Music Management 101
By: Sailorjj07
Lesson 14: Time is Running Out
A/n: Yoooo, I'm not dead, I promise! I just haven't really had time to sit down and write. I'm actually kind of at a loss on how to reach the climax of this story, even though I already have the end put together. I hate when that happens, lol.
In other news, have yall been watching Pitch? It's so hard to watch the show and not fangirl over Kylie! I keep waiting on Avan to show up on that show too, haha.
Disclaimer: I do not own!
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Actions
(Me!)
People milled around the building as Lacey stood on the sidewalk, staring up at the huge sign looming over Global Entertainment. It gave her an odd sense of deja vu. Lacey pulled the baseball cap lower over her eyes in an attempt to make herself as invisible as possible. The last thing she needed was to be seen and recognized as an intern of Twisted Records in "enemy territory".
Steeling herself, Lacey headed directly towards the front doors, hoping that her plan worked. She had no idea how she was going to see Regina or how she was even going to find her, but she was *going* to see her; no matter what.
Lacey stepped into the lobby, her brain running a mile a minute. How the hell was she going to do this?
"The tour for Global Entertainment starts in just 10 minutes! Gather around everyone!" A voice called to her right, and a cheshire cat smile spread across Lacey's beautiful face. Surely, someone was looking out for her.
A crowd had gathered around a cheerful blonde, armed with cameras and the look of confusion that most tourists had permanently etched into their features. Lacey joined the crowd, keeping her head down while also keeping an eye on the front entrance. If Regina walked in before she could sneak further into the building, she could just confront her there.
But Lacey wasn't that lucky.
At ten minutes on the dot, the cheerful tour guide clapped her hands and began the tour of the enemy's lair. It was a boring tour, but Lacey kept her eyes peeled for Regina while walking the halls with complete strangers.
"And this is the gym. Here our artists, actors, and actresses get toned and fit for all their roles!"
Like the other tourists in her group, Lacey peeked in the window preparing to fake her enthusiasm when she saw the broad back and shoulders of a man she definitely recognized: Archie.
With wide eyes, Lacey let the tour guide finish her spiel before she broke away from the group. Thankfully, there were only a few people in the private gym and Archie was putting up equipment.
"Archie!" Lacey barked out, storming up to him angrily. He had helped Regina steal from her!
Archie turned around with his normal oily grin, but it was immediately replaced by a look of surprise followed by an even more greasy smile. Lacey grimaced.
"You and Regina stole my necklace, and I want it back. Now."
Archie smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes sliding over her form in a manner that made Lacey want to gag, "Hey sexy. How on Earth did you manage to get your beautiful self in here?"
"None of your business. Tell me where Regina is so I can get my necklace back."
"No can do, baby cakes. She's out on set filming right now."
"Then take me to her set."
"I can't. Sorry."
"Damn it, Archie!" Lacey cried, earning looks from the few people that were in the gym. She ignored them, "Give it back or I'll report you both for theft."
Archie leaned closer into Lacey's space, lowering his voice dramatically, "If you do that, we'll have to tell Danny what happened, won't we? How do you think he'll handle something like that after what Regina did to him?"
Lacey's eyes narrowed as Archie's smile grew wider, "Fuck you."
"Oh, you don't have to ask me twice."
Lacey rolled her eyes again, and frowned in annoyance. "Archie, FIND. MY. NECKLACE."
"How about this, babe? Let's make a deal. I'll get your necklace from Regina for you. All you have to do is break up with Desai and date me instead."
"Archie, cut the crap-"
Archie tsked at Lacey, shaking his head, "Oh but I'm so serious, beautiful. I will get your necklace to you in 24 hours or less. Just tell me where to bring it and it's yours. But if I bring it to you, you have to break up with Desai."
Lacey scoffed, "As if, Archie. Keep dreaming, you piece of shit."
"Ouch. Lacey, just let me help you. I want to help you, honestly." Archie wound his arm around Lacey's shoulder, taking out his cell phone, "Give me your number and tell me where and when to meet you. The next time you see me, I'll have the necklace."
Lacey released an exasperated breath, trying hard not to go off on him. She pushed the phone out of her face, and shoved his arm off, "Bring me the necklace first and then we'll talk. You can message me on Facebook or something; I'm not giving you my number."
"Oh honey, you'll be giving me everything I ask for when I bring your necklace back. I'll let you know when I have it." Archie waved his phone in the air cheerfully, but Lacey was already walking away. "See you later, boo!"
Archie laughed out loud as Lacey flipped him off from the other side of the window.
With Danny
"Mom, I'm thinking about going back to college." Danny said nonchalantly, scrolling through his notifications on Facebook. He had hoped that if he said the words calmly enough, his mother would be chill about his choices.
Danny had no such luck.
He looked up to find his mother staring at him, spatula in hand as she plated their carry-out for lunch. She set the utensil down and sat down at the dining table, still scrutinizing him.
"What?" Danny asked her innocently.
"Don't 'what' me. Going back to college? Danny, you never left college. Taking online classes is still being in college."
"Well, I'm thinking about taking on-campus classes."
