Train Your Paladin

Nancy was helping her get dressed for the funeral. Nancy was a little star struck and her fingers weren't working right.

"I can't believe I'm helping the El Hopper with makeup and getting dressed."

Eleven cringed. "Just El, Nancy. Just call me El… the makes me sound like someone else entirely. You are helping your brother's girlfriend, that's it."

"Sorry," Nancy said. "You are my first brush with a celebrity, and one I'm a big fan of."

Eleven smiled at her. "You know, Mike never even heard of the band, I was shocked, and a little ticked off that he hadn't. I didn't leave a very good impression on him."

"Mike can be impossible sometimes as a little brother, but he doesn't have a mean bone in his body. You won't believe how well he'll treat you."

Eleven put her hand to her mouth, steadied herself and said, "I know, I got very lucky with Mike. I want to be with him forever."

"Um, El, you aren't really in a business that allows for that."

"Mike said the same kind of thing. I'm going to prove both of you wrong." Eleven looked down… "I love him Nancy. I didn't think I'd ever feel this way about somebody."

"Does Mike feel the same way? This can't be a one way street, El. You're heart will just get broken."

"He said it first," Eleven smiled, "He said he would be with me forever. His eyes didn't lie."

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Fans have waited two months, the new album is expected to be released any day now, and the supporting tour any day after that. We'll print the dates as soon as we get them. The first single Make War Not War, has been on the charts for most of that time.

- Rock Music Magazine

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Eleven could feel the pressure of grief as soon as she got to the graveyard. Mike held her hand tightly but she ended up crying on Mike's shoulder for the whole service.

She didn't remember the ride back home in her dad's truck. She went home to freshen up and then back to Mike's basement to talk to him about the next steps that were going to happen with the album.

She was telling him about the album cover and name change when she saw tears sprinkle from his heavy sobs.

"I'll never make you cry like that again Eleven, I promise."

She could hear the sorrow in his voice, and could tell he felt really badly about it.

"It's ok Mike, really, it is. Something positive came out of this experience, for me personally, and for the band… and I'd like to think for you …"

She told him about the song she'd gone back to the studio to record, and felt like she should be alone to listen to it.

"I have a quick meeting with Max, Dustin, and Lucas, tomorrow morning, and then we are coming over here for a training session."

"A training session?" El smiled at him. "We are going to teach you how to be famous."

She turned her face up to him and gave him a lingering kiss. "I'm really sorry I treated you that way Mike. I'm not sure I'll ever forgive myself for that."

"Did you ever get mad at your dad like that?"

Eleven looked down, "that wound is still fresh too. I said some awful things. I didn't realize then that he punishing me for all the right reasons. At the time I didn't know how much he loved me, I wasn't even adopted yet. I've tried to make it up to him every day since then. One of the ways I do that is by being home at a certain time when I'm not working. And when I am, I call, or I shout out to the audience."

She looked at her watch, "7-3-5. I have to go back now. I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

Mike nodded and gave her another soft kiss. "I'm never going to get used to kissing you."

She flashed a smile at him. "Good."

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Mike listened to the album Eleven had given him. The one he had worked with the band on in the studio. He'd done a fair bit of research on the band and was having a hard time getting round how popular they were and how he'd never heard of them. While she had been in Japan he'd listened to AM radio and found they were in heavy rotation. They had recorded some really catchy stuff, but it wasn't quite to his taste.

The new album however was a significant change. The music press was going to eat them alive if they didn't like the album.

The entire album was good, but he played particular attention to the version of Make War Not War version they'd recorded in one take.

It was exactly how he had imagined the song.

When it came to the last song on the album Not So Pretty he steeled himself before closing his eyes with his headphones on and listening to it.

Eleven had been right. It was an apology to him. She was singing directly to him, he could tell, in the sweetest voice he'd ever heard. She was doing it acapella and it was perfect. In the end she broke down crying, you could hear Lucas say "I'll cut that part out."

Eleven's reply was, "it stays. It's for him."

Mike wiped his eyes. At that moment he loved Eleven more than anything he could imagine. He felt drawn to her in a way he'd never be able to explain. Well, yes he could explain it. In one word.

Love.

"Thank you Eleven, I forgive you… don't cry." he said out loud. He promised himself yet again he would never make her cry like that… not ever again if it was even humanly possible. He didn't think he could look at the album cover again. It hurt too much. It would make him sad every time every time he thought of the photo, and it reminded him, you just need to be kind to people. Even when they are at their worst.

Mike was sure when the song was released it would fire up the rumour mill for the band. He smiled to himself. El Hopper was the biggest thing in the music industry right now. And she was his girlfriend. Stranger things have happened, but never to him… at least not till now.

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The next morning there was a knock on the door, Mike ran up to get it and opened it as fast as he could.

Max was standing there. She didn't look all that happy. Mike invited her to the basement.

"Is Eleven ok? What's going on? Weren't we all supposed to meet here this morning?"

