Charts. November 18, 2024.
#Position(Change from last week) Title by Artist *Peak Position*
#1(+1) Best Song Ever by Crystal Army *NEW*
#7(+1) Light Em Up by Crystal Army *7*
#8(-1) Let Me Love You by Travis Hilton *7*
#14(=) Side to Side by Juliet Vasquez Ft. Nicki Minaj *1*
#19(=) Glamorous by Santana Ft. Ludacris *2*
#20(-2) Don't Let Me Down by Amity Hills *1*
#24(-7) Blow Your Mind by Santana Lopez *17*
#26(+6) Love The Way You Lie by Juliet Vasquez Ft. Eminem *NEW*
#28(+5) Love On The Brain by Santana Lopez *5*
#29(-5) Touch by Rhythmix *20*
#32(-7) Say You Won't Let Go by Juliet Vasquez Ft. Sam Evans *1*
#33(+42) Cowboy Casanova by Tracy Moore *NEW*
#34(-2) Needed Me by Mercedes Jones *33*
#36(=) Live Like We're Dying by Xavier Michaels *36*
#37(-7) Sorry by Travis Hilton *2*
#43(-1) Dark Times by Travis Hilton Ft. John Brown *42*
#48(NEW) Heathens by Crystal Army *DEBUT*
#49(+17) Burn by Amity Hills *NEW*
#50(+9) Could Have Been Me by Dean Monroe *NEW*
#63(+15) You're Gonna Go Far, Kid by Dean Monroe *NEW*
#69(-8) Hold Up by Mercedes Jones *44*
#72(-1) First Time by Lyric Heron *71*
Fantasy League Rank.
1(=) Kitty/Julie - 4756.8
2(=) Stefan/Crystal Army - 3979.5
3(=) Bree/Santana - 3492
4(=) Kara/Rhythmix - 2733
5(=) Harmony/Amity - 2531
6(=) Marley/Travis - 1963.3
7(=) Luke/Mercedes - 1642.3
8(=) Artie/Sarah - 1406.5
9(=) Charlie/Lyric - 914
10(=) Peyton/Dean - 599
11(=) Rory/Xavier - 332
12(=) Jeremy/Tracy - 68
13(=) Ryder/Riley - 0
--------------------------------------------
"I mean, you were just amazing," said Alex. "Everyone's been talking about it for the past week. Nonstop. When we were on Fallon on Tuesday they asked us about it. It's just... Incredible."
"Thanks," Julie said, not adding anything more on the topic. It had been five days since the AMAs and she was back in Lima, reunited with Alex for the weekend before they went back out to promote their music. While she had expected her life to stop revolving over her AMAs fake self-immolation by now, the story of her stunt had become such a huge deal that it was now impossible to escape it.
And now, she was at Walmart on a Friday night. Dressed down, pushing a cart next to Alex as he went on and on about the event. They hadn't had much time to talk about it after that night.
"Oh have a look," Alex nudged her as they passed by the register lanes and he picked up a magazine. She didn't bother looking back at him, just continued on toward the baby section.
Alex caught up to her, flipping through the magazine, either unaware of how exhausted she was or attempting to act like he wasn't noticing it.
"Apparently," he said beside her, "you wrote this song about what happened with Tracy. From friends to mortal enemies. It's been about Tracy all along. I mean."
"I'm so tired of being associated with her," she said, shaking her head. "You should've never slept with her Alex. And I'm not talking last year. I'm talking ever. You should've just played guitar for her tour band and stayed away."
Alex laughed but she turned to glare at him, indicating she wasn't joking at all. "Well, you always did warn me you had a bad feeling about the two of us dating," Alex shrugged. "But I figured you were just jealous 'cause pregnant Julie wanted me."
Julie rolled her eyes and said, "Just toss that magazine aside. We have things to buy."
Alex put the magazine in a random shelf just as they were entering the baby section. "Do we need diapers?" he asked.
"No, we have a lot at home," said Julie. "Sam bought a really large supply of those pull ups for them and they're probably going to be switching to regular underwear soon. Especially Gaby, she's got the whole potty thing down."
"Oh wow, take a look at this," said Alex, putting up a baby blue onesie with a truck on it. "It's so pointless. A baby doesn't know what a truck is! But I love it. We should get these. A bunch of them with useless pictures."
Julie smiled at him, so enthused by the onesie, but said, "No way. We're not gonna start buying new baby things, Alex. It's a downward spiral and soon we'll have bought out this entire section of boy things and we'll have a girl or the baby will be too small for it and—"
"Gender is a social construct and the baby will grow into it," he said. "Look, the sex of the baby won't matter. They only gender clothing so they can sell more and at different prices. Actually I have a funny story about that. My mom thought that I was gonna be a girl. Like, she swore on it. She said it was because all the weight was in the center of her stomach which someone told her meant I was a girl. It was stupid, but anyway. She was so sure of it that much like my good pal Timmy Turner I came into a world where all we had was just girly clothes. My name was supposed to be Alexandra and then they changed it to Alexis, which as you know I hate. I would've been fine with Alexander. But no. They chose the unisex name because that way my mom could still treat me like a girl a little while longer."
"I love learning about you," said Julie, "but... what's your point?"
"That I turned out fine!" Alex shrugged.
"We're not buying anything for the baby yet," she shook her head. "But we do need to start making major changes around the house soon. Like, we need to move the twins over to the bigger guest room. And we can turn their room back into a nursery."
"And buy this onesie," Alex said, his attention back on the blue outfit with the toy truck. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Marley and turned her way, just in time for her to be unable to get turn away. "Oh hey," he said.
Julie turned to her and Marley stopped moving, like a deer caught in headlights. "Hi," she said. "Um, I just... came to buy... things."
"We came to buy things also," Julie nodded.
"It's, um, raining a little bit," Marley added. "And it's really cold."
Alex looked back at Julie for a second, amused, and then turned back to Marley. "Talking about the weather. Wow. Things really are awkward."
"I just..." she responded slowly. She looked past him to Julie and said, "I saw your big performance and it really left me speechless. I don't think anyone will ever top that."
"Thanks," Julie responded.
"And I wanted to say," Marley took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry I didn't go to your party. I just... I wasn't ready to face Dean. Not yet anyway."
"I understand," Julie said.
"But I should've just gone home instead of letting Unique take me to Tracy's," Marley continued. "I really hate that I made you feel like I wasn't on your side because I am. I just wanted you to know that."
Julie nodded and Marley began to walk away, but Alex said, "Hey Marley. Come over for dinner tomorrow."
Julie gave him a look but Marley turned back to them and nervously said, "Um... Yeah. Sure."
***
"I really wish you hadn't done that," said Julie on Saturday evening as she and Alex prepared for dinner. "I mean, it's one thing to host Marley. But also John, Jake and Leila? This is going to be a disaster. Everyone's dated each other."
"I've only dated you, I'm good," he shrugged. The doorbell rang and he said, "Don't worry. It's gonna be fine. I'll go get that."
Julie took a deep breath as Alex left the kitchen, listening in while he opened the door. There were multiple voices at once, which meant everyone had arrived at the same time. Fantastic. Putting on her best smile, she wiped her hands dry and made her way over to greet them.
***
"So," Leila said between bites of the chicken Alex and Julie had served their dinner guests, "I wasn't feeling that well and my shoes weren't fitting me. Like, literally none of them fit."
"Yeah, cause of the swelling," Marley nodded.
"Exactly," Leila said. "And I really had to pee but I refused to go into the store barefoot. And I had tried to keep walking on the shoes but they were killing me and I was so fed up. Jake pulls over behind the store on the empty side and I just peed right there in the parking lot. It was the most humiliating thing I've ever had to do."
"Debatable," Alex said. Everyone turned to him so he said, "You were engaged to John; that's much worse."
"True," said Leila as they all mocked John. "But the point was that I have no control of my bladder at this point. Mmh." She stood up. "Right on cue, I need to go pee. Downstairs bathroom working?"
"Yeah, go right ahead," Julie nodded, watching as Leila hurried out of the dining room with her hand placed over her stomach.
"She's gotten huge," said Alex when she was gone.
