Fame has its price to pay, especially if a certain devil still knows how to do his real job…
Notes:Uhmm I see some people reading this, is it a good thing, is it not? If you don't tell me I'll never know…
Chapter XVII (III B) The big screen, the plastic made dreams, say you don't want it."Hey, you two! We thought you had got lost!" Kelly says, when she sees Matt and Dom come back… after twenty minutes.
"So, did you find that… thing?" Chris sarcastically asks them.
"Oh yeah, sure we did. And I put it in my pocket, so I'm sure I won't lose it again." Matt shrugs, while Kelly observes Dominic more closely.
"Dear, you have some leaves in your hair," she tells him, getting closer in order to remove them.
"Huh! Well, I… I've helped Matt search for that thing in the bushes." Dom babbles, blushing instantly.
"I'll bet that you found a way to keep yourselves busy while you waited for us!" Matthew rushes to change topic as soon as possible.
"That's for sure; Kelly gave me the list of at least thirty pregnancy books!" Chris grumbles.
"Libraries in Manchester are surely better supplied than ours," the girl justifies.
"Okay, we'd better go now. We must be back in Manchester by tonight," Chris kisses his girlfriend goodbye, leaving with his custodians.
"Just tell me, Matt, what blessed kind of cuddling needs your hands to try and find their way inside my jeans?" the blond asks him, still rather shocked.
"The cuddling with a devil of Lust!" the brunet whispers in his ear, chuckling. "However, that damn tight thing you wear doesn't let me squeeze even one finger inside!" he snorts, making the angel giggle.
"Letting you have free access and making you believe you can easily get what you want? I don't really think so, bad devil!" Dom playfully sticks his tongue out at him.
"Little angel, you're as shrewd as a devil!" Matt chuckles, amused.
-
"… and this is the recording studio. You can start even now, once you stop getting so thrilled about every single thing!" the sound engineer of Hyper Music snorts, turning to the emerging band who really can't help showing their awe every time another piece of professional machinery is showed to them. Even Matthew, who, for the record, is the one who asks more questions about how every device works.
The sound engineer goes back to his office, while the three musicians continue becoming familiar with such professional microphones and with their instruments plugged into those amplifiers with so many new and amazing effects of the highest quality.
"Can you hear how much stronger my drums are now?" the angel grins, beating the tom-tom rather violently.
"I'm too busy trying to find out how many new effects my guitar has now!" the devil strikes back, pushing the pedals.
"Well, what about my bass? Don't you hear how more amplified it is now? Don't you feel the floor tremble under your feet when I play it?" Chris brags, playing a very fast riff.
"Just like the first time I've paid a visit to you?" Matt smirks with pride.
"No, I mean just like when Tom did. He was much more terrifying!" the human mercilessly demoralizes him, on purpose.
"I thought I was the evil guy in this band!" Matthew grumbles, pouting.
"C'mon, Matthew, you can pay a visit to me whenever you want… and I promise I'll be as terrified as I can!" Dominic cheers the devil up, making him smile.
"Mmm... so it won't be long before I disturb you in the dark, little angel!" the devil winks sexily at him, before studying his effects again.
"If you two are done with the lovebirds stuff, we still have an EP to record!" Chris exhorts them, rolling his eyes, just like two certain guys do while they are observing them from the two opposite sides of the afterworld.
They both just can't deny evidence anymore.
Once they became accustomed to the equipment, only a little more rehearsal and some finishing touches are needed before the first track of their EP is perfectly done.
"Hey, guys, Emma asked if you can also record the jam session you played for her last time she saw you," the sound engineer asks them.
"Just that one?" Chris wonders, afraid that he won't remember the exact sequence of chords and riffs of that improvised jam session.
"It would be better, but every jam session you can play with the same energy and intensity will do the job!" the engineer replies.
"We're going to leave her speechless!" Dom assures, almost hyper, while Matt has approached to the console, taking advantage of the fact that the technicians took a break
"What are you doing?" Chris asks him, since he learned that to keep an eye on Matt is always a wise thing to do.
