Published: April 21, 2020
Track 7: Betrayal
Too scared to come out / Stuck in my chrysalis
Avoiding, ignoring / My metamorphosis
But things change
When you meet the one you were meant to love
A heavy tension hung in the air, so thick, cutting through it would require a chainsaw. The Titans had just spent the last few minutes listening to Terra's latest single. Everyone reacted differently. Victor's jaw hung open and Richard sputtered in disbelief, both men in complete denial of what they were hearing. Kory burned with a fiery rage and her hands violently clenched the arms of her chair. If Kory radiated heat, Garfield was the complete opposite. He had a frigid, dead look in his eyes and sat frozen in place.
"When were you planning on telling me that your ex-girlfriend Tara is the same person as Tara Markov?" Raven asked. "Stage name Terra, international pop star, model and philanthropist?"
After a quick overview of the artist's Wikipedia page, Raven had spent the entire afternoon combing the rest of the Internet for any other pertinent information she could find. Based on the woman's career trajectory and current management, things were not looking good. When Garfield didn't reply, Raven decided to forge ahead.
"I'm sorry to say this, but we're going to have to completely scrap 'Things Change' from the album."
Everyone except for Garfield gasped at her words. Richard responded first, "There's no way in hell we're doing that!"
"I'm not happy about it either," Raven said in a regretful tone, "but it's the only way for us to move forward without being accused of plagiarism."
"B-but, you don't understand. She copied us, so we should sue her! And we can't just get rid of one of our best songs!"
"No, Richard. You don't understand," Raven replied firmly. "Engaging in a lawsuit right now would bring Nevermore Records to financial ruin. Entertainment lawyers are notoriously expensive and by the time things actually got to court, the company would be broke." She took a deep breath before launching into her explanation, knowing it would be a hard pill for the band to swallow. "The best case scenario is that we win the settlement and the album is only postponed by a few months. But that would take a complete admission of fault on Ms. Markov's account, which I highly doubt is going to happen. In the worst case scenario: we lose the lawsuit, Nevermore goes bankrupt from legal fees, and the negative PR backfires so badly, your album never sees the light of day. It's too high of a risk and I'm not willing to take that chance."
"It's not fair," said Kory who broke into a sob, her fury devolving into tears.
"Life isn't fair," Raven shook her head sadly. "This is the reality of what we're dealing with."
"Where's your sense of justice?" breathed Richard, still unable to accept the outcome of Raven's logic.
"Obviously, I know this whole situation is unjust. But right now, my common sense and money sense are taking over. I'm not letting a legal battle run my company into the ground."
Richard furrowed his brows and looked down into the clenched fists that rested on his lap. "Just ask mommy and daddy to bail you out," he muttered.
Raven felt her heart drop, nausea settling into the pit of her stomach. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," said Richard as his head snapped back up to give Raven a hard stare. "The day after we signed, I did a background check on you. I know for a fact that you come from a super wealthy family."
Raven couldn't respond. It felt like her mouth was sewn shut, preventing her from speaking out and defending herself. Of all of the idiotic and baseless assumptions... Richard continued his speculation without missing a beat.
"You attended L'Academie-de-Sainte-Azar for 10 years, a boarding school for rich, international students in Switzerland, of all places. You went to not one, but two Ivy League schools; Yale for your undergrad and Princeton for your Master's. And now, at the prime age of 25, you magically have the funds to start up your own business? I'm not stupid," Richard spat, pausing to take a breath after his lengthy rant. "And one more thing. You can't tell us what to do with our music!"
The manager felt her emotional wall return, rebuilding itself brick by brick. She fought back the urge to scream in fury, instead choosing to speak in a soft, unwavering voice. "I thought I was part of the team. 'One of us', you said." With that, Raven stormed out before anyone could see the tears stream down her face.
The Titans sat in a shell-shocked silence after Raven's abrupt exit. The atmosphere in the room was both awkward and solemn. Victor thought about reaching out to Gar, but he had no idea what to say. He also felt that Dick had gone too far, but he couldn't accept Raven's conclusion either. He was used to being the "big brother" figure who could get everyone to calm down and think rationally. But right now, he was far too confused to offer any sage advice.
"Richard," said Kory, resting her hand on her partner's shoulder, "you have traversed the line."
Dick answered with a frown, "No, she's wrong and you know it. She should be fighting for us, for crying out loud! I can't believe all she cares about is the money."
"I disagree," his partner replied with a shake of her head. "I believe she is acting in our best interests."
"Clearly, she doesn't care about anyone but herself. I should have known she'd throw us under the bus at the first sign of trouble. What a selfish bi-"
"-Richard!" said Kory sharply.
