Disclaimer: Characters are owned and produced by The Disney Channel and It's A Laugh Productions. I am just borrowing them for these stories. Original characters are owned by the author of this story.
Author's Note: It's been far too long. That's all I'll say. It's been far too long. What you ask? Just read.
Back to the Future
Chapter 12
The Real American Idol
Monday, January 14, 2019 – 7:15 pm - Raven and Chelsea's house – Montauk, Long Island, New York
Raven had just walked in to the second home that she and Chelsea shared. They also owned an apartment in downtown Manhattan. The smell of dinner cooking wafted through the house. Chelsea had arrived home at 5 o'clock after picking Tonya and Richie up from daycare and was nearing the end of her dinner preparations.
"CHELS?" Raven called out from the foyer as she sat her work bag down.
"I'M IN THE KITCHEN!" Chelsea called out to her.
Raven walked into the kitchen where Chelsea was at the sink rinsing off a head of lettuce for the salad she was making.
"Hey babe." Raven said as she walked up behind Chelsea who looked over her shoulder and gave Raven a peck on the lips.
"Hey! How was work?" Chelsea asked.
"I don't know. I had a meeting today with reps from DevynShelby about collaboration and I don't know how I feel about it." Raven said of the company named after the designer Devyn Shelby.
"What's wrong with that? You love her designs." Chelsea said as she finished rinsing the lettuce before picking up a knife and starting to chop it.
"Yeah, but it's not the designs I'm worried about, it's the person. I heard she's a real bitch." Raven said.
"I wouldn't worry. You get along with everyone. Just make sure that your company takes the lead on anything business related and you'll have the control." Chelsea said.
"You sure you don't want to come and be our legal counsel?" Raven said as she hugged Chelsea's around the waist.
"I don't think so. There would be complications. See I'd want to sleep with the boss." Chelsea purred.
Raven's eyes took a familiar gaze as Chelsea's words registered. "I… don't think the boss would have a problem with that." She said as Chelsea turned her head for a second, slightly more intense kiss. Moments into the kiss, the phone rang in the kitchen. Raven broke the kiss reluctantly. "I'll get it." She walked over to the phone and answered on the second ring. "Hello."
"Rae, it's Lilly."
"Hey Lil! What's up girl? How's your better half?"
"Good. Look, don't ask me any questions, just watch American Idol tonight."
"American Idol?" Raven asked incredulously. "I haven't watched that in years!"
"Trust me. You'll want to watch it tonight… Oh! I gotta go. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Okay, girl. Later." Raven said as the other end of the line hung up quickly.
"What was that about American Idol?" Chelsea asked.
"She wants us to watch American Idol tonight. She said we'll want to watch it." Raven said.
"I wonder what that's all about." Chelsea said.
"I don't know but it comes on at nine." Raven said. "Now where are my jitterbugs?"
"In Tonya's room playing. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." Chelsea said with a smile before Raven gave her another peck and headed out of the kitchen in search of her children.
Monday, January 14, 2019 – 7:24 pm – London's car – Westbound Massachusetts Turnpike near Auburndale, Massachusetts
London and Maddie were on their way home after a long day on the job. The Celtics were in the midst of a four game losing streak that had their general manager contemplating firing the head coach. Also, there were delays in a crucial part of the Tipton Hotel's renovation that had London frustrated. The first time she had relaxed all day was when she picked Maddie up at her office for the car ride home.
"Thank God traffic isn't bad today." London said as she drove.
"People probably called in sick today after the Patriots lost their playoff game yesterday." Maddie said.
"Well, Tom Brady can't play forever." London said of the recently-retired, soon-to-be Hall of Fame quarterback. "I'm just glad I'm with you, on the way home."
"I say a long hot bath and a good book would do wonders." Maddie said.
"You hungry?" London asked.
"Starving. How does Chinese sound?" Maddie asked.
"Sounds great…" London started when her integrated car phone rang. "Oh! It's Lilly!" London hit the talk button. "Hey Lilly! What's going on?"
"Hey London. I've only got a minute. Is Maddie with you?"
"Hey Lilly! I'm right here."
