Okay guys, here's the next chapter already. It's a little rushed, but I hope you like it.
Oh, come on Eden. Of course they'll like it. It's your story, after all, and it is the best.
Thank you Cross. Anyway here it is, Chapter 11.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this chapter, including the song When I Look At You, by Miley Cyrus.
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Chapter 11: When I Look At You
Station City is one of the biggest cities in the country, and home to many famous people, from musicians to actors.
Matt and his band stepped off of Mimi's jet and were instantly stunned by the sheer size of the place. They were greeted at the airport by one of Andrew Hiroki's assistants, and they were brought to the Palace Hotel, which was one of the best five star hotels in the city. They were getting the good stuff.
As they were getting settled into their rooms, none of them could help but marvel at the amazing place. They had gotten double rooms. Matt was with Tai, Sora with Mimi, Izzy with Tk, and Kari was with Mrs. Kamiya, who had agreed to accompany the kids.
They had arrived late, so everyone stayed at the hotel, anxious to begin tomorrow.
"You ready for this?" asked Matt while Tai was changing into his pajamas. Tai smiled and nodded.
"Good. We're gonna kick ass!"
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The next day everyone was at the Angel Square Performance Hall. It seemed that everything in Station City was jumbo sized, because the whole place had cathedral ceilings and so many rooms you could probably fit half the city in it.
Matt was looking at the sign up sheet. He had to fill this out for the judges, and when he reached the spot for the band name he thought about the conversation he had had with Tai (sort of) the day they had received the e-mail.
"I think we should change our band name." Matt had said, earning a curious glance from Tai. Matt smiled.
"I mean, we need something with more meaning. Something that will hit hard." he replied. Tai nodded. Matt smiled again.
"I'm glad you agree. I was thinking something like, 'Mockingjay'. I mean, everyone knows the Mockingjay is nearly extinct but they've survived like that for years, and we could use the name to send a message. We may be a long shot, but we aren't going anywhere." Matt explained. Tai smiled and nodded, liking the idea.
So when Matt filled in the form, under band name, he wrote one word.
Mockingjay.
When they stepped into the massive concert hall, they were greeted by a very unwanted surprise. The other band they would be competing against was none other than Matt's old band, now known as the Shooting Stars.
When they reached the stage, the new singer walked over, smiling sweetly. She was tall, and very thin, with auburn hair.
"Good luck, and no hard feelings." she said. Sora smiled back.
"You two." she replied simply. The singer walked away. Then they were called to attention by five people who had just walked into the room. Three men and two women seated themselves at a table. One of the men was Andrew Hiroki himself. Another man was Andrew's assistant CEO at Burning Records, Tomas Yaris. The third man was music critic Ike Vandergraff. The first woman was instantly recognized as Blair Cramer, one of the most famous musicians in Station City, and the second woman was Melissa Bergman, better known as the techno singer Mother Brain. These were the judges who would be assessing the two bands.
"Alright everyone, shall we begin?" asked Andrew Hiroki. A coin was flipped to decide who would go first. They learned that over the course of the next three days they would be performing three songs for the judges to judge. Whoever had the most votes at the end of each performance would be given shopping sprees at the many stores in the city, while whichever band had the most votes at the end of the three days would be given the record deal with Burning Records.
The coin toss decided that the Shooting Stars would go first. They performed their song, and the judges took notes while silently deliberating.
"Quite impressive." said Ike Vandergraff. Tomas Yaris agreed, while the others said nothing. Then it was time for Matt and the others to perform.
"Matt, I see you've changed the name of your band. I must say, I like the new name, and I get the message it sends. Anyway, begin." he said. Tai, who now had the opportunity to play the piano, began playing a few simple chords for the song. The music was very soft, and after a few chords Matt began singing.
"Everybody needs inspiration,
Everybody needs a song,
A beautiful melody,
When the night's so long,
Cause there is no guarantee, that this life is easy,
Yeah when my world is falling apart,
When there's no light no break up the dark,
That's when I, I, I look at you,
When the waves are flooding the shore,
And I can't find my way home anymore,
That's when I, I, I look at you."
Matt took a second to look at his band and see them glaring his way. He smirked, and continued.
"When I look at you, I see forgiveness, I see the truth,
You love me for who I am, like the stars hold the moon,
Right there where they belong,
And I know I'm not alone,
Yeah when my world is falling apart,
When there's no light no break up the dark,
That's when I, I, I look at you,
When the waves are flooding the shore,
And I can't find my way home anymore,
That's when I, I, I look at you."
Matt ended there. They only had to give a sample of their song, not the whole thing, so that was it. When the judges had finished, both bands were directed to the stage.
"Well, both did well," said Ike Vandergraff, "but I have to go with the Shooting Stars on this one." Tomas Yaris spoke next.
"You were quite impressive Matt, but I also have to choose the Shooting Stars. I found your song a little too soft, it just didn't have enough emotion." he said. Melissa Bergman was next.
"I found your song quite touching Matt, so I go with you." she said. Matt nodded in thanks. Blair looked at both bands before speaking.
"Your songs were well performed, so on that note, I chose Mockingjay." she smiled softly. Andrew Hiroki was the last one. He sighed softly.
"I'm sorry Matt, but I'm with Tomas on this one. I just didn't feel the raw energy from you last song in this one. So the winner of the first part is the Shooting Stars. Congratulations, and we'll see you again tomorrow evening." he said, and the five left the room. Matt and the others left silently, ignoring the smug looks from the other band.
They would win tomorrow, that much Matt was sure of.
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Aw, they didn't win that time. But we'll see about next time.
Please review!