A/N: The picture up there is what the house is supposed to look like. Also, updates will hopefully come sooner now that I'm settled in for school. I also apologize for any grammatical errors, it's 2 AM in New York. But anyway enjoy!
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"Is everybody here?" Andrew shut the meeting room door. "Great. Let's begin."
"Five o'clock, Drew. You couldn't at least wait until the sun came up?" Zaire groaned, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms.
"Zaire, I'm not doing this with you," Andrew said, his patience wavering as he stifled a yawn. "I'm as tired as you are, so please let me go over what we have, and we'll all be in our beds in the next hour."
"So, tour revenue," Andrew said as he tossed four envelopes on the table. "Each of you receives $75,000. I won't tell you what to do with it but don't be a moron. Next on the agenda is studio time. Calvin reached out to us as he said he would. He's meeting us tomorrow."
"Will I assist him in the production or just sing for this song?" Nathan inquired.
"It would be fantastic if you could help him. You can help him get a sense of your guys' style and music preferences because you produced and co-produced the majority of the songs on the e.p. You can bring a track you've already begun and continue working on it with him, but either option is fine."
"Okay, the YouTube videos are incredible. You get around 500,000 views per video, which is great because people learn about you and listen to your music. What Beth and I talked about was a series that—"
"We're getting a YouTube original series?" Kian asked.
Andrew deeply exhaled and dropped his head back. "No," he replied, causing Kian to shrink back into his chair. "I talked to Cody and Noel, and it gave me an idea. They have the 'That's Cringe' series that brought them a lot of attention. We want you to create something like that, which will become something you guys are known for other than the music."
"Jordan and I will brainstorm with you and start filming the best idea in two weeks," Beth added.
"So now to the nitty-gritty, new music. None of you have managed to leak any music, so give yourselves a round of applause for that," Andrew clapped and slowed to a stop when everyone else simply looked at him. "Tough crowd." He mumbled.
Zaire snorted and then broke into full-on laughter. "I'm so sorry. That was hilarious."
"Are you done?" Andrew said once Zaire stopped laughing. "As you know, the ep sold fifty thousand first week, ten thousand more than the label predicted. Because of the additional success with Hot Girl Bummer and Haunt You, the label thinks you are ready for an album."
"So soon?" Javier asked.
"Mr. Kallman believes in your ability. You did the numbers, so he's taking a chance. Normally, you'd get two EPs before the big album, but you've demonstrated your ability to draw attention. I saw the Instagram Live you guys did the other day. The song was good. Send it to Corey so he can patch it up."
"Our team anticipates that the album will be released in September or October, giving it a month or two for promotion before the headlining tour begins in February."
Nathan nodded and spun around in his chair. "Are we going international this time?"
"According to demographics, Europe accounts for 30% of your fan base. The remaining forty percent is in North America, twenty-five percent in Australia, and five percent in South America. We're considering visiting all four continents and attending a few festivals in between."
"I know you already have a lot of unreleased songs, but we also need to keep in mind that we can't just throw random songs together and call it an album, so—
"There has to be a theme." Nathan cut him off, and Andrew mumbled, 'right.' "The moods of the songs are well balanced. You'll notice a shift in the vibe when you listen to our written songs. You've all seen me in my most emotional state, so I'm sure you can figure out the story's details. Boy falls in love; boy discovers he is being cheated on, boy is heartbroken, yada yada yada."
"I knew the storyline would be present after listening to the songs because I write about my feelings. However, I don't want this album to be all about me, so I won't push it if you guys have other suggestions." Nathan went on.
"It's a solid idea to base the album on." Kian agreed, with Javier and Zaire also nodding in agreement.
"I've heard a couple of songs you've recorded. They are very raw. Even I cried to Tears in the Rain, so you know what you're doing. Your bandmates agree with your idea, and it's a great concept, so we're on the right track. You're in a position where you have the skills and talent to make an outstanding album. All you have to do is put the work in." Andrew said.
"When does the production start?"
"Considering that you guys have nearly fifty unreleased songs, we're thinking of starting writing camp and recording sometime in February. That process usually takes two to three months." He answered.