His mother's eyes narrowed and Danny suddenly became very interested in his cell phone.
"Danny."
"Yes Mother?"
"Oh my goodness, you're serious!" Karen cried, incredulously.
Danny heaved a sigh and placed his phone face down on the kitchen table. His eyes met his mother's, and he saw a mixture of surprise and concern there, "Mom, I can't be away from Lacey that long. I literally can't. I miss her right now and I just saw her yesterday. An entire semester away from each other is just too much for me. Once she heads back to school, I won't see her till what? Thanksgiving? And that's if I don't have any shows or performances myself. Just the thought of it makes me miss her."
"Danny, you've only been dating her for three months. Are you really going to move to another city and enroll in a different college just to be with her?" Karen blew out a breath of air, thinking about the amount of work that would be involved with a hypothetical move, "Not to mention that when your fans find out, that university is going to blow up. Are you ready for that? People will be enrolling in your classes just to breathe the same air as you, Danny. Let's not forget your crazy fans that like to throw their underwe-"
"Okay Mom, I get it!" Danny groaned, running his fingers through his thick hair.
"Son, I'm just trying to help you see the entire picture. It sounds ridiculously romantic for you to change your entire lifestyle to be with Lacey, but it will be a special type of Hell for the both of you." Karen said sympathetically, patting her son on the shoulder.
"Then what should I do, Mom? I don't want to break up over this. We've barely even started our relationship."
"Honestly, honey, that's between you and Lacey to figure out. Have you talked to her about this? Has she told you what she wants to do?"
Danny nodded, reaching for his cell phone just as a notification buzzed, "She has. I really think we can work this out and I want to try." Danny reopened the Facebook app, tilting his head as he read the notification in front of him. He read it again, just to make sure he understood the message correctly.
' "Lacey Porter is now friends with Archie Yates?" What the fuck?'
Danny closed the app and put his phone back down on the table. He wasn't even going to go down that road right now.
With Lacey
"Sis, you've got to tell Danny what happened. No matter what, he'll forgive you."
Lacey sighed loudly, as she plopped down onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling and listening to her sister's voice in her ear. "Clara, he's not going to forgive me. I know he won't."
"How do you know? Danny loves you; there's no way he won't forgive you."
Lacey sat up then, her heartbeat racing, "H-He loves me? Did he tell you that?!"
"No, but I'm your sister - I can tell."
Lacey rolled her eyes, and spread back out on her bed, "Ugh, CC, I'm seriously worried right now."
Clara laughed, "I'm being serious too! You have to tell him what happened. Everyone in Green Grove knows that Regina Crane is a two-bit bit-"
"Clara," Lacey drawled lowly, trying not to laugh at her sister's remarks.
"Ahem. Anyway, I'm sure that everyone out there knows how untalented she is too. It's totally believable. Just tell him the truth. He can probably help you figure out how to get the necklace back."
"I don't think he'll even want to talk to me after he founds out I lost it."
"But you didn't lose it, Lace. It was stolen from you. Those are two very different things." Lacey sighed again, feeling the worry set in even more. Clara continued talking, "Regardless, Big Sister, you need to tell him. Even if it pisses him off, it's better than him finding out from someone else. What are you going to do if Regina tells him what happened? She'll probably spin it in some weird way to make it seem like you took part in her insanity."
"You've got a point, Clara, I just-"
"Lacey Porter. If you don't want to lose him, you *have* to tell him what happened. Normally, I would say that what boyfriend don't know, won't hurt him, but in this instance, it's going to hurt you both. And I don't want to see either of you hurt over Regina freaking Crane."
Lacey smiled, just as her phone vibrated against her ear. "Hold on a second, C." Lacey looked down at her phone to see that Archie had sent her a FB message.
'Where do you want to meet?'
Lacey gaped at the message for a full minute, astounded. She had agreed to Archie's crazy request because she wholeheartedly believed that he was just bluffing his ass off. Apparently, she had been completely wrong.
"Listen, Lil Sis, I have to go."
"Ok. I love you, Lace. Don't do nothing I wouldn't do!" Clara cheered, just before her sister hung up.
Immediately, Lacey's fingers flew across the screen as she messaged Archie back.
'You got my necklace back?'
Archie sent her an image of Danny's gift in reply. Lacey cursed softly under her breath. This wasn't supposed to happen. Her notification buzzer brought her focus back to the phone.
'Where are we meeting?'
Anxiously, Lacey sent him the name and address of the park closest to her Dad's house. She grabbed her things and rushed out of the door. If she hurried, she could make it there in 30 minutes.
With Danny
Danny had a lot to think about after having lunch with his mother. He knew she would support his decision no matter what he decided to do, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a little hopeless. Lacey would have to go back to school in two weeks. They had to figure out something before time ran out.
He wondered if he could just handle the distance. Three hours wasn't much and it wasn't like she'd be doing anything besides going to school. With his new album release, he could avoid going on an international tour until she graduated, but he wouldn't be able to ignore the guest appearances and performances.
Still, being in the same state or the same country was a lot better than having an ocean between them.
