Wednesday 1 March 2006, Glastonbury, England
"In the days following my birthday I got to present a fourth time at Glastonbury, spreading the word more onthe internet and also continuing to go to Woodward's classes which were more focused on the history ofwitches, in which Croix was dedicating herself more to this area, as well as the fact that I was having lessdifficulty in class, without being so embarrassed, I was already more level with the rest of the class, whichended up being much better, I managed to do better and get enough marks to have a chance of passing,recovering from what I was at the beginning of the year. During this time of presenting, I was attracting moreattention and my social networks were becoming more present, I was getting really excited, it could be anymoment and it really was any moment, I was happy, the person I wanted most to appear appeared.
Well, I think I'm going to go for a walk around the town after school today, I want to see the impact of the last performance and I'm also going to help people, it's always great to do that, I'm already picking up my things from my room, heading out, waving to my friends, signalling that I was going to start doing something.
I take the portal to the Ley Line, arriving in the town of Glastonbury, feeling the air a little chilly, but already with a green colour starting to appear, soon spring will arrive and I'm going to take advantage of my spring holidays to put on another performance, this time it could be the biggest in Glastonbury, I don't doubt it at all, I walk through the square, already helping some people I see who need a hand, I point my replica staff at each one along the way and follow them to the street.
I think I'm going to walk around a bit today and then go to The Last Wednesday Society, I think I'll get something to eat, it's a shame I can't take Luna Nova because of the salt, I walk along the streets, helping a lady cross the street, creating magical effects in front of a baby and I have to be careful not to stay out of reach of the sorcerer's stone, otherwise I won't be able to use magic.
"Your help is here!" I mean by helping people.
I'm doing it all enchanted, I don't know why I'm so excited, but I am, as if I were a Disney princess, all that's left is to really sing around and jump, I think I'll do a bit of that, until I get to that fountain.
I start holding my shiny rod while I do a few ballet steps, throwing magic at the people around, somehow to help them, which I even come close to, doing a bit of a performance in the street, demonstrating my magic to everyone who was enchanted.
I get to where the fountain is and I turn round with my arm raised, it's right on the edge of the sorcerer's stone's reach, which I even raise my arm, releasing a few spells, since I was stretched out and on tiptoe, I really am enchanting people with my magic today.
"Welcome to the enchanting world of magic!" I shout to everyone and then stand still and gasp.
People are clapping, they're already well aware of my presence that enchants everyone around them, I knew they loved it, I love doing this, I want to perform forever, I really have a sparkle in my eye, if life was just about jumping around like a princess, singing and dancing in the street I'd think it was perfect.
One of these people comes up to me, a blond man in a green suit, a bit strange, but that's okay, I think he might want to talk about something, I'm not going to ignore what this guy has to say, unless he hits on me, but from the looks of it this guy must be at least 30, it would be strange for him to hit on a 16-year-old girl.
"Hello, Chariot Du Nord, right? Nice to meet you, I'm Alan, I've seen your presentations and videos on your social media profiles, I want to talk to you about business, because I'm amazed by your ease of movement" My eyes open wider, could he be a businessman, or is he just what my mum says he is, a pervert, I'm already making a suspicious expression.
"What do you mean you want to know about business and my ease of movement, how can I trust that you're not a pervert?" I ask him, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh I'm sorry about that, I'm sorry, I approached you the wrong way, but I'm not a profiteer, I'm Alan, a businessman, I can make your career pop beyond this small town, what do you think? You're going to become a great presenter, a celebrity, that's why I'm here, there's no way I'm a pervert if I'm talking to you in front of lots of people" He has a good point, so apparently he really is an entrepreneur.
"So let's go somewhere and talk about it, I want to know more about your proposals" I say more cheerfully.
He leads me through the streets and I follow him, already excited, I didn't think it would be so fast, but I've finally managed to attract the attention of a businessman, I can already imagine myself expanding Shiny Chariot, presenting it outside of England who knows, even in the United States, Japan, in various places around the world, a dream come true.
We even go into a very sophisticated restaurant, I've never eaten here before, the food is expensive, which
makes my eyes water. Being accompanied by a waitress, she takes us up the stairs to the top floor, which has a balcony with a view of the city, where you can see the tower that carries the Ley lines in the background.
"Very well, Chariot Du Nord, better known as the Shiny Chariot, your mothers brought me to you, I discovered your relevance through the internet and I see the potential in you if you continue to present in this way, only outside this small town of Glastonbury, we can expand to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, even London, I'm here for that, it will be beneficial for my business and yours too" Woah, that would be wonderful, to expand around travelling and presenting.