"Don't mention that in her presence," Jake pleaded. "She's been really sensitive about the gain weight."
"Yeah, I remember she didn't wanna have kids because of it," John chuckled. "Now look how times have changed."
"She's still not thrilled about it," said Jake. "The doctor told us by now the baby is the size of a mango."
"Mine compared it to a carrot," said Marley, laughing. "Last week it was a banana."
John smiled. "My son's a carrot now."
Alex turned to Julie and asked, "What's our kid?"
"The size of a lime," she answered.
Alex leaned back. "A lime, huh... Well, what do you think Mercedes' baby would be called? Like a melon?"
"Maybe," Marley shrugged. "Or a pineapple."
Leila returned rather quickly to her seat and said, "Enough talk about babies! Tonight should be about anything but the fact that we're all going to be bringing life in a couple months and we're super terrified."
"She makes a good point," Julie said. "Soon all will revolve around the new babies so let's enjoy this time while we have it."
"Gentlemen, I'll bring the beer," said Alex, standing up.
But Julie pulled him back down and said, "No, no. If we can't drink you guys can't either."
"But you said enjoy this time," said John.
"Please don't drink," Leila begged the guys. "I've been having to drink those disgusting shakes Mercedes gave me and they're incredibly healthy but really gross."
"Oh my god," Julie said, standing up. "She sent me those earlier this week." She hurried to the fridge and pulled out a pack. "I tried to get Alex to try them but after he saw my face the first time he refused."
"I say the guys all drink that," Marley suggested. "Since they won't ever have to push watermelon-sized babies out of their bodies."
"Don't accept the challenge," Jake told Alex and John. "I have tried them and they're even grosser than they look."
Julie set the juices on the table and John took a look at it. "The packaging is... cute."
"That's how they trick you into buying it," said Alex. "I bet Mercedes just got too many, regretted it, then sent them over to the other pregnant suckers who she could get to take some off her hands."
Leila grabbed a bottle and said, "I have a game idea. Truth or drink. Mommy Booster edition."
"Drinking games with disgusting juice blends?" said Alex, cringing at the idea. "Why can't you just love us enough to let us drink actual beer?"
"Because we don't," Julie patted his head and took a seat. "There is an endless supply in the garage fridge thanks to our good pal Mercedes so... Let's play."
"I'll start," said Leila, turning her attention to Jake. "Jake... You told me once while you were dating Kitty you had a really naughty dream about Bree."
Marley gasped and the others leaned forward, waiting for where this was headed. "Yes," Jake said. "Was that the question? Did I win?"
"No," Leila told him. "The question is... Have you had any naughty dreams about anyone other than me since we've been married?"
"Oooh..." said everyone else.
Jake took a deep breath. "Actually, I haven't."
"You haven't?" said Leila suspiciously.
"Not since we've been married," he shook his head. "And now it's my turn." He looked at Julie, whose eyes widened in anticipation. "Miss Juliet... Was the fire on stage real or special effects?"
"The flames were real," she said. "There was a layer over them and under that kept me from getting burned but I couldn't move around too much or they would fall and/or burn me."
"Huh..." Jake shrugged. "Thought they were fake."
Julie shook her head and then turned her attention to Leila. "Is there any drama in Rhythmix that we don't hear about?"
"No," Leila said immediately. "We all actually get along really well. No drama, no one wants to go solo. Everything is well. Do I go again?"
"Yes," John said, "and don't choose boring questions like Jalie did."
"Don't call them that," Alex rolled his eyes.
"Ok, fine," Leila crossed her arms over the table. "John. What is the hardest drug you've ever done?"
"Uhhhh..." John looked around, not sure how much information the room could handle. "LSD."
"Really?" said Julie, surprised. "When was this?"
John shrugged. "A couple times on tour."
"A couple times?!?" Julie exclaimed.
"Ok, mom," John gave her a look. "It was a long time ago. I was in my early 20s and not handling the whole being famous and travelling the world thing very well. You abused Adderall so don't judge."
"It's not the same," Julie said. "But whatever. Your turn."
John looked across the table at Leila. "Do you think you and Jake have a stronger marriage than Julie and Alex?"
"Yes," she said immediately. Julie gasped and Alex just shrugged, taking a sip of his soda. "Well, I think my marriage is stronger than anyone else's. It's nothing personal. I just love my husband."
Julie squinted her eyes at her and said, "I suppose that's understandable."
"Julie," Leila said very matter-of-fact. "Who is your favorite of Alex's ex-girlfriends?"
"We know who your least favorite is," laughed John.
Julie rolled her eyes and said, "I don't know... Ruby, probably... Wait, no. She tweeted out that thing about me that was shady. Uh... Oh god. I can't believe I'm saying this but... Kara."
"Not Amity?" said Jake, surprised.
Julie didn't respond to his question. Instead she turned to Marley and said, "You're getting away with no tough questions. How good was the sex? You know, with John. Give it a rating out of 10."
Marley looked over at John, expecting him to be really embarrassed as she currently was, but he leaned forward, wanting to hear the answer just as much as Julie. "Well, I'd never had it before," she said, "so as you can probably imagine..." Very quietly she said, "Ten."
"Ha!" John cheered.
"Don't get too excited," Julie told him. "She has no one to compare it to. It's your turn, Marley."
"Ask Julie something really personal for putting you on the spot like that," Alex suggested. Julie punched his arm and turned to Marley, who was trying to think of something.
Finally, she said, "Of all the guys you've slept with, who was the best?"
Alex looked at Julie, then over at Jake, and back at Julie. "That should be an immediate response," he told her.
But Julie reached for her juice and everyone immediately started to tease and mock him. "Calm down!" Julie shut them up. "I just don't want to hurt any feelings." She took a sip of her Mommy Booster and made a face. "God, that's terrible."
"You should've just said Alex," John laughed, shaking his head at her while Alex just stared at her.
"Well, maybe it'll be motivation for him to step it up," she shrugged, making everyone but Alex laugh and tease him more. "Alex, I have a question for you..."
"I'll gladly say you were the best sexual partner I've ever had," he said.
"Not that, I already knew that," she said, furthering the mocking from their friends. "Which of my exes do you hate the most? And Sebastian doesn't count."
"You dated Sebastian?" Leila said, looking around in surprise.
"You knew this," John said. "They had sex."
Leila tried to recall ever hearing about this before while Alex thought of his answer. "Huh... It's not Sam. He's my favorite."
"Good to know," said Jake.
"Ryder's my second favorite," said Alex.
"Okay," said Jake.
"And you know, I think that my third is Caleb," Alex nodded at Julie.
"Really?!" Jake said. "I thought you hated the guy."
"I'll neither confirm nor deny that," said Alex. "So I suppose my least favorite Julie ex is... Shawn."
Everyone suddenly moaned and groaned at the memory of Shawn. "What a douche," said John in agreement.
"Am I next after Shawn?" said Jake. "You like Ryder and Caleb more than me?"
"Don't take it so personally, Jakey," Alex shrugged. "I just don't know you all that well. But let's fix that by sharing something personal. What to ask... what to ask... You've dated all the women in this room so you'd think this would be easy... Ok, I got one. You're clearly very into ladies, right?"
"Sure."
"Do you think if Leila wasn't in the picture you'd ever be open to dating men?"
Jake thought about it and Julie asked, "Alex, are you propositioning him?"
Alex shrugged. "Just asked a question."
"Hmm..." Jake sighed. "Well... I wouldn't be immediately against it. I'd like to think I have a pretty open mind."
"So if I asked you to have a threesome with another guy involved you wouldn't say no immediately?" Leila asked.
Jake turned to her and said, "It's not your turn to ask the questions, babe. My next question is for... Marley. What's the dirtiest porn you've ever seen?"
Marley's eyes widened as she wondered why the roughest questions seemed to be coming her way. She reached for the Mommy Booster and said, "I hate this game," before taking a drink.
After the teasing that followed died down, she turned her attention to Alex and asked, "Who's the most shocking person you've ever fantasized about?"
Alex immediately laughed and said, "Um... Veronica."
"Dan's mom?" John asked, chuckling.
