Going Up - Now On Amazon

Chapter Twenty Six

“You all right Sarah?” I heard Dj say beside me.

I looked beside me; DJ had slowed right down and was walking alongside me.

“OH yeah, fantastic, thanks” I lied outright, I had no choice. I couldn’t exactly turn around to a record executive and say ‘hey yeah, I’m shit actually. Thanks for asking’

“Sarah, you don’t have to bull shit with me. I’m not going to scold you for being down. If anything, your emotions are good fuel for singing, embrace it”

“I’ll try” I agreed.

Finally after what seemed like forever we walked in to a small black room with hundreds of buttons and knobs. Behind the desks there was a wall of glass, the room on the other side had a layout of instruments, and a variety of microphones. Both rooms were state of the art, with modern décor adorning them. I sighed softly as I let my fingers run over the top of one of the plush leather seats.

“This is the control room Sarah, we’ll be in here. It’s funny that you’re wearing a guns and roses t-shirt. We’ve laid down a track for don’t cry” Darren exclaimed sitting down on another of the seats.

DJ ushered me in to the booth and walked me over to the microphones.

“Just breath and sing like you did last night alright” he whispered, placing a set of headphones over my ears. I nodded and took a long deep breath. I heard the studio door click shut and I closed my eyes. When the music started I felt something inside me come alive, like a switch had been turned. When my cue came, I let my mouth open and began to sing. I felt every word I sung like they were written for me and while I was singing for myself, and for this record label. I was also singing for him.

As the song ended, a surprise lone tear escaped from my eyes and I finally looked up and out at the control room. I was met by four wide eyed faces. Carly leant forward and pressed a button.

“That was perfect” she said, her voice erupting through the headphones “Come back through to the control room Sarah”

I lifted the headphones from my head and hung them up, then walked out of the live room and back in to the control room.

“I must say, we’re really surprised at how well that went. We sprung a song on you, recorded it and you sung it perfectly, with a degree of emotion that is so rare in someone so young. Sarah, we need you here at Emperor” Joseph exclaimed edging forward on his seat.

I laughed, and sat down on the black leather couch that was against the wall at the back of the control room

“You need me” I scoffed

Joseph’s eyes narrowed and he nodded then looked over at DJ “I see what you mean.”

Confused, I frowned and looked over at DJ myself.

“Did I do something wrong?” I fretted, my stomach began churning and I darted my eyes around the room for a suitable place to throw up.

Dj smiled reassuringly then shook his head

“Sarah, we love you. We want to sign you. We just want to make sure you’re ready for this and I want to work with you in seclusion for 6 months”

“Seclusion?” I replied without thinking first. The word seclusion punched at me like a dagger, I’d only just freed myself from seclusion, and the thought of trapping myself again seemed preposterous.