"So does that mean I'll be performing more? That's marvellous, I'll finally be able to start my career?" I say excitedly.
"Of course, all this with a strong sponsorship coming in to help us, so travelling expenses and stage expenses will all be paid by our main sponsorship, that way Shiny Chariot will expand, but I need your approval for this since I have your mothers, I only have yours to start presenting, not only will you present without paying anything, but you can earn a share for all this, I will make you pop more around the world, since your videos are starting to become a little known" I became very interested.
"And what about the digital issue of social networks, how will I publicise myself? What about my studies? I'm still only 16, I'm in the first year of Luna Nova, I still have to balance time with my studies" I tell him.
"That's not a problem, it's something I can manage, you can rest assured, I'll leave it to my staff to do the work and all you have to do is present at the venues, you don't have to worry about the presentation and the work of doing everything, my staff will take care of that" said the businessman and so it helps a lot.
"And what days am I going to perform?" I ask him.
"Only on weekends, then the transport back to school is on us, depending on the distance I can even make your presentations on a Saturday, anyway, here's the contract, you can have a look to find out more about the details" He hands me the paper with the contract and I read it carefully, while he calls the waitress.
I can only imagine what it must be like here, but I'm already living a dream, I didn't imagine that a manager would finally come along, after so much wanting, my chance is going to come, I'm very happy and looking forward to it, I hope the contract has some very good offers, after so long I'm going to work again, who would have thought, I didn't think I'd be back so soon, but it looks like work is coming for me.
"With this contract, Chariot Du Nord, will be part of Alan Hartley's company, accepting to work on travelling shows throughout the United Kingdom, with a payment equivalent to 10% of the earnings from each show, bearing in mind that the rest of the part will be used for the realised costs of the shows, with her signature, having the approval of the legal guardian Bernadette Cavendish Stewart, she will be able to sign with the consent and carry out these services with the approval of the businessman, with each call she will carry out something,having free access to the commercial rights to the marketing around Shiny Chariot and related products, which she herself will receive a portion of the profit from each product licensed from her, in view of these conditions, all she has to do is sign the contract and the service will begin"
"In the event of cancellation of the contract after signing by Chariot Du Nord itself, a fine as a value relative to the earnings will be applied, the contract can only be terminated within the period of 01 year or byAlan Hartley himself."
"What about publicising it on social media?" I ask Alan.
"I don't have any contacts in this field, but with my contacts I can help, if you already have that, since you've made some good videos, or just continue what you're doing" that's very interesting.
"So I accept the contract Mr Alan, I'm going to be part of this deal" I say, signing the paper and getting excited.
"Thank you very much, now enjoy your meal, I'm going to prepare the stage for your first performances as soon as spring arrives, I want to see you bursting on spring break, so there will be many, since the sponsorship that has come is very fat, I really hope I can count on my sponsorship and your success, keep rehearsing your numbers and soon we will become great, Be sure to spread the word, in a few days I'll announce the dates and location of each performance, I already have your contact email address on your page, keep an eye on your inbox, or better still, give me your number" I'll make sure to write my mobile number on a piece of paper for him, so he can help me a lot.
And right on time, the food arrives, it's a prime filet, I've never seen such beautiful meat and the other ingredients too. The waitress slices it thinly and puts it on the plate, also adding mashed potato and even filling glasses with wine, which I'm half making another expression, I don't drink alcohol, but I can try it.
I'm starting to eat, already tasting the wine, feeling a slight burn in my throat, but I'm still enjoying it, it's like a grape juice, only stronger, I'm even happy that I got the contract, I'm eating the fillet and wow, this is really good, the meat is tender, I take some mashed potato and everything is just right, this fancy food here is really good stuff.
"I'm glad I was able to do business with you, our contract will be for one year, if you succeed I'll renew it for another year, I'm putting my faith in you" said Alan and I nodded in agreement.
"It's okay, I'll do my best, I'll show you my presentations, I'll be sure to show you how much better I'm doing" I say excitedly, and I'm off to eat some more.
"You can relax and eat to your heart's content, here's a little help to pay the bill and the rest you can use to buy whatever you want, I'm going, I really appreciate doing business with you Chariot Du Nord" He gets up and simply leaves a thousand pounds on the table, walking away and I'm shocked.
