So, here I am again, with chapter 6.
6. Rising Star
The following week, we had the pictorial for the album. Since the title was New and Notorious, it sort of had a black and white jail theme.
They made me wear a black and white striped sweatshirt with matching pants and cap. I wore a white sleeveless hoodie over the shirt to show that I'm still sort of trying to hide my identity. I had a black Converse with white laces on one foot and a white converse with black laces on the other.
The background was entirely white and I had to sit on a white box so it looked like I was floating.
For the cover, I sat in an Indian-sit position and had my hood up, barely showing the cap.
For the pack, I'd put my hood down and hugged my knees, showing only the side of my face. A black and white electric guitar was placed beside me
For the inside spread I did "see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil" poses and a couple of pictures where I sat inside a white box with black interior, trying to push the sides out.
After the photo shoot, I went roaming again with Caleb (now in his BMW convertible).
"Have you ever tried Googling yourself?" I asked while we were drinking coffee at Starbucks.
"What?"
"You know . . . the online search engine?"
"Once," he replied. "When the movie was released. I tried to see if people liked it."
"Oh."
Silence stretched between us.
"I remember from the movie that you were a Lunaria," I said. "Do you actually believe in them? Vampires and werewolves and stuff?"
"Honestly?"
"Yeah."
"I do."
His answer surprised me. I thought that he'd laugh at me and say I was crazy.
"Go on, laugh."
"I'm not laughing," I said.
"You can't possibly believe in vampires and such."
"Actually, I do." Duh, I'm one, for heaven's sake.
"Not many people do, huh?"
"Yep. They just think they're a bunch of movie maniacs trying to kill everyone."
"I don't look at vampires that way," he said, surprising me again. "I think they're just really misunderstood."
"Like Dracula."
"Uh-huh."
"Well, here's a question," I said. "Would you like to be one?"
"Sure."
His answer surprised me a third time. I tried to avert the conversation.
"Is Caleb really your real name?" I asked.
"Yep."
"I thought it might be part of the screen name."
"It doesn't always have to be that way," Caleb said. "Vanessa."
I'd forgotten that he saw my album.
I cringed involuntarily at the sound of the name.
"Why, what's wrong? Did I say something?"
"Here's the thing . . ." I began. "Vanessa's not my real name. It's Renesmee."
"Renesmee?"
"Renesmee Carlie, actually."
"Wow, what a mouthful."
"My family thought so, too so they started calling me Nessie," I explained. "At the beginning, my Mom growled at anyone who would call me that. She was sort of angry at them for a while because 'they'd named her daughter after the Loch Ness Monster'." I remember that story very well. Seth broke his collarbone that night.
"Where did your name come from?"
"My grandmas' names are Renee and Esme and my grandpas' names are Carlisle and Charlie."
"Wow. Your Mom's imaginative."
"Yep."
More silence.
"Why are we having this conversation anyway?"
"Dunno."
"Let's go. We have a week waiting for us."
"Great," I groaned.
I looked back on the conversation. If only you knew . . .
The past week has been the longest week of my entire life!
Oh. Wait. Wrong. Do-over
The past week has been the longest week of my entire existence!
Much better.
On the day of the release, I was pacing in my lounge. Another thing I inherited from Mom. The thing is I wasn't pacing at human speed.
"Nessie, calm down," Dad soothed. "I wish Jasper was here."
"Me too," Mom agreed. "Renesmee, you're giving us a headache."
"Headache, yeah right," I scoffed. "You'd be this nervous too if your first album's about to be released.
Tons of questions were circling my head. Would anybody buy my album? Will they recommend it to others? Will they think it's crappy?
"Aauggh!" I screamed. I was having a headache. So was Dad. "Sorry," I added.
Someone knocked on the door. I slowed my pacing down.
It was Caleb.
He had some papers with him.
"Nervous?" he asked with a crooked smile.
"Obviously."
"Well, I have great news," he said. "You've already sold three-thousand copies!"
"I-is that good?" I asked. I didn't know how to react.
"Good?" he exclaimed. "Good? It's brilliant! If this continues, you'll be selling fifteen thousand copies on your first week! That's half of what you need for a gold label!"
Not being able to help myself, I jumped up and down while Mom, Dad and Caleb had their fingers in their ears.
I can't wait to tell Jake!
I was becoming a rising star! And a fast one at that.
Click next to see the final chapter i'll be posting for summer (major aww)