Charlie's Story
Chapter Fourteen
AN: hey guys!
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enjoy this chapter
Princess Kay
Noah and Seth were very excited to see me when we arrived at the studio. We were shown to a room with clean white walls and fuzzy blue carpet, there were no windows and very little furniture just two blue couches and a wooden coffee table. Seth was almost finished setting up his drum kit at the back of the room and Noah was fiddling with one of several guitars he had brought along. I dropped my bag and guitar just inside the door way and ran over to him.
"Noah!" I cried brightly throwing myself into his open arms; he wrapped them tightly around me and with one easy movement tossed me onto the couch. I clung firmly to his neck pulling him down with me.
"Your boyfriend's gonna get jealous" he whispered with his brown eyes sparkling playfully. I giggled and released him.
"Of you?" I fake whispered pretending to sound astounded by the idea, a teasing grin on my face as we both sat up.
"Hey, what about my hug!" Seth whined from behind us, I jumped from my seat and quickly walked over to Seth. After hugging him, I reached up and attempted to make some of his shaggy light brown locks lie flat.
"Do you ever brush your hair?" I asked honestly. It always looked like he had just woken up. He shook his head almost proudly and I rolled my eyes.
"Ok guys, we have work to do" Caitlyn said forcefully breaking up our reunion. Seth and Dylan worked solidly on writing new songs, with Noah and me contributing in between him teaching me the songs they had already written. At 5 o'clock I picked myself up off the floor where I had been lying, scribbling down song lyrics. My back cracked and my muscles ached thankful for the change in position. I reached my arms up above my head and yawned. We hadn't been paying attention to the time and with no windows or clocks it was impossible to tell how long we had been there. I pulled my phone out and groaned when I saw it was late already.
"We need a break, we have been here for four hours" I told the band and Caitlyn. They too seemed shocked that so much time had passed. Caitlyn nodded her head and told us there was a vending machine downstairs if we wanted something to eat. The boys were on their feet in seconds eager to eat something. I was more thankful for opportunity to stretch my legs and leave the room we had been sitting in.
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By Friday we were all thoroughly exhausted we had been going to school from eight, and then working at the studio from one till six. The worst part was having to go home and catch up on all the worked I had missed whilst being at the studio as well as practising our new songs. We currently had ten songs although we weren't really happy with all of them. Two of them Caitlyn had already banned us from recording. I wandered along the downstairs corridor at the recording studio, my sights set on the vending machine at the end of the hall. It was my turn to go and collect red bull and potato chips for everyone; we had pretty much bought out the entire supply at the vending machine. I dropped the coins lazily into the slot one at a time, wanting to take my time. Everyone was tired and as such things were a little tense upstairs. I gathered up the cans and chip packets, filling my arms. A door opened a little way down the hall and teenage boy a few years older then I exited the room.
"Ah, those look like recording snacks to me" he chuckled as he approached; he was fairly tall, with bronze coloured hair and haunting gray blue eyes. I smiled friendly at him.
"Song writing actually" I corrected as he paused in front of me. He smiled nodding his head.
"Hi I'm Matt Eliot" he introduced. That's when I recognised him he was a guitarist from one of the many bands signed to the record company, I had walked past his photo in the main entrance everyday this week.
"Charlie Torres-Gray" I replied, this week I had taken to adding Gray to my name, it felt right like in doing so I was acknowledging that Shane was my father. Matt gave me a questioning look but said nothing.
"I haven't seen you around before" he stated curiously.
"Yeah the band I am in won a competition and the record company are helping us to make a demo cd" I explained shifting the contents of my arms slightly Matt nodded thoughtfully.
"I better go, the boys were ready to kill each other when I left" I joked figuring it was time to get the snacks upstairs to my band members. Matt nodded again and we both took a step away.
"See you around Charlie, and good luck!" he called as I started up the stairs. I waited until I had removed everything from my hands and closed the door of our little room before I squealed. I grabbed Noah by the shoulder's knowing he would give the biggest reaction to what I was about to say, with him being a guitarist and all. I jumped up and down, giggling like a five year old.
"You will never guess who I just met" I sang in a high pitched ecstatic voice. Noah shrugged whilst Seth and Dylan laughed telling me to calm down.
