Kelly POV:
“Bianca thank you for helping me with this I just really need to get this one part done,” I thanked Bianca.
“All I’m doing is helping your siblings with homework, the usual,” Bianca said smiling as she exited the door. Bianca is a great person; she was a short fairy about four feet eleven. She had long ebony hair flowing down her back to her butt that complimented her high cheekbones. She was a Columbian and came here to America trying to get the American Dream but was shocked to find that it was bullshit. So we hired her after we heard about her life, now she’s living the true American Dream.
“Still it helps a lot, now all I have to do is a few more things,” I said patting her to go to the main house. I took the elevator to the studio where Joe was waiting for me. I had a few songs on my mind since I was at the safe house.
Once the elevator rang indicating that I was on the fourth floor I turned around and walked out into my studio recognizing Joe and his entourage all sitting around on the couches talking.
“Joe! So glad you could come out and talk with me, but I have these songs nagging at the back of my head that only you could sing. And it’s such a pleasure to finally meet with you,” I said walking over to hug him.
“Oh no, the pleasure’s all mine, I’ve heard about you and your work ethic in the studio and your songs that I’ve heard are…amazing. So the honor is all mine in working in the studio with you officially,” Joe said while kissing my hand. Joe was a maroon colored man about five foot, ten with a bald head and a black beard. He screamed suave a gentleman with his black jeans that fight loosely to his waist and his gray button down shirt.
“Well then let’s see how you work,” A man said from behind Joe. I had to collect myself before I said something that would get me in trouble.
“I’m sorry I haven’t had the pleasure in meeting all of you,” I said turning toward them, specifically the man who wanted to see how I worked.
“Sorry that would be my fault. This is my manager Rocky,” Joe stated pointing to the man who wanted to see how I worked. He was wearing a suit and sunglasses on top of his bald maroon head, he had a silver earpiece hanging from his ear and he was holding a blackberry (I tried not to laugh at the corniness), “the big man in the tight muscle shirt is my bodyguard Rock, and the man sitting next to him would be my song writer Lyric. I hope you don’t mind, but when you called I was already planning an album, and I was working on it.” Joe explained.
“Well then, that’s respectable, so allow me to make a proposition. If you like how we record this one song, then I can produce your entire album while I’m on tour. If you don’t then you can take the song, call it yours and have someone else produce the record,” I proposed putting my game face on. I knew how to make money very well and I was determined to get artists under my wing.
“Well that sounds pretty cocky for a girl who’s only been in the industry for a minute now,” Rocky commented. Breathe, a voice said in my head, probably Red trying to soothe me. And speak of the devil he walked into the room with Fionna by him and Tigger and Kyle walking behind him. They walked over to the couch and sat down.
“I wouldn’t call it cocky, I’d say it’s confidence, and in my opinion Mr. Rocky, I’d say a good producer has confidence in themselves in order to promote themselves and even more confidence in their artist to promote them and their work,” I backfired with a sharp business like tone.
“Well then I’ll agree to it, I like how you think and your confidence. So you want to introduce me to your posse,” Joe said smiling.
“Ah yes sorry. The man is Kyle, my friend, the brown dragon is mine Red and the purple one is his newly found mate Fionna. And the big cat is Tigger,” I said pointing to each one of them.
“Okay so let’s get down to it, we only have 30 minutes,” Rocky stated stepping up to look at me.
“Alright then I’ll say 10 minutes for making the song,” I said going to sit down at the dash board pulling out my apple laptop. “The song is halfway done just a few pieces that I think you or Lyric would like to add here or there.”
“Alright,” Joe said looking at the screen to read the song title, “Almost There?”
“Yeah, so it’s like this dude is in love with his friend, but he wants to be more and there almost there,” I explained smiling.
“That’s unique,” Lyric said smiling and looking over the lyrics.
“Barely,” I heard Rocky mutter. Only my “posse” and possibly Rock could hear what he said.
“This seems pretty good, but at the beginning you could add a talking part like, how we go from friends to lovers a couple of times, then uhhh…” Joe started off and looked to Lyric for help.
“You kiss me first and I discover that from now you are my only,” Lyric continued.
“Naw that’s too choppy maybe just flow into the song,” Joe said.
“I like his idea, but instead on ‘you are my only’ we could have ‘there is no other’,” I stated singing it in my head. “Yeah I think that sounds about right.”
“How we go from friends to lovers, you kiss me first and I discover that from now there is no other,” Joe said in a sing-song voice. “Yeah that’s hot.”
“Alright any additions anywhere else?” I asked smiling.
“No, what about the music?” Joe asked.
