Let self check in with Aelita, shall we? Enjoy!
Aelita slept through the entire five hour drive to Amsterdam. She woke when Adam gently shook her to announce their arrival into the city.
"Wake up," he said, his eyes focused on the road as he shook her arm. "We're in the city." Aelita rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before taking a look at the city around them. The sun was setting, a brilliant background against the canals they drove by.
"There aren't many cars on the road," Aelita commented, craning her neck to see the quaint townhouses they were passing.
Adam nodded. "A lot of people in Amsterdam use bikes to get around, or just walk. We'll stash the car in a garage soon."
"Cool," Aelita said. She flipped the mirror down and began cleaning her face, wiping away smudged eyeliner and combing her hair with her fingers. "When's the gig?"
"Ten o'clock," Adam said. "You have an hour to get ready."
Aelita groaned. They reached the hotel shortly. Adam had booked two single rooms for them with an interconnecting door, and Aelita began setting up the same system she had used over the summer. She took her outfits out, hanging them on the rack in the closet so they wouldn't smell too musty. Her gig bag sat by the door, filled with snacks, a water bottle, and her favorite mixing CDs. She quickly did her makeup and hair, tying it up into an elaborate braid.
Adam knocked on her door. "We leave in fifteen," he called. "I'm heading downstairs, go to the lobby when you're done."
Aelita began scrubbing her teeth with a toothbrush. "Okay!"
She quickly pulled on her gig outfit, ripped white jeans with a long Tshirt, putting in oversized earrings while slipping her feet into a pair of boots. Aelita checked her phone for calls - nothing except a text from Odd wishing her good luck. She smiled and typed a reply to him before shouldering her bag and jogging to the elevator. It was tiring, being on such a rushed schedule. But as soon as she got to the club, her fatigue disappeared.
"Hello, Bitterzoet!" she called from the microphone, grinning confidently at the crowd. A beat was already started, and Aelita tuned a harmony flawlessly while still smiling to the crowd. "Let's have some fun!" A traditional house tune hit the crowd with a deep bass. Aelita selected a disk from her bag, a hip hop tune she had composed, and slid it into the machine. Lyrics had not been added yet, but she liked the fast beat of the music. Aelita swayed her hips to the tune, pressing a pair of headphones to her ear as the crowd danced. The night continued in this fashion until another DJ took over at one am.
Adam texted Aelita that he would pick her up in twenty minutes, so she headed to the bar to sit down for a while. "Just a soda," she said to the bartender, who nodded before going to fetch a can from the back. As Aelita surveyed the crowd, she caught the eyes of a girl who was staring at her shyly. Aelita waved to the girl, who scuttled over quickly.
"You're Aelita, right?" The girl was very red faced, and appeared to be about Aelita's age. Knowing the low drinking age in Amsterdam, Aelita wasn't surprised to see a beer in the girl's hand.
Aelita nodded. "What's your name? I like your shirt." She had learned quickly how to make friends while on tour that summer.
The girl grinned. "Oh my god thank you! I'm a big fan, I saw you perform at all the local music festivals last summer, and I follow your YouTube page and your blog!"
Aelita raised her eyebrows. "Wow! Well, thank you for the support."
"When are you coming out with an album? The music world needs more female DJs!"
"Well," Aelita said, beckoning the girl closer. "Off the record...there might be a little project going on of that nature."
The girl gasped. "Oh my god my friends and I would all buy your album! When is it coming out? Who's producing it? Will it be available on iTunes?"
Aelita paused. "Do you want to take a selfie?" That line always worked. The girl's face lit up as she nodded frantically. They took a picture on Aelita's phone, then the girl's, who gushed more before Adam came to collect his charge.
"Thank you," Adam said to the girl, putting a hand on Aelita's shoulder. "But I'm afraid we need to be going, Aelita has a busy day ahead of her."
Aelita gave the girl a warm hug. "It was so nice to meet you! I'll make sure to post the picture on my blog!"
Out on the street, Adam started to ask Aelita about the night, but was interrupted by a small crowd of teenagers.
"Oh my god, it's her!" a girl yelled, pointing at Aelita. "It's Aelita!" Aelita froze as the group ran towards her. Adam stepped in front of Aelita, holding a protective arm out in front of her.
"Woah there!" His booming voice halted the teenagers. "Take a step back!" The teenagers quieted and stepped back. Once they had calmed, Adam let Aelita greet the kids, smiling and shaking hands, taking selfies and answering their questions. She didn't get much attention in town, but when she went to cities she had played at often over the summer, this kind of unwarranted attention was surprisingly common.
