Chapter 60: Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Thank you for the great past year - over 130 reviews! Thanks for all the support and lovely comments. I hope you have a great night, and a very happy new year! Enjoy!
Clary's POV
New Years - they are performing at Time Square
"So, Vogue," Magnus says, while doing jazz hands, "will be here shortly. As you know, they're going to follow you around today while you get ready for your performance tonight."
"I can't tell what your more excited about," Simon says, not looking up from his phone. "The fact that we are performing as midnight at Time Square, or the fact that we're going to be in a YouTube video for Vogue."
"I think it's pretty obvious," Kit says.
Alec says performance at the same time that Magnus says Vogue.
"Oh Alexander, it's like you don't even know me at all!" Magnus says dramatically.
"Well I just thought…" Alec says, looking over to me for help.
"He just thought you would get that he was joking. Obviously he knows you care more about Vogue."
"Stop covering for him, Clary," Magnus says. "Anyway - I'm going to go over the schedule once more, just so everyone is on board for today! So, Vogue…" he says, unable to stop the large smile on his face, "should be here in the next five minutes, and then there will be a little interview portion of the video. Then we're going off to do your sound check and final rehearsals. After that, you guys will hang out in your trailer near the stage, and get ready for the performance. There will be a communal dinner - I've already checked and you'll all be able to keep up your tour diets."
"Goody," Kit says sarcastically.
"Then you can watch performances or nap or do whatever you want before your performance. We fly to Europe tomorrow morning so nothing too late tonight!"
"Oh, that reminds me," I say, "Kit and I will need the trailer for a little bit before the performance."
"For your yoga?" Simon asks, looking away from his phone.
"Yes," I say simply. "We've offered for you to join - there's no need to make fun."
"I just don't really understand the idea behind chilling yourselves out before the show. Shouldn't you be like… getting pumped."
"Actually," Kit replies, "it allows us to block out everything other than the show and centre our focus and energy on giving the best performance we can."
"Also," I add, "it really tones muscle. There's a reason you and Simon are getting left behind," I say, poking Alec in the stomach. Not that I would say anything, but he really didn't need any help in sculpting muscles.
Alec just rolls his eyes, but Magnus swats my hand away from Alec's stomach, "are you calling my boyfriend pudgy?"
"I would never!" I say, smiling at Magnus as I sit down next to Simon on the couch.
I'm sure that Magnus is about to respond, but he's distracted by a knock at the door. "It's Vogue! Quick, how do I look?"
"Marvellous!" I yell back. He quickly straightens his jacket before opening the door. He invites everyone inside.
"Hi, I'm Clary," I say to the man who walked in first, shaking his hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Max - I'm the director for your video today," the man - Max says.
"Oh great," I say, "well this is Simon, Alec and Kit. Thanks for coming over today - we're really excited for this video."
"I'm glad to hear it. Well, we're just going to spend a minute setting up. Are you all good on the couch for the interview part, or was there somewhere else you'd prefer?"
"Umm… I'm sure the couch will be perfect, let me just check with Magnus." Upon hearing his name, Magnus hurries over to us. "Magnus," I say, "this is Max - the director of the video. Was the couch good with you for filming?"
"Oh… whatever Max wants to do will be perfect. Simon!" Magnus yells, and then looks over to Max and calms himself, "Simon. Would you please get up so the Vogue people can set up for your video.
Simon looks over at me and raises his eyebrows and grins, but gets up none-the-less.
After they've set everything up, they position us where they want us on the couch, and a few people fix my make up and the guys hair, and then they start filming, getting Alec to do the introduction.
"Hey everyone," he says, "we're Royals for the Night, and we're going to spend the day with Vogue, getting ready for our performance at Time Square tonight."
"Okay, can you tell us your favourite New Years Eve memory?" Max asks us.
"We;ve been pretty boring the last five or so years - we're usually wrapping a tour or about to release an album - or both honestly, so there hasn't really been a lot of time for partying," Simon says.
"We had a concert last year - that was pretty good fun. But it ended at like 10.00, maybe 10.30 - I think we were all in bed by 11.00," I add.
"I remember once," Kit says, "I think I would've been about ten. I really wanted to stay up until midnight and watch the ball drop and the fireworks and everything on TV. Which amazingly, my dad let me do. Or so I thought - a couple of years later I found out he'd just played the ball dropping from the year before and changed the clocks in the house. I actually went to bed at like 8.30."
"Wouldn't you have noticed there were no fireworks outside?" Simon asks.
Kit shrugs, "you would think so, wouldn't you."
"And wouldn't you notice that everyone had the wrong yeah on all their stuff - like the glasses and everything?" Alec asks.
"That one I did actually notice - dad said that people were celebrating the year that had just happened, and I don't know… I just believed him."
"And wouldn't you be able to it hadn't been dark for long enough for it to be midnight," I ask, grinning at him.
"I don't know. The sun sets at like 5.00 - I hadn't stayed up until midnight before - I didn't know how long it takes. Why are you all on my case about this?" Kit asks.
"You were ten," Simon says simply, "you really should have known better."
Kit doesn't have a response, so just repeats what Simon said in a stupid voice.
