Archer. I pull myself together, put some cologne on, rinse my mouth with mouthwash, and apply some lip balm before heading to the VIP rooms. Time to put on a happy face.
I get up and make my way out of my dressing room. Legend Hall is famous not only for having the biggest music legends playing here but also for being one of the biggest concert halls in all of America.
I breathe in and walk into the room of screaming fans. It never gets old. The adrenaline and life rushing into me because I know I’m being loved for my music. My music makes people happy and that's all I ever wanted to do. Getting to see my fans and knowing I make a difference for some people makes all this worth it. Even the hard parts.
After the meet and greet, autographs having been signed and thousands of pictures having been taken, I’m finally done. I’m free to do whatever I please for the rest of the night. I love my fans, don't get me wrong, but sometimes, all of it can be too much for me. Overstimulating even. I’m not the biggest fan of being surrounded by people, which may make you wonder why I’m a rockstar.
It’s time for the band meeting and I know it, but I don’t want to go just yet. I decided taking my time and letting my brain calm down is the best thing for now. I’ll go in five minutes.
-
“Last as always, Charlie and Gray,” Austin says as we enter the room, almost ten minutes late.
I’m not fazed anymore by Austin being disappointed in the fact I’m late. We all know there is a chance I’ll be late. I casually take my seat on the couch along with the bowl of pretzels he always has on his coffee table and start to shovel some in my mouth. Charlie is already seated on the small lounge chair with his girlfriend.
“So, I called in your promotion coordinator,” Austin says, directing his hand over to Bridgett. “With recent magazine columns, more intense questions coming your way, more press coverage, and then your big summer tour coming up, Bridgett has determined what we need to take each one of your social lives and how to have more fan interaction. I will give the floor to her now.” Bridgett stands from her seat and walks to the front of the room before us all.
I hate these meetings. All it ever is, is how to answer questions and what to post, which I understand that’s what I signed up for, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. These meetings absolutely bore me, but then again, it’s better than being at home. A big house with no company is just fucking pathetic.
“Okay, for the band's Instagram account, I think we should work on more group posts. Be more active. You guys have a big teenage fan base. Go out, take pictures and post them, ask them questions, do TikTok’s overall, interact more.” Of course she says that. She says that in every meeting.
“I also think we should start doing online meet and greets. Maybe once a month, one of you hosts a Zoom call, and a limited number of people get five to ten minutes with you, like fifty people at a time, and each month, two of you do this.”
Why couldn’t she just say we need to post more? That was the boring part and now is where she gets into the Hollywood side of things: gossip.
“Now onto what people are saying about you all,” Bridgett changes the subject.
“So, we’re moving onto the gossip,” I interject.
Bridgett briefly turns to me, giving me a disapproval look before continuing, “Scarlett and Charlie, everyone is saying how your affectionate relationship could be affecting the band, and they think this is why the band isn't posting together. You both should address the accusations. Show people the band is doing good even with you together.” Charlie and Scarlett look at each other a few times during this and then they eye the rest of us, but we aren’t listening very much. It’s just we don’t care that they are together. To us, it’s about time they got together. They had crushes on each other on and off since eighth grade. It’s been painful to watch them until they finally got together.
“Kenan, everyone is invested in your relationship with Nevea, but we want to put you two out there more. Be more public.” Of course they need more publicity. They’re in love. The perfect couple. I can’t believe their love it’s like a fairytale. Together for eight years and they never really fight. But Kenan has always been the guy who wanted to get tied down early, and he found his one, but recently, she’s been distant. At least that's what he tells us.
She doesn’t want to come to The Fortress as much or go on public dates. It’s weird, to say the least.
“Now for Shawn, your recent interview with Teen Vogue has blown up and is bringing in good press about your relationship with Zara Shane. I know you’ve said it’s completely platonic, but you pick the girl up from school every day and people are getting more curious,” Bridgett says. Shawn is the quiet one out of us but not like Kenan quiet, he’s serious quiet. Zara is his neighbor and best friend, and she is five years younger than him, which makes her eighteen. She’s a freshman in college. They are cute together, ya know, in an annoyingly perfect way.
“There’s nothing going on. We are friends,” Shawn reminds Bridgett. We all know they have feelings for each other, whether they say it or not.
“You’ve said that, but not all sources believe that, so maybe if we explore that gossip, we could make something of it. Also, you should stop flipping off cameras,” Bridgett says, trying to explain how she wants to exploit Zara. He’s never gonna go for it.
“No,” Shawn states.
“No, what?” Bridgett asks.
“I’m not exploiting Zara or leaning into their gossip, regardless of what they think or what may or may not be true between us. That is none of anyone else’s business,” Shawn answers. Bridgett doesn't push it, knowing it will go nowhere. So, she just moves on.