"Hey Maddie. Are y'all gonna be home tonight?"
"We're on our way home now. What's up?" London asked.
"Be sure you watch American Idol tonight. It's really important."
"What's on American Idol tonight?" Maddie asked.
"I'm sorry, I gotta go. Look, watch tonight and I'll call you tomorrow."
"Okay, be safe." London said.
"You too." With that, Lilly hung up the phone.
"Is it just me or does something smell a little fishy." Maddie asked.
"Normally, I'd say it was your legal paranoia talking but that was a little odd." London said. "Let's just watch the show tonight and see what the big deal is. Now call our food in. We can pick it up before we go home."
Monday, January 14, 2019 – 7:45 pm Pacific standard time – Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, California
The seventeenth season premiere of American Idol was going off without a hitch. The judges, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Tamyra Gray, who replaced Paula Abdul at the beginning of the 2013 season, were in rare form as was the new king of all media, host Ryan Seacrest. They were forty-five minutes into the show when Ryan Seacrest came back from a commercial to introduce the next segment of the show.
"And we are back here on the season premiere of American Idol, the longest running reality series in television history!" Ryan said. "Back when American Idol started in 2002…" Ryan cut his monologue short when the lights inside the Orpheum Theatre flickered. "I'm sorry; we seem to be experiencing some lighting… problems…" He stopped again as the lights flickered again, went completely out, then came back on again. "Okay. Maybe we need to go… no, my director is saying that everything is fine now…" Again the lights flickered and went out inside the theater but this time, the video screen that was on stage had a vaguely familiar image flash onto the screen briefly. It looked to be a logo that was gone as quickly as it appeared. Then flashes of black and white and color images mixed in with snowy pictures you would see on a bad television quickly flashed on the screen as a slurred mixture of spoken words and music played. The few people inside the Orpheum Theatre that could make out the quickly flashing images started cheering as they had a feeling what was in store for them.
Near the end of the video montage, the camera switched to a stationary shot of the front of the theater. Out of the left side of the frame, a long black limousine appeared and stopped in front of the building. Those that got the reference exploded in cheers. The screen faded to black, then letters in stylized yellow and purple faded onto the screen that made those same fans that had exploded moments earlier, go into a full-blown frenzy…
THE LIMO… IS BACK OUT FRONT.
That sentence faded to black and a two word phrase that has been used thousands of times before nearly lifted the roof off the building…
SHE'S BAAAAAAACK!
The camera then cut to a scene backstage. The vantage point was from behind a large vanity mirror where the face of the person seated was obscured by the mirror. Standing on the left side of the person was a recognizable figure talking to that person as they looked at themselves in the mirror.
"Darlin', are you sure you want to do this? I mean, it's been ten years!" The man with the black fedora, leather jacket and bushy mustache asked.
The camera panned to the other person. And if there was any doubt as to the identity of the mystery person, all of that doubt was erased when the camera revealed a colorful young woman in her early twenties in a bright red wig with a chin-length bob cut and an outfit in which no article of clothing really matched but yet somehow managed to be stylish.
"Yeah, I mean, do you know how hard it was for me to find an outfit like this? The woman in the store looked at me like I was crazy!" The woman exclaimed.
"Daddy, Lola, relax." The as-of-yet unidentified woman said. "It's like riding a bike. Once you learn, you never forget."
Back in Wellesley, Massachusetts and Montauk, Long Island, four mouths dropped open in shock at what was unfolding on their televisions. They had no idea this was coming.
Back in Los Angeles, the opening notes of a twelve-year old pop song rang out in the theater that the people in the dressing room heard as well.
"Oh! That's my cue!" The woman stood up and the theater exploded again as for the first time in ten years, the world laid eyes on Hannah Montana. "Wish me luck guys!"
Mister Montana and Lola Lufnagle smiled at each other before looking at Hannah. "LUCK!" They exclaimed as Hannah ran out of the dressing room.
A thunderous ovation met Hannah as she ran onto the stage looking as only a twenty-nine year old Hannah Montana could look. Miley decided to sex up her Hannah look, going with a raspberry-sequined babydoll dress that hit her at mid-thigh to go with her long blonde Hannah wig that was flipped on the end and her signature white Hannah boots that had been sexed up by having three and a half inch spiked heels.