“Well I have three options that you might like, but I also have other choices that I all created specifically for this song,” I explained pulling up the first song choice, it started out with an electric guitar and followed with a piano and violin in the background. The second started out silently for a few seconds then the music started in. And the last started out with a loud drum solo.
“The first one definitely,” Lyric said piping in.
“Because it’s silent for the first few seconds so you can say your piece then in the background it can be bombombom-bom,” I added.
“Alright so give it to me,” Joe said smiling. I put the music on and started to say the piece then began to sing, and stopped after the first verse.
“Okay I get the rhythm, so let’s get this started,” Joe said standing up. He walked into the booth and put the headphones on.
“I don’t know where he’s going to get the music from,” Lyric smiled sitting in the chair next to me.
“I’ll project it,” I said projecting the lyrics on the screen in front of him.
“Oh wow that’s cool,” Joe said.
“Thank you, um do you want any water?” I asked.
“Yes please.”
I pulled open the cooler and pulled out a bottle of Poland Springs and walked to Joe and gave him the water.
“Ya’ll want anything?” I asked turning to look at everyone.
“Scotch on the rocks,” Rocky said.
“Mountain Dew,” Rock said
“Coffee with cream and two sugars,” Lyric said.
“Blood,” Kyle said, greedy.
“Water,” Fionna and Red said.
“Warm milk!” Tigger said enthusiastically.
I thought of all the drinks and allowed them to appear in front of them and everyone who didn’t know of my powers then they gasped and I looked at Joe.
“Ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Joe replied looking at the music. I played the music as he began to sing the song and got most of it down until we reached the chorus and he started singing nonchalantly.
“Stop!” I shouted turning off the music.
“What?” Joe asked confused.
“We don’t do that, when you work with me you sing like this girl that you’ve known for that long isn’t getting that you’re feeling her and you want her to know. Not just some feigned emotion either, I wanna feel like I’m that girl who’s almost there with you. Any woman that sings this song should feel as though you’re singing to her,” I said emphatically smiling at the astonished look on his face from how I told him to sing.
“Wow I’ve never heard someone so new in the business talk to anyone as experienced as Joe,” Lyric said smiling.
“I don’t think I know what you mean,” Joe said scrunching up his face.
“Here, look at this,” I said projecting the video No One Else by Joe himself. His face was strained with him singing truthfully.
“That’s how I want you to sing. From your heart and mainly your stomach,” I explained.
“She’s good boss,” Rock said smiling.
“Well let’s see how much better he sounds, then we can really ‘till how good I am,” I said nodding my head for Joe to continue singing. When he started up again I played the beat along with the music, and almost got distracted because now I knew he was singing like he meant it. I didn’t add anything extra to his voice for the effect of making the song sound more natural.
“Yes!” I shouted jumping up ecstatic that he hit the note the proper way.
****
When the song was edited down by Lyric and me, I saved it and sent it to my room to be played. I set the chairs up a round table and put my computer in the middle to be played.
“Is everyone ready?” I asked smiling at Rocky.
“I sure am, that’s the hardest I’ve ever sang a song,” Joe said smiling.
“Well here goes nothing,” I said smiling and pushing play on my computer. I closed my eyes and listened to not the music, not the lyrics, but the voice. The voice is the key to the song, and with a great voice the song attracts people, then of course the lyrics. Throw a hot beat in there and you got yourself some good R&B music. As I started to sing along my heart started to swell thinking of my inspiration for this song, the one boy that I wanted the one who got away. I don’t regret it though, but making me think about it just makes me put a hand to my heart and sing.
“So, do you think I should tweak anything, or what? How is it?” I asked nervously because there was probably this amazing man could have done something better with this song.
I looked over at everyone across the table and they looked impressed with the song.
“When can we get in the studio with you,” I was surprised to hear Rocky ask.
“Well I have a fifty day tour, so after that because I have side jobs to do while I’m on the tours,” I confessed smiling.
“Alright fine, that’ll work, as soon as you get back I’ll have a contract written up for you so we can work on this album,” Rocky said getting up as he was getting a call on his blackberry.
“If Rocky likes you then you know I’m in 150% all the way,” Joe said getting up to hug me.
“I’m glad you liked it, the cost to work with me will be a little high but the amount of money you make from it will be phenomenal,” I said smiling.
“We can handle that when you get back, and I’ll talk Rocky into getting you a week in before we officially start working,” Joe said smiling at me.
“It’s no problem, as soon as I get off tour I can help so that your album is out for all your fans to hear. And as far as the song goes I’ll send it to you so that you can air it on the radio whenever,” I said walking them to the door.