"Where do you go to school?" one boy asked. "I want to transfer there!"
Aelita smiled broadly. "That's so sweet! My school is pretty far away from here though. I'll make sure to visit Amsterdam more!" The session ended with Adam taking a picture of Aelita and the fans in front of the Bitterzoet sign, promising that the photo would be up on the blog. By the time Aelita and Adam made it back to their hotel, it was past two am. She didn't bother changing into her pajamas that night, too content in the position she fell into on her bed, sleeping soundly until the alarm woke her at seven am the next day.
"Rise and shine," Adam called, knocking on the door as her alarm blared. Aelita stumbled into the bathroom, struggling to stay awake as she sat on the toilet. A glance in the mirror confirmed that she looked like a mess. Not having washed her makeup off last night left her with the deranged raccoon look, dark smears all over her sockets. After showering, Aelita scrubbed her face clean. Today would be spent at the recording studio, so she dressed in a long white sweater and black leggings, white boots laced up tightly. The makeup for the day was minimal, mainly just foundation to hide the zits that had popped up overnight. She and Adam stopped in a café for breakfast, where a young couple interrupted to ask Aelita to sign a poster from a festival she had played a few months prior.
"Looks like word has gotten out that you're in town," Adam said quietly after the couple left.
Aelita teased, "Should I start going around wearing dark sunglasses and a hoodie?"
He chuckled, turning his laptop towards her. "You attracted a lot of attention last night, you know. All seven of the people you met posted things online about meeting you. Your YouTube page gained forty subscribers, and the blog got a hundred hits just this morning."
"That's good," Aelita said. "Did you post the pictures yet?"
Adam nodded. "I retouched them just a bit to make your face clearer. Gotta keep that recognizable image, you know."
"You'd think the pink hair would be enough," Aelita said dryly, motioning to her head.
"Grab another muffin for the road," Adam said as he began packing up. "We're due at the studio in fifteen."
Chocolate muffins in hand, Aelita and Adam walked briskly to the recording studio, praying that they wouldn't get delayed like they did last night. As soon as they entered the lobby, a curvy woman with dreadlocks greeted them.
"Welcome!" She was cheerful and loud, and interesting contrast to the cold, industrial atmosphere of the building. "Come with me, we'll be on the fifth floor." She continued speaking once they reached the elevator. "I'm a sound engineer," she explained. "I know everything there is to know about this studio, and it's my job to help you record the best songs! You're Aelita, right? Great to meet you, I've seen some videos of you on YouTube! My name's Emma, by the way. And you must be Adam, manager extraordinaire!"
Adam smiled weakly. "Nice to meet you." Aelita gasped as the elevator doors opened to reveal a pristine studio space. Thick carpet gave the room a lavish look, with walls painted dark red and hardwood surfaces everywhere. Emma guided Aelita to a table where they sat to discuss the purpose of today.
"We want to create a demo album," Adam explained. "Just a few songs that we can then present to a number of producers tomorrow. I know them personally and they already love Aelita's work, but they want to see what kind of original work she can do."
"Do you sing the songs?" Emma asked, taking notes as they spoke.
Aelita shrugged. "I don't usually sing...we have five songs to put on this demo. I'll sing for three of them, and if the producers give the go ahead then I'm going to ask a friend of mine to join me because she's a better singer."
"Is she a professional singer?" Emma asked, then paused. "Doesn't matter. Don't worry about your voice, honey. That's what auto tune was created for. Let's get you in the studio, do some practice!"
They put her CDs into the machine and began mixing the tunes, Emma guiding Aelita through the soundboard and making suggestions to help with flow, emphasizing the importance of drama in electronic music. After a couple hours had gone by, it was time to begin singing.
Aelita stood nervously in the recording booth, the monstrously large microphone hanging in front of her face. The feeling of headphones over her ears was a comforting sensation, but still didn't help to calm her nerves.
"We're going to play music track 1," Adam said. "I think you called it Plugged In?"
Aelita nodded. "Ok, go ahead."
