"We want to offer you a contract."

The words echoed around her mind as Cat listened down the phone call, mouth agape as she processed it. She had been sat sewing together a bag, practicing more with her new machine when they called, but now she was fully focused on Mike' words.

"I am very impressed with your addition to the song, and Myles is absolutely down to have you on the track." He continued. "The legal team will email you a copy of the contact. Let me know when you've read it over and are ready to come in and sign."

Suddenly her mouth was dry and she couldn't find the words to reply. "Wait, really? Like…for real for real?" Was all she managed.

The voice on the other end chuckled. "Yes, for real. We've been impressed with your test sessions, and we'd love to work with you on your first album."

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Cat clapped her hand over her mouth, trying not to scream. "Thank you so much! I—um—wow, yes, that sounds amazing!" She ran into Jade's room, not bothering to knock on the door as she pushed it open, receiving a pointed look from Jade who was sat on her bed with her laptop.

Cat started jumping toe to toe, eager to tell Jade but waiting for the person on the phone to finish talking. "Great. We'll send you all the details. Welcome to Radius Records, Cat." He finished.

Cat thanked him again and ended the call, instantly jumping onto her girlfriend's bed. "Jaaaaaadeeee!" She squealed, bouncing up and down.

"What in the fuck are you doing?" Jade replied quickly, grabbing Cat's ankles to stop her from bouncing anymore.

"No, no jump with me!" Cat tried kicking her hands away.

"Not before you tell me what's got you like this? Did you find more bibble again?" Jade shot, managing to successfully pull her girlfriend down into a sitting position.

"They offered me a contract!" Cat squealed, unfazed by suddenly being pulled butt first onto the bed. "Radius! They offered me a contract!"

Jade's eyes widened, and for a moment, she just stared at Cat, letting the news sink in. Slowly, a small, proud smile spread across her face. "Are you serious?"

Cat nodded furiously, her eyes bright. "One thousand percent serious! They want me to make an album!"

Jade threw her laptop off at the bed, reached out to pull Cat into a tight hug. "That's amazing, Cat. I knew they'd see how good you are."

Cat hugged her back, squeezing tightly. "I'm so happy, Jade! I just—I can't believe this is real! Me…with my own album!"

Jade pulled back slightly, her hand still resting on Cat's shoulder. "It's real," she said with a smirk, brushing a loose strand of hair away from Cat's face. "And you're gonna be amazing. But don't go forgetting about us little people when you're famous, alright?"

Cat laughed, giving her an exaggeratedly serious nod. "I promise I'll remember you, even when I'm doing, like…fancy award shows and red carpets!"

Jade chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to Cat's forehead. "Good. Because I'm not letting you off that easy."

Cat smiled at her girlfriend before fully jumping onto her, pinning her down in a deeper more intense kiss. As always when Cat ambushed her, Jade fought back for control, deepening the kiss on her end too. But with this much adrenaline coursing through her, Cat wasn't giving up so easily. This lead to a long intense make-out session before Cat finally pulled away, collapsing into Jade's arms, panting as she laid down next to her.

"You should be signed more often." Jade choked out.

"Mhmm." Cat replied in her daze, smiling into the crook of Jade's neck as she settled beside her.

"Make sure my dad gets a read of that contract before you sign anything." She reminded, her left hand slowly snaking up and down Cat's arm.

"Shhh let's just lay here for a minute." Cat whispered, enjoying just existing next to her girlfriend. "Don't make me think about anything sensible."

"When do you ever think of anything sensible?" Jade joked, but very happy to comply with Cat's request to just lay together.

It was however, inevitable that Jason West would want to see the contract when Cat mentioned it to him at dinner. He instantly got her to print it out and he sat both girls down to read it- dinners quickly pushed aside as he scanned through the pages. She hadn't even read it herself yet, not sure she'd be able to decipher any of it. He flicked through page after page, with Cat watching wide eyed as she tried to read his expressions. Jade watched too, arms folded, her expression flickering between curiosity and suspicion.

When Jason finally spoke, both girls leaned in, surprised. "I think you should sign it," he said simply, stacking the pages into a neat pile. "It's a pretty standard contract, and, surprisingly, quite fair."

Jade raised an eyebrow. "What are the main stipulations?"

Jason nodded, slipping into professional mode. "They want to trial Cat for one album. They're offering a 50,000 advance—"

Cat gasped, her eyes widening.

Jason held up a hand. "An advance isn't a gift, Cat. It's basically a loan against your future earnings. You'll need to pay back that advance from any profits before you start receiving income. And if the album doesn't make enough to cover it, you're responsible for the difference."

"Oh…" Cat's initial excitement dimmed a bit. "That doesn't sound so good."

"With a smart financial manager—which I'll make sure you have—it's manageable," he assured her. "You'll receive ten percent of revenue from sales, streams, and other sources, but, again, only after that advance is recouped. They also retain creative control." He turned a few more pages. "Interestingly, there's a significant marketing budget, not just for the album but to build up your presence."

"Oh!" Cat's face brightened. "They said something about 'building up my social brand.'"

"Exactly. They want a foundation to promote you on. Singers often gain fame through other areas, like acting or reality TV. If they're investing in building you up from scratch, they must see a lot of potential." He looked at Cat warmly. "And rightfully so. You have a wonderful voice."

"Isn't that…like, illegal?" Jade asked, frowning. "Just using money to blow up someone's social media?"

"Fame is rarely as 'organic' as people think. This is one of the ways labels make it happen," Jason replied.

Cat nodded slowly, feeling a mix of awe and nervousness. "So…you think this is a good idea?"

Jason gave a measured smile. "I think it's a solid opportunity. The worst-case scenario is the album doesn't take off, and you walk away not being a famous singer. But if it works out, this could be life-changing."

"Low risk, high reward," Jade said, giving Cat an encouraging nudge.

"Exactly."

Cat hesitated, glancing at Jade. "But…what about college?"

Jason gave her a reassuring smile. "That's something we can decide closer to the time. The girl you'd be stepping in for—"

"Alessia," Cat supplied.

"Yes, Alessia. She seemingly left the contract, so if you're unhappy or you decide college is the way you want to go, you give the money back and walk away. That's why we'll manage the advance carefully."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Cat. I wouldn't let you sign anything that wasn't in your best interest."

Cat took a deep breath, feeling a new confidence blooming in her. "Okay," she said, nodding slowly. "Then I think…I think I want to go for it."

"Brilliant Cat." Jason smiled at her. "I'll read this over one more time, and get a second opinion in the office tomorrow- make sure to tell your parents too before you started signing stuff."

"Right- parents yep." Cat replied, as if almost remembering she did in fact have some of those.