Julie's jaw dropped, repulsed. "Ew, Alex, that's my dad's wife!"
Alex sighed, "Yeah, before she was my step-mother-in-law she was my best pal's mom, ok?"
"You have a mommy fetish," Julie shook her head.
"Didn't you also sleep with Ruby's mother?" said John.
"Oh yeah!" Julie exclaimed. "Vanessa!"
"Hey, don't spill my dirty laundry!" Alex exclaimed while the others all responded with expected shock.
"And he didn't start thinking about you sexually until you became a mom," John added. "I think you're onto something with this mom thing."
"I don't have a—" said Alex, all worked up over this while his friends just continued to mock him. "It's not about the mommy part. I just... Whatever. It's my turn. And for bringing up Vanessa, my question is for you John."
"Bring it on," John said nonchalantly.
"Which of your exes would you most want to sleep with?" Alex asked. "And remember... two of them are in this room..."
John looked down at the table. He could answer honestly. He could lie, which defeated the purpose of the game. So he reached for his Mommy Booster and took a drink, which he quickly spat back out on his empty soda glass from dinner. "Ugh, that's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted."
"You can't spit it out," said Leila. "That's not fair."
"Yeah, drink again," Alex said, enjoying himself.
John rolled his eyes and took another drink, forcing himself to pass it down his throat. "Ugh," he complained when he was done, wiping his mouth and glaring at the bottle with intense hatred. "Whoever made that should be in prison."
"What's your next question?" Leila asked. "This is actually getting really fun."
"Marley," he said, turning to her.
"Yes?" she responded.
"Did you hate Leila when she first moved here?"
Marley opened her mouth and looked across the table at Leila, who was confused by the question. "I did," said Julie, shrugging. When everyone turned to her she said, "Well, Jake was purposefully using her to make me jealous."
"Yes," said Marley, taking everyone's attention again. "I did."
"Why?" asked Leila, surprised.
"You were dating John," Marley told her, not adding anything else.
The room was silent for a moment as everyone tried to make sense of this, but John knew exactly what the question was about and Marley knew why he'd asked it. He was reminding her of everything they'd talked about on the cruise.
"Um, Julie," said Marley, the mood around the table changed. "Were you mad at me when I went to Tracy's party? More mad than you've let on this weekend?"
Julie took another sip of her drink and said, "This thing gets worse the more you drink. Anyway, back to you Marley. Do you think you're ever going to talk to Dean about you and John?"
Marley took a sip of her drink. She just didn't know the answer. "Alex," she continued the game. "When you were kidnapped... Did you think you were gonna die?"
A silence had fallen over the room now. Alex looked at Julie and then said, "I think at some point I figured the probability was high but... I was really hoping I didn't." He turned to John and asked, "Do you think you're ready to be a dad?"
"This stuff is getting deep," Jake said.
John answered, "No," and moved on right away. "Jake, does it bother your family that Leila isn't Jewish?"
Jake sighed and reached for the Mommy Booster. Leila opened her mouth in disbelief, knowing what that answer meant. But Jake handled that disgusting drink just fine and said, "This is worse than I remember but... Anyway. Alex. If you had to date any of your exes again, who would you choose?"
He began to answer but cut himself short and then shook his head at the Mommy Booster, knowing he would have to drink that thing to avoid a fight about it with Julie later. As she watched him do it, she wonder how bad it could be that he wouldn't just say it. Tracy. Amity. Kara. It had to be one of them and she didn't know which answer would have bothered her most.
"Maybe we should take a break," Leila said, getting up. "I really have to pee again."
"Sure," Julie said, glad she wouldn't have to drink her Mommy Booster again.
As Leila left, Julie got up and started taking some of the dirty dishes to the sink. Marley began to help but Alex stopped her, taking the rest instead and joining his wife in the kitchen. Away from the others, Alex whispered, "Is it Jake?"
"Is what Jake?" asked Julie.
"Your best sex or whatever," Alex said, rolling his eyes. "Just tell me."
Julie laughed and put a hand on his cheek. "Love, it's you. I just like to tease you about it because it's fun to watch you freak out over it."
Alex shook his head at her and said, "It's not fun for me."
"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I'll stop teasing you about it, ok? But I promise it's you. And you last longer." She turned on the sink to start washing and Alex stood back for a moment, thinking about those last words. They were a victory. A small one. But he was taking it anyway.
Jake's phone rang so he said, "Oh, I should take this. Excuse me." John and Marley watched silently as he made his way to the living room, answering his call and leaving them somewhat alone.
Marley cleared her throat and said, "That thing about you not being ready to be a father..."
"I don't think anyone is," he told her quickly. "That's all I meant."
"I think you're gonna be really good," Marley told him. "Honestly. Ben still brings up your day out with him. You were so great with him. And our little guy is going to love you. Even though he hates your jokes."
She smiled but John just shook his head and said, "I just keep wondering how much I'll even get to see him."
"I'm not going to keep him from you, John," she assured him.
"It's not that," he sighed. "It's... I'm on the band's schedule all the time and... We've finalized the South American leg of the tour which we're supposed to announce in two weeks and... It's starting in March, which is, like, immediately before the baby is born. And I hate it. I don't want to miss the birth and I don't wanna miss anything after."
Disappointed by this new information, Marley said, "Did you try to get it pushed back a little?"
"Yeah, Alex and I both did," John nodded as Julie turned off the sink and returned to the table with Alex. "We're getting a meeting about it on Monday but if we're unable to convince the team to change the dates..."
"What dates?" asked Julie, taking a seat.
Alex said, "Oh, I hadn't had the chance to tell you. We're meeting on Monday to finalize tour dates. They sent us a schedule the other day and it's basically starting mid-March all the way through to August. South America, Central America, Africa and Asia."
"But..." said Julie, sitting down, "our due date is June 13. Does that mean you're missing it or..? How's that gonna work? Will you take some time away from the band?"
"We're gonna do everything we can to change up the schedule, ok?" John told them.
Jake returned and said, "Sorry about that, guys. Puck's been having trouble with something in LA and I've been helping him so he was just gonna... What's with the long faces?"
"The guys are gonna be touring when our babies are born, apparently," sighed Marley.
"Oh," Jake said, awkwardly returning to his seat. "Well, that's... Rough. I guess it's harder to make changes when you're in a band, huh? I know for Leila, if she wasn't the one carrying the baby, she never would've been able to get out of touring. Placed the whole group on hiatus."
"Jake, do you know when you'll release anything?" Julie asked curiously.
"Honestly, I don't," Jake shook his head. "And while I had a good time on the road so far, I didn't like it that much. Travis's tour was really cool, don't get me wrong. But it's a lot better to be in Lima. Stable and with my wife and... To tell you the truth, once the baby comes I'm thinking it's gonna be real hard to tear me away from this town."
John glanced over at Alex, who was like him trying to think of a way they could get out of this tour. Or at least push it so that they could be with their future babies longer. Because leaving even now was something that was difficult to imagine.
--------------------------------------------
Charts. November 25, 2024. Another mid-chapter chart update. As you can tell, Travis's album was a success.
#Position(Change from last week) Title by Artist *Peak Position*
#1(=) Best Song Ever by Crystal Army *1*
#6(+2) Let Me Love You by Travis Hilton *NEW*
#12(-5) Light Em Up by Crystal Army *7*
#16(+10) Love The Way You Lie by Juliet Vasquez Ft. Eminem *NEW*
#17(+7) Blow Your Mind by Santana Lopez *17*
#18(+1) Glamorous by Santana Ft. Ludacris *2*
#19(-5) Side to Side by Juliet Vasquez Ft. Nicki Minaj *1*
#20(=) Don't Let Me Down by Amity Hills *1*
#25(+8) Cowboy Casanova by Tracy Moore *NEW*
#31(+6) Sorry by Travis Hilton *2*
#32(+11) Dark Times by Travis Hilton Ft. John Brown *NEW*
#34(+6) Love On The Brain by Santana Lopez *5*
#37(-1) Live Like We're Dying by Xavier Michaels *36*
#38(+11) Burn by Amity Hills *NEW*
#39(-7) Say You Won't Let Go by Juliet Vasquez Ft. Sam Evans *1*
#40(-6) Needed Me by Mercedes Jones *33*
#41(NEW) Take Care by Travis Hilton Ft. Santana Lopez *DEBUT*
#42(+6) Heathens by Crystal Army *NEW*
#44(-15) Touch by Rhythmix *20*
#50(=) Could Have Been Me by Dean Monroe *50*
#54(NEW) Controlla by Travis Hilton *DEBUT*
#55(+17) First Time by Lyric Heron *NEW*
#58(+5) You're Gonna Go Far, Kid by Dean Monroe *NEW*
#60(NEW) No Vacancy by Travis Hilton *DEBUT*
#62(NEW) Dusk Til Dawn by Travis Hilton Ft. Amity Hills *DEBUT*
#82(NEW) Closer by Travis Hilton Ft. Lyric Heron *DEBUT*
#95(NEW) Perfect Strangers by Travis Hilton *DEBUT*
Fantasy League Rank.