The tune began, and Aelita nodded her head to the beat. Her notebook of lyrics sat on a stand in front of her, the pages laid out for easy access. "Say goodbye to the real world," she sang. "Get ready for the plunge...it's time to say goodnight, it's time to say goodbye, it's time for you to die..." Out in the studio, Emma raised her eyebrows, obviously not expecting such a dark song. Aelita continued her singing, now tapping her foot to the beat. "It's a transformation of a generation, and it's time for a change. We're connected, we're protected...we're plugged in." The beat dropped, and Emma turned up the volume as Aelita sang the chant, "We're plugged in." Adam pulled out his phone and filmed a short clip of Aelita singing in the studio, zooming in on her face. The song continued, and Aelita slowly relaxed. After the singing portion of her studio time was finished, Aelita and Emma put the vocal soundtrack over the music soundtrack to experiment with blending effects.
"I like Plugged In a lot," Emma said honestly. "But the other songs with lyrics are kinda...weak. I know love songs are a staple in the industry, but don't feel like you have to rely on them."
Adam nodded. "What would you recommend we do, Emma? We're meeting with the producers tomorrow." Aelita bit her lip as she looked between the two professionals. She had known before coming here that her love songs were weak...to be fair, it was tough to write about love when you were going through relationship issues.
"I have some more lyrics," Aelita suggested. "Not full songs, just snippets. Would they be useful?"
Emma beckoned for Aelita to pass the notebook. Skimming the pages quickly, Emma hummed to herself. "You know," the woman said thoughtfully. "This stuff has about the same beat as Under the Stars, but the lyrics are way better."
Aelita grinned. "You think? It's not too intense?"
Adam put a hand on his charge's shoulder. "Aelita, never be afraid to be too much. If you're not pushing your boundaries, you're not doing it right."
Emma passed the notebook back to Aelita. "Let's get back to the soundboard and start adjusting the tunes, shall we?" Aelita nodded, tucking a lock of pink hair behind her ear. Soon she was back in the studio singing into the microphone, this time with much more confidence as the dark, sultry tune they had just composed played.
"Your touch," Aelita whispered. "Your caress, your kiss. Your kiss...it kills me." She began to rap, keeping her voice low as she tapped her foot to the beat. Outside the booth, Adam gave her a thumbs up. "Trapped in this high tower, it's like I'm Rapunzel. My hair got chopped off, now I'm a damsel. Fuck that, let's jump, I don't care, honestly - it's been a bit too much. Fuck off and die now, eh? You go do that and I'll be here dancing." Outside the booth, Emma couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. This girl was...very different from what she had expected. Aelita continued her rap. "Killer kiss like a punch in the lips, wake up bruised from when you embrace me. You think this is easy, what I do? Back off a bit, let me show you what I can do." The beat dropped, and a complex tune played filled with chaotic street sounds and electronic beeps as Aelita danced. A solid five seconds of silence filled the room, then the tune continued and Aelita jumped back to the microphone. "You think I don't see, what you do? It's time for a change, I say fuck you. This sickness inside refuses to die, let's punch it in the face like you punch me with your lips." The tune slowed, and Aelita began her sultry whispers again. After the song was over, she exited the booth with a broad grin, jumping in place from adrenaline.
"Damn!" Emma gave the young artist a hug. "That was amazing!"
Adam typed madly on his laptop. "Fan-fucking-tastic, Aelita. This is giving me ideas...we're going to blow those producers away tomorrow."
That night, Aelita and Adam went out to dinner with Emma, who told Aelita stories of how she got where she was.
"I went to Amsterdam School of the Arts," Emma explained through her mouthful of burger. "Great programs there, and it's pretty cheap."
Seeing that Aelita was busy wolfing down a bowl of stew, Adam decided it was up to him to continue the conversation. "Didn't you get your start in France?"
Emma nodded. "I love France, but after living here for a few years I couldn't imagine going anywhere else. It helped that I got a ton of job offers right after graduation."
Aelita finally paused in her eating. "Thanks for all your help today, you really changed things for the better."
"Hey, it was all based off your work," Emma said modestly. "You're a talented girl, Aelita. Honestly, it was just nice to see the inner Aelita get to come out and play a bit today."
After dinner, Aelita and Adam stopped by the hotel to prepare for the gig that night. She dressed in ripped skinny jeans and a crop top, wearing a black beanie on her head. The gig couldn't have gone smoother, except for the occasional person asking her for a selfie or a conversation while she was on her very short breaks. Aelita stopped mixing for one minute, setting a personal disk up on the board before sitting on the side of the stage to gulp down the contents of her water bottle.
"Oh my god is that her?" A girl was staring at Aelita from a few feet away.
"It can't be!" her friend whispered back.