“Thanks so much for your time Kelly, “Joe said leaving with Lyric, and Rock. I walked back into my studio taking my laptop in my room with Kyle following behind. I walked in on Red and Tigger play fighting on the floor and Fionnna watching from above on the hammock.
“Thought that would never end,” Red complain sitting up looking at me.
“Whatever, you had several ways to keep yourself occupied. Play fighting being one of them,” I replied plopping on my bed with the laptop. I immediately sent the song to Joe and checked the rest of my emails.
“OH MY GOD!” I screeched.
“What?” everyone in the room asked.
“Mommy,” I shouted flashing to my mother’s office.
“What?!” my mother whinnied.
“Quincy Jones just sent me a friggin’ email,” I said flashing her my laptop.
“Dear Kelly Spacey, I have been very impressed with your work, so much that I would like for you to look at a new artist that I have discovered. Seeing that I’m retired in Hawaii for a while, I think that you are the best producer and song writer for this young lady. She calls herself Blue Horizon and she’s into pop music,” My mother read aloud.
“Oh wow never mind I got excited for nothing, he just want me to help some little girl out,” I said annoyed. Quincy Jones was the one who discovered me and made me so famous today. He taught me everything about the music and song writing, he’s the reason I’m Kelly Spacey-known nationwide so whenever he asks me to do something I do it of course. Every time I get email from him I think it’s the first time that it happened and I run to my mother for her to read.
“Do you have your stuff packed for the tour?” My mother asked.
“Not yet, I’m going now, bye mommy,” I said before deteriorating from the room.
“Tigger, Red, packing up routine now,” I yelled running over to my dresser.
“What does that entail exactly?” Kyle asked looking at me and smiling.
“Well I get my clothes, cosmetics, and toiletries ready; while Red gets the suitcases and his and Tigger’s things. Tigger gets money and weapons and all the extra stuff we may forget,” I said smiling pulling out all my concert clothes and the heels that I dread wearing during performances. I went and put them all into the larger fancy suitcase for the costumes etc., etc. Then I got a few regular clothes because when the tour is over, if Joe pulls through I’m going to spend some time in my Hawaiian escape.
When everything was packed and ready I went outside to the large band bus saying hi to everyone there. There were about twenty people on my traveling team that were already paid in advance. Ten dancers (five girls, five guys), three sound staff members, five hair and makeup women, three people on costume, two people on lighting, ten security guards, and five people on cameras and recording. So I lied there are 38 people, but I said about so ha. I sometimes get more depending on if I want to do something extra or not but they stay on this bus by themselves, and I stay on my own bus with whoever chooses to come along, this time it was Mario.
“Alright, Kyle, Tigger, Red, and Fionna get on the second bus we’re rolling out,” I said walking over to the bus as everyone got on I smiled seeing Mario singing with a rose in his hand.
“Hey wifeey,” Mario said smiling.
“Hello hubby, how’s your girlfriend doing?” I asked smiling taking the rose and hugging him.
“Fine I gave her a bouquet of 13 roses before I left, but told me to bring you one because 13 was an odd number,” He replied smiling and sitting down on the couch bringing me with him.
“Hey look it’s Mario,” Tigger said bouncing onto the bus and sitting on Mario’s lap.
“Since when can he talk?” Mario asked.
“Since, I looked like a frickin’ body builder,” I said flexing my new muscles.
“Ah, Nice look,” Mario complimented.
“Oh hell, you can’t tell me he’s on this bus too,” Kyle complained.
“Yeah, well you can just take the other bus,” Mario retorted standing up.
“Look I don’t want that on this bus, it’s all love and kisses,” I said smiling at both of them waiting for them to return the smile. When they did I walked to the driver thanking him for the services and giving him a box of treats that I knew he’d love during the ride.
“Alright now sleeping arrangement,” I said clapping my hands and rapidly rubbing them together. “Since this bus has room for seven people it’s perfect. Mario can stay in the bunk under Red and Fionna. Kyle you can sleep above me and Tigger can sleep on the bed with me or in the kitty bed.”
“Perfect we need some rest anyway,” Red said pulling Fionnna over toward the bed to go to sleep.
“I hope they got all that sexual energy out of their system because if not I’m not gonna get any sleep,” Kyle said sitting down on the couch next to the kitchenette.
“They did this morning, so you’re good,” Tigger said waking over toward the bed to take a nap.
“Alright if you want anything then you can help yourself to it mi carro es tu carro,” I said in Spanish.
“My car is your car, really chick?” Kyle asked smiling.
“Yep, we’re gonna be in here for at least two months so we might as well get used to each other.”