Wow, that's a lot of money, I hope it pays for the food, I haven't even checked the bill, but I'll look at the menu later, if it pays I'll buy a dessert, I have to enjoy it while I can, now I'm finally a professional, it really fills my heart.
I hope this businessman is trustworthy, when I get to Luna Nova I'm going to tell Croix a lot about this news, I have a year with a job with a guaranteed salary, just imagine if I earn 50,000 I get 5,000 pounds, that's more than I used to earn on the streets, no doubt this will make my fame rise more and more, if this is a success.
[...]
I finished eating and the bill came to £150 for food and dessert, a delicious petit gateau, it's not every day that you get to eat one of these, I'm arriving in Luna Nova, with a full stomach and all happy, I've already got a manager, so I run to Croix's room, knocking on the door, all excited, I can't wait to tell her the news.
She appears at the door, I think she must be doing something important, what I see is just her laptop open, I hope I haven't interrupted anything
"Chariot, I heard that you were dancing in the street and then a guy in a suit came to talk to you, do you know anything about it? I wanted to talk to you about it" she said and I nodded in agreement.
"I have marvellous news! I've finally got some attention" I say, celebrating.
"Then let's talk in the corridors, as these girls' ears are very curious" said Meridies as she left the room.
We walked a little further away from the room, arriving at where the Luna Nova courtyard is, there it was well into the dark of sunset, I can't wait to tell her the news, I sit down on the stool, she sits down too, where we stare at the sky, with that beautiful sunset, these moments with Croix are always the best.
"So what happened? What made you go with that guy in the suit?" Asks the one with glasses.
"He's a manager Croix! He was sent by my mums, they even signed that they consented to the contract, I'll be able to perform soon, I'm really looking forward to it" I say getting really excited about it all.
"An manager? I don't know Chariot, we could do this on our own, there's no reason why we need a manager, especially as we're going to graduate soon" she said and I shook my head in denial.
"You're going, you're already in the last three months of your second year, I've still got another two years to go, you're graduating next year, who knows how long it's going to take for all this, social networks are going to be saturated with our presence, that's why these social networks are fast, who knows, maybe we'll end up being a fad, apart from the fact that the manager can make me go places I can't go, he'll cover the costs of everything" I say to Croix, explaining everything.
"I still think this is a huge scam, how much was your share? He's already negotiated that, but for the rest, are you free to perform? And to cancel? And where does this money come from? You already have a lot of questionable things Chariot, you've laundered money without knowing it" Meridies said, but I have the answers.
"It's 10% of what we earn from the performances, apart from the fact that he said it's from a bigger sponsorship, I think it must be from my mums, they're finally going to inject money into my career, I'm sure
it'll pay off, he told me he's going to communicate the performances on my mobile phone, I can't wait to see where they're going to be, I'm going to perform a lot in the spring days, that's why I want to take you with me, you can film everything and show it on the internet, performance by performance, we'll do the whole thing, I know you can do it Croix" I say to her who looks suspicious.
"I want to talk to this manager of yours later, if I'm going to do it, I'll want it to be worth it, was there a fine if you cancelled?" I nodded in agreement.
"I'd have one about the earnings from the presentation" I think she got angrier about that too.
"By the nine lesbian witches Chariot, this is going to reflect a lot on you, you've fallen into a tremendous trap, if you cancel you'll end up paying relative to the costs, it won't be the same as earning just 10%, I don't like this manager, how long do you have a contract with him for?" She asks and I take a deep breath.
"A year's contract, fine, when that year is up don't renew it, we'll work together to make your shows grow, I know I won't have the Cavendish's big money or I might, but I'll be 18 and that means I'm old enough to do business and be able to take you to shows, know that Chariot, we'll work together, 60 per cent of the profit goes to you while the rest I'll share in the production of things and also in important matters, I don't care about the money" Wow but it's a lot.
"Don't worry Croix, I'm sure this Alan isn't a fake, my mums must have recommended him to me" I hope they did, my mum Bernadette's signature is even there.
"Even if he wins a lot, one thing Alan doesn't have, he's just some bloke in a suit, he doesn't know how you feel or what you're like as a person, he's just going to be a suit who's going to come and give you orders and act according to the music, I'll give him that, but anyway, the warning has been given, you should have taken me to talk to him, I'd know how to handle the questions better, but I'll still help you, the important thing is to see this star shine" She strokes my head and I'm really happy, Croix always supports me.