Aelita squinted into the dark. "Hello," she waved with a curious smile. The girls walked over to her with startled expressions. Aelita raised her eyebrows. "Milly? Tamiya? What are you doing in Amsterdam?"
Milly stared at the ground. "Uh, visiting my grandma. She thinks we're sleeping."
"Please don't tell!" Tamiya pleaded with Aelita, grasping the older girl's hands.
Aelita laughed nervously. "Who would I tell? Honestly I'm just amazed you got in here since you're underage." The girls stared at the ground. Aelita sighed. "Fake IDs. Right. Look, just don't try to order anything alcoholic from the bartender and you'll be fine. Though I'd suggest you clear out before one am hits, by that time people start getting...frisky."
Milly and Tamiya nodded, thanking Aelita for being cool. Before they left, Aelita agreed to take a picture of them inside the club so they could prove to their friends that they really had gone to a nightclub. When Adam asked who they were, Aelita had carefully said they were girls she had met before. Either way, it didn't matter in the long run. The next day, Aelita woke up feeling very grateful that she had bothered to clean her makeup off the night before. Not looking like a deranged raccoon had its advantages, after all. After a quick shower, Aelita packed most of her outfits into her bag, dressing in black skinny jeans with a pale blue blazer. Adam had advised her to dress professional but modern for meeting with the producers, wanting them to see her as an artist with a head for business and a look for marketing.
Soon after, Adam slid a file of papers to Aelita over the breakfast table. Aelita wiped crumbs off her fingers with a napkin before opening the folder. Inside were a number of notes on her demo album, with three papers on top.
"What is this, a government file?" Aelita joked as she looked through the top papers. Each had a picture of a person in a business suit with detailed information on their job, history, and personality.
Adam pointed to the first picture. "That's Joseph Brighton. He's from America originally but is now a serious producer in Europe, stationed mainly in Amsterdam. He hates fake people, and talks a lot about craving originality in the industry." His finger slid to the next page. "This is Elise Scutch. She's fierce and cold, and hates girly girls. Interviews with her always include her desire to see more girls in the music industry who aren't all about their body." Adam pointed to the third page. "Finally, we have Marcus Loos. He's a millionaire, and very charming, a bit of a womanizer. He's Elise's opposite when it comes to attitude on women, but he would enjoy something fresh to add to the company. They work for the same record label, so you need to appeal to all three."
Aelita gulped her juice down nervously. "No pressure there..."
"You'll be fine," Adam said gently. "After the work we did yesterday, they'll be blown away. Just be yourself and you'll be fine." Aelita nodded. "The most important thing to remember is this - if they make you any offers, don't do or say anything without talking to me first. I'm your manager, I handle the business side of your work."
"Got it," Aelita said. "Is this outfit ok?"
Adam nodded as he buttered his scone. "Classy and professional while maintaining a youthful and attractive overall look. Perfect." He glanced at the clock and quickly folded a napkin around his scone. "We have to get going. We're meeting in a conference room at a hotel...in ten minutes."
They jumped to their feet and dashed out of the café, pausing only to leave a tip for the waitress. Upon reaching the conference room, Aelita settled in a comfy leather office chair while Adam attached his laptop to the projector in the room and organized his bag. Almost as soon as the man had sat down, he had to stand up again to greet the executives. Aelita jumped up as well to shake hands and smile kindly at the producers, making sure to greet them each by name.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Brighton," she said to the tall man with dark skin and early wrinkles. He nodded briskly at her, staring into her eyes as though examining a subject in a lab. Aelita turned to the woman next to him, a curvaceous lady with long black hair that was piled up into a complex bun. "Thank you for coming, Ms. Scutch." The woman scanned Aelita with her eyes, a half smile on her face. The next executive introduced himself without pause.
"Loos, Marcus Loos. You can call me Marcus though...Aelita, was it?" A man with pale skin and lots of freckles grinned at Aelita from behind dark sunglasses, his hair pulled back into a ponytail.
Aelita smiled politely, shaking his hand. "Mr. Loos, thank you for meeting with us." The man frowned slightly before returning to a smile and sitting in his chair. Adam began his presentation, quickly running through what Aelita had been doing for the last year, what events she had worked, and her aspirations in the music industry."
"I have a question," Ms. Scutch asked. "Miss Stones has been working these clubs for months under your jurisdiction...yet she is underage? Still a teenager?"
