I Wonder If I'll Ever See You Again

Author's Note: Ok, so months and months later, I update. I wrote most of this chapter months ago but I never got around to finishing it. I finally moved and didn't have internet for a long time. Then I got busy with everything else. But anyway, I'll try and update as soon as I can.

So this chapter is a little different. I'm going to bring you up to speed on some big things that have happened in all of the character's lives. Yes, I could make it more like a movie unfolding, but I'd like to get this story rolling. I apologize if this isn't your cup of tea,.

"All of my life where have you been? I wonder if I'll ever see you again. And if that day comes I know we could win. I wonder if I'll ever see you again."

Chapter Eight: Interlude

After reading about Mitchie, Shane threw himself into his secret relationship with Tess. Tess was thrilled at Shane's sudden interest in spending so much time with her. Despite his intention to forget all about Mitchie, Shane couldn't help but look into how that showcase had gone. He'd searched the internet for "The Color Green showcase" but all he could find were fan girls posting about how sexy Todd looked. He finally found one that mentioned Mitchie, but even he could tell it was slightly biased.

"Todd's "special girl tramp" was there. She sang some songs but I was too busy wondering what Todd even saw in her."

When Shane read it, he didn't respond in the way he assumed he would. He was angry at the girl. Ok so she might be a liar, but Shane could very well imagine what Todd saw in her. Big eyes that seemed to look into your soul…Shane stopped himself before he made it worse. He figured since it was only the day after the show, it would take a day or two for any in depth reviews to surface. Then he got the brilliant idea to go to the website of the magazine that had featured Mitchie in the first place. As luck would have it, the website had a big review of the show "complete with HQ images of the action."

[picture of crowd] The entire room was impossibly cramped. The industry people didn't know what to do with themselves. Sure they were in the exclusive section in the front, but that didn't stop the fans from crowding in on them. The flimsy velvet rope barrier wasn't holding anyone back. As showtime drew near, the antsy crowd started chanting "TCG" as the fans like to call them. "It's cheesy, but it's a lot easier to chant than The Color Green. And we want them to know we support them all as a group…not just Todd." One fan explained. "But Todd is a genius." She was sure to add.

Before the fans would get what they wanted, there was one person standing in their way (in more ways than one). The band's manager stepped on stage as the crowd got even louder. [picture of manager] He thanked everyone for coming before telling everyone that their fantastic opening act would be on stage shortly. This was the test, how would the crowd respond. It was a split crowd. Half the crowd politely clapped. The other, mainly girls, were stubbornly silent. It was a testament to how dedicated they were to Todd that they didn't boo as I assume they wanted to. But the manager wasn't having any of it. "Ok guys I know you've never heard her, but I promise she's great. And more importantly, the band wants you to give her a chance. So let's see if you can give her a real welcome, a TCG fan welcome!" He said. This got the crowd screaming again.

When Mitchie Torres first stepped on stage, the crowd seemed to be silent for a minute. They were passing judgement based on her appearance rather than her talent. Fortunately, she seemed to pass muster. Unlike other teen pop stars of today, she wasn't dressed beyond her years. There was no glitter or revealing outfits. No dyed hair, no high heels. She was wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. She looked exactly like she could be a girl in the crowd. But the second she opened her mouth, she changed. She sang with passion and abandon. She made the listener feel what she was feeling. Her voice was unenhanced by heavy beats. She had no intricate choreographed routines. It was just a girl and her talent on the stage for everyone to see. By the end of the show it was obvious she had won over a fair share of that tough crowd. Of course not every girl was clapping, but the smile on Mitchie's face clearly indicated she didn't care. And for those who couldn't see her smile, she told us exactly how she was feeling, "Thank you everyone. Thank you for giving me a chance. This was the greatest night of my life." But then Mitchie brought up the one thing that could turn the crowd against her. "And I just want to say that I'm exactly like every one of you. I am just a fan. A very lucky fan. And as far as Todd goes. We're friends. Just friends. But I can't honestly say that we'll stay just friends. I don't know…he's really cute and really sweet and he's a…" She stopped to see if the crowd could complete the statement. The crowd obliged, "musical genius." "Yes he is and come on girls. Who wouldn't want to date him?" Mitchie asked in a conversational tone. Some how, by showing that she was just like them, Mitchie was winning the crowd over. They all started to laugh. "Exactly. But for now, we're just friends and who knows maybe it'll stay that way and he'll introduce one of you as his girlfriend." She said. The crowd started to scream again. Did they just see a star in the making? Only time will tell.