1(=) Kitty/Julie - 5070.3
2(=) Stefan/Crystal Army - 4332.5
3(=) Bree/Santana - 3795.5
4(=) Kara/Rhythmix - 2838
5(=) Harmony/Amity - 2733
6(=) Marley/Travis - 2459.3
7(=) Luke/Mercedes - 1743.6
8(=) Artie/Sarah - 1431.5
9(=) Charlie/Lyric - 969.5
10(=) Peyton/Dean - 693
11(=) Rory/Xavier - 396
12(=) Jeremy/Tracy - 144
13(=) Ryder/Riley - 0
--------------------------------------------
When it was time for the meeting on Monday, the guys all showed up promptly at Blackbird Records. Sebastian himself was going to be present, knowing that he would be needed in order to pressure the boys into sticking with their current schedule.
He walked into the board room five minutes late and said, "Hello everyone. Sorry to keep you waiting but I had a very important call I couldn't tear myself away from until now. How is everyone? Good? Great."
"How are you?" Sam asked him, amused as Sebastian sat at the edge of the table. "We heard you adopted a baby. Like a real human child."
"Ahh, yes," smiled Sebastian. "Kevin is incredible. Real cute, and I can tell he's gonna be really smart. I'll bring him around to meet everyone some day." He looked specifically at Alex and said, "Actually, he's only a year younger than your girls. Maybe if the missus allows it they can have a playdate."
"My girls?" said Alex.
"The twins are mine," Sam reminded him.
"Oh," Sebastian said. "Oh. That's right. I guess I forgot. Anyway, let's get started, shall we? So what's this all about? I hear you guys want to make changes to the tour."
"Yeah," said Alex. "Maybe we do the December dates as scheduled but then for the first half of next year we just promote on a more irregular schedule and then don't pick up this tour again until late next year."
"Why the changes?" Sebastian asked. "Oh, is this because you've gotten your wife pregnant? I saw the whole ordeal at the AMAs. Very clever of her to capitalize on the news to boost sales. A business woman, that one. Congratulations."
"Thanks?" said Alex, surprised.
"But," Sebastian continued, "I'm afraid your emotional reasons won't be enough. I've got a lot of people expecting this tour already and we'll look bad pulling out just as we're supposed to announce it."
"It's not just him," John said. Everyone, the guys, Sebastian, the other random people in the room, turned to him. "I... I'm gonna be a dad, too."
"What?" said Sebastian, shaking his head. "With whose baby...? Did you... Did you knock up a random girl on tour?" He sighed, "Was it someone who's going to try to get famous out of this because—"
"Marley," said John. Sebastian stared blankly. "Marley Rose." Blank. "The nurse. She has the blondish hair and the blue eyes and the—"
"Oh!" Sebastian exclaimed. "Yes, I remember her now. Wow, I... Ok then. Whatever. I suppose we could make some changes to the schedule to accommodate the births. When are your offspring due? Wouldn't want you missing those dates. If the press found out they'd eat you alive for not being with your women."
"Those dates won't be enough," John shook his head. "I want to be here when my son laughs for the first time. And when he's colicky in the middle of the night. And when he sits up for the first time."
"What are you saying?" said Sam, turning to him. "That's a long time frame. And I missed a lot of stuff with my girls for this band."
"I know and we appreciate it," said John, "but I don't wanna do that. I wanna be there with him. I wanna know him and I want him to know me. So... I don't wanna finish this tour."
"What?" said Tyler. "But we're—"
"Look, we'll do all of the December dates for the rest of this leg," said John, "and then we go on... a hiatus. Like what Rhythmix has done. Except after the babies are born, we still get to have more time. Like... I don't know..?"
"A year from when they're born," said Alex. "At least."
"An entire year?" said Sam. "Your kid won't be born until next summer. That's crazy."
"I agree," Tyler nodded. "We can't stop for a whole year. We have so many places to go still."
"A year after next summer you're already supposed to have your next album out," Sebastian shook his head. "You'll be on the road again for your next cycle. I can't hold off releases for that long."
"Well, that's my offer," John shrugged. "And Alex's, right?" Alex nodded.
Sebastian looked from one to the other, knowing they were dead serious about it and he had to crack down on them. "No," he shook his head. "No way. We can push the tour forward until the summer but that's as far as I'm willing to go. Not a year after that, that's ridiculous."
Alex looked at John, wondering if they should reconsider their negotiation terms. Maybe this was the best offer they were gonna get. But John said once again, "We're not going to tour again until 2026. At the earliest. We want all of 2025 off."
"Guys, come on," Tyler stood up and leaned forward against the table. "Be reasonable. It doesn't make sense to tour for this album two years after it's been released. We have to keep the right momentum. Why should everyone have to suffer and sacrifice because you guys don't know how to use condoms? Put your priorities in line."
"Are you serious?" John asked him. "My priority is this child I'm having. Not singing dumb songs dancing all night to the best song ever and the other crap they've been making us promote."
"That dumb song," said Sam, also getting out of his seat, "has been number one in the entire country for two weeks in a row. And it's not like we don't choose songs you like as singles too. Heathens was your choice, remember? We compromise in this group all the time, which is why you guys should take the deal of postponing the tour until the end of summer. 2025. Not 2026. Not 2027. 2025."
"Anything other than that is just not fair to us," Tyler agreed.
John rose to his feet, leaving Alex the only member of the band still in his chair. "If you want to tour so badly, you can do it without me. But I'm going to be with Marley and our son and I won't change my mind on that."
"We can't tour without you," said Sam. "You're an essential part of the group."
"We can tour without you," Tyler corrected Sam, "but we shouldn't have to. Just grow up, be a man, and fulfill your commitment to this group for the first time in your life, John. You're always flaking on us, always leaving and complaining and we're tired of it. We shouldn't have to bend over backwards for every single one of your whims."
There was a long silence that followed Tyler's words. Sebastian considered stepping in but the guys were imploding from the inside, the last thing they needed was an external pressure added.
John finally collected his thoughts after a long, insufferable minute and responded, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry if in the past I've seemed flaky and whimsical or whatever it is you said. And you're right. I'm always complaining and it's because if I'm being honest with you guys... and with myself... I'm not happy in the band. I haven't been in a long time."
"John..." said Sam, shaking his head.
But he wasn't done yet. "It's the truth. You want me to grow up, Ty? To man up? Manning up means being a good father to my son and I can't do that if I'm on the road for months during the first year of his life. Or ever. Manning up means taking more control of my life, which I don't have with this band. I'm 29, guys. I've already grown up. And I think that I outgrew this band a long time ago. Tour, don't tour. I don't care. Because I'm out."
He moved his chair aside and started to leave. "Out?" repeated Tyler in disbelief.
"Out?" said Sam also, following after John. "Like out of the tour or...?"
"Out of the band, Sam," John said, pushing the door open. "I'm tired of these people controlling my life. I'm tired of our music never changing. I'm tired of having to check in with three other people, at least, on every creative decision I make. And I need to be there for my son. I won't let him down. Not for any of you, Sam."