All eyes turned to Aelita, who worked very hard not to squirm under their stares. A quick nod from Adam told her this was her story to share. She took a breath. "I have been playing these shows, but always with the managers of the event knowing my age. Never have I taken advantage of the situation, and I've never broken a law. I realize I am young, but music is my career. I work hard, and Adam always makes sure I am in safe situations. My grades have been consistently high since I started this work, and my school knows everything that is going on."
"What about your parents?" Mr. Brighton asked. "Shouldn't they be in this meeting with us?"
Adam was quiet. "Aelita does not have any parents, she is an orphan."
The executive's look softened. "I'm so sorry," Mr. Brighton said.
Aelita forced a smile. "Thank you, but it's ok. I'm an emancipated minor, and I take care of myself well."
Soon after that awkward upset, the conversation returned to music. Adam showed a short video of the work they had done in the recording studio, then played the demo. Both Aelita and Adam held their breath as the producers listened, occasionally scribbling notes on their notebooks. Mr. Loos smiled a bit during the Killer Kiss rap, and Mr. Brighton could be seen tapping his fingers to the beat of Plugged In. Ms. Scutch remained neutral throughout the music, making Aelita sweat.
As soon as the demo finished, Ms. Scutch moved in with a question. "What is your image, Miss Stones?"
Adam began to speak. "We are looking at a demographic of..."
"No," Ms. Scutch cut him off. "I asked Miss Stones. What is your image? And your demographic, now that your manager has brought that up."
Aelita took a breath. "My music and image appeal most to teenagers and young adults. I mostly get approached by people between the ages of thirteen and twenty seven, respectively. I'd have to say my image is a classier version of the 'Good Girl Gone Bad' stereotype. Honestly, I'd just say that this is me. Adam doesn't pick my outfits, I do. I'm a girl who gets good grades in school, who doesn't break rules, and who is passionate about making music. I pride myself on being a person that others can respect, and that will never change."
Finally, Ms. Scutch smiled. "I like that answer," she said warmly. "Let's do business, shall we?"
She and Adam shook hands, and the other executives followed. As Adam debated contract details with the producers, Aelita quietly excused herself to get a snack from the vending machine outside. Alone and unrushed for the first time in days, Aelita checked her phone, frowning when she saw multiple missed calls from Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, and other friends from her classes. Only one person had sent her a text - Odd.
"I'm in big trouble," the text read. "See you soon princess (I hope)."
Aelita quickly called Odd, but only got a beep that told her his phone was off. She called Ulrich, figuring he would know what was going on.
"Ulrich?" She said. "You there?"
Ulrich's voice was very quiet. "Yeah, but I'm supposed to be in class. I told them I was going to the bathroom, I only have a couple minutes."
"Same here," Aelita admitted. "It's busy here too. I had to call though, I got a text from Odd about him being in big trouble. Do you know anything?"
Ulrich sighed. "Yeah...it's a nasty story. We'll catch you up to speed tomorrow, ok? I have to go."
"Is he ok?" Aelita asked, becoming panicky.
"Probably," Ulrich said offhandedly. "Look, I really have to get back to class. Meet me and Yumi tomorrow in my room, ok? Bye." He ended the call before Aelita could press for more details, leaving her to growl in frustration. After getting a candy bar from the vending machine, Aelita returned to the conference room to see more hand shaking.
"Thank you, we appreciate it," Adam said with a beaming grin. The executives said goodbye to Aelita as they left, mentioning they looked forward to seeing her again. Mr. Loos winked at the young girl, who gave him a strained smile. When the room was empty, Adam whooped and gave Aelita a high five.
"So...things went well?" Aelita asked dumbly.
Adam grinned. "Better than ok! They will produce your album, and they like your image so much that they want to make music videos for some of your songs! Plus, they're giving us a cash bonus to help you get started on making more songs."
Aelita's eyes grew wide. "How much of a cash bonus?" Adam pointed to a number on the forms, and she grinned. "This is amazing." The excitement was so potent that Aelita didn't sleep at all during the drive back to France. It was nice, finally being out of the public eye. She changed out of the blazer and into a comfy sweatshirt, pulling her hair back into a messy ponytail. Adam turned up the radio and they sang along as they sped along the highway, passing other cars with abandon. It had been a lucrative weekend, and Aelita's future looked bright. Now if only she knew what happened to Odd.
This chapter was a lot of fun to write, actually. I love the idea of Aelita really pushing herself to enjoy all the aspects of the music business. Leave reviews!