Forced | cake au ✓

Chapter TWENTY-FOUR

"I will," I collected my things, already heading towards the showers. My phone was still ringing, I could feel it vibrating in my hands.

"Uh-huh, sure."

I kept walking.

---

Calum

"Trouble in paradise?"

I looked up to see Ashton sat on a chair, getting his hair done by our stylist, Anne. Michael was on the other side of the room, currently laid across a sofa on his phone, all dressed and ready for the interview.

"Fuck off," I mumbled to Ashton, plopping down on the other couch inside the dressing room which made Anne give me a warning look. Sighing, I sat up and made sure the top fitting snug across my torso top didn't get wrinkled. Anne looked pleased at that.

Michael joined the conversation, not taking his eyes off his phone. "He still hasn't answered?"

"No." I resisted the urge to stomp like a child. "Why isn't he answering?"

"Maybe he's just busy," Michael suggested.

"I've been trying to call since yesterday. Do you think this is because of Shawna?" I bit my lip.

Ashton raised an eyebrow, considering. "Could be. But didn't Patricia talk to him already?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Michael stand up now. He took my phone, keeping it out of arm's reach before I could protest. "Call him after the interview. He'll probably pick up by then. In the meantime, stop moping."

I snatched my phone away from Michael. "Well, what if he doesn't?"

"Then keep calling!" Both him and Ashton replied.

---

I don't think a lot of people realize how interviews actually worked. In the media, some interviews were as unscripted and genuine as they seem. The interviewer and their guest are comfortable around each other and everything flows naturally from start to finish.

However, there are some interviews where you are told what will happen the minute it starts right down to the topics you're not allowed to bring up.

Andre spoke to our interviewer beforehand. He was given specific instructions by Patricia, who was very clear about the questions which were not allowed to be brought up no matter how the interviewer phrased them. I was not allowed to be asked about the hate I was getting for coming out or how I figured out that I was bisexual—Patricia meant for those topics to be discussed after our tour. I wouldn't need to talk about Shawna, either. Management will release a statement that she was a colleague who simply joined us for dinner.

Currently, the three of us were sat on a couch and Christian, the interviewer, had been asking questions about the tour so far.

"—and we're currently writing music as we speak." Ashton finished answering.

"How do you boys manage to write music while being on tour? Isn't it tiring being on tour, performing almost every night and jumping from place to place?" Christian asked in his thick Norwegian accent.