Danny stopped at a stop sign on his way to Lacey's place. Maybe she would be okay with him moving near campus to stay close to her. If she let him, Danny could rent a house in the area and let Lacey live there with her roommate, and then on weekends, he'd live there too.
The more he thought about that, the better the idea sounded.
With this new idea in mind, Danny grabbed his phone to call Lacey while he waited at a stoplight. Her phone went straight to voicemail.
"Weird…"
Danny put his phone down as the light turned green, continuing on his way down the road. At the next stop light, he tried calling her again, only to reach the same result.
"Okay, seriously, what's going on?"
Just as Danny was making a right turn towards the neighborhood where Lacey lived, he noticed a familiar face walking along the sidewalk in the opposite direction.
Archie Yates was strolling leisurely down the road, looking like he didn't have a care in the world.
Danny was instantly suspicious. What was Archie doing this close to Lacey's neighborhood? Why had they added each other on Facebook in the first place? Lacey had told Danny that she thought Archie was sleazy and creepy before.
...So why was he here?
Danny flipped a U-turn so fast, the car next to him honked in protest. He found a place to park along the road and got out of the car, following Archie discreetly. Something didn't feel right.
With Lacey
Lacey stood next to an oak tree in the middle of the park. Archie had told her that he was on his way, but that was fifteen minutes ago. Hopefully, he didn't get lost.
Just as she was about to send him another message, his smug face popped up in her field of vision. She breathed out through her nose in an effort to calm her nerves. She had to think of a way out of Archie's bargain. She knew she couldn't beat him up and steal the necklace, but she certainly had mace…
"Hello again, beautiful."
"Wow, you said you needed 24 hours, but it's been 4. I guess you're actually useful." She drawled, earning a laugh from him.
"You'd be surprised what I can do once I put my mind to it." Archie said, pulling the necklace out of his pocket. He dangled the jewelry in front of Lacey, before holding it out to her. "Here you are, my lady. Safe and sound."
Lacey snatched the necklace, pulling it apart to make sure it was the real deal and not just some fake. The top of the necklace slid off to reveal the USB inside.
"How'd you get it back?"
"Oh, I have my ways."
Lacey glared at him and open her mouth to retort back when another figured came into view. She blanched as she realized just who it was. Danny stomped over to them looking ready to kill. His eyes were narrowed to practically slits.
"Lacey, what the hell is going on?!"
Lacey gasped, feeling her heart shatter into a million pieces. This wasn't supposed to happen. Danny being there would only escalate the situation.
Archie turned, completely amused by the situation, "Holy shit, Desai. You didn't know? Oh man, this is rich."
"Shut. Up. Archie." Lacey ground out, already pushing past the personal trainer towards her boyfriend. "Danny, I-"
"I've been calling you and texting you all day and you never answered me. I was worried that something had happened to you but instead you're out here hanging with this asshole?" Danny's voice was steadily getting louder as he spoke and Lacey bit her lip anxiously.
"Danny, no, that isn't-! It isn't what you think, I swear."
"It isn't? Are you sure about that? Cause it totally looks like-"
"Bro, it's totally what you think it is," Archie interjected, looking smug.
Lacey spun on her heels and shoved Archie forcefully, losing her temper, "SHUT THE FUCK UP, ARCHIE!"
Archie just snickered and shook his head, "I'm going to leave you two to whatever the hell this is you're doing. Text me later, Lacey."
Lacey flipped him off once again as Danny stood there, stewing in anger. Lacey took another deep, calming breath as he watched her angrily, barely holding it together.
"Danny, I swear to you that I'm not cheating on you."
"How can I be so sure? You were avoiding me when I was trying to reach you and now-"
Lacey felt a surge of heat rush to her face, as she got mad all over again, "Danny, are you serious right now? How could you accuse me of something like that? You said you trusted me!"
"Because I did! Now, I don't even know anymore." As Danny watched Archie walk away, he felt his heart go numb. How could she do this to him? "How long has this been going on? How long have you been-?"
"Danny! Nothing happened! I still can't stand him! Are you even listening to me?!"
"Lace, I'm listening to you, but facts don't lie. I saw you with him right in front of my face!"
Lacey felt her bottom lip trembling as the emotions rolled through her. She swallowed back tears and tried to steady her breathing. All of a sudden, that sense of clarity she had had weeks before struck her again and the words were out of her mouth before she could even stop them, "We can't be together if you don't trust me."
Danny reeled back from her as if she'd struck him, "W-What? What are you saying?"
"Danny, you still don't trust me. You said you trusted me, but you don't. You lied to me and now you're accusing me of something that I'm not even capable of doing. I ignored your calls for half a day. IF that. Just be honest with us both for once and say it clearly." Lacey winced at her own hypocrisy. She was telling Danny to be honest, but had totally omitted the truth herself.
Lacey tried to mentally prepare herself for the backlash. No matter what though, this needed to be done. Danny wouldn't have to give up his career for her and now, he'd definitely never want to see her again. Even though it felt like she was being stabbed in the chest repeatedly, she tried to take strength in the fact that she was the one wielding blade.
"Danny… Let's break up."
End Chapter 14