While reading the article, Shane avoided looking at the pictures of Mitchie. It was funny, he could almost pretend he didn't remember what she looked like. It was the benefit of her not being a celebrity. He didn't have to see her face everywhere. When he finally looked at the pictures he almost forgot what she'd done. She was standing on the stage looking like the girl he thought he knew, but somehow different. Mitchie always looked like an ordinary girl. This girl looked like a star. Shane started to worry that he might being see more of her face than he wanted.

****

A few weeks later, Mitchie was constantly pinching herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. All of her dreams seemed to be coming true. The Color Green had gotten signed, of course. Several record labels had called immediately following the showcase. They had their pick of several labels which were open to allowing the band a large amount of creative control. This wasn't a surprise to Mitchie. But Mitchie did get a surprise.

It was a few days following the showcase. Mitchie had gotten great feedback from the industry execs at the showcase. But the consensus seemed that she was a little too "raw" for the predominatly perfectly packaged female pop stars of the day. There was always room for a group of talented and attractive guys. A female singer had so much more to contend with when trying to break into the industry. That day Mitchie was hanging out with the guys when they'd decided to run out and get some food. Mitchie had stayed behind to finish working on a song she was writing. While she was working someone's cell phone rang. Mitchie immediately answered it.

"Hi. This is Samantha Francis. I'm calling from Rebel Road Records. Is this Rob Graham's phone?" The caller asked.

"Yes. He's not available at the moment. Can I take a message?" Mitchie answered.

"Well I'm actually trying to get in contact with Mitchie Torres." Samantha said.

"Oh…well you've got her." Mitchie said, surprised.

"Oh great! I'd like to talk with you if you've got some time." Samantha said.

"Well, what's this about?" Mitchie asked.

"I'd much rather talk in person, but I think you're a very talented artist and I'd like to talk to you about developing your career." Samantha answered.

Mitchie almost started hyperventilating. She was sure this must be some scam, but the caller assured her she was serious. She even suggested they meet at the label's New York offices so Mitchie could be sure she was legitimate. So Mitchie agreed to a meeting the following day. She could barely contain her excitement when she told everyone else the good news. They all claimed they weren't surprised that someone was interested in Mitchie. They were just surprised it took so long.

****

Samantha Francis was an up-and-coming music executive. Ok, so she worked for Rebel Road Records which was a subsidiary of Zenith Records, which happened to be owned by her father Richard Francis. But she had worked her way up to where she was now. She was responsible for developing new artists. She typically didn't scout talent, that was a job she'd done while still working her way up the corporate ladder. Nevertheless, she'd attended The Color Green's showcase.

It had all started when some bigwigs at Zenith had approached her to develop their "hot new artist." She'd spent one day with Tess Tyler and knew there was no way she'd work with her. Apparently, Tess had won some contest to record a song with Connect Three. Actually a group of girls had won but the label decided that they'd be better off with the solo artist. The other girls were now relegated to being Tess' background vocalists. The first time she met Tess, she could see that the other girls never had a chance. Tess was used to being the center of attention and anyone who got in her way was in danger of getting run over.

Samantha had spent the past few years developing artists she truly saw potential in. She specialized in organic acts, with a solid base of musical talent. She may not have been behind the most commercially successful acts, but she was proud to say a number of her acts were very critically acclaimed. So when Zenith threw Tess Tyler at her, she had no idea what they were thinking. She agreed to spend the day with Tess before she committed to working with her. She figured Tess deserved the benefit of the doubt. Her mother may be a cookie cutter pop legend. But growing up in a musical environment may have inspired Tess to truly appreciate music. It took about half an hour for Samantha to realize that Tess did get inspired by her mother…Inspired to think she was the center of the universe. So after the seemingly unending day, Samantha called her superiors and refused to work with Tess. The arguments went all the way up until she reached her father.

Samantha wasn't afraid of her father. But she knew he'd have some choice words with her for challenging her superiors. Samantha made her case rationally. Right now the times were ripe for more organic acts. Even Zenith Records own Connect Three were going more organic. Tess needed a serious image and attitude adjustment if she wanted to make it. Richard Harris, wasn't blind. He knew that Samantha wasn't completely wrong. But he also saw the drive in Tess' eyes. She was tirelessly pursuing her dream. He had seen the same drive in TJ's eyes when she'd first started. Back then he was struggling to get his new record label up and running. TJ's success had allowed him to create the top record label he now ran. So when TJ had asked him to give her daughter some support, he figured it was the least he could do. But now his daughter was refusing to work with her. In the end, a plan was devised. Tess would be sent out of the country to work with a team of pop music professionals. She would develop a more organic sound and get some help with cultivating an image. Europe was always a great place to develop artists. In the meantime, Samantha had 6 months to create her own version of a pop star. If Samantha was so sure that an "organic" act was the pop star of the future, she'd have to create one. If not, she would be working for Tess when she came back or she'd be out of the job.