We got up from the benches, now the conversation was done, I'm sure Alan won't pull the wool over my eyes, I trust that this is all going to be a success, my mums are supporting it, so it's the right thing to do, if this guy cheats us I'm sure I'll be very angry about it, but he won't, he seems honest, I can understand the 10 per cent, it must be expensive, apart from the fact that I can earn a lot of money with the products, but that's not what I'm interested in, it's the presentations.
[...]
"Well, a few days went by, a week to be exact, with no response from Alan, but I'd spoken to my mums andthey really said that Alan was a trustworthy guy who was even sponsoring him in this career, so I was veryexcited and happy, but Croix made a point of being suspicious, she kept asking me to talk to Alan, eventhough I didn't have his number, until the day came for him to get in touch."
Thursday 9 March 2006, Luna Nova
It's been a week since Alan talked to me, it seems that Croix still picks on me a lot because of this guy, she really didn't like him showing up in the middle to help, and it's good to have some extra help, I go for a walk around the courtyard since there's still a lunch break and there's Croix with me, which I hear my mobile phone vibrate, I quickly run behind a tree.
That way I'm out of sight of the teachers, Meridies follows me and that way I can answer it, she looks at the number and writes it down like there's no tomorrow, what do you know, then I answer the phone.
"Oh Chariot, you've answered, I'm sorry if you're in class, but I've managed to get hold of the venues for your spring week presentation, you're going to rock, I hope you're not in class now" he said.
"I'm not Mr Alan, you can tell me where and when they're going to be" I say excitedly.
"Be prepared for the fact that you'll be travelling a lot, but I've made sure to hire a bus with two drivers alternating times to take you and the people you want with you for this, I'll pick you up as soon as spring break starts on 17 March, from there we'll take a trip to Birmingham, where your first gig will be on Saturday 18th, understand? We'll be there until the 26th, so be prepared for a busy routine" I nod my head, even though he can't see a thing.
"I'm sure I'm ready, I'll make a point of taking some people with me who will help me spread the word on the internet, and they're more specialised in this, I'm really looking forward to it, but what about the other places, where are we going to show up?" I ask him.
"The 18th will be in Birmingham, the 19th will be in Liverpool, the 20th will be in Manchester, the 21st will be in Leeds, the 22nd will be in Newcastle, the 23rd will be in Sheffield, the 24th will be in Cambridge, then on the 25th and 26th there will be two shows in London, where you will then be travelling back home, I've been communicating with my contacts about the venues for a few days now, so tell the people who look after your gigs to spread the word on the internet about the venues, which I'll pass on" I nod and signal to Croix who is listening to the whole call using a device on my mobile phone.
"Go ahead Mr Alan, I'm listening to everything, I'll bring the person who controls the social networks and edits the videos for this" I tell him and I'm excited.
He went on to give me the addresses of the venues where I'll be performing, which I'm already very anxious about, telling me that each of the venues is already prepared with all their aesthetics and costumes for the moment, saying that they are very knowledgeable on the subject, but I doubt it a little, only my friends really know a lot, they're the ones who have been helping me a lot with this, but I'm sure that these performances will be a success with the publicity.
"All right, these are the venues, the price of entry for each is around £20, with certain people being able to pay half-price, can you find an act that lasts longer than the 10 minutes of your performance? I want something that lasts long enough to be worth the price of admission, at least an hour, it needs to be well thought out, so it will grab the audience's attention" said Alan and I think I've got it.
"Yes, I have, Mr Alan, I can combine presentations and rehearse some new ones, creating a whole range by connecting many of them, you can be sure that more complete presentations will come, thank you for your help" I tell him, and then the call ends.
I've only got the number of Arcas, the dragon and the Polaris fountain, but now I've got to get some new ones, maybe include Woodward, the unicorn of the Cavendish family, I'll think about what to put together for that, I've got to study a bit about the history of Luna Nova, so I can add to it a bit, doing it in an enchanting way would be marvellous.
"He's not reliable yet, this is going to wear you out a lot Chariot, how are you going to get another 30 minutes of presentation time? We haven't even come up with any ideas to apply" said the bespectacled one.
"I've got a few in mind, we've got a week to get these ideas out of the box and innovate, but I know I can do it, it all depends on me, I'll pass the ideas on to you and we'll do it" I say cheerfully.
"Be careful not to overload yourself, an hour doing this can be very exhausting for you, but even so we can think about how to stretch the presentations that come up a lot, I know you can do it with ease, but don't fry your brain" said Meridies.
