CHAPTER 3
Odd Requests of Isla Soleil
Yikes! My mini-concert event is in three days! I am totally nervous now. Whew! I know I have been in the music industry for 4 years ...a successful one, as a matter of fact. So what am I nervous about? Well, actually, I have always been behind the scenes. I don't get the attention like the artists I write songs for. I tried my very best to conceal my true identity.
The reason for this is I don't want some vampires knowing what I have been up to, not that they will be interested in knowing. But just in case, I don't want them to know that I'm actually doing well, career-wise. In fact, I don't want them to know anything about me…period! It will also be as if I don't exist anymore.
So, I decided not to use my legal name Isabella Swan. I chose Isla Soleil as my songwriter name. I and S are its initials just like my real name. Isla is short for Isabella…I just took out the "abel" in the middle; it also means island; Soleil, on the other hand, means "sun" which I know some people I have known from another life are trying to avoid…which is like me, they also tried to avoid. Aside from the name change, I've taken precautions to conceal my real identity.
All the people that I have worked with, from the artists and their managers, to record label company executives and producers, I have them signed contracts that state that they may never impart any information about me…anything at all-from what I look like, what I wear, the sound of my voice, my age, who I work with, etc.
The only exception to this rule is they can talk about my work - which consists mainly of the songs that I have made - just pure business talk, no personal comments. It is also stated in the contract that they can never take my photo, record a video or tape our conversation; if a taped conversation is needed (which I doubt unless they are required for court purposes which never happened so far), my office will gladly provide them one.
They are also asked not to bring out with them things that I might have touched during our meetings, with the exception of a contract or song sheets. If I need to sign something, I usually do it with a new pair of rubber gloves in my hand.
Yes! Indeed, I do wear a pair of rubber gloves during our encounters like contract signing and recording sessions. I know that my scent can easily be recognized by some vampires. And I can't risk having my scent caught on things like a piece of contract. And because of that, I don't hug, shake hands or sit closely with others except Martha…which is also stated in the contract. My scent can rub off of them, and if a wrong vampire happens to be with anyone of them at the wrong time, then my goal of being invisible will be crushed.
I also try to work with the least amount of people possible, meeting only the ones necessary. I know that my odd request and behavior will make them stare at me like I'm an alien who came from outer space to meet them, and because of that, the image of me will definitely be etched in their minds and memories for quite some time, so I also try to be incognito.
I wear blond wigs and huge sunglasses that cover almost half of my face. If it isn't weird enough already, I could have also resolved into wearing a fake mustache and a beard but I resigned into wearing make-up instead. I also changed my wardrobe. I try to become more fashion-forward now. I even wear shoes that have "killer heels." These clothes are very different from the old Bella that some people would have known...shirts, jeans and Chuck Taylors are items I only wear around my own place, alone or with my family or very close friends. I go through this tremendous masquerade because I know a particular vampire who can actually read minds, and I can't have him see or spot me in the minds of the people I work with, so I have to be unrecognizable.
The looks on the faces of the people who would read these contracts are priceless! The artists' faces have all these baffled looks on them. They might think I'm crazy. Erase that…they already do think that I am nuts.
But what can I do? I can't just go and tell them about an ex-boyfriend of mine, who happens to be a vampire and has an ability to read minds, is someone I don't really want to see, together with his family of vampires who can definitely recognize my scent. I might see my face in front of a tabloid the next day, beside the UFO and Bigfoot headings saying: "Genius Songwriter who went Nuts: Hiding from Her Vampire Ex!"
Besides, even if I can just say I'm hiding from an ex (without all the vampire and special ability elements), I don't feel obligated to tell each and every person I would work with the pathetic story of my unrequited love. They don't have to know the details, as I don't have to know, because I am not interested in knowing, their own personal lives.
Martha is the only one who truly understands me. She knows that I have a hard time adjusting to new people, and that I don't trust others easily. But I also told her the "ex-boyfriend and family excuse", omitting some of the truths. It's a white lie that my ex-boyfriend, who left me for dead in the woods, together with his family, have an extreme ability, like a psychic, to pick up my scent from anything and anyone…anywhere. Because of that, I don't want him or them ever to know where I am.