So Samantha headed to the Color Green showcase. Of course she knew exactly what label was after them, Eclipse Records, were all but locked into a deal with the band. But Samantha was desperate. She'd been listening to demos and calling scouts nonstop, trying to find a great organic pop act. So she'd decided to go see the show. Maybe some of the people at the show might have some good leads. When Samantha arrived at the venue she was disappointed to find out that the opening act had cancelled. She'd heard good things about the group. She heard some girls commenting about the "stupid girl who was going to be opening for them just because she'd gotten Todd to like her." Samantha had cringed when she'd heard it. It was like Tess all over again. But when Mitchie actually took the stage, Samantha immediately realized how wrong she was.

At first glance, Mitchie looked like any other teen. In fact, Samantha was sure she wouldn't be able to pick her out in a crowd. That wasn't exactly a sign of a pop star. But then Mitchie began to sing. It was like she completely lit up. Samantha couldn't take her eyes off the young singer. This was what Samantha had been looking for. To top it all off Mitchie actually played the guitar during one of her songs. When Mitchie spoke to the audience, there was such a genuineness about her that was exactly the right amount of excited teen and talented performer. Samantha knew she had to act quickly. She clutched her camera, which she had used to film one of Mitchie's songs, and left before The Color Green even took the stage.

****

Mitchie spent a little too much trying to decide what to wear. On the one hand, she didn't want to look like she was trying to be someone she wasn't but she really didn't want to look like a clueless 15 year old. In the end she opted for comfort. She put on a "nice" t-shirt and some "nice" jeans. Her mother accompanied her to the meeting. Her mother had flown in just a few days before the showcase. She was looking into some business opportunities in New York.

When Mitchie first saw Samantha, she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been half expecting someone dressed in a starched suit with a Bluetooth headset in her ear and a Starbucks drink in the other. Instead she saw a casually dressed, young woman wearing a big smile. It took Mitchie all of 30-seconds to feel like she would get along great with Samantha.

"Look, I know this is very sudden. But I wanted to put everything on the table. Basically my job is on the line and I'm putting it in Mitchie's hands. I know that's a lot of responsibility, but I am absolutely positive she can make it. If what I saw at the showcase is any indication, Mitchie has something special. She has the power to change people's perceptions. These were some of the most hostile people around and she made them stop and listen. I want to help Mitchie develop into the star I know she can be." Samantha said after explaining her situation and what she would like Mitchie to do. Unwittingly, she'd left out the identify of the person who had caused Samantha to have to do this, Tess Tyler.

Mitchie's mother sat in stunned silence. Here was someone high in the music industry willing to put her job on the line for Mitchie. Mrs. Torres was torn between her faith in Mitchie and the intense amount of pressure this would place on her daughter.

Mitchie had been mostly silent throughout the talk. She now took the opportunity to speak. Despite not knowing that Tess was the reason behind Samantha's need to find a star, she thought of Tess and her pursuit of being a "star." She didn't want to be that girl. "Samantha, I don't know if I can be the teen pop star. I don't know if I want to be." Mitchie finally said.

Samantha smiled at Mitchie. It was exactly what she had hoped Mitchie would say. So many people put on a front of being "different" but they all wanted one thing, to be a star. "What do you want, Mitchie?"

"I just want to sing. I want my music to be heard. And I want…well if anyone can connect with my music…if it makes them feel like they're not alone…that's what I want." Mitchie said in earnest.

"And that is why I know you're the right person for this. I would never pick someone who I thought was in it for the fame and fortune. I want to find someone who really is in it for the music. I want to make that person into a star, but not a typical teen star. I want to make that person into the type of person that young people can feel connected to. You'd be out there singing for all the regular girls, all the insecure girls, all the girls who just need someone to acknowledge them and what their going through." Samantha said.

In the end, Mitchie and her mother agreed to work with Samantha. She was given a development deal. She'd work as hard as she possibly could on a single and one or two additional songs. Then they'd go straight into promotion, including touring and radio visits. Mitchie was on the fast track.

Mitchie couldn't believe her luck. Everything was perfect, she had everything she could ever wish for. She had the best parents in the world. She had the best friends in the world. She had a boy who was willing to wait until she was ready. She should be the happiest girl in the world. But there was that one thing missing. That one smile, that one laugh, that one head of perfectly groomed hair. But Mitchie refused to let that get her down. This was her time to shine.

***Ok, so in case you were worried, Samantha is going to be just a secondary character. I'm not a fan of stories that introduce too many random characters that you don't really care about. I already introduced all of The Color Green, so I'm not gonna make Samantha a big nuisance. I just mentioned someone that Mitchie impressed in the last chapter and I needed a reason to speed things up.***