"Wouldn't be cool if we could insert a hidden message inside our song?" the devil caresses his chin.
"A message?" Dom raises his eyebrows, reaching them.
"Yeah. I don't know, a nice exhortation to suicide, which is always a classic. Or a suggestion to invoke some colleagues of mine… or even better, an invitation to have an immoral and depraved life!" Matthew enumerates, while his sapphire eyes shine with an evil and crazy glint.
"No way, forget it!" Chris snaps. "However, judging how the world goes nowadays, there's no need for the last invitation!" he adds.
"I have to sadly agree with him." the angel bends his head down, ruefully.
"Oh yes, this is so delightfully true!" the devil smiles pleased.
"However, Matthew is right, we should insert a nice hidden message," the blond agrees. "Something like 'We love you all equally' or 'We are all brothers and sisters'!" he adds with a beam, clapping his hand happily.
"Ugh! I'm going to throw up inside our EP!" Matt snaps, disgusted. "Never mind, no stupidly hidden stupid message in the stupid song!" he mutters.
"It always works!" Dom winks towards Chris.
When he wants, the angel can be much less naïve than he appears.
"Anyway, little angel, you must quit with this bloody conviction that we are all equals!" the devil grumbles.
"But it's true! Why can't you see that when we bleed we bleed the same?" the angel makes him notice.
The brunet bursts out laughing ungracefully.
"This is the hugest idiocy I've ever heard!" he states, before exposing his left palm and passing the nail of his right index over it, tracing a tiny red line.
"OUCH!" Chris and Dom cry in pain in unison, seeing the same cut appear on their left palm.
"Oh wait, I have to admit that this is true." Matt asserts, analyzing their blood.
"Geez, are you nuts?" Chris snaps. "We still have to play!"
"Phew, such a fuss for a tiny cut!" the devil shrugs, passing his right index onto his left palm, making all three of their little wounds heal.
"At least, I gave you some physical pain!" he sneers, satisfied, before the technicians come back.
-
With the same ease with the first songs, all the others are completed;
So, more or less, as Emma has predicted, in a week and a half the EP is ready to fill the stores and debut.
And all of this without a single hidden message.
Satisfied by the result, the producer allows the guys to return home, but not before setting their agenda.
"Next week the promotion starts. You have some signing sessions in the most important music stores in major locations. Manchester, Leicester, Newport, Birmingham and you'll start from London." Emma informs them.
"Wow! We're going to debut our EP in London!" Chris is ecstatic.
"Yep, and you're going to perform live, too. I'll tell you what though, if it's anything even remotely close to what I've seen so far, boys, success will be granted!" the woman smiles. "One more thing, guys. If I were you I would tune into a certain radio station tomorrow at 5.30 p.m. ..." she smirks.
-
"Are you sure it's this one?" Kelly wonders, while she turns the control knob of the radio, until she catches the right frequency.
Everyone, including Paul, is there at her house. After all, their very first talent-scout didn't want to miss such an important moment.
It's almost 5.50 p.m. and Emma informed them that something would happen around that time, but so far all they can hear are commercials that don't give them any clue if that's the right station.
Welcome back on Hullabaloo Radio, a young speaker announces and then there's the jingle of the brand new songs of the week.
"Yep, it's the right one." the bassist says.
"Brand new songs? Does it mean that…?" Paul figures out.
Dear listeners, the first brand new song of today comes from Devon and Heaven, Earth & Hell want to show us their value. Let's listen to these guys! As the speaker finishes talking the first notes of their song are already audible.
"But… this is our very first song!" Dom rejoices, thrilled.
"Yes, but … this is not a famous radio station, so probably no one will hear it... so why all the fuss about that?" Matt grumbles, biting the third cupcake that Kelly offered.
Truth must be told: the devil is just trying to hide his emotions about hearing himself playing on the radio.