"Let's think more together, you're the brains here, interesting things about the history of Luna Nova and the fauna here, you can combine a lot, I'll introduce myself and maybe I'll take the one hour presentation, we have to rehearse this right now, come with me to my room, we'll plan everything" I'm already being very determined.
Damn a week for everything is going to be hard, to think I was hoping to enjoy the spring holidays with Croix going to Ireland, but now this, I hope the girls stay with me for this, I even huff.
The alarm is ringing, lunchtime is over, it's time to go to class, it's going to be hard to convince the girls not to do something with me this coming week.
[...]
We're all in the room now, the four of us are going to start discussing these plans for this, come on Chariot Du Nord, take a deep breath, Croix is already presenting a picture she made of all the plans, which involved stretching out my presentations by an hour, which they're not too worried about, what came to worry them was the issue I'm going to talk about now.
"Stretching it out over an hour is fine, we just need to rehearse a bit more and use effects, but what's wrong with that?" Becca asks.
"The spring holidays... I'm going to be performing for eight days in a row, Croix is going with me on this tour of England, but I don't know if you're up for doing it with me too, after all you'll only be travelling back and forth on the bus, I guarantee that part of my 10% that I earn will go to you, I'll split it between 2.5% for each of us" I say smiling.
"No! You can forget about me, I won't accept that, it's your money, please Chariot, you're not going to make much money any more, but anyway, I'll help" said the bespectacled woman.
"Fine, we'll accept, we're just going travelling" I shake my head.
"I'm sure it'll be on a very comfortable bus, if we're all going, there'll certainly be a bed for us to sleep on, there'll be food and everything, we can make the most of the space, so let's go travelling" I say excitedly.
"It's going to be a drag staying here in Luna Nova for a week on my own, I'll go with you Chariot, I don't want the 2.5 per cent, I don't need that money, it's your money from your work, we'll help you by filming your presentation from different angles and giving you more of an audience, attracting attention, I know a lot about this, believe it or not I know how to edit images and also videos, so it doesn't overload Croix" Becca said, which left me with a huge smile on my face.
"It's going to be a hassle staying in Cardiff and having to go to fancy parties, take my 2.5 per cent too, it's your money, by the way, it's going to be an interesting trip with friends around England, we'll be able to see a lot of places apparently, since the list shows the entire route map, I'm really excited about it all, if I can get more people in my free time we'll be able to go round the city before going on the bus, think about it, I'll go too" Even Parker, the one I swore was the most mercenary.
"So our first trip as friends is about to begin!" I say, smiling.
"Perfect, do you have any extra talents that could help Parker?" Meridies asks.
"Fashion and aesthetics, we can do a little filming of Chariot dressed up, so it shows she's the celebrity she wants to be, plus I can help with the aesthetics, create the banners to attract attention, who would have thought we'd be using the internet again, and I have my contacts, that's good, if I spread the word among the internet people all over the place I'll use them to get more people to come to your gigs, I guarantee we'll fire you up in your career" They're helping me with everything.
"Your team here already has it, let's work together on it then, since the businessman has left the doors open for us to focus on the rest, you can leave it to me that instigating people on the internet is my forte, I know exactly how they are, that's why the page has grown so fast as well as the site, it's already giving a small return according to my mother, thanks to the visits and the ads I can say that finally the site pays for itself by the amount of visits, now just wait for the time that we'll be travelling to other places in the world until 2007, maybe one day in Japan!" That's one of my dreams.
"2007 isn't until next year, so you're thinking too big, Croix" said Parker.
"You have to have a mind like that if you want to get there, your magic is believing in yourself, just sitting on the sofa waiting for time to pass isn't going to solve things" Now she spoke here.
And we're already planning things, I'm thinking about what to put together to create some more choreographies, so maybe I can put together an hour's performance and become well known on the internet, next week I'm going to completely change my life, from a street artist to a professional stage entertainer, finally my dream has come true.
"That was the beginning of the whole Alan era, which is romanticised in the book of my biography, but itwasn't so much flowers, I was really pushed by him to achieve perfection and that's when the first addictionswould appear because he overloaded me with it, apart from the fact that I earned a good 10%, but in realitythe 90% never went to the stage, it all went into the guy's pockets, while the money from the Cavendishcompanies was being used to support him, but I had no idea about that, not even my mothers who continuedto inject money to publicise my image."
See you, manager witches...