John walked out, shutting the door in Sam's face and leaving everyone in silence. Tyler sunk back down on his chair and Sebastian exhaled loudly, trying to remain calm. But losing control was the thing he hated most and he'd just lost it big time.
***
"I figured," Julie said, staring at the Mommy Boosters on her counter, "that I could send these drinks back to Mercedes as her anniversary gift tonight. What do you think?"
"I think," said Marley, "that if you do that Mercedes will see it as an attack on her. Which given the fact that she's been hanging out with Tracy won't look so good on you."
"Right..." Julie groaned, rolling her eyes. "Mercedes Jones is an unofficial member of the squad. Ugh, I hate that word now that it's associated with her. We all should've encouraged Amity to join Taylor Swift's squad when she had the chance."
Marley offered up a sympathetic smile, not sure what else to offer her in this time of need. Just as she was thinking up of a reassuring statement, they heard a car engine and looked out the window.
"There comes Alex," said Julie, taking a deep breath. "How do you think the meeting went?"
In seconds, another car pulled up. Sam's. They watched as Alex made his way out of the car and towards the door, while Sam rushed out of his own car, leaving it parked messily outside the curb and following after him.
"I think we're about to find out," said Marley.
The front door opened and immediately they could hear Sam saying, "Then why didn't you say anything back there instead of just sitting in silence like a statue? We needed you and you didn't have our backs?"
"What the hell was I supposed to say, Sam?" Alex responded. "He made his choice and it's one we all knew he'd been thinking about since way before all of this. Face it; it was going to happen regardless of what happened today. It just took a few months less than expected."
Julie stepped out into the hallway and the guys remembered her existence. Sam calmed down for a second while Alex gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Hey..." she said as he did so. "What's all the yelling for?"
"Girls aren't here, are they?" said Alex, looking up the stairs and trying to hear for footsteps.
"Nope," Julie shook her head. "Your mom picked them up to take them 'toy shopping' about an hour ago."
"Really?" Alex said, smiling. "That's nice of her. Guess she's warming up to them."
"I think she just wants to make sure we don't shun her by the time this new baby comes," she said, looking over at Sam. "What's up with you?"
He ignored her, his head too hot to be nice. "Can we get back to what we were talking about before?" he told Alex. "We need to do something, Alex."
"We need to respect his choice," Alex rolled his eyes. "If he decides to come back, then he will and we can all come back together but if not... There's nothing we can do about it. I mean, technically this contract does end at the end of the year so... Unless you wanna force him to slavery for another three years, I'd say the timing isn't that bad."
"Are you serious?" Sam sighed.
"What's going on?" Julie asked. Sam shook his head and walked out the door, slamming it behind him. "What the hell was his problem?" Julie turned her attention back to Alex. "I've never seen him that pissed off. He's Sam. I didn't think he was capable of that."
"Yeah, the meeting didn't go exactly as we had hoped," he said, walking into the kitchen and spotting Marley. "Oh hey."
"Hey..." she repeated back wearily. "What's this about the meeting?"
Alex looked from her to Julie and then explained, "Um. It didn't go well. The plan was to get a break. For the babies. For us. We proposed halting the tour until summer of 2026 but... Sebastian didn't like that. And it turns out that Tyler and Sam didn't either. They didn't have our backs in there and as you can imagine, John was pretty upset. Sebastian said that he'd give us until the end of this upcoming summer and John just quit and left."
"Quit the tour?" asked Marley.
"I wish," Alex responded. "He said he was out of the band."
"WHAT?!" Marley and Julie said in perfect unison. Then Marley fell into silence and Julie said, "Is he crazy?"
"I think he really meant it," Alex shook his head. "And honestly, it's not all that shocking. He'd been complaining about the music, the label, the... everything. And he wanted to experiment with new sounds but we weren't ever allowed."
"So you don't think he'll change his mind?" Julie asked.
Alex shrugged. "I don't know... If you don't mind, I'm actually really tired and we have to fly out early tomorrow to get to the Victoria's Secret thing so... I'm just gonna go to bed for a little bit. Get some rest."
"Yeah, of course," nodded Julie. As Alex walked away, she turned to Marley and asked, "What are you thinking?"
Marley stood up, out of her shock, and grabbed her purse. "I, uh, I need to go talk to him. I'll see you later."
"Be gentle!" Julie called out after her as Marley left. "He's sensitive..." Marley walked out the door a lot less angrily than Sam had and left Julie alone. She saw the Mommy Boosters still sitting their and groaned. Nothing was going right anymore.
***
When John arrived home after the disastrous Blackbird meeting, he was surprised to find that he had company. Something about Marley making it to his house before him didn't shock him, as he was sure that the guys had already told her what happened.
"Which one of them was it?" he asked her as he unlocked the door.
Marley kept her eyes on his hands and answered, "Alex... And Sam, sort of. John, you didn't have to—"
"Just wait," he stopped her. "Let's go inside first."
Marley sighed and watched as he opened the door, letting her in first and then following after her into the living room. "Now can we talk?" she asked.
He took a seat on the couch and Marley hesitantly joined him. "What's on your mind?"
"John..."
"Ok, fine. I know what's on your mind."
"Why did you do that?" she asked. "You didn't have to. There were other ways to—"
"No, Marley, you don't know what it was like being in the band. I couldn't stay any longer. Not anymore. The stakes are different now."
"I just don't understand," she shook her head. "You were living your dream and after a decade still on top of your game and... You can't throw it all away without thinking about it longer, John."
"I've thought about it for months," he shrugged. "Since before you and I ever even... It's been a long time since I felt all that happy and going on tour always seems to remind me that I don't... I don't like this. I like the music and playing the shows but... I wanna do that on my own terms. I can't keep going on with the band, Marley, but it has nothing to do with you and the baby."
She raised an eyebrow, unsure.
"Ok, it has a lot to do with it, but... Not just that. So don't blame yourself."
Marley leaned back, exhausted. She shook her head, processing all of this. Was she going to receive death threats once this all went out into the open? And how long would it be until that happened?
Frightened of what her life might become if everyone blamed her for John's choice, she leaned forward and said, "You can't quit the band, John. You have to go back and try to compromise, ok? You can't do this... It's not the right call. I have a feeling about it."
"That feeling is just uncertainty about the future," John shrugs. "But don't worry about me. Or about you or our son. It'll be ok. I just can't do this anymore, Marley. And there's no compromise. Even the one we went in there offering wasn't going to be good enough. Can you imagine me trying to be a part of our kid's life while also worrying about the band? Think about it like this. Give me one week. That's seven days. Two of those days we're doing something to promote a song. One of those days we have a show. And I want to come home for another three days. That's six days of the week. But wait—we have to reschedule something because Sam has something going on with the girls. So we move the promo to one of the four days left. No problem, there's still three for me to be home. But then Alex has to change something too. So that cuts into my time. And Tyler has somewhere he needed to be, so the schedule has to change again. We can't accommodate all of us, Marley. Not when two are married and three have kids... It's just not realistic anymore and I think we need to outgrow each other already and... stand on our own."
"Are you saying you wanna release music as a solo artist then?" she asked.
"Maybe," he shrugged. "But for now, I just wanna be here in Lima. I still have to do the rest of the tour. Not just because of the contract but... Also because I owe it to the guys and to the fans and... to myself, I guess. But after that, I'm gonna be here. With you and with our baby."
Marley shook her head but a part of her told her to smile, so she did. "Well, I guess I can't complain about that. It's not what I thought was going to happen but... It'll make things easier on us... I'm really proud of you for this, John. This is why I know you're going to be a good dad. You just made one of the toughest choices a person could make and... I don't know if it's just me or the hormones but I'm really getting emotional about this whole thing, sorry."
She laughed and wiped her eyes. John reached for one of her hands and gave it a comforting squeeze. "We're in this together, Marley. I said I was in this and I am. One hundred percent. I want you to know you can count on me."
Marley smiled up at him and nodded, sure of it now more than ever. The journey to that point was going to be difficult but she was sure that once the baby came, everything would feel worth it.
***
"Don't worry, it's all going to be worth it," Bree told Mandy as she helped attach her wings. "Not everyone gets to walk out there wearing these."
