Smashed Into You

Chapter 5: THE ROAD TO UNDERSTANDING

“Hey PP. Look, I’d really love for you to come visit me in San Diego. I’m sorry about what I said earlier; I didn’t mean it in that way. Please return my call. I – I miss you…”

This has been the tenth time Phillip has rewound Jessica's message. The way she said "I miss you" kept lingering in his mind. It was like she had been choosing her words carefully but decided to just let it all go when she said that. He couldn't stop smiling.

Before he heard this, he had been in such a foul mood. Their conversation irked him very much. He knew he wasn't successful but she didn't have to rub it in. But of course, hearing her sweet voice apologizing was more than enough.

His manager reminded him to have a twitter party tonight. Social media has been a very important factor in the success of artists today. It was one of the main channels used to interact with fans. But he has not updated his account in months. From having 600 thousand plus followers it lessened to just around 250 thousand. He had such a fickle fanbase, he never established a solid one. But that was his fault, he should put more effort into reaching out.

He checked his mentions. He answered a few questions and thanked those who congratulated him on his newfound success. He scrolled and scrolled down until one tweet caught his attention.

It was from Jessica.

And it was written just a few hours ago.

He had to stand up and shake his body to release the excitement he felt. She was finally reaching out to him. First the message in his voicemail, then a tweet? He was overjoyed. Finally, they were starting to communicate again. He missed his friend so much. He started asking himself why he waited so long to even make contact with her...

- Flashback -

This was the last stop of the tour, and this was where I was most afraid to go to. I was tempted to say that I was experiencing kidney stones again to skip this leg but my doctors just cleared me. I had no choice.

"We're here!" Jessica exclaimed.

And yes we were, the plane just landed. The airport even made an effort to print out a tarpaulin banner to greet us, "MABUHAY, AMERICAN IDOLS 11! Welcome to the Philippines!"

The Philippines.

The country that loved Jessica.

And the country that hated me.

I'm sure they haven't forgiven me, the cute guy with the guitar and an average voice, for beating one of the most talented singers the world has ever heard and seen. Jessica was their darling... and I was their villain. I couldn't blame them.

At least Hannah was here with me. I admit that we have been having a difficult time trying to work on our relationship but I’m glad I can still count on her to be there for me. I forced her to fly with us for this last stop. The Filipinos will probably kill my self-confidence so at least she’ll be there to lift my spirit up.

Once we stepped out of the plane a mob of fans surrounded us and gave us all flower necklaces and different gifts. I was surprised I was the next person they were excited to see, after Jessica of course. I thought they hated me?

People were going crazy over us, they kept asking for photos and autographs. It was definitely the first time I’ve felt like a superstar. Jessica was loving every minute of it. They adored her. And she felt the same way. I couldn’t help myself from smiling, seeing her that way excited me. She deserved everything.

The concert was sold out and the audience was amazing! They sang to every song we sang. They were dancing and cheering, we definitely fed off their energy! Jessica couldn’t stop herself from crying with all the support she has received. Actually, we were all overwhelmed.