Changing Tune

18. Determined

Chapter 18: Determined

Ellie's POV

*****

We were all still shocked by what James had just told us. It was too early for my brain to function properly, and I couldn't understand how on earth people would just randomly create videos of Blake and I. We did nothing different than what we would usually do, and it angered me that people started looking too much into it. Blake and I were friends, and I didn't want any speculations to ruin that for us. 

"I don't know what to tell you," Blake said after snatching James' phone from his hands and looking at the video. "People were just looking too much into things."

"Were they looking too much into things when they said that you and Ellie are writing a song together?" James asked angrily. 

Blake and I looked at each other and then dropped our gazes to the ground. That was something which we could not deny, and James' tone gave us the impression that he was not too happy about it. 

"Why didn't you tell me that you were writing a song?" He asked, his tone getting a bit softer, yet the sense of authority still very much prominent in his voice. 

"We wanted to finish working on it before telling anybody," Blake answered. 

I flinched as soon as James started reprimanding us for writing a song in secret. As our manager, he wanted to be made aware of any song that is in the works. I was surprised as he asked us to listen to it, rubbing his temples in exasperation. 

Blake took out his phone on which we had quickly recorded the song. We wanted to be able to hear it from the outside, so that we could see what worked and what didn't. My heart started thumping loudly as James put his headphones in his ears and connected them to the phone. The song was in a good state, but we did not want James hearing it before we were certain of it. 

I could feel my breath escaping me as he looked up at us and removed his headphones, handing Blake his phone back. Silence engulfed us all, and I could see Dylan and Adam looking at one another uncomfortably. The longer James took to say something, the more petrified I became. 

"What is that?" He asked, making my blood run cold. "That is certainly not compatible with the image you guys have."

From the corner of my eye I could see Blake stiffen beside me, James' words certainly taking him by surprise. For some reason, I had been expecting that kind of reaction from James. The more he opened his mouth, the more I convinced myself that I did not like him very much. He was a good manager, but he could be destructive. 

"If people listen to that song, that will only convince them more that one of you is in love. Do you want that to happen?" He asked with an irritated sigh. 

"What I want to happen is for people to see the real us. Our music should be about different things which our audience can relate to. This is relatable, and they will love it," Blake said, his fists clenching. 

"You guys have an image, and people have expectations. Do you want to lose your fan base?" James asked, evidently trying to keep himself from exploding at any given second. 

"If our fans leave us because we are real, are they really our fans?" I asked. 

Everybody turned to look at me in surprise. I had never been one to talk back to James, especially since I knew that he had the power to kick me out of the band, just like he had the power to get me in it. James had never liked me, mainly because I was a girl in a boy band. There had been a time when I was scared of him, but I was not going to let him talk down on Blake and reject his talent.