Max laughs a little before asking the next question, "what does being the last performance at Time Square mean to you?"
"I mean we all grew up in New York," I say. "And apart from Kit apparently, I think you feel kind of attached to the tradition. Simon and I used to spend every New Years Eve together, and we'd watch it all; the performances and the people celebrating…"
"But we moved to L.A. when we were fifteen, so we were never really old enough to become a part of the celebration - we'd always watch from someone's bedroom rather than with everyone in the street, so it's just really cool to be a part of it all," Simon finishes.
"It's like a really full circle moment," Alec adds, "like they said you go from staying up until midnight to watch the ball drop and the musical act… to becoming the musical act; I think this is a real 'we've made it' moment."
"I just think it'll be good to actually see it happen - you know for real," Kit says, and then we all laugh. Count on Kit to end the sentimental moment.
We answer a few more questions, and then Max tells us that he thinks they have enough for now. Magnus ushers us all out of the hotel room so that we can get to Time Square. It's only midday but there are tens of thousands of people are already in the street trying to get a good position for the night.
"You guys have got sound check in about ten minutes," Magnus tells us once were situated in our trailer, "so put on a jacket and come outside."
Because we're doing a medley of songs, we'd decided that everyone should just stick to one instrument. I grab my drum sticks, and everyone else gets their guitar, and then we follow Magnus outside. All of the camera's following us reminds me of when we were filming the documentary and how horrible that was. But this is only one day, and it's because it's a big event.
I look back and see Simon explaining what we;re about to do to one of the cameras - he's so much better at all of this than me.
We finish our sound check, which goes well, and talk to some of the other performers for the night.
"They're here," Magnus tells us, and then ushers us back to our trailer. Inside is Luke, Rebecca, Max and Isabelle. Jace had to go back to London to start filming again, and Mayrese and Robert said this wasn't their scene. I'm not sure if Kit invited his parents, but don't ask - it's not really any of my business.
"Clary! I just saw Post Malone outside!" Max says as soon as he sees me.
"Did you?" I ask, bending down a bit to hug him. I love Max, but I think I love him a little more because he's small for his age as well. "Maybe we can go find him in a little bit and say hi."
"Really! Hey Izzy - Clary said she's going to take me to meet Post Malone," Max says, tugging on his sisters jacket.
"Did she?" Izzy asks, smiling at me, "that nice - did you say thank you?"
"Oh! Thank you Clary!" Max says, hugging me again.
"That's okay," I say, laughing a little and ruffling his hair.
"We haven't even been in here for a minute and he already love you more somehow," Alec says, turning away from Luke.
"What can I say, I have a gift?" I say, lightly hitting him on the chest as I make my way over to Luke.
"Hey Clary," he says, grabbing me into a tight bear hug. "How are you?"
"Well since I saw you - two days ago - things have been good. How about you? Book shop hold up without you there?" I ask.
"Well it was closed for most of the time I was gone, but Maia held everything up. She was very excited to see the book you got me. She said she was surprised she was able to keep it a surprise for so long," Luke answers.
"I'm glad she did - and I'm glad everything was good. Maybe we can make your Christmas trip an annual one," I say.
"Or maybe you could come to New York," Luke adds.
"Maybe…" I say, but smile up at him. I would love to spend the holidays in New York again.
Everything is pretty smooth sailing. Max and I manage to track down Post Malone, and he signs on of Max's Manga's.
Director Max follows Kit and I in for our yoga session, and something that had only been hinted at before is finally caught on camera for the public to see.
At around 11.30 we start getting ready to go on stage. Luke and Izzy and everyone else are able to get a good spot in front of the stage.
"Break a leg," Magnus tells us just before going down to join the others, "you guys deserve this. I want you to enjoy it, okay!"
Once Magnus is gone, we get in our little circle. "Let's just think of this as the warm up to the tour," Alec says.
"Yeah, and try not to about the million people that in time square, millions more watching in America and possibly like a billion watching world wide!" Kit says cheerfully.
"Jesus Kit, did you have to bring that up?" Simon asks.
"Don't think about it," I tell him, "you've got this."
One of the stage crew tells us that we have 30 seconds before we go on.
"I'll see you up there," I say, and head over to the other side of the stage with Alec.
"You're on!" someone says, and I quickly wink at Alec before running on the stage.
"You guys were amazing!" Max says as we meet up with them again in the trailer.
"Thanks Maxxie," Alec says, ruffling his hair.
"Seriously good set," Izzy says.
"Can't believe that's my little bro," Becky says, pretending to wipe a tear.
"Good job kiddo," Luke says, pulling me in for another bear hug.
"We should get back out there," Simon says. "I mean we can sit here and talk about how good we are until we lose our voices, but there's a ball that's going to drop out there very soon, and I for one don't want to miss it.
"3… 2… 1… happy new year!" everyone yells.
I look over and see Magnus and Alec kissing, and Simon and Izzy. Kit looks at me, raises his eyebrows and then shrugs. I stand up on my tippy toes and kiss him on the cheek. "Happy new year, Kit."
I'm back to regular posting now by the way, so I'll have another chapter up on Friday. Hope you have a great night, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)