While the couple argued back and forth, Victor looked between them as if he were watching a tennis match. A vicious, rage-filled, tennis match. Gar made no indication that he was listening, still staring coldly into space.
"Why are you defending her?" Dick asked angrily, somewhat shocked that his greatest ally was now against him.
"Because she is simply making the best of our circumstances. Why fight a war we cannot win? I think her decision is most wise."
"But it's the principle of it all, Kory!"
"Principles? You wish to speak of principles?! How is it principled to dig up someone's history behind their back out of fear and suspicion? You cannot treat our friend like the criminals you prosecute at work!"
"Baby, you're being unreasonable..." Dick said pleadingly. His voice trailed off, unsure of what to say next.
"And you, Richard, are being a dick."
"This is my fault." Three pairs of eyes moved in Gar's direction at the sound of his voice. He looked over at Dick and said, "But Kory's right. You're acting like a total ass-wipe." Gar took a deep breath and launched himself out of his chair. It was time for him to set the record straight. "Be right back."
Raven was the type of person who rarely cried. She could count the number of times from the last decade on one hand and was able to recall each memory with explicit detail. The first was when her mother died. Raven was halfway across the world in boarding school when she got the news. By the time she was able to travel back to the United States, it was too late. Her mother had already passed away in her hospital bed. Raven had wept silently with grief while the rest of the cabin was fast asleep during the overnight flight. The experience was so traumatic that she never returned to Europe to complete her studies.
The second instance was when she had her heart broken for the first time. Her sobs were loud and uncontrollable, and it seemed like she would never stop crying. Whenever she managed to calm down, her thoughts would always wander back to the man who took away her innocence. The way he looked at her, the things he said, the intimate moments they shared. How he unapologetically used her.
The third time was a few months ago, the day of her Master's convocation ceremony. The tears were filled with frustration, shame and insecurity. They were indicative of the impostor's syndrome that constantly mocked her in the back of her mind. On the day she should have been the most proud of her personal achievements, she couldn't help but feel like a fraud, totally unworthy and undeserving.
Now, she cried because of the unexpected betrayal of her so-called friends. She had known that it was going to be a difficult discussion, but she never could have predicted how negative their reactions would be, especially Richard's. Beyond being deeply hurt, she was disappointed. So disappointed in their lack of faith in her. She had poured her heart and soul into these four people, working late nights and early mornings just to ensure their success. She thought that she had finally found acceptance, but that hope was now being thrown back in her face. It was stupid to think that their relationship was anything more than just business.
A hand holding a mini-pack of Kleenex came into her peripheral vision. She raised her bloodshot eyes at the man who offered them to her. Raven wordlessly reached for the packet, pulling out a tissue to blow her nose. Normally, she would be mortified to be caught crying, but right now, she couldn't care less. The two figures stood in the privacy of the hallway to where Raven had run off. They were still on the first floor of her condo building, but they were far away from any prying eyes. Garfield stood directly at her side, leaning his back onto the wall like she did. They stayed quiet for several moments before he finally spoke.
"I never told you why Tara and I broke up, did I? Or how we even got together for that matter." The musician didn't wait for Raven's acknowledgement before recounting his story. "It was about three years ago. I had just turned 21 and the band took me out for drinks at Wolfie's. I saw her at the bar, but I was too shy to say anything. I didn't see her again until a few months later. We had entered ourselves into a Battle of the Bands competition, the biggest gig we ever played. It was at Murakami Square, in the outdoor amphitheater. There were hundreds of people in the crowd."
Raven turned her neck to look at Garfield's profile. His eyes and voice took on a nostalgic expression. She could tell that it was still a fond memory.
"Tara was supposed to perform right after us. When we were getting off stage, I heard her explain to the show director that her partner had ditched her last minute. I decided to be a hero and offered to accompany her on guitar. After the show, she came to find me to say thank you. We hit it off right away and I fell for her instantly. Dick offered her a spot on the band soon after. She had a great voice and played the piano. She took over the keyboard from Dick so that he could focus on his vocals. Tara also sang backup with me since all of our songs were adjusted to Dick's register, but sometimes she would get a solo part."
The Titans' manager wasn't surprised to hear that Tara had been a supporting vocalist for the band. Based on the few times Raven had listened to "Metamorphosis", she knew the girl had real talent.
"We were together for about a year and a half. Those were probably the best times of my life. The band played gigs every weekend and I was writing songs all the time. I guess you could say Tara was my muse."
Raven cringed inwardly at Garfield's clichéd statement, but didn't say anything. She couldn't stand it when people spoke like that. Still, she bit back her tongue. It wouldn't be very polite to make snide comments at a time like this.
