I don't own Night World. Just figured I should dedicate this chapter to an awesome reviewer, StarsLeanDownToKissYou. She's been reading my stuff since the beginning, probably!

Jez and Morgead: SuperStar

Chapter 12

Jez POV

It was early afternoon by the time I packed my guitar up again and started making my way back home, humming the tune to my song under my breath.

It's one of my better ones, I was sure. Maybe I could use it as the single before the album comes out. I wanted more of my own songs on this album, and have my own sound to it. Perhaps my third album could be completely mine.

Nowhere near as good as a lot of people who'd made their mark, but I figured I would be a slow starter. Hopefully that meant I would be around longer than most people.

I reached my front door and opened it before putting my guitar down carefully.

"Jez?" I heard Claire call me from upstairs.

"Yes?"

She came down the steps. "Where were you? I didn't hear you get back last night."

"I did. I went out this morning to work out some chords for a new song. You're home early."

She waved a hand dismissively before grinning. "I wanna hear it!"

I frowned. "It's not finished."

"Yeah, right. I know how you work. It's finished."

I sighed. "Okay. Tell me what you think about it."

n_n_n_n

Claire thought the song was good, which was a relief. It would have been a waste of four and a half hours if it had been rubbish. I discussed with her how I wanted it to sound like, and apparently she liked that too.

I was putting my guitar back in my case before taking it upstairs as I saw Claire frown from the corner of my eye. I turned to her. "What?" I said.

She shook her head, but answered. "Normally the songs you write are about lost love, with the exception of one, but this time it's about persuading someone to fall in love with you. Why did you change?"

I bit my lip to force myself to stop smiling. "Morgead. He was at the concert last night."

"Oh my goodness!" she shrieked, "Really? How did he take you leaving?"

I blinked. "He's fine with it. I think." I looked away for a second. "Do you think he'll suddenly go crazy and murder me in my sleep?"

"Sneaking in through the window? Very likely. You'll have to lock them tonight."

I grinned and leaned back against the back of the chair. "Anyway, enough of my murder. How did the exams go? You're early back."

"Not really. It was easy." She stood up and went into the kitchen. I could hear her talking to Aunt Nan.

I took out my mobile and looked at the display for a second. Morgead still hadn't called. If he'd given me his number I would have called him as soon as I could. I slid it back into my pocket, and almost immediately it rung.

I took it out again quickly and answered it.

"Hello?" I said happily. Finally he'd called.

"You sound happy."

I resisted the urge to throw the phone out of the window. It wasn't Morgead. It was Ernest. "Oh," I muttered.

"And the happiness sinks away. Were you thinking that I was going to be someone else? Justin Bieber, maybe?"

"Excuse me?"

"Okay, I'm sorry. I know you don't like him. Anyway, I've been talking to a few people, and they think that you're ready."

I waited for him to explain, but he didn't. "I'm sorry? Ready for what?"

"A tour in Europe, of course!"

My mouth dropped open. "Europe? But I've only been around the US before! Isn't this a bit of a step up?"

He sighed. "Sorry, kid. The label really thinks we should do this. They said that they wouldn't force you, but we all think that you're ready."

"When would it be?"

I could almost hear him grinning. "In two months. This is gonna be a busy few months for you. You'll need to release the single two weeks before you leave, and as soon as you come back, the album is released."

"So how long will the tour be?"

"About three months. You'll be going to three major towns in a few countries. Not all of them, obviously. But the ones off the top of my head, England, Ireland, France, Portugal, Germany... I think Italy, but that hasn't been finalised yet."

"It's a bit short notice, isn't it?"

"Again, the label. They're paying a lot to advertise it on TV, internet... You name it, they've done it. I really do think that they're excited about you. You're popular over there too, you know."

"Really?" I said dryly, then smiled.

He laughed. "Okay. Kid. I'll leave you now. Get writing!"

He hung up. I slipped the phone back into my pocket, smiling, and picked up the guitar case to drag it upstairs.

As I reached my door, my phone rang. For goodness sake, was Earnest calling me again? What could he have forgotten? A bunch of aliens in outer space like my music and want a concert at their galaxy? "Stupid Stalag 4. Or 13 or whatever," I muttered before taking the phone once again out of my pocket and glancing at the number.