“Raven, you came out as lesbian and now everyone is curious to see if you are dating Rosette Abrams from the Chosen Ones. I say keep the speculation up. Hang out with her, make people wonder, but don’t start any drama.” We all know over our fall tour last year with the Chosen Ones, they became very popular. It was their big break. Rosette and Raven became close and a picture of them kissing was leaked and Raven came out. Rosette is already out as bisexual. It’s in her Instagram bio. They are close but not dating or so we don’t think. Raven rarely tells us what's going on with them.
“Finally, Grayson, you are the only one with no gossip going around about you. Sure, fans fawn over you, but you have a private life. You are supposed to be our star. We need to find you something to raise gossip.” Bridgett points me out and I sit up at this. “You’ve been very closed off and private since Jazzlyn.”
“You want him to date,” Charlie says, holding back his laughter.
“Well, maybe not really date, but we need to find you someone to stir up talk with. Maybe even a scandal, if you will. To maybe come back from the Jazzlyn situation,” Bridgett starts explaining, but I cut in.
“You mean more drama after Jazzlyn. I’m good. That stuff isn’t for me. Besides, I'm happy by myself.” I shrug and eat a pretzel.
“Come on, there has to be someone you fancy,” Kenan says, trying to help. “Plus, it will be amazing for your image.”
Kenan is the peacemaker. Sometimes I hate it. “I’m fine alone. And I want to be alone, ” I say, specifically trying to get alone across. Then I sit back on the sofa, eating more pretzels and kicking my feet up on the table.
“Get your feet off my table, Grayson,” Austin tells me, and I remove them
with a roll of my eyes.
“Sure, you want to be alone, ” Charlie says to me.
“I do,” I simply say.
“You know, one day, a girl is going to come into your life and turn you upside down. Even though you’re scared of commitment and of being loved, you won’t be able to deny you’ve fallen for her,” Kenan says.
“Then that, my friend, shall be the day I give the whole love thing a try,” I tell him.
“So, a relationship scandal is out of the window,” Scarlett says, and I nod.
“Well, we will see,” Bridgett says.
“Everyone dismissed. Up early tomorrow, the sweepstakes winners will be here tomorrow,” Austin says, and I jump up, setting his pretzel bag back down, but now it’s basically empty. Austin looks at me knowingly and I mouth sorry , but I know at this point, he sits them out, accepting the fact he won’t have any left.
“Are we going out tonight?” Raven asks us.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea tonight. We have sweepstake duties tomorrow and none of us have made the baskets we should have,” Kenan says.
“Yes, Father, we will get it done,” Charlie replies in a cadet voice, saluting Kenan.
“But first picture, you heard what Bridgett said about posting,” Scarlett says, motioning for us to get in the frame.
After the photo, we all go about our own ways. I go off to my dressing room in Legend Hall and pack my bag, then head out to the car that’s waiting for me.
Tonight, I had to call Ornan–my personal driver–to pick me up and drive me home because I didn’t bring my car thinking we were going to go out, so I figured I’d ride with Charlie, but since we aren’t, I called Ornan.
I’ve always liked the ride home from LA to Beverly Hills. It’s almost thirty minutes, but it’s a calming ride and the last calm I get before getting home to my father and Lena, which is hell, but I have Beatrix, and she’s my favorite person other than Charlie.
I pull out my phone and text Beatrix, telling her I’m on my way home, before leaning my head back on the headrest to watch the buildings go by.
“Thanks, Ornan,” I say, grabbing my stuff to exit the car and walk up to the large Archer mansion.
“See you tomorrow, Grayson,” Ornan replies before driving off around the large stone roundabout in front of the mansion.
I make my way across the large foray and sit my things beside the marble stairs before heading to the kitchen.
“You’re finally here,” I hear my father say from the kitchen island.
“I am,” I say, opening the fridge to grab a Ginger Ale.
“You shouldn’t be chugging down sugar at almost one in the morning,” my father tells me, as he always does.
“I’ll be fine,” I reply, opening the cold can and pouring the sizzling coldness in my mouth.
“You have a workout in the morning,” he tells me. I don’t reply. “I’m surprised you even knew where home was.” He’s referring to the fact that I mainly stay at The Fortress, then he leaves the kitchen, finally leaving me alone.
This is how our talks normally go. He says what he needs to say or yells at me about something then walks away. It’s more like living with a roommate than a dad. It’s been like that since Mom left. I wish he never fucking cheated on my mom and married Lena, my stepmother.
I wait a little longer so I know the coast is clear and my father isn’t around before making my way upstairs. I drop my things in my room before heading to Bea’s room.
I knock on the door three times like I always do before she says, “Come in.”
“How's my favorite sister?” I ask her.
“I’m your only sister,” Bea says.
“I know.”
“How was the concert?”
“Good. I wanted to see you before I went to sleep,” I tell her.
“I appreciate it. I love you, Archie,” Bea says, blowing me a kiss.
“I love you too, Bea.” At least she loves me.
I close her door and head to my room. Time to down the bottle of vodka I have under my bed.