"She's scared Mike. I've known El since were… younger. I've never seen her that scared."

"What can she possibly be scared of? We didn't have a fight or anything. I don't think I'll ever fight with her… we have… an understanding."

"She thinks that you're going to break up with her."

"What? I've never… no… not possible. I thought we were having a 'training session' today. I assumed it was how to deal with the paparazzi, stuff like that."

"It is, but she's feeling very..." Max shook her head, "I don't know… vulnerable right now. She's back there crying. And crying hard Mike. She really thinks that after we're done here you are going think it's just not worth it. She was really excited talking about it this morning, but me and Dustin could see the change in her. Then she started crying, and hasn't stopped."

There was another knock on the door, Mike when up to get it.

Eleven was standing there, hands clasped in front of her, her head down. She didn't meet his eyes.

He gave her a hug and held it. He whispered into her ear, "Thank you for the song Eleven. That's the nicest thing anybody has ever done for me. And millions of people are going to hear how much you love me."

His shoulder felt warm, it was getting soaked in her tears.

"I will find away to let those millions know, that I love you back. Just as much." Mike felt her her weight increase in his arms as her knees gave out.

"Got her." Dustin said from behind her. He helped Mike carry her to the basement sofa.

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"I'm better now guys, really." Eleven looked at the rest of them. She sat very close to Mike. Holding his hand.

She gave a deep sigh. "Ok let's get this over with."

She pulled some magazines. There were half a dozen issues of Tigerbeat and Pop Music Magazine.

"Ugh, I have to read these?" Mike said.

"Only if you don't believe me." she said.

"Believe you about what?"

"If you look at all the teen celebrities in any of these issues, you'll see articles and fact pages about what kinds of girls or guys the various pop stars like. You won't read of any mention of anybody's girlfriend or boyfriend."

"Why?"

"Because the fans like to think we're all available… that I'm single Mike."

"I don't believe that."

Eleven grabbed an issue, turned a few pages, she read the article title out loud, "Marc or David, Can You Choose Between Them? That's Marc Bolan from T . REX, and David Bowie. They're both married. And David Bowie has a son, Zowie, although his real name is Duncan Jones."

"That's crazy."

"Yeah, but the magazines, the record companies, the managers, they all want you to look like your ready for a boyfriend or girlfriend and it could be any fan."

"What are you saying Eleven?"

"That in public, we are not a couple… as a matter of fact we don't really like each other very much. We are civil in the studio, and we play well together on stage, blah blah blah. Shit, I hate this." Eleven threw her hand up, the one she wasn't holding on to him with.

"It was easy before, but…"

"How long do we have to keep up the charade?"

"At least for this tour."

"I can't kiss you for the next six months."

Max laughed, "you two are going to be impossible to tour with."

"Ignore Max, we'll find away… but… It gets worse MIke."

"Ugh, it's bad enough now."

"I have to flirt with the camera like there's a boy behind it watching."

"What kind of flirting?"

"Throw my hip at them, in tight jeans." Eleven looked down. "Blow kisses at the camera, wink at the camera, and bend over so it looks like you could see down my top."

"But they can't?"

"No they can't, camera guys are really good about any problems like that."

"Ok, it's not like I didn't know it wasn't going to be easy… but I think I can make it easier for you?"

"You can?"

"Just pretend I'm the person at the other end of the camera, all the hip throws, kisses and winks will be for me… and… and know that the guy on the other side of the camera loves you with all his heart, and will forever."

Eleven wiped away a tear. "I can do that. I can do that… thank you Mike"

"I told you Mike would find a way to make it easier for you." Max said.

"One more thing, we all have, um, personas at the interviews. Kind of like the Beatles where George was the 'quiet one'."

"That would be me," Dustin said.

"I'm the sarcastic one." Max said.

"I'm the ego maniac, do you think I can pull that off?" She smiled at Mike winking at him.

"And I am?" He said

"The bad boy." Max and Eleven said at the same time.

"How do I do that?"

"In interviews you be very negative and uncooperative."

"And when we're not doing interviews?"

"Make sure the paparazzi get pictures of you looking at my ass… or Max's… Lucas is not going to like it, but he knows how to play the game. He also knows that you're with me, so you're not serious."

"Geez Eleven, is the whole music industry this fake?"

"That's not even the half of it Mike. But it all means we get to play and record our music. The money isn't too bad either. Max, Dustin and I are in it for the music… but the money isn't bad… which reminds me," she pulled a folded piece of paper out her pocket and gave it to him.

He opened it up and his eyes got wide.

"That's your first royalty cheque Mike. We all got one. It's just the first cheque for the first single. There will be more of both."

Mike looked at it.

"That's ten thousand dollars!"

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We knew the album was going to be different. But RMM has been listening to this album over and over and it's jaw dropping, readers. Get your copy now, the record company tells us that they are having a hard time keeping up with demand.

- Rock Music Magazine