"One night after a show, a talent agent approached Tara, just like you approached me. The difference was that he only wanted her."
"You're kidding," Raven said aloud. She was flabbergasted that someone had passed up the rest of the band.
"Wish I was. We had a huge fight. She thought I wasn't being supportive enough, that I was being selfish. I was mad that she was even considering it. We didn't talk for a few days because we were both so angry and needed to cool off. When I finally swallowed my pride and went to go see her at her place, she had already moved out. She completely ghosted me."
Raven felt a pang of sympathy for Garfield's plight. She couldn't deny that being abandoned like that was extremely harsh.
"You know, she never officially broke up with me," he said. "Though her disappearance and total radio silence made it pretty clear that we were done. The next time I saw her, she was performing on some late night talk show."
"She sounds like a real keeper," said Raven sarcastically. She meant it as a joke, but Garfield didn't take it that way.
"I loved her. I wanted to marry her." His voice hitched and he began to choke up. "But she left me behind at her first chance of fame."
Raven saw two silent streams fall from his eyes before he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve.
"If you feel like we betrayed you, I'm sorry," he continued. "Trust me, I know how it feels. But Dick wasn't thinking straight. After you left, Kory defended you like a champ. And I don't know about Vic, but me, I'm on your side."
Raven stared intently at the floor. She couldn't bear to look at his crying face; it was too bare, too real. If she had looked up, she would have seen that their faces matched perfectly, cheeks stained with dried tear tracks and noses puffy and red. Raven's instinct was to harden her heart and keep it that way for a long, long time. It would be so much easier to stay unfeeling, to shut away her pain in a tightly sealed box. But Garfield's genuine vulnerability had already worked it's way in.
"Please, Raven, don't give up on us too. I know we'll be able to get through this. No matter how hard things get, a family should always be there for each other."
Her resolve broke and she nodded her head in agreement. "Family, huh? If that's what it's going to be like all the time, I don't think I can take it," she said.
"Spats like that come with the territory," Garfield replied, resting his hand on her shoulder. "But if Dick ever comes after you again, I'll clobber him to a pulp."
Raven pulled away, painfully aware of their close contact. Her heart was slowly opening up once more, but it would take time before it was fully ready to trust another.
When Gar and Raven re-entered the room, the vibe was totally different. For one thing, Kory looked positively mollified. She had a triumphant grin on her face, which contrasted spectacularly with the look of defeat on Dick's. Victor, while significantly more relaxed, still had an air of anxiety about him.
"Raven," said Kory, "Richard has something to say to you."
"Sorry," he mumbled, obviously not completely ready to apologize.
Kory shoved him hard in the side. "With feeling, Richard!"
"There's no need," Raven jumped in, raising her hand in the air to stop Kory's next assault. She turned to Dick and looked him square in the eye. "I apologize if you feel like I made the decision for you. I know how highly you value your own sense of agency." She paused to make sure that Dick was listening. "I also know how hard you've worked for this. All of you. You have to believe me when I say I'm your biggest fan. But we cannot and will not pursue legal action."
"But-" Dick began.
"-You need to trust me" Raven quickly cut him off. "Please." Turning her attention to Gar, she asked, "Garfield, is that lyric original to you, or did Ms. Markov have some part in writing it?"
He mulled it over carefully before answering. "Well, it was kind of like a catchphrase between the two of us. So I guess she has partial ownership of it."
"Thank you, that confirms my suspicion. Other than that line in the chorus, the rest of the lyrics and the melody of her song are totally different from yours. There is no way to prove that she intentionally plagiarized those words. If there were written proof, the most we could do is request that she pay Garfield royalty fees for co-writership, but that's pretty much it. To me, it's not worth the risk."
Gar glanced at his friends. He already knew that Kory was in full support of Raven's assessment. Looking at Victor, he could tell that his friend had been converted too. But there was an inkling of hesitation left in Dick's eyes and Raven noticed this.
"One more thing," the manager said. "Ms. Markov is signed to Wilson Entertainment. It's one of the most prominent talent agencies in North America. I actually worked there during my internship. The CEO is absolutely ruthless and he likes to play dirty. If we provoke him or if he sees us as a threat, he could use his power to ruin your album's potential success. Taking all of this into consideration, I am convinced that the best course of action is to let the whole thing go. What about you?"
Dick finally resigned himself to the situation. He stood up to walk towards Raven and offered a handshake as a sign of good will. "I understand and I accept. I'm sorry, Ms. Roth. Everything I said about you was out of line, and I wish I could take it back. Please forgive me."
