A/N: First of all, I would like to thank everybody who took the time to leave me a review and/or added this story to their alerts and/or their favourites. I seriously loved the many FF-Net notifications in my inbox :)
Next, I'd like to thank MsSailorman for beta'ing.
Alright, new chapter time!
Chapter 2: A Completely Fucked-up Day
"Bella!"
"What?" I groaned and turned around in the hotel bed, pulling the cover tighter around myself.
When it stayed silent for a few more moments, I figured that the person had left my room and I was close to falling back asleep again. Then a hand ruffled through my hair and I knew I wasn't going to catch any more sleep today. I felt how the mattress moved as someone sat down on the edge of it.
"Time to get up, Bells."
"I don't want to." I groaned again, "I fucking hate journalists."
"I know, babe. But it's only one day, and we have decided to invite just two magazines for the interview part."
I snorted. "Babe? Really?" I opened my eyes, looking into the eyes of my manager and one of my best friends, Jasper.
He didn't respond to my comment but simply extended his hand to me, offering me a cup of coffee. I sat up in the bed and took the cup from him, mumbling a thanks. I knew from the look in Jasper's eyes that he was switching from friend to manager mode.
"Ten to twelve journalists will be present at the listening session. That will take about fifty minutes. Then, two of them will get to interview you, thirty minutes each."
"Thirty? That much?"
"It's not that much, Bells. You're just not used to it."
I slowly drank my coffee, careful not to burn my tongue. I really hated journalists. They always wanted to know everything about my personal life. Like that mattered musically wise. I just wanted to do my thing, and my thing was making music and performing for my fans.
Luckily, Jasper had been one of my closest friends since we were about two years old and understood my need for privacy. After a while, TV stations, magazines, papers and whatever other media there were out there stopped asking for interviews, knowing they'd get rejected anyway.
My label, however, had decided they wanted me to do some promotional work for this album. Knowing I had been very lucky with their understanding so far, Jasper and I had decided I should probably give in. Today I was going to have to face the consequences of that.
I finished my coffee and gave the cup back to Jasper. "Where are Alice and Rose?"
He took the cup and shrugged. "You won't be needing them today, not for the interviews at least. No cameras are allowed, so you can just show up in whatever."
I let out a surprised 'oh' but was happy about the fact I was at least allowed to endure the torture while wearing what I wanted and felt comfortable in.
Alice, Jasper's girlfriend, was my stylist and always insisted on buying me lots of hot and fabulous – her words, not mine – outfits and dressing me from head to toe. Rosalie was her partner in crime, fixing my hair and make-up. I had to admit they were good at their jobs, but sometimes they drove me crazy with their endless discussions over which colour eyeshade would match best with my ridiculously expensive t-shirt. But I loved them anyway. Like Jasper, they had been my friends since I was little.
"Come on, Bells. You should eat some breakfast or they will write about how your stomach is growling all the time and how you obviously have an eating disorder." Jasper flashed a smile at me.
I shoved his shoulder but couldn't keep myself from smiling at him. I got out of bed and walked into the bathroom to go through my morning routine. Manager Jasper kept talking to me through the closed bathroom door.
"Emmett will be here to pick you up in…" I suspected he was looking at his watch "exactly twenty-five minutes, so be ready. I have to go now, I'm already running a little late for the listening session." I heard him walk off, but then he seemed to change his mind as his footsteps sounded closer again. "Alice and Rose will be here when we get back from the interviews. We will leave to the venue around four this afternoon. You will have to do a sound check first, then Alice and Rose are going to work their magic on you – their words, not mine, you know I think you're beautiful already."
"Would you stop flirting with me, Jazz?" My smile was clearly audible in my voice, "I would never betray Alice like that."
He chuckled before saying goodbye and I heard the door of my room get opened and closed again. I got rid of my pyjamas and hit the shower, turning the water as hot as my skin could take. I relaxed a little, enjoying the feeling of the water pouring down on my body and tried not to think about the upcoming interviews.
Tonight I'd have to perform the entire new album on a release party. I was told all tickets were given away in contests and apparently a lot of fans would be present. I wasn't worried about singing my new songs on stage. I already knew I would think I was going to get sick until the last minute before the show would start, but the feeling always disappeared the moment I sung my first line.
In a few days, the album would officially hit the stores and then I would be off touring again. I was looking forward to it, because the feeling of hearing an entire venue sing your songs was the best thing ever. Like a drug that gets you fucking high and you can't ever get enough of. I was a little nervous about how the fans would respond to the new album since the sound had changed slightly, but to me it still felt like Bella. I hoped they would think the same.
I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around my body. I left the bathroom as I realised I didn't take any clean underwear with me and headed for my suitcase. I hadn't bothered to unpack the day before, because unpacking really was a waste of time with my lifestyle. I searched through my stuff, looking for panties and a bra, quickly finding a simple but matching pair. I pulled the towel off my body, shivering as the cold air in the room hit my still damp skin. I hastened to put on the panties and was in the process of putting on my bra when Emmett burst through my door.
"Fuck! Emmett!" I yelled at him.
His eyes were widened in horror before he quickly put his hand over them.
"Normal people knock, you know." I rushed dressing myself, quickly throwing on a pair of comfy sweats and the first t-shirt I could find. "I'm decent now."
Emmett peeked through his index and middle finger first, then dropped his hand as he decided I was indeed decent.
"I guess I still have to get used to the fact you're not all that little anymore, B." He grinned at me.
I rolled my eyes in return. "As if I'd liked you walking into my room without knocking then."