"Gee, with a family like hers you would think she would be immune to being star struck" Seth commented making me stand still and take a deep calming breath. It lasted all of two seconds though.
"Matthew Eliot!" I squealed, resuming my jumping. Noah didn't give me the reaction I was after instead he just stood there with a 'well so what, get to the good news' expression on his face. I fell back against the couch with a sigh.
"He is so gorgeous" I mumbled closing my eyes and placing my hand over my heart dramatically.
"Which is why I didn't react the way you did, we aren't teenage girls, Charlie" Noah reminded me. I opened my eyes and nodded accepting this explanation. Then realising I would have to call Alexis if I wanted a better response. I snatched my phone off the coffee table and scrolled to find Alexis's name. The phone only rang three times before she answered and I blurted out that I had just run into Matt Eliot. Alexis screamed on the other end so loudly that the boys all rolled their eyes and pretended to cover their ears.
"You are so lucky, he is so…" she gushed.
"Hot, I know!" I cut her off. The boys groaned loudly and Caitlyn laughed. I was just about to launch into a detailed description of the run in when the phone was pulled out of my hands and Dylan informed Alexis that I would call her back. I shot him a dark glare.
"Ohhhh, someone is jealous" Seth teased making Noah laugh and me straighten up in my seat. Dylan blushed red giving him away, he was jealous! I leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
"You're hotter" I whispered trying to make him feel better.
"Besides like I stand a chance with someone like Matt Eliot" I chuckled picking up my guitar and getting back to work. Dylan frowned at this but no one said anything.
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Well it turns out running into Matt Eliot was the best thing that would ever happen to me. A month later we had been given clearance to record some stuff. It took us that long because we had been forced to start attending full days of school and only work on the demo on weekends. We were doing one song at a time, taking our time in the recording studio as we were all new at it. We had already laid out the drums, bass and piano for 'let's make this last forever', all that was left was the lead guitar and vocals which we were hoping to get done that day. We arrived at the studio early on a Saturday morning and after quickly checking my guitar and setting up Caitlyn began to help me record. Three times through and I was good to go. Whilst Dylan was busy singing the vocals with Caitlyn and a vocal coach in the recording booth, Matt Eliot and a record executive came in.
"Hey Charlie, how's recording going?" he asked me with his amazing smile. I swear I nearly feinted right there! He remembered my name!
"Good, what are you doing here?" I asked curiosity getting the better of me. Noah shifted in his seat next to me; Seth wasn't here today, as he wasn't needed.
"My band has just arranged to start its own label within the record company, James here, mentioned a band he heard perform at a summer camp and said we should come check them out" he smirked as he explained, gesturing towards the familiar record executive next to him. Noah nearly choked on his red bull and I think I stopped breathing. Caitlyn twisted a few dials in front of her and filled the room with the now recorded version of our song.
"The harmony hasn't been added yet, and it's still raw but their good" she told Matt and James confidently. Once the song had finished, they were both smiling. James turned to me.
"Can you sing?" all I could do was nod my head, not trusting my throat to work at the moment. He fiddled with some files in his hands and pulled out a few pages of music sheets and a cd. Matt waved for Dylan to come out and join us. Dylan's arms were instantly around my waist almost possessively, as he came up behind me, his chin resting on my shoulder.
"Think the two of you could sing this?" he handed the pages to me; I held them up so Dylan could read them too, and Caitlyn put on the cd.
The opening notes played and the vocal coach came over to help us.
Do you ever feel like me like me Dylan started with me echoing his last two words.
Yeah, the walls are closing in between just breathe just breathe, with me we repeated the same method for the next line with both of us singing 'with me' this time.
I wait every single moment of every day just to see your face I joined Dylan again when the vocal coach pointed to me.
Why can't they let us be, yeah. Dylan's voice rose as he climbed through the notes, getting higher.
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
I'm never letting go Dylan sang the next few lines by himself earning well deserved nods from our small audience.
Come on, let's runaway
Just take me by the hand
We will make it.
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
Ask me once and I'll leave
Everything for you
Just say the word, you'll see
You'll see with me
I wait every single moment of everyday just to see your face
Why can't they let us be, yeah. My voice struggled desperately with reaching and holding the high note at the end of the line. I left the rest of the singing to Dylan only joining him for the chorus; I didn't have the vocal training he did
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
I'm never letting go
Come on, let's runaway
Just take me by the hand
We will make it.