Both the custodians cast a look at Chris, knowing how long he has been waiting for such a moment to come. Dom smiles softened, but neither can Matt remain so indifferent to the bassist's teary eyes, while Kelly holds her boyfriend tenderly.
Paul claps his hands when the song is over, before the speaker informs everyone when the EP will be out.
"Congrats, guys!" he smiles, walking towards them and shaking their hands. "and if you need a manager, just ask me!" he adds shrewdly.
"It's just a matter of time," Kelly says, turning the radio off. "I have a feeling that we'll see a video of your song on UNO Channel very soon!"
-
Days go by frantically and before they can blink, Chris, Matt and Dom are already at their first autograph session, in the hugest HMV store London has to offer.
Emma, who is there them, observes both the long row of the people who are waiting to meet them and the very few copies of their EP that are still on the shelves with a satisfied expression.
After all, after a sneak preview of their live performance, including a short version of three songs of their EP, such a high number of interested people was more than predictable.
"That's funny," Matt says, while he signs the umpteenth copy of their album. He glances at the young guitarist who has handed him it, but not before flooding Matt with compliments about his amazing way of playing the guitar.
"What's so funny?" the boy asks Matthew.
"You know, before, instead of putting my signature everywhere, I used to be the one who collected signatures from people," the charismatic devil smirks.
"Did you work in a petition organization?" his young fan frowns, puzzled.
"Not exactly," the devil shakes his head, giving the autographed EP back to him, while he keeps staring at him, deeply. "And I guess that you have undisclosed desires in your heart." he goes on, almost with a hypnotic voice.
"Who doesn't have? To begin with, I'd like to be as good as you with the guitar!"
"You have ambition. And you crave success," the hellish creature smiles. "How badly do you want that? I can help you…"
"Practicing a lot with the guitar can help you. Starting from now. If I were you I wouldn't waste time. Go home, my dear boy!" Dominic exhorts him.
Although he was busy chatting with a girl, he has kept a watchful eye on his nemesis.
Matthew snorts loudly, glaring at the blond who doesn't seem to care.
"Like I was saying, tonight we'll play in a pub nearby, free entrance!" Chris smiles affably, giving the flier of the event to a girl he's chatting with.
Chris also kept sight of his devilish custodian.
"Matt, let me remind you that mine is the only soul you should care about!" he hisses, glacially, before warmly smiling at a new group of girls who are holding their EP.
"What? Are you jealous?" the brunet teases him, with a cocky smile and then he resumes signing the albums. "Anyway, don't worry, I have something in store for you, too!" he threatens him, among autographs.
"What do you mean?" Dom diffidently glares at him.
"You'll see." the devil disquietingly sneers, before the trio go on with their job.
-
"So, dell be everydhing…" Kelly urges him, as soon as Chris picks up her call, once the session is over.
After all, Emma had left with big smile and allowed the guys to have a well-deserved break.
"Oh, my love, it was incredible, you have no idea. The entire thrilled crowd wanted to congratulate us and have our autograph and take a picture with us! I mean, I've always been the guy who asked to take pictures of other people!" Chris starts his tale, rather hyper.
"I'm so habby for ya, honey. You worked so buch to get whad you're gedding now… " the girl replies, before blowing her nose.
"Yes, and tonight we're going to double the experience!" Chris informs her. "Can you imagine that, love? A concert here in a pub in London all for us. A very big pub!"
"Nodhing bore deserved dhan dhis." Kelly sniffs. "I wish I was dhere."
"I wish that, too, honey, I miss you so, so much, but you can't. I don't like the sound of that bad cold at all, I don't want it to get worse. Please, baby, do it for C.J.," Chris asks her.
"Who?" The girl frowns, stunned.
"Our son. Chris Junior." the soon-to-be father explains.
"No bloody way! We'll never call our baby dhat. By dhe way, what bakes you dhink dhat it's a boy?" she questions him.
"I don't know, call it sixth sense." he strikes back. "However, if it's a girl we could call her Chrystal!" the bassist daydreams.