"It's Raven," she replied, shaking his hand briefly before letting it go. But she wasn't quite finished with him yet. "But mark my words, Richard. If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will lose all respect for you. Prying into my life in that manner was a total violation of privacy. Your research was correct; I did have an unusually privileged childhood. But when I say that I lose everything if Nevermore Records goes under, you better believe it like it's the Gospel truth. Understood?"
The air went chilly with her cold words. Gar warned himself against ever crossing Raven, lest he drop dead immediately after one of her verbal takedowns. Dick audibly gulped.
"Yes, 'mam. I mean, R-Raven."
"Good. Now that we've all agreed that what's past is in the past, it's time to move forward..."
Half an hour later, the team came up with a two-step action plan to prepare for the impending launch date. The first task was to increase their public relations and Internet presence. The other was to fill the empty slot that came with the forfeit of "Things Change". While the other members were tasked with taking over one of the band's social media accounts from Raven, Gar had a special job. It was his responsibility to replace the song that they had lost.
"Glorious!" said Kory happily, "I do love to contribute the selfies to Instagram."
"Make sure to include some behind-the-scenes photos from the studio," Raven recommended, "and don't forget to update your Stories as much as you can."
"Maaaan, why does Dick get Twitter?" complained Victor. "Moderating Facebook is bo-ring!"
"Sorry," Raven answered not-so-apologetically, "that's what happens when you draw the short stick." The band hung around for a bit longer until she shooed them out of the conference room. "Okay Titans, it's time to get going. Tomorrow is a weekday and everybody has work in the morning. See you Saturday."
Back at home, Gar stayed up in bed to reflect on the day's drama. Oddly enough, he felt like he was finally getting closure. When Tara suddenly left him without a trace, Gar felt like he had been cheated out of a much needed break-up conversation. There were so many things that we were left unsaid. In the weeks following her disappearance, he daydreamed about randomly bumping into her on the street and getting the chance to chew her out. He imagined the sweet satisfaction of rejecting her when she begged him back. On the extra lonely days, the fantasy would devolve into passionate make-up sex.
When they first got together, their chemistry levels were through the roof, both physically and personality-wise. She laughed at all of his jokes, got along super well with his friends, and seemed to get him like no one else did. He wasn't exaggerating when he said that he wanted to marry her eventually. He saw her as his partner-in-crime, the other half that made him complete. In the aftermath of their break up, all he could focus on was the gaping hole that she had left in his life. Though the passing of time and the support of his friends had helped a little bit, it wasn't quite enough to fix the heartbreak. He simply hadn't been ready to let go.
But talking to Raven had been extremely cathartic. It was the first time he ever vocalized the full story aloud from start to finish. Victor, Kory and Dick had been around to experience it with him, and there wasn't anyone else in his life that he could have hashed it out with. He had considered Rita, but talking about girls with one's foster mom was always an awkward subject, especially when she was constantly nagging him about getting his life together.
Gar sighed to himself. So many people had told him recently that he needed to move on. Not just from Tara, but in life in general. Adulting was hard. He knew that he couldn't goof around forever. If he was being honest with himself, he was afraid of growing up. He was scared that he wasn't enough. However, he was beginning to discover that holding on to his feelings for Tara had been a part of that insecurity. After the day's events and this long moment of introspection, Gar realized that he wanted more for himself. He deserved more. It was time for him to put on his big boy pants and start acting like the man he wanted to be.
As the wheels continued to turn in his head, something clicked. He had told Raven earlier that Tara used to be his muse... Writing music had always been an emotional release. He grabbed a notebook from his nightstand and started jotting down lyrics, the words flowing freely through the pencil. A couple of hours later, Gar was satisfied with his work. He set aside the notebook and tucked himself into his blankets. Tomorrow, he'd figure out the melody. He turned over and closed his eyes, letting a peaceful smile settle on his face.
A few days after their emergency meeting, the team was reunited in the studio. They were three weeks out from the launch date and had the last four songs left to record. Promotion and press junkets were still in the works of being organized. The music video was in post-production and Alexander constantly texted Raven to give her updates. On the other hand, Donna's turnaround on the photoshoot was much faster. Earlier in the week, Raven had updated the website with the photos and added a countdown clock to the front page. At present, the Titans loitered in the hallway of the studio while waiting for Virgil to arrive. Raven passed her tablet around so that everyone could see the finished product.
"Damn, we look good," Victor said approvingly. "Wait, what's that slimy, life-sized booger doing in the corner? Oh nevermind, it's just Gar."
"Hey" protested Garfield. "I'll have you know that Cassie said my green highlights are awesome."