“Where to first?” Mario asked.
“Prudential Center so let me get to this homework,” I said smiling and laying down on the couch with my knees by Kyle.
“What you gonna sing?” Mario asked laying down across the couch.
“Songs from my first album, a few from the new one and a cover song, you know Keyshia Cole’s Heaven Scent?” I asked staring at Mario.
“Yeah that’s a hot song,” Mario replied laying on his side to look at me.
“Well I was thinking me and you could sing it. You know you can add a little part to it then be like bam,” I said in my exaggerated fashion.
“Sounds good to me,” Mario said.
****
“Alright ya’ll hey we gonna slow it down now,” I said sitting down on the stool that was pulled out for me by one of the dancers. “Thank you.”
The audience quieted down as I got comfortable on the stool with these leggings on.
“I just wanna say thanks to all my people in the State of New Jersey, my home town, for making the trip here,” I thanked them as they cheered. I waited for them to quite down before I started up again. “I decided that I’d do a cover of one of my favorite singers song’s Ms. Keyshia Cole, Heaven Sent, if that’s good with ya’ll.” I got a thunderous reply from them and smiled I signaled the band to begin playing music and I smiled singing along. When the chorus came along I stopped singing and smiled standing up and looking out toward the crowd.
“Now Imma switch this song up a bite, help me out Mario!” I shouted his name as he arose from the floor singing.
“I wanna be I'll be the one to comfort you baby
and you know I’d do whatever to please your every need,
I’ll be right here to keep you warm,
you got no worry at all ill protect you from the start,
you know I’ll be right here always by your side, baby,
I’m here to love you always and let me tell you why
Why I, cause heaven knows that your my angel,
Cause I,I, will never leave you baby,
Cause love won’t let me walk away
And I can’t help who i love
And I find myself giving it all away
Cause I know i’m in love
I wanna be,” He sang holding the note on “be”. As we finished up the song I hugged him and thanked the crowd one last time before heading off stage being greeted with high fives and hugs applauding my work.
“I walked into my dressing room wiping off all the makeup with a towel and taking off all the clothes changing into a black Old Navy jogging suit. I walked out to the dressing room meeting my two bodyguards they walked me out to the car but of course several of the fans were there wanting an autograph. I stopped and signed all the people that were closest to the line. When I was pushed my head security guard I walked to the bus and smiled laying down on the couch.
“Good job out there kiddo,” Mario said patting me on my back.
“Thanks for coming and adding that extra piece at such short notice it was hot by the way.
“No problem,” Mario said sitting down smiling and answering his phone as it rang.
“Kelly you did Good,” Tigger said bonding from the back.
“Yeah I never saw such a great performance,” Fionna said innocently.
“That’s because you’ve never been to a concert,” Red said smiling. “It was your usual performance right up to par,” Red said.
“Can’t you ever say she did great?” Tigger asked.
“Nope, because she was up to par,” Red said.
“Butthole.”
“Hairball.”
“Dry Scales.”
“Fluff ball.”
“You just called me that,” Tigger yelled jumping on Red.
“Wait stop don’t hurt him,” Fionna shouted from above them as they fought.
“That’s what they usually do,” I said smiling at her. She still winced when Tigger scratched Red across the face.
“Are we all ready?” Kyle asked climbing on the bus.
“Where were you?” I asked just noticing he wasn’t on the bus.
“Outside I had to find the bus,” Kyle said sitting down next to me.
“Where were you that you didn’t know where the bus was?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Getting a snack,” Red said sticking his head out from the fight before he tucked it back in to the fight with Tigger.
“You saw the performance right?” I asked turning back to him.
“Yeah,” Kyle said.
“Really what was your favorite part?” Mario asked.
“The entire thing,” Kyle said smiling at me. I was a little skeptical because I had a few stunts in their but I guess he could have liked all of it.
“Impossible I like the part where she had the cheerleaders do a pyramid that she climbed,” Fionna exclaimed using an example.
“Yea and I like how she came on stage with the werewolves,” Mario said smiling. I was smiling too because he was one of the werewolves.
“Yea I liked the part with the dancers all flying around,”
Red said.
“I liked that part too because I thought they were birds,” Tigger replied as they stopped fighting.
“So you see Kyle you had to like one part of the performance,” Mario said.
“Are we ready to head out Ms. Kelly?” The driver asked turning around to look at me. Taking my eyes off of Kyle I turned to the driver and replied with a quiet yes going to the back of the bus to look out the window to be alone. I can’t really be mad I mean I thought we were friends, but hey he had to eat.
Guess he couldn’t have waited was my last thought before I fell asleep.