"LOS ANGELES, HOW YA DOIN' TONIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!" Hannah said as the theater erupted. "IT'S BEEN WAY TOO LONG, BUT I HAD TO COME BACK AND SHOW YOU THE LOVE THAT Y'ALL ALWAYS SHOWED ME! SO I JUST WANTED TO COME BACK AND TELL YOU…"
She then launched into her song…
Sometimes I walk a little faster
In the school hallway
Just to get next to you
Some days I spend a little extra
Time in the morning
Just to impress you
Guess you don't notice
Guess you don't need to
Sad you're not seein'
what you're missin'
On the outside shyin' away
On the inside dyin' to say
Chorus:
I'm unusual
Not so typical
Way too smart to be waiting around
Tai chi practicin'
Snowboard champion
I could fix the flat on your car
"COME ON LA, SING!"
I might even be a rockstar
I might even be a rockstar
Hannah Montana owned American Idol on that night. The Queen of Pop had returned with a vengeance. No one inside the theater and no one watching at home knew how long she would stick around, but they knew on this night the woman that was voted the pop star most wanted to make a comeback by Rolling Stone magazine in 2017 was back and better than ever.
As they looked on backstage, Lilly and Robby Ray high-fived each other.
"Welcome back, Lola!" Robby Ray exclaimed.
"Welcome back, Mister Montana!" Lilly exclaimed.
"This is amazing!" Luanne exclaimed as she and Jennifer stood several paces behind Robby Ray and Lilly.
"I knew Hannah Montana would get all her fannas back!" Jennifer shouted.
"That's my sister-in-law out there!" Tammy beamed.
"She's amazing, ain't she?" Jackson offered with pride.
"I just hope he takes that mustache off before he comes to bed tonight!" Kylie exclaimed.
"Rockin' it wherever we are, yeah yeah… Cuz I really am a rock star! Cuz I really am a rock star!" Miley belted out her most powerful Hannah performance ever.
When she finished, the audience in the theater, as well as Simon, Randy and Tamyra, gave her a standing ovation that she giddily soaked in.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… HANNAH MONTANA!" Ryan Seacrest announced again as the standing ovation continued. "WE'LL BE BACK!" The show went to commercial and Hannah came off the stage to be mobbed by her family.
"You are THE most amazing woman ever!" Lilly screamed as she bear hugged her wife.
"THAT was a rush! It felt good! Felt like old times." Miley breathlessly said. "Come on y'all! Let's go back to my dressing room."
"I might even be a rockstar!" Lilly spritefully sang as the group went back to the dressing room.
Over the next hour, Miley, Lilly and Robby Ray's cell phones blew up as they received call after call congratulating them on Hannah's appearance. From Raven and Chelsea, London and Maddie, Renee, Ariel and her daughter Jess, to Oliver and his fiancée Grace and Robby Ray's best friend Tyler and all of his former label mates from Opryland Records.
Several executives from 19 Entertainment, the parent company that produces American Idol, came by the dressing room indicating that they had received several calls inquiring about Hannah's availability. Both Robby Ray and Jackson received calls from producers on the morning and late night talk show circuits asking for appearances from Miley/Hannah. "She" was indeed back.
"Lilly, if you want off this roller coaster, just tell me now and I'll make all this go away." Miley said to her wife.
"Are you kidding me? This is what you are! This is what you've always dreamed of. Dreams come true and I intend to be right here to share them with you. Maybe I won't be able to go everywhere with you with the school and all, but I am always right here." Lilly said as she pointed to Miley's heart. "You know what, babe?"
"What's that?"
"You might even be a rock star." Lilly whispered as if Miley's secret were still in the bag. Miley smiled and hugged Lilly rocking her to the delight of everyone in the room.
FINALLY… HANNAH… HAS COME BACK… HOME! At exactly what point did you realize that Hannah was back? That was fun! Where do I go from here? I don't know. I'm gonna go figure that out while you review this chapter. I will be back though with chapter 13. PLEASE REVIEW.