"Well it's too bad that she's taken, because the chances of finding a girl who'd wanna date an overgrown snot are one in a million!"
Raven thought back to Garfield's emotional vulnerability from the other day and wondered if he would take the joke badly. But her worries were relieved when he pounced on the taller man to headlock him playfully. "Well they can't be much worse than trying to find a girl who'd wanna marry a rust bucket like you!" Garfield joked. "It's a miracle you managed to sucker Sarah into that in the first place."
Richard took the tablet from Victor before their roughhousing got too violent. "You look beautiful, babe," he said as he zoomed into his partner's face.
"Hmph, I am aware of this," Kory replied stiffly. She snatched the tablet out of his hands and returned it to Raven, linking arms with their manager. "The website looks so professional. Thank you for your diligent work."
The manager blushed at the praise and smirked internally at the look of bafflement on Richard's face. It seemed as though Kory hadn't completely forgiven him for his actions towards Raven. She wasn't used to having such a loyal companion by her side.
"I'm just doing my job," Raven humbly replied, then looked down at her watch, "and it's about time you all got started on yours."
The gang dispersed in various directions to set up their instruments in the live room while Raven went to her regular spot in the control room. Soon after Virgil's arrival, the band began the recording process for "Winner Take All". It was an upbeat track that comprised a lively chorus, a pounding kick-drum and energetic backing vocals. In the meantime, Raven read over the lyrics that Garfield had submitted to her when they first entered the studio that day.
It was clear to see that he had drawn from personal experience. It was a fresh take on the quintessential break-up song, low-key without being too depressing. It spoke of the sense of betrayal that usually comes from the messy end of a relationship. The lyrics were a bit self-deprecating, but the story of the song ended on a funny note, showing the audience that it was all tongue-in-cheek. It was very relatable like "Things Change", but in a completely different way. It would be the perfect replacement.
The next few weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Raven worked extra hard trying to get everything ready for the launch. The band successfully completed recording the rest of the album a week early, which greatly relieved Raven's fear that they would run out of time. Virgil invited them to come to the studio for their last scheduled session so that they could have an unofficial listening party. Raven brought a case of beers to mark the occasion.
"Is it not customary to drink champagne when celebrating?" Kory asked.
Raven looked at her kindly and said, "We'll save that for the launch party next week."
The entire gang sat in the control room with beers in hand. Raven, Kory and Richard were squished together on the couch while Victor and Garfield sat on folding chairs. Virgil had settled in his rolling chair in front of his computer. "Are you ready for the first complete listen-through?" he asked the group.
The Titans nodded their heads vigorously, excitement shining through wide smiles. Virgil passed each of them a copy of the finalized track list and pressed "Play".
Titans Together by Titans
1. How Long is Forever?
2. Every Dog Has His Day
3. Sarah
4. Only Human
5. Fear Itself
6. Date with Destiny
7. Transformation
8. Titan Rising
9. Winner Take All
10. Betrayal
11. Fractured
12. Aftershock
Just under an hour later, the last few notes of "Aftershock" faded into silence. Much like their emergency meeting, everyone's reactions were different. Garfield and Victor hugged each other in a brotherly embrace. The guitarist wore a face-splitting grin while the drummer looked dazed, as if he wasn't sure whether he was dreaming or awake. Kory jumped out of her seat and did a happy dance, squealing with delight. Richard had a serious expression on his face, although Raven thought she could see his eyes tear up with joy behind his sunglasses.
As for the manager herself, she was thrilled, though her emotions only manifested in a small smile. She had witnessed the album in all stages of its life, from conception to completion. She imagined this is what it felt like to be a proud mother watching her child graduate high school.
"We did it. I can't believe we did it!" Garfield shouted joyfully, leaning over to give Virgil a double high-five. The six of them pulled into a group hug and revelled in the moment, Titans together.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the character development. I wanted to explore Dick's paranoia, the same kind that he showed when Garfield went Beast mode in "The Beast Within". It was also time for Gar to grow up a bit. I think most of us in our 20's can agree that adulting is terrifying, especially in times like these. But we all have to do it eventually!
"Winner Take All" is parallel to "Talk Too Much" by COIN, and "Betrayal" is inspired by both Arctic Monkeys' "Cornerstone" and Neon Trees' "Nights".
Till next time, Lily Timbers
Replies to Guest Reviews
Guest #1: Here are those reactions and discussions you've been waiting for :-)
Guest #2: I'm having an absolute blast writing this, so I don't think I'll burn out anytime soon (fingers crossed). The only reason I'm updating so frequently is due to quarantine, lol. But I'm definitely invested!