"I know, I know," Mandy rolled her eyes. "But they're so heavy."
"I'm sorry," Bree sighed. "I'm not in charge of the wings."
"If she was, they'd be a lot cuter," said Kurt, walking into the dressing room. "But remember what we're working for here, ladies. Victoria Beckham wants to enter a partnership with us. We give her our designs, she puts them in her line. We get to sell them at our store. It's going to be great. So Mandy, no pressure but it's all up to you to be the talk of the night."
"I know how to do that," said Mandy, nodding and nervously exhaling.
"There's gonna be plenty of talk about the guys," said Kurt, sighing. "I mean, you're gonna be walking the line, right as the man you were engaged to for six years performs."
"It's fine," Mandy shook her head. "We're friends. And if controversy helps us get that partnership, then so be it. I'll give him a little wink or something on camera."
"Ok, I know you're joking but if you could do something like that," Bree told her. She checked her watch and said, "Fucking hell. I have to go but we'll be back in like an hour for final stuff so... Get into hair, get into makeup, and then we'll put you back into wardrobe, ok?"
"Uh, sure," said Mandy. Bree and Kurt helped her take her wings off and put them by all the other wings before leaving the dressing room. As they left, a group of girls walked in, right on time for the hair and makeup process to begin. Some of them had their stylists in their, dressing them up and making sure everyone looked perfect for the show.
The chair beside her was pulled back and Mandy rolled her eyes when she saw Cleo take a seat through the reflection.
"You look excited," Mandy told her as she witnessed Cleo smiling from ear to ear while her hair got clipped back and a man started to apply her makeup.
"I just got amazing news," Cleo said. "Jackie King broke her leg."
"What?" Mandy said. "That's awful."
"I thought so too," shrugged Cleo, "but then they told me that they wanted me to wear the Fantasy Bra."
Mandy gasped and then controlled herself. "You're lying," she said.
"I'm not," Cleo smiled. "I just got the news before heading here. I can't believe that Jackie went skiing before such an important night but... Here we are. All eyes are going to be on me!"
"How did you get chosen?" asked Mandy. "This is your first year doing the show. Plenty of us have done it multiple times."
Cleo shrugged and said, "I guess they see my worth. And I'm pretty sure after tonight, I'll have no problem booking gigs that'll get me out of stupid W&H stuff."
Cleo smiled at her reflection and Mandy sunk back in her hair while her own stylists arrived. She gripped the arms of her chair tightly, afraid of losing her cool in front of everyone. But this was so far the worst thing that could've happened and considering the night hadn't even started yet, it wasn't a good sign of what was to come.
***
"We should've just cancelled," said Tyler as he and the guys arrived at their own, private dressing room. "We can't go out there and present ourselves as Crystal Army when we're not Crystal Army."
"We are," Alex rolled his eyes, taking a seat. "Stop being so melodramatic about all of this, ok? We're just gonna perform tonight and then go home for Thanksgiving and... Talk about what's happened later. Right guys?"
He turned to Sam and John. Neither of them had said anything the whole way to New York, or at rehearsals yesterday, or on their way to the Regiment Armory for the show.
"Guys?" Alex repeated. They looked up at him so he said, "We have to focus, guys. If this is going to be our last big televised performance together then... We have to make it count."
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked. "Just 'cause he's out, doesn't mean the rest of us—"
They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in!" Tyler called out, glad someone was here to break up a fight before it could begin. Their manager Scarlet and her assistant Eddie walked in, followed by Bree and Julie.
"You made it!" Alex sighed with relief, standing up to greet his wife with a hug. "It's so great that you're here!"
"I wouldn't miss it," she smiled before taking a look around at the grim faces around. Two days ago they'd talked about John leaving and now they had to perform as a band in front of millions. She couldn't blame them for being upset.
"We just came to wish you luck," Bree said, catching onto the tensions. "It's a big night. For all of us."
"Right, good luck to you too," Alex told her.
"We're, uh," said Julie, nudging her friend, "gonna go around backstage saying hey to people and feeling short next to all the models. We'll see you guys out there."
"You will," Scarlet promised them as they hurried out, wishing them luck once again. The door shut behind them and Scarlet turned to the guys, a stern look on their faces. "I thought I told you guys to have those frowns turned upside down by the time you got here."
Eddie stood back in silence, eyeing John and then Alex. She had very little information about what was happening but she did know that it was bad. Bad enough for Scarlet to leave her other clients and come over personally for this night, bringing her along.
"Did you come here for a specific reason or just to yell at us?" asked Alex, rolling his eyes at Scarlet.
"There's something else," she nodded. "I have to speak to you. Privately."
The guys all looked at him, wondering what Alex could've possibly done to merit a private conversation. Alex followed Scarlet out of the room just as the hair and makeup crew were arriving to help them get ready for the show.
Out in the hall, Scarlet crossed her arms and said, "This isn't easy."
"What?" he asked, unsure what she meant.
"Well, I thought I'd let you know before you want out on the carpet and found out on your own... One of the models got hurt."
"Ok..?"
"And they needed a replacement so, they brought in someone last minute who they knew could handle a big night like this. And I don't want you to make a scene tonight when you see her, on the runway, backstage, at any after party..."
"Who?" asked Alex, still confused. "Not Tracy, right? I get the world loves her but she's not a model. She's, like, 5'3"."
"No, not Tracy," sighed Scarlet. "They ran it by us and I said it was okay because I didn't want to start any trouble or seem like you boys are difficult but I just—"
"Scarlet, who are you talking about?"
"They brought in Francesca."
Alex stood still for a moment and then asked, "Francesca Durand?" Scarlet nodded. "The same Francesca who basically killed my wife?"
"Your wife is alive, Alex," Scarlet sighed. "And it was an accident."
"No, the results weren't planned for but she still wanted to hurt her," Alex shook her head. "How does she still have a career after that? When I see her, I—"
"—will do nothing," Scarlet interjected. "Face it, Alex, you can't handle this by having a bar fight or pulling a knife on her or squaring her in the jaw. So please behave yourself and don't even interact with her if you can help it. And I can't tell her what to do so try and get your wife to do the same."
Scarlet walked back into the dressing room and Alex let out a deep breath. As if they needed any more trouble, now they had to add Francesca to the mix.
***
"I wish you were here," said Cleo as Mandy sat behind her, impatiently waiting for her phone call to end so she could stop hearing her talking. "I swear, it's going to be the biggest night of my career. And there's so much press and so many important people here, you'd have so much fun... Ok, well, we're almost finishing up so I'll let you go. Try to watch on TV if you can babe. K, bye!"
When the call ended, Mandy calmly asked, "Boyfriend?"
"Tracy Moore," Cleo said. "We're, like, really close now."
Mandy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I bet." She asked her hairdresser, "We done here?" and the woman nodded, stepping away so that she could get up. Mandy took a look in the mirror and saw a lot of sparkle. "Wonderful," she told her. She walked away and was surprised when she walked almost directly into none other than Francesca Durand.
"You..?" she said, confused.
"Oh, Mandy!" Francesca grinned. "Hi! It's so great to see you. It's been forever."
"Well, you've been gone forever," Mandy said grimly. "What changed?"
"I did," Francesca sighed. "I went through a lot of changes. Some therapy with an amazing guru in Finland—I can give you his number. And I decided it was time for me to return, slate cleared."
"I don't think everyone will see it that way," Mandy crossed her arms.
"Well, I've been getting invites to the hottest events," she shrugged. "VMAs, AMAs, all the fashion shows. I already booked a couple covers from magazines who can't wait to hear what I've been up to and how I've dealt with all my... trauma."
"Your trauma?" asked Mandy.
"It's awful being mudslinged by the media," sighed Francesca, shaking her head. "But I mean, you had a really ugly breakup with a famous guys, you've been branded a runaway bride for years... I don't need to talk to you about bad publicity, do I? And now we're both here. Isn't that great? Ooh is that Cleo White? I just heard she's wearing the Fantasy Bra. I should go say hey. See you around."
Francesca walked away, all dolled up in her pink robe as she approached Cleo and gave her a friendly hug. Mandy rolled her eyes and muttered, "Unbelievable," before heading to the dressing area to start getting ready for showtime.
