Chapter 25: Favours Asked Of Friends
"I need to ask you a favour." Marie blurted out as soon as she found Nate later that evening. She'd been trying to make her mind up about his job offer (when she wasn't focused on the fact that James was still out there, or that Jason was no longer talking to her or that in a few days time she would take to the stage to tell the latter that she loved him) and she finally knew her choice. But she'd decided to make it come with a favour.
"Woah, slow down there." Nate replied, slightly surprised by her waiting for him on his return from a meeting with his brothers and the record label, in which they'd discussed their future. His mind was still dealing with the outcome of that.
"Sorry it's just I've had something on my mind and I wanted to know what you thought." Marie explained, allowing Nate into his own teaching cabin. He flung his bag down and collapsed into the chair. "What's up with you?" Marie asked. She had to admit she'd never seen Nate look so tired.
"It's nothing," he replied, "just the label being difficult about letting us end our contract early, they're coming up with all these terms to try and stop us from splitting and while Shane and Jason just keep saying 'the decision has been made', I'm left trying to find a decent solution and I really don't know what to do." The words tumbled from his mouth without him even thinking about it and as he looked up and saw the shocked look on Marie's face he remembered they had yet to inform the girls of their decision.
"Connect 3 is splitting up?" Marie asked, stunned. She may be friends with the members of the band but at heart Marie was still a fan and had been since their first single was released. To think there would be no more music from them was almost heart breaking. "Why?"
Nate realised that this was the first time any form of fan had been told of the end and as he saw how much it saddened Marie, he found himself dreading the reaction when the official announcement was made.
"I want to focus on Andy Green, Shane wants a break so he can focus more time on Mitchie and Jason's just had enough." Nate admitted. "When Camp Rock ends, so will Connect 3. We're finishing where we started."
Marie was quiet for a moment, dealing with the fact that a band that had been a large part of her life would soon be gone. In an odd way it was like losing a close friend.
"Is Jason okay?" Marie asked the first question that came into her head.
"Honestly?" Marie nodded, "He will be, once he gets away from all this for a while."
"The others deserve to know."
"We were planning on telling you tonight; guess I let the cat out of the bag a bit soon." They were both quiet for a moment, thinking about the reaction that would occur that evening.
"At least Andy Green will get more attention." Marie said, trying to get a positive spin on things. "You won't have to feel guilty about taking time away from Connect 3 to tour. Actually, that's kind of why I'm here." She continued, getting back to her original reason for being in Nate's cabin.
"Yeah?" Nate asked; now ready to give her request his attention.
"As my first act as your personal assistant I would like to suggest Alexandra as your opening act. She'll be performing a great song at Final Jam. Make sure Roger takes notice and suggest to him he offers her the position for a one off show at least."
"You're first act as my assistant you say?" Nate said, computing what Marie had just said, "Does that mean you're taking the job?"
"Spoke to my parents last night and they eventually agreed so if it's still on offer I would love to work for you, Andy."
Nate flew from his chair and wrapped his arms around her, pleased to know that when he stepped out alone he would have a friend there to support him.
"I've got to ask, why Alexandra? I thought you and she hated each other?"
"A wise friend once told me that people always deserve a second chance." Marie explained, quoting what Nate had told her on one of their late night phone calls a few months earlier. "I spoke to her and it turns out we aren't quite as different as I thought." Nate was impressed. Despite all of the drama Alexandra had caused for her, Marie was prepared to move past it and even help her. "She doesn't need to open every show." Marie continued, well aware the label probably already had a plan for who the supporting act would be. "But if she was allowed to open just one show, it would give her the boost she needs."
Nate promised he would consider it and have a discussion with Roger but made Marie aware that it wouldn't be his decision. At the end of the day it would depend on the results of Final Jam and whether Alexandra proved that she was ready to face a large audience.
"Trust me." Using a once detested phrase, "She's ready."
CR-CR-CR
A while later Nate and Marie walked back to the girls' cabin to aid Jason and Shane in delivering the latest Connect 3 news. Mitchie and Caitlyn were saddened, as Marie has been, whilst Eliza acted as if she wasn't surprised.
Whilst Shane and Nate comforted their girlfriends, Marie pulled her sister outside to discuss her reaction.
"You already knew, didn't you?" Marie questioned.
"Jason told me a few days ago but I promised not to tell anyone until they had talked to the label, which turned out to take a little longer than they expected." Eliza explained, knowing Marie was probably wondering why she'd been kept in the dark.
"It's their lives, surely if they don't want to do it anymore, the label can't make them."
That was one of the things Eliza loved about her younger sister. Despite all she had seen and been through in her seventeen years, she still kept an innocent view on some aspects of life.
"They're bound into a pretty tight contract. Brown's trying to get them out of it by the end of the week so they can announce it. He's hoping to use Nate's alter ego as a bargaining tool but the label's being pretty resistant." Eliza explained.
"There has to be something we can do..." Marie paused, an idea flowing into her mind. "Wait here." She instructed her sister as she grabbed her phone and dialled a number.
CR-CR-CR
An hour later the sisters found themselves sat in Brown's office, passing Marie's phone over so Brown could talk to the person on the end of the line. As he listened to what was said he scanned through the Connect 3 contract, finding a passage as instructed and highlighting it, preparing for a meeting with the label execs in an hour's time.
As he reached the end of the document he thanked the man on the end of the line before hanging up and returning Marie's phone to her. Brown stood and instructed the two girls to return to their cabin, promising he would come find them to let them know the outcome.
His return came nearly ninety minutes later. The gang were still gathered in Marie and Caitlyn's cabin when his knock at the door made them all jump.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Brown apologised as he entered the cabin, "I just had some news I thought you'd want to hear." He went on to explain to his nephews that he'd had further discussions with the label. The looks on the Grey's faces showed they didn't have much hope.
"From the end of this week the future of Connect 3 is in your hands." Brown explained. As Shane tried to speak up, Brown stopped him, wanting to get a full explanation out first. "They would prefer it if you agreed to release a final single, perhaps an album, even if it would have to be with less press than normal, but they are now aware that they have no legal right to keep you at the label."
All at once the three band members responded:
"How?"
"Why?"
"Who?"
"I'll let Marie and Eliza explain." Brown said before slipping away from the cabin, leaving the girls to take the credit they deserved.
"Fynn's dad is a contract lawyer; we just got him to advise Brown." Marie explained, shrugging like it was no big deal.
"Thank you." It was the first time Jason had spoken to her since the night of James' attack.
"No problem." She couldn't think what else to say. The end of Jason's silence had caught her off guard.
When Marie climbed into bed that night, one thought came to mind. Summer was quickly coming to a close and if she was sure of one thing, she didn't want the next few months to be like those she had just been through. She wanted Jason in her life, along with the rest of their gang. No matter what she needed to do, she would fight to make things right between them before Final Jam.
AN: I am currently on holiday and the internet is a bit come and go, however I will try to get another chapter up by Thursday! Please let me know what you think.