"Love, it's evidend dhad you still have do dhink a lod aboud dhe names we'll choose for him… or for her!" Kelly hangs up.
Matthew waits for the call to end, before approaching to him.
Dominic is already in their B&B room, trying to decide what to wear for the night.
He's sure that to be away for five minutes won't cause any damage… but maybe he should have been more cautious.
"How is Kelly? Is she still sick?" Matt asks Chris.
"Yes, poor dear. If possible, I find her even cuter!" the curly-haired guy smiles.
"Oh yes, I can imagine how much you'd enjoy to play doctor and patient with her…" the other chuckles, before becoming serious. "Chris, don't you find that she's acting like a huge egoist? I mean, here we go. Finally you're enjoying the beginning of a music career that will hopefully prove to be long and more and more brilliant. This has always been your dream… and now what's happening? There are already such insurmountable obstacles that get in your way," the brunet states, persuasively.
"No… I don't think it's so…" Chris babbles.
"You don't think so now, but soon you will. Christopher Wolstenholme, the young, new rising star in the music world, the musician who should have a girl in every town and should have a life made of sex, alcohol and rock and roll… surrounded by baby bottles, diapers to change and countless sleepless night," the treacherous, hellish creature forewarns.
"Yes… so what? I'll be a father and a rock star. I can cope with both things." Chris assures.
"You're still in time to escape from all this and live the life you should really have. Rich, happy and mostly free, far away from duties and responsibilities!" Matt insists, before reaching Dom at the B&B.
-
The concert at the pub is a huge success. Hundreds of people came to see their show, thanks also to the fliers the guys spread that afternoon.
Once they're done even with the last song, to their great astonishment, the three guys are welcomed by a large group of smiling, pretty girls.
"Hey, Chris, do you remember me? It's you who gave me the flier just this afternoon, at the HMV store," one of the girls at the session reminds him of their meeting.
Chris stares at her better and he has to recognize that the pretty brunette has curves in all the right places. Very appealing.
"Oh yeah, I do remember you. I'm so glad to see you here!" he warmly smiles at her.
"Do you mind if we have a beer together and chat a little?" the girl suggests.
Matt and Dom are also surrounded by girls who want to spend some time alone with them, two girls grab Dominic by his arms and drag him away, while Matthew stays with another couple of girls.
The angel is doubly worried, both by seeing Chris approached by that intrepid girl and mostly by seeing his beloved nemesis so eager to disappear with those two girls.
- He doesn't love me enough to wait for me… and maybe it's right this way; he must give vent to his certain needs… with someone who is not me. – he ponders, upset, while the two girls keep talking to him.
It takes Chris some seconds to decide what to do, but then he recalls the last conversation he had with Matthew.
- 'You're still in time to escape from all this' – the devil's words echo in his mind.
"Why not? Let's have a beer together." Chris sexily smiles at the girl who nods with a huge grin.
Matthew is about to take the girls to the back exit of the pub; while Dominic is forced to stay at the previous girls' table of friends; when they both hear perfectly from afar some high pitched female squeals.
But mostly it's a sentence that draws their complete attention.
"Oh, yes, please, Chris, do it again!"
TBC
Notes:*runs away from angry readers*
Oh c'mon, devil!Matthew is so ahssjgjgjgjghfhfhfhfhfhffasffshgfhghghghh when he's such a bastard! ;P
I apologise once more for all the Muse references (you got them, didn't you? ;P ) , I know, the more this story goes on, the less AU it seems XD
- You can meet for real emerging band at the HMV with autograph sessions and stuff. By the way, the title I kept using for this endlessly long chapter is taken just from the lyrics of a song by One Night Only, a very cool band I had the pleasure to meet at HMV in London years ago ^^
I don't know what those guys are doing now, but HE&H will be very much luckier ;)
Well, I apologize if Tom and Morgan (who by now became the co-protagonist of the story, lol) weren't in this part, but they'll be back in next chapter ;)
I just hope you still like this story, please, let me know, I accept even threats of death, lol
*keeps running and dodging knives*