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
Yeah, we're racing
Yeah we're racing
Far away from here
Yeah, we'll make it
Yeah, we'll make it
We'll get there
Yeah we're racing, racing, racing
Far away from here
Yeah, we'll make it
Yeah, we'll make it
We'll get there
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
I'm never letting go
Come on, let's runaway
Just take me by the hand
We will make it.
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh o-o-oh o-o-oh
It's us against the world
"Hello?" the familiar voice of my Uncle Nate asked through the phone. I grinned happy someone had been home to take my call, yesterday I had had to use the answering machine.
"Hey Uncle Nate, are Mom and Dad around, I have had the most amazing day ever!" I rushed out in an excited babble, eager to share my story for the third time that evening, the first being Alexis on the way home and the second being Connie and Steve during dinner. Nate didn't respond but a small beep told me that I was being put on loudspeaker.
"Hi Charlie, how was your day?" my mom asked sweetly like she did every night.
"Absolutely amazing, you're never going to believe what happened! Do you remember how I told you I ran into Matt Eliot, the gorgeous drummer?" I rambled on my voice boarder line squealing I was so hyped up. I heard a groan, then a chuckle on the other end of the phone.
"You're going to need to tone it down a little Charlie, the boys have had a big day" Mom explained. I took a deep breath and repeated the story to them in a calmer manor.
"So they loved it, they thought our stuff was great, James and Caitlyn were talking things through for ages!" I exaggerated slightly.
"So you finished recording the first song?" Nate questioned and it was my turn to groan. I reached across my bed and snatched a cd off of my bed side table. I twirled it around in my fingers, grinning at the amazing feeling of holding our very first recorded song in my hand.
"You missed the point of the story completely, Uncle Nate" I whined. James and Matt had been really interested in our stuff and wanted to show it to the rest of the people responsible for their new label, we could be signed before we even complete our first demo cd, and it's amazing!
"Don't get your hopes up Charlotte, it's a rough business" dad warned me. I sighed choosing not to listen. Caitlyn entered my room carrying two bowls of cookies and cream ice cream; I smirked knowing that she would have gotten that for me just so I would give her the phone. She is missing Nate.
"The point of the story was that, Matt Eliot is the most fabulous guy in the entire world, even Caitlyn likes him, Uncle Nate" I teased both of them whilst reaching out to take my ice cream. Caitlyn raised an eyebrow and pulled the bowl just out of my grasp.
"I thought you had a boyfriend?" he retorted sourly, he sounded rather childish. Dad made a comment which I couldn't quiet make out.
"I do have a boyfriend, I thought you trusted your wife" I said proudly, happy that I had him back into a corner. Caitlyn suddenly looked interested and willingly handed over the bowl of ice cream as she sat down next to me on the bed.
"I do trust her!" he snapped defensively. I giggled.
"Really, cause you sound a little jealous to me" I replied in a sweet voice stretching out each word dramatically. There was hysterical laughter on the other end which could only come from my mother.
"If there was ever any doubt that she was your daughter Shane it's gone, she's a smartarse just like you" Nate mumbled bitterly resulting in more laughter with dads chuckles joining my moms.
"Put Caitlyn on the phone, Charlie" Nate ordered angrily. I tossed around the idea of making him say please for a second until I heard him growl at my parents for laughing. I swiftly handed over the phone and filled my mouth with a big scoop of delicious ice cream. It was so cute listening to Caitlyn reassure Nate I had just been teasing, and tell him how much she loved and missed him. It was like some cheesy romantic movie, it was beautiful. We both lay down on my bed eating ice cream while she chatted away happily to him, me listening in and 'awing' every few minutes. As I placed the cd back on my bedside table my phone buzzed signalling I had a text message.
Goodnight and sweet dreams beautiful, love Dylan.
It made me smile, and with Caitlyn and Nate's little romantic-ness going on next to me how could I not reply with some extremely lame and cheesy response.
My dreams are always sweet when their about you, goodnight, love Charlie.
As soon as I hit the sent button I recalled a dream I had had a long time ago starring my prince charming Dylan, way back to the night before I even knew camp rock existed. It seems all my dreams were coming true.
song is - Us against the world – Mitchel Musso and Katelyn Tarver