"Hey!" He raised his arms as if to defend himself, "It's what big brothers do."
"Right." I tried to keep myself from laughing, but as usual with Emmett, I didn't succeed in that and I soon found myself grinning at him.
"Ready to go, little B? Jasper will kill me if I get you there late."
I quickly pulled my hair into a bun and grabbed a hoodie from my suitcase. "All set, favourite brother of mine."
He rolled his eyes at me as he ushered me out of my room. "I'm your only brother, Bells."
"Oh, shoot. So you're saying I'm stuck with you?"
My good mood disappeared as Emmett and I walked out of the hotel and we got into a black car with tainted windows. When I was with Emmett I usually forgot all about my so-called rock star life and status, but here I was on my way to interviews and album release parties. I let out a deep sigh and Emmett looked at me with knowing eyes.
"I know, little B."
I gave him the best smile I could manage before I leaned against him and he wrapped an arm around me. Definitely one of things I loved about our height difference; Emmett could always make me feel like I was hidden from the world for a while. That, and the fact he was huge made him suitable to act as my bodyguard, so I hadn't had to hire a total stranger when I became famous enough to be recognized on the street. And I secretly just loved having Emmett around all the time. No matter where we were, having Emmett with me felt like home.
The driver stopped the car at a backside entrance of the record company's head quarters and I had to let go of Emmett. He got out and made his way around the car, looking around carefully before he opened my door and pulled me inside with him quickly.
A borderline slutty-looking receptionist brought us to a room that was furnished like a living room and Emmett and I both sat down. A few minutes later, a middle-aged woman delivered coffee, water and a few different kinds of soda, pouring me a cup of coffee – as if I couldn't do so myself – before leaving the room again.
The worst thing probably was that I was getting used to having other people do things for me. I pulled a face, annoyed with myself and how this whole being-famous thing was slowly changing me. Because it was, there was no way I could deny that. Sometimes I read about some actor or musician saying how they felt they were still the same person after their big break-through and I knew they were lying. It was impossible to stay the same you as before. It didn't mean I didn't try though; it was one of the main reasons why I wanted my personal life to stay private.
My stomach growled, signalling I needed to eat something. I realised I had forgotten to have breakfast, even though Jasper had mentioned it to me.
"Hungry?" Emmett asked, pulling me out of my own world into the real one.
"Yeah…Would you mind getting me something to eat?" I smiled at him apologetically, because I asked him to run errands for me far too often.
"Sure, no probs. What do you want to have?" Emmett got up from his seat and walked over to the door.
"I don't really care. You know what I like and dislike." Another advantage of having someone with you who knew you inside-out.
Emmett left and I was quickly feeling bored. I was never really good at waiting and because we'd left my hotel room so quickly, I didn't even have my iPod with me to entertain myself. I almost never went somewhere without my iPod. Even before I'd gotten signed by a label, music had been my biggest obsession, and it still was. The only difference being I actually made music myself now, too, and made a decent amount of money with it.
When I poured myself a second cup of coffee, Jasper entered the room.
"The first journalist is here."
Trying to stall the interview, even if only for a few moments, I asked Jasper how the listening session went.
"Overall, they all seemed pleased. Judging from his face, I think the guy that will be interviewing you secondly liked it a lot, so I'm sure he'll play nice later on."
"Fingers crossed." I took a deep breath, "Alright, here goes nothing."
Jasper gave me an apologetic smile, knowing how uncomfortable I felt. Then he opened the door again, calling the journalist that had been waiting there.
The first interview didn't go all too bad, I guess. The reporter was pretty nosy, still trying to get to know more about my personal business, but Jasper told him off each time he asked a personal question. I doubt the journalist had gotten a lot of out of the interview because he had wasted his time on arguing why certain questions should or shouldn't be considered too personal.
I'm sure his editor will be pleased with that. Interviewing Bella Swan and walking out with nothing more than what he already knew.
I smiled to myself, because I really thought the guy was an ass. Jasper asked me if he could go get the second interviewer, or if I wanted a few minutes to myself. I told him to get the journalist because I really just wanted to get this over with.
I got myself another cup of coffee. I was sure that wasn't really good for my nerves, but I was a caffeine junkie these days so I didn't have much of a choice. I settled back onto the couch, sitting down with my legs crossed. I tried to focus on the fact the horrible part of today would be over after this interview and I relaxed a little. Besides, Jasper said he thought this guy would probably be easier to handle as he seemed to like my new album.
Jasper entered the room again, and back were the nerves. So much for relaxing a little.
"Ready, Bells?"
I sighed internally, but gave him a small smile. "Sure, Jazz, bring him in."
Jasper turned to the door, opening it again and inviting the journalist in. When the guy entered and our eyes locked, I felt a too familiar feeling running through my body.
Shit.
He was beautiful, wearing slacks with a casual t-shirt of some band I didn't know. His hair was a mess, but I could tell he had tried to make it look less like sex hair. My fingers were itching, and I desperately wanted to run them through his bronze coloured locks of hair. I smiled at him shyly and I felt my cheeks burn up a little.
He cleared his throat and I realised I was probably staring at him. He smiled at me politely and I practically melted.
"Hi." I greeted him.
"Hi." He held out his hand to introduce himself to me. "I'm Edward Cullen, Revolver Magazine."
"Nice meeting you, Edward." I let go of the coffee cup with my right hand and shook his, his hand feeling cold compared to mine. "I'm Bella Swan."
The moment our hands touched, I simply knew it;
I was totally, completely, and utterly fucked.
