The Obscure Downsides of Fame

3 // a waste

CHAPTER 3
a waste
•••

ᴏᴀᴋʟᴇʏ ᴄᴀʀʀɪʟʟᴏ

Trisha and I were the typical siblings when we were younger. We fought about who was allowed to use the remote, or who'd have their friends over. But things have happened that made me realize I couldn't live without her.

I didn't think much of it when I posted my first covers to YouTube at thirteen. I was just having fun, playing guitar and singing to whatever songs were playing on the radio.

Eventually, my classmates found out about the videos, and their reactions weren't the nicest. Especially since my grades weren't the greatest and my physique wasn't very pop sensation-like. I eventually deleted all the videos, hoping it would end, but it didn't. At this point, I hadn't told either my parents or my sister yet.

One day, my parents picked me up right after Trisha because we were going to my aunt's that afternoon, and that's when Jace Michelson shoved me, making me fall face-first onto the pavement.

"Sorry, Ariana Grande. Didn't see ya there," he had smirked as I looked up to him, drops of blood leaking from of my nose. People were looking at me, whispering, and I had never felt so embarrassed in my life. I was on the verge of tears when Trish strutted out of the car, her head held high as she walked right up to Jace. My parents followed her out of the car and told her to get back inside. I just wanted the ground to swallow me when Trish stood in front of him, looking at him with a fiery gaze.

It was actually a quite comic scene, a twelve-year-old boy looking so intimidated by a nine-year-old girl. But it was like a switch went off in his head when he started smirking again.

"Look who came to save you, Grande! It's your little sister."

All it took for her to silence him was a kick between the legs, and he fell to the ground, holding his crotch. A bunch of kids erupted in a burst of silent laughter and I couldn't help but smile as I got up and walked toward the car, pinching my nose as I tried not to get blood on the seats.

My parents just stared as they escorted Trisha back to the car, not saying a word to Jace either.

All of this was obviously before I hit puberty and my voice could indeed go as high is Ariana Grande's, but things really started to change when my voice got deeper.

I still loved singing when I started high school, but I was too afraid to post anything. But Trisha apparently recorded me one day when I was in my room, singing instead of doing my homework. It somehow went viral and eventually I got here: in LA, making money by doing the one thing I truly love, and that's all thanks to my sister.

Not even slightly because of Mason.

"Oakley, we need at least a new EP out before the next tour. At least maybe four songs."

"I don't even want to do that damn tour, Mason," I admitted. "I need some time off."

"Well, we already announced that a new tour was coming up soon. Do you want to disappoint your fans?" he asked, his thick graying eyebrows set in a permanent frown.

"No, of course not," I sighed. I looked down at my fingers. "It's just— I just want to spend some time with my family. I haven't seen them in almost two months, Mason." When I looked back up at him, his face was still blank, still not showing any emotion.

"But you're on the top now, Oakley. You're number one, and you don't want to drop that. You can't have it all, Oakley."

"I'd choose my family over my career any day."

"And how would your family feel about that?" he asked. He's right. They would be disappointed. It's a waste to let this all go.

Mason took my silence as a cue for him to leave.

"Try to have a first one done by the end of the week, alright?"

I nodded silently as he left the room.

"Trish, would you like to come to the studio with me tomorrow?" Trisha looked up from her plate so fast I was afraid she'd snap her neck.

"Hell yeah! Wait, why? What are you doing tomorrow?"

I shrugged. "Gen is shooting a video or something. I won't keep you there the entire day, I promise." Trisha had a huge smile on her face.

"What time will you be back?" my dad asks.

"I don't know... maybe around 6?"

Author's note:

I know my chapters are always short... is this a problem?

Tell me what you thought of this chapter! I personally found it very boring but I'll go back and edit everything once it's all written...

Does anyone have any tips for me to become a better writer? I would really appreciate it.

Xxx C.