***
As everyone prepared for showtime backstage, moving bodies and conversations everywhere kept John from losing his cool. If nobody was watching, he would've already gone off to find some weed or something that would help him get the edge off. Alcohol, anything.
But their team was watching him like a hawk now to make sure he didn't try to tell the world his plans of leaving the band before it was time. They wanted full control of the situation, which meant he had to continue acting as though nothing had changed.
"We've got Crystal Army ready," said a PA who walked by and spotted them backstage. "Curtains in ten." She turned to them and asked, "Ready boys?"
Sam nodded and she walked away, saying more into her headset. "I guess this is it," Alex told the guys. "Let's go take our places." Another PA walked by and ushered them onto the stage, hurrying them to take their positions. The curtains were closed in front of them but in no time they would open and the live show would begin.
When that moment came, the curtains opened first and the crowd cheered, though not quite as lively as in their stadium concerts.
"Ladies and gentleman," they heard, meaning the show was live already, "please welcome... Crystal Army!"
That was their cue, making sure his guitar was adjusted, Alex led the guys in as the band behind them played and the music began.
["My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark" by Fall Out Boy.]
All: Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.
The audience applauded and the first model came out. Alex saw Julie watching in the front row with Bree and Kurt, so he smiled down at her and hoped she didn't have freak out when Francesca came out there with them.
Alex: B-B-B-Be careful making wishes in the dark, dark. Can't be sure when they've hit their mark. And besides in the mean, mean time. I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart.
He was joined by John, who walked beside him playing his bass and singing into his mic, strapped to his cheek and itching his face. He definitely had to do something about that later.
John: I'm in the de-details with the... devil. So now the world can never get me on my level. I just gotta get you off the cage. I'm a young lover's rage. Gonna need a spark to ignite.
One of the models passed by and smiled at the guys, giving them a wink, so they looked at each other and John grinned mischievously. Some things weren't going to change regardless of whether they were still in the group.
Alex: My songs know what you did in the dark...
Still behind the runway with Tyler, Sam led the chorus and watched all the models passing by. Right on his part, Mandy walked out, the epitome of a supermodel as she commanded the runway.
Sam with All: So light 'em up, up, up. Light 'em up, up, up. Light 'em up, up, up. I'm on fire. So light 'em up, up, up. Light 'em up, up, up. Light 'em up, up, up. I'm on fire.
He smiled at her as she walked by and she waved, hoping Bree would appreciate that as she moved on. Alex and John continued playing, parting on the stage to allow her to walk between them.
All (Sam): Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. (In the dark, dark.) Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. (In the dark, dark.)
When Cleo came out, sporting a coat over her lingerie and huge wings that they weren't expecting to see on her so soon in her career. Sam didn't make eye contact.
John: All the writers keep writing what they write. Somewhere another pretty vein just dies. I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see. That you're the antidote to everything except for me, me.
When Cleo passed by Alex and John, they didn't acknowledge her either, sure that if they did Bree and Julie wouldn't let them hear the end of it.
Alex: A constellation of tears on your lashes. Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes. In the end everything collides. My childhood spat back out the monster that you see.
Mandy and Cleo walked by each other and Cleo grinned, while Mandy kept walking on with no problem, neither ignoring her nor grinning at her. She simply gave her a subtle nod and then kept going, professional and focused.
Alex: My songs know what you did in the dark...
As Mandy left the stage and Cleo worked the end of the runway, Francesca emerged from backstage and Julie turned to Bree, whispering, "Am I crazy or is that..?"
Sam with All: So light 'em up, up, up. Light 'em up, up, up. Light 'em up, up, up. I'm on fire. So light 'em up, up, up. Light 'em up, up, up. Light 'em up, up, up. I'm on fire.
Bree didn't answer until Francesca came closer, approaching where they were seating. "Keep cool," she told her quietly, covering her mouth casually so that her lips couldn't be read on camera. "Remember that millions are watching."
Julie nodded and watched on, following her advice. But for the rest of the song, all she could think of was that Francesca had gone on stage and was back in the spotlight, breaking the ban she'd tried to place on her.
All (Sam): Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. (In the dark, dark.) Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa. (In the dark, dark.)
***
"Great job guys!" said a voice backstage as the guys walked by, waving at cameras and acting like they were having the time of their lives. As soon as they were given the signal that they were off air, they split up, Sam and Tyler greeting the models as they went back to get touch ups and John hoping to take advantage of the time to find booze.
This left Alex alone yet again, only this time he did see Francesca and he just couldn't help himself.
"You've got a lot of nerve," he said as he stood behind her, pretending to be looking at pictures of the models on the wall she was getting her hair adjusted by a man.
"Nice to see you too," she responded. "I know we were never close but... We do have a lot of history together. You're not gonna put this conversation on Snapchat, are you?"
"What are you even doing here?" he asked. "You knew we were the performers. How could you show up?"
"I wasn't going to pass up this huge opportunity to get back into the business," she said. "The show knows that I know how to do this. And I killed it out there. And I'll keep killing it for the rest of the night."
"If you see Julie," he warned her, "you don't go near her. You don't try to talk to her. You walk the other way and leave her alone."
"Ooh, you're bossy," she grinned. "I like bossy."
"You're a psycho," he rolled his eyes and walked away.
"You look good too," she called out. "Nice catching up!"
***
Julie tapped her foot nervously as she watched footage from the models on the screen. Amity's single, Burn, was playing as it all came out, followed by prep b-roll from backstage. She saw the guys walking by, chatting with the models. Well, she saw Tyler and Sam.
As the second performer of the night, came on, she excused herself to go find Alex but backstage she only saw John, getting a drink. "Shocking," she said to herself before joining him. "Hey... You doing alright?"
"I'm fine and I don't know where Alex went," he told her, taking a gulp of his drink.
"That's nice to know but I really was asking for you," she sighed. "I've only seen Ty and Sam and the fact that you aren't with them tells me things aren't going so well."
"They're icing me out," John rolled his eyes. "It was expected. But they'll get over it, I hope. I just... I don't know how to make them understand that this is the right thing for me. For all of us."
"Give them time, I guess," Julie shrugged.
Alex approached them, jaw clenched, and planted a very deep kiss on Julie's lips before sitting beside Alex and signaling for a drink.
"Wow," she said, a little out of breath. "What was that for."
"I wanted to," he shrugged as his drink was prepared. He let out a deep breath and said, "Tonight was supposed to be fun. Now it's just stressful."
"I'm sure it'll be okay, guys," Julie told them. "I know the situation isn't ideal but... Play it cool. You don't wanna end up like me with a hundred enemies in this very building, right?"
Models were coming in and out, rushed through the backstage area by assistants and other staff, and she watched them go, wondering if Francesca and Cleo were back on the runway or in a dressing room getting ready to back there.
She put an arm around John and said, "It's gonna work out. You're doing this for your son and that's what matters, right?"
"Right," he repeated, finishing his drink. "Yeah, I'll just keep reminding myself of that and get through the night."
"Hey, how about this?" Julie said, ruffling his hair a bit. "Tomorrow night Bree's having a really small Thanksgiving thing at her place. I know Ryder and Brooke will be there. And me and Alex. And Kitty and... and Marley. So maybe you should join us."
"Anyone else coming by?" he asked.
"Maybe Jake and Leila but other than that I doubt it," said Julie. "With so many of our friends on Team Tracy now the party got cut down quite a bit from the last couple of years."
"Yeah..." he nodded. "I'll make it to that. As long as I don't have to put up with Sam and Tyler's glares all night."
"They'll be with their families," Julie assured him. John stood up and waved, walking away and leaving them alone. Or as alone as they could be with so many people walking in and out of the area.
They could hear the performance end and more models came backstage in waves, reeling from the exhilarating experience of walking the runway. Cameras were following them backstage and Alex said, "Smile, smile, smile..."
Julie put on her best grin as the cameras came around the area, following the models mostly. One of them did pass them by for a second, the cameraman thanking them for waving at the audience for a second before walking away.
"Jeez, this is exhausting," said Alex.