And if this is the only way for me to interact with others and share my talent in making music without blowing up my cover and risking my identity and whereabouts, no matter how extreme it may be, then Martha will gladly defend me and answer all of their questions. Martha has a way of making them understand it my way and convincing them that what I ask is not really something that is hard to give.
When I was just starting, it was really hard to have them convinced that this is the only way I would work with them. But then Martha would quickly ask them about what they've got to lose - when it's guaranteed I would still be doing my job and do it perfectly- and all I asked in return was a little discretion, that's all! Then, a faint smile would form on their faces, signaling that they understood, that what I asked of them was not much of a big deal. Besides, many of the studio executives and producers, even talent managers, who have seen my compositions, couldn't wait to have their talents sing them. Also, Mr. Kevin Burr, my record label producer is always there to help.
My requests could be odd, but in a bigger scale, they were really nothing…as long as I would do my end of the bargain.
And that I did! I did them very well! So, when I started making hit records for one artist after another, eventually, I was named the "Songwriter Empress". The people, who once hesitated on signing my contract, won't even think twice, much less read what's stated in the contract I would present them, and will sign their names away as long as they have another hit song on their hands. They don't really care what I ask of them. I could be asking them not to look at me and their backs on the wall the entire time I would be working with them, they wouldn't give a crap! They are actually happy working with me, since I am not a very difficult person to work with and pretty easy-going, once you get passed the odd requests. They can even manage to crack some jokes from time to time, like asking if I needed anymore rubber gloves.
I'm actually glad that this seems to be working well for four years now, and "the cold ones" seem not to have a clue. Well, if they do have an inkling of who I am now, I don't think that they will be interested in knowing more. I know that I don't mean that much to them that if ever they see me again they will never bother themselves to even say hi.
So why do I go through all these trouble of oddball requests, peculiar contracts, concealment…and for Christ's sakes, rubber gloves? I don't know actually. I feel like that if they have taken away their memories from me, managed to never come into my life again for seven years now, and kept the promise of non-existence, then I feel I should also do the same.
I should try to lie low indefinitely, like I don't exist anymore… If I could erase my existence off the face of the earth without actually dying, I could have done it already. But I can only do much. I know that there's one particular vampire who can actually look into the future of other people. She could have peeked into mine and see who I am now already, and all these things are all nothing but a wasted effort.
Well, I have thought of that, but I am more convinced that she doesn't hassle herself to check me, because if she did, she could have seen the trouble I had seven years ago. They should have gone back to Forks to help me, to protect me. Yet, they never came, even when I asked for help. So, I knew she wouldn't be a problem when it comes to concealing my identity.
But the thought of having a psychic Vampire see through my disguise or not seems to be very insignificant at this point, because sooner or later I would have come out of my hiding place. Soon after the mini-concert, my face will be over the news, magazines and television shows…the real "Isla Soleil", sans all the disguise and rubber gloves, will be introduced to millions upon millions of music lovers all over the world, particularly the fans of the songs I've made, as finally a recording artist! You should have been hidden deep away into some caves somewhere, miles and miles from civilization, with no television or radio, and no magazine or newspaper route, for you to possibly not know about me.
And I know a particular coven of vampires who like to watch TV as their pastime, and there would be no way that they wouldn't know or hear about me after the event in 3 days. This is the reason why I'm getting panicky about this…not because of the possibility that they would give a damn if I'm sort of a famous recording artist now - I'm more convinced that they wouldn't really care. I would really really like it if they would miss this news about me (though the idea seems impossible) as I don't want them to learn anything new about me... ever!
But I have no choice. This is something that I have to do. I promised my best friend Vanessa that I will do this… I owe her my success. I owe her for finding my gift. I owe her for helping me, possibly the only way, deal with my agony. I owe her my life in music. Actually, I owe her more than that ... I owe her my whole life…
Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I'm truly inspired to continue this fanfic...Update very very soon, probably in a few hours! *_^