It made me freeze. Unknown number. The hope took control, and without me consciously telling my body what to do, I lifted the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

Morgead POV

The sun was streaming through the window when I woke up.

I turned, hoping to fall asleep again, when I noticed the painting, and the music sheets on the piano. I sat up, not feeling like I had before, every single time I woke up. I felt light as a feather and relaxed, and happy.

That was a rare feeling nowadays.

I moved to the piano before shooting a glance over my shoulder at the clock, remembering that I was going to see the kids later that day. Oh. And work. Should have arranged it so that I could see the kids after work. It would give me something to look forward to.

I had two hours to make it down to the hospital. Easy. I could play on my piano a while, then take as long as I wanted to get dressed and eat, maybe call Jez...

An inexplicable fear filled me.

Okay. Call Jez after work. That'll be as good as seeing the kids, and I did need something to look forward to.

n_n_n_n

Two hours later, I was at the hospital.

I usually went there Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and some Saturdays to see the kids. I loved it. The kids were all great, and had a great sense of humour.

"Hey, Morgead," one of the long-term nurses, Cynthia said. She smiled and waved, before pushing back her long, dark hair. I waved back before making my way through the long corridors.

I went to the normal room that the younger kids were usually in and opened the door, then immediately was pushed back as one of the youngest, a five year old girl called Ella launched herself at me and hugged me.

"Whoa. Careful, Ella," I said, laughing. "You'll knock me out."

She laughed and dropped to the ground and instead held onto my hand and dragged me in. Five people were in the room including Ella; one less than there was last time. My stomach twisted into a knot, but I forced the possible reason to the back of my mind.

The oldest was Heidi, a twelve year old girl. As much as I knew, she'd had cancer for over five years and had been staying at the hospital on and off for the past three, when it started getting worse. Darren was the next oldest, ten years old. Then it was Ryan, seven, and Rachel, who was a couple of months older than Ella.

Heidi waved, but than turned her attention back to her iPod, humming something that sounded suspiciously like Jez's 'Missing You'.

"How was your week?" I asked Ella as she dragged me to a seat and pushed me down before climbing into my lap.

She smiled. "I went to school. Saw my best friend, and then she came here for a bit. And I got a boyfriend," she announced. Her smile widened and she blushed slightly.

Heidi laughed. "And I've never had a boyfriend. She's seven years younger than me!"

"Aren't you a bit young?" I said, biting back the laughter. Ella was frowning at Heidi.

"No," she said, turning back to me.

"Can I listen to your iPod?" Rachel said suddenly. "You've got Jez Redfern on there, haven't you?"

"My mum bought the CD for my birthday. Do you know when her next one's coming out?"

"October 15th," I said automatically.

Heidi blinked and looked at me. "You don't seem like the type of person who'd like Jez Redfern's music."

I grimaced. "She'd probably kill me if I didn't. I'm her best friend."

Her mouth dropped open. "You kept that pretty quiet."

"I hadn't seen her for a while." I shrugged as Heidi kept on staring at me.

"But still... Can you get my album signed by her?" She grinned, suddenly forgiving me.

"I... Sure."

She picked up the CD from her bedside table and threw it to me.

I twisted it in my hands for a second before plucking up the courage to ask. "Where's Kane?" I asked quietly. He was the one who was missing from the room.

"Gone to one of his treatments," Darren said.

Ryan grinned in amusement. "You weren't worried, were you?"

I half-smiled. "Yeah."

Ryan fought a laugh, but stopped with a loud "Ow!" as Rachel hit him over the head with a hardback book.

"Was that really necessary?" I asked exasperatedly. They were really close, but their fighting always got on my nerves. And everyone else's.

They both smiled at me. I rolled my eyes and checked the clock. "I should probably go. I need to get to work earlier today."

"Remember the CD!" Heidi said.

"I will. See you soon."

They all chorused their goodbyes as I left.

Work was same as usual, which meant excruciatingly boring. I kept on looking at my phone, wishing that I could call Jez immediately. The boss was suspicious of all of us, thinking that as soon as he turned his back, we would be calling for flights to China or something using the company's money. That had happened once, but that was beside the point.

It was a relief when it was over. I drove home as fast as I could and dialled the number. My stomach twisted into nervous knots as I waited for her to answer.

She finally did.

"Hello?" her voice came through, letting me relax instantly.

"Hey, Jez."