Julie put a head on his shoulder and said, "Yes, smiling and waving is the worst."
"I meant putting on an act," he laughed. "It's the worst."
"Believe me, I know," she said, pulling away from him. "But you have to do it anyways. It's part of our job." She kissed his cheek and said, "I'm gonna get back out there. Style is gonna play for the next section and I'm supposed to go watch and be honored and in love with these sexy women so..."
"Hey, do me a favor and... smile out there, ok? I know it's a shit thing to tell a woman but these cameras are gonna go on you more while your song plays and—"
"Yeah, I know," she nodded, grabbing his hand and swinging it a little between them. "Don't worry. I can handle this. Go get ready because you're up again after. I'll cheer loudly for you. And Mandy. I know how to be a good girl."
"That you do," he smiled, kissing her cheek. She walked away, only letting go of his hand once the distance demanded it, and Alex chugged down his drink. They weren't even halfway yet.
***
By the time the fourth section came, John was a little more energized by the booze and Alex was getting there. They reset on stage and John thanked his lucky stars that they weren't doing any of their pop singles, instead opting for giving the show a little rock.
As they performed Heathens, the guys went right back to their happy-go-lucky act, singing and smiling at each other, playfully walking around the stage as though nothing was wrong.
Backstage, Mandy waited for her turn and watched, not really paying attention to her surroundings until she saw Cleo and Francesca whispering to each other just a few feet down. Francesca reached over to the diamond-studded Fantasy Bra and admired it while Cleo grinned, probably boasting about the honor.
She had tried her hardest to ignore them but it was becoming impossible, so she walked towards them and said, "You know... Some of us worked hard to get to this point."
The two women looked up at her, startled, while a few other models waiting to hit the runway also stopped their conversations. "What?" said Cleo.
"You heard me," said Mandy. "We worked our asses off, some of these women literally... asses came off. And you two have just been climbing up the ranks—Francesca, you haven't walked a runway in years. You're here for the scandal. And Cleo, you do not deserve to wear that bra."
"You're fighting with us over... a bra?" said Cleo, amused.
"The fact that you think it's not worth fighting over shows that you don't deserve it," said Mandy. "You're a kid. You're in over your head and I don't know how you got this gig but it wasn't through hard work. Going from Jackie King to you is such a downgrade."
"Who are you to lecture us on how we got on this runway?" asked Francesca. "You started modeling because you were dating Sam Evans and he was friends with Bree Welsh. You're the last person to care about how someone moved up in the business. Now if you'll excuse me, I think it's my turn to go out there."
She walked away and Mandy noticed what a scene she had caused. But when she turned to the other models, they all looked away, pretending they hadn't been watching like it was a reality show.
"I'm sorry that you hate me," said Cleo. "But I have worked hard to get here. And I get that you don't like me and I slept with your ex and you're close with Bree and whatever other reasons there are... That's fine. It doesn't change the fact that I was chosen to wear the bra and I'm going to go out there and flaunt it. And there's nothing you can do about it."
Cleo's name was called out by a PA and she walked calmly to prepare for the runway, while Mandy moved down the line back to her place. One of the models behind her said, "Finally someone talks about the fact that she was the last person to deserve that bra."
"Yeah, and how can Francesca be here with the huge scandal of what she did to that singer?" said another in a very thick Russian accent. Mandy looked forward and pretended not to hear them, smiling to herself. She may have made a scene but it seemed that the others agreed with her.
***
As Best Song Ever started to play during another break, Julie hung out backstage with Bree, who was getting Mandy into her wings. "These look amazing on you," Julie told her.
"Thanks," said Mandy, who was once again getting used to their weight. "I wish I had some of the lighter ones but I guess it's not my year."
"It is your year," Bree said. "It's our year. I caught up with a few of Victoria's people backstage and things are looking good for us so don't you worry, ok? This is going to be great."
"Thanks," Mandy said again, taking a deep breath this time. "Ok... I'm ready to get out there."
"Go kill it," Julie encouraged her, watching as she walked away. When she was gone she said, "Those wings almost killed me like twenty times in the last five minutes."
"I told you not to stand so close," said Bree. Then she put an arm around her and pulled her close to say, "I'm so glad you're here! Kurt is out schmoozing as Kurt does and now I get to be out here hanging out with you for a bit. And look at your bump! Gosh, that is a beautiful bump. I call dibs on godparent."
"You have to fill out a very long application," said Alex, joining them and placing an around Julie's waist. "So many people just adore us right now."
"Oh I bet," Bree rolled her eyes. "But you can't be in the dressing room right now, Alex. Don't you see all these models are half-naked?"
"What?" Alex responded. "I didn't even notice." Julie made a face at him and he smiled. "I mean, they're out there half-naked anyway, it's not a big difference."
"Some of them are wearing more back here than on the runway," Julie noted, "so you make a good point."
Bree smiled at them and said, "You guys! I love seeing you together. So happy and having a baby and... Gosh, I can't contain myself right now and I hate how ugh I'm being so I'm gonna go busy myself. Enjoy yourselves!"
"We will," Alex assured her. As Bree walked away, he took Julie's hand and said, "Come on, let's get out of here. I need to grab something from my dressing room."
Julie followed after him and they walked past other stars, random strangers, more models, crew, and more, casually greeting some of them before reaching the guys' shared dressing room. Once inside, Alex shut the door and turned to Julie with a smile on his face.
"What?" she asked, laughing at the look on his face.
"I'm pretty much done for the night," he told her. "So I figured..."
"No..." she laughed as he came closer. "Alex, someone could walk in literally any moment."
"I locked the door," he said.
"Which is basically like putting a sock on the knob if anyone knows we're in here," she said. He put his arms around her and she asked, "Doesn't it, like, weird you out that I'm pregnant?"
"Why would it?" he asked, kissing her neck.
She laughed again at the ticklish brush of his currently chapped lips against her skin and said, "Because... I guess some guys are weirded out by it."
"I know how anatomy works," he said between kisses. "And I know that it's safe and we're encouraged to keep at it throughout the pregnancy."
"You did your research," she smiled as he continued to kiss her cheek, her neck, her shoulder. "I guess I just thought maybe... I'm not quite as sexy with this baby in me."
His hands went from her waist and then down lower as he said, "You're sexy always. And I guess you could call me a... Mommy Booster...?"
They both laughed and Julie moved away from him. "That was terrible."
"Yeah, I guess I've lost my charm," he agreed.
She walked back to him and put her arms around his neck. "Never. Though you might be slowly entering your transformation into a dad so... Beware."
"I love you," he said, kissing her lips. "You have no idea how much. I'm constantly thinking... If I hadn't been such a jerk when the whole Caleb thing happened... Maybe we would've come together much sooner. I guess Francesca being here reminded me of all that. Those were really hard times and I wish we could've skipped over to this."
"Yeah, maybe it would've happened sooner," she shrugged. "But who cares. We're together now. And for the record, you're also sexy always." He smiled and kissed her again, and again, from her neck down to her chest, tugging away at the small opening there that kept her covered up. "Oh..." She closed her eyes and let him do his thing. Maybe Victoria's Secret Fashion Show wasn't all bad.
***
"Where have you been?" Bree asked when she saw Julie return to her seat, completely flustered. "The show is nearly ending and I hate having an empty seat next to me.
"Sorry," she said quickly. "I just needed a little break from all of this."
She looked her up and down and nodded, turning back to the show as it was coming back from commercial break. Quietly she added, "Your shirt's a little ripped by the way."
Julie looked down, hoping she wouldn't have to deal with a public nip slip tonight. She smiled to herself, knowing Bree was too smart to be fooled about what had just happened.
When the show finally came to an end, she was eager to get on a plane with Alex and head back home, so that they could continue their rendezvous.
The others stayed behind in New York for the night, happy to attend all the parties and make the most of the big night. But when Julie got home, feeling sexy once again, all it took was the time that she was in the bathroom for Alex to fall asleep.
When she came back out and found him, she turned off the lights and crawled into bed with him, putting an arm around him. "I love you too," she told him, closing her eyes and trying to wind herself down after the big night. There would be more to come tomorrow.