It Started With Hello

Chapter 20- A Band's Christmas

A chorus of Amen's come after. "So Matt, tell us some more about you and your family."

"Not much to tell Ma'am." He answers, "It's just my sister, uncle, two cousins, and me."

"And you all live in London?" She continues.

"No ma'am." He answers. "I'm at school in Phoenix, Arizona. And Bella lives in Switzerland. We're both just in for the holiday with our uncle."

"How did you all meet?"

"My uncle owns their label. Simon Caswell."

My parents fall silent.

"Guys, Lincoln has a bunch of songs for us to go over." Nolan says.

"I'm not interrupting am I?" Arabella's quiet voice asks from the doorway.

"Of course not dear." My mum answers standing to fetch her a plate.

Matt stands to give her his chair. She smiles at him and sits down.

"Here you are sweetheart." My mother says putting a plate in front of her.

"Thank you ma'am." Arabella says smiling softly at my mother.

"You both can call me Lindsey." She says smiling back at Arabella. "Are you feeling better?"

"Much, thank you." She answers eating her meal quietly.

"Why don't you boys all head to the living room." My mother dismisses us and begins clearing the table. Arabella and Rosie help her.

"Thank you so much for the meal Lindsey." Arabella says. "I haven't eaten a home cooked meal I haven't prepared since my parents passed away."

"You're welcome sweetheart." My mother tells her as they wash and dry dishes my sister racing around the kitchen to wipe down the table and put away the dishes.

"Link you coming? We're setting up to practice your songs."

"Coming." I answer heading into the living room. Nolan had his guitar in hand. Luke has the keyboard pulled out. Zander was borrowing a few of my mom's wooden spoons as drumsticks, Henrick was just standing waiting for me.

"Ready?"

"Let's blow this Popsicle stand."

"Which song first?"

"This one." I hand him the demo for my favorite track. He plays it and begins to fit it to our sound with his guitar. Luke begins matching Nolan's cords on the keyboard.

Back to Me

By Lincoln:

I'm a broken record, on repeat

Singing on and on

Waiting for that day

You come back to me again.

Can you see me?

Do you hear me?

You left me alone.

Broken on my own.

I'm the silent song

In the back of your head

Waiting for the day

You come back to me again.

Can you see me?

Do you hear me?

You left me alone.

Broken on my own.

I'm the kid in the corner

Bruised and scared

Not that you could see them

Will you ever come back to me?

Can you see me?

Do you hear me?

You left me alone.

Broken on my own.

I'm the driver of your cab

Jovial and smiling but brokenhearted

not that you'd ever see it.

Will you ever come back to me?

Can you see me?

Do you hear me?

You left me alone.

Broken on my own.

The child crying in the night,

That was me before you

It's me again, now that you're gone

Are you ever coming back for me?

Can you see me?

Do you hear me?

You left me alone.

Broken on my own.

"That sounded great!" Nolan cheers. Zander and Luke both agree.

"That will definitely fit our sound." Henrick says. "What about the other ones?"

"I have to reconfigure them to fit better." Nolan says, "This was the only one that was close to our sound."

"In my defense I wrote these before I thought I was going to be part of an international pop band."

"Can I remix them?" Arabella asks.

"Actually, that'd be great. Then we can focus more on what we're supposed to be working on. Thanks Belle." She smiles and takes the tracks to the guest room to get started.

The rest of the break all our families came to the house and we all did a gigantic gift exchange. Bella and Matt stayed up in the guest room, but in the few seconds of silence you could hear my tracks being remixed.

Christmas Eve came so Matt and Bella left for Simon's house. The house was freakishly quiet now that the remixing was gone. The boys and I spent the holiday  with just our families. We would be touring through the next Christmas holiday, so we wanted to make the most of this one. We have a new manager coming this summer. Simon won't tell us a thing except it's a girl with a lot of musical experience and that the contract will be signed by the beginning of January.

I wonder who it will be.