"Okay, on to the next topic, merch. We haven't dropped since August. We have a list of artists and designers willing to discuss and collaborate on the new merch drop." Beth said. "The crew is looking to start brainstorming ideas in January.
"Any more questions?" Andrew looked at the tired expressions and clapped, "Alright, you guys are good to go." Andrew grabbed Zaire's collar and pulled him back before he left the room. "Embarrass me like that again and I'll drop you."
"Meet me in the ring, little boy. Put the gloves up. The winning bet is your wife." Zaire replied.
"Piece of shit!" He kicked at Zaire's leg and chuckled when Zaire scrambled away. "That kid is off the chain."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When you give five boys a lot of money and open access to the streets of Los Angeles, you get chaos.
They weren't completely stupid. They put seventy percent of the paycheck in a bank account and completely cashed out the rest.
Madison, her best friend Isabella, and Beth tagged along and amusedly watched the group roam around the mall.
"Excuse me, can we get a picture?" A teenage girl came up with two of her friends. "With all of you."
"Of course, beautiful. What's your name?" Nathan passed the phone to Jordan.
"Jayda." She replied and cheesed at the camera.
"Cool shoes." He pointed to the Unc Patent Jordan 1's after the picture was taken. "I begged my mom to buy me those shoes last year, but she didn't. And now that I have the money to get it, I can't find a pair in my size."
"You can have Em' if you want them." She reached to slip the shoes off, but Nathan stopped her with a polite grin.
"No, I'm fine," He slightly chuckled. "We wouldn't want you walking around barefoot."
"Right," the girl blushed. "Thanks for the picture." She waved goodbye and walked away with her friends.
"I'm going to head to the Louis store. You can leave without me if I'm not back in twenty minutes." Nathan said.
"I don't think it's the best idea for you to be alone without security," Beth advised. "You're in a public mall. These fans might not be as gentle as that Jayda girl. They will swarm you."
"I'll be fine." He scoffed. "I can avoid some teenage girls."
"Okay," Beth said, relenting. "You'll see when they find where you are. They already know we're at this mall." She showed him her phone. "Good luck."
He walked away with a scoff. "Alright, Beth, I'll make sure I don't get hurt by some teenagers." He sarcastically said. "I'm so scared."
15 minutes later
"Oh my god!" Nathan yelped while he ran from the herd of fans.
Beth watched from the other side of the mall and shook her head. "Fucking idiot."
"Should we help him?" Javier mumbled.
"No, let him suffer for a little bit. Maybe he'll learn his lesson this time." Beth said.
A sudden ripping sound snapped his attention downward, his heart racing as he saw his shirt caught in a tight grip. He miraculously found a way to nudge through the crowd and run toward his friends waiting outside.
"Go!" Nathan shouted, making Javier step on the gas and skirt off the street.
"Should've never doubted us. Look at you now, scared and disoriented." Jordan joked. "What did we learn today, guys?"
"Always listen to Beth." Javier, Jordan, and Zaire sang in unison.
"Aww, man, I love that shirt." Nathan pouted and climbed out of the car.
"No, fuck me, right?" All four turned their heads to see Kian walking away from Madison's car. "Disrespect me some more."
"It's not like that." Madison hurried after him, trailing him into his room.
Nathan gave an exaggerated whistle and scooped up his shopping bags. "Glad that I'm single. That's something I do not miss."
"No, you told me you weren't friends. So why are you in contact with him?" Kian shouted.
"This argument makes no sense. Are you mad that we're friends?"
"Madison, that's not the fucking point!" Kian's knuckles whitened as his fist came crashing down onto the desk. "The whole thing is we were on break, and during those few weeks, you were texting him while I was getting the silent treatment."
"Well, I'm sorry for not telling you, but I had no idea he was a problem."
"I asked you about Jack two months ago. You said he's irrelevant, and then when I look at your messages, he's asking you out on dates," he ranted, his fingers curling into tight fists. "And you're not rejecting him!"
Madison's eyes darted away, her own frustration palpable. "It's not a romantic date—"
Kian's voice cracked with exasperation. "Then what the fuck is it?" He leaned in, his eyes narrowing. "A friendly catch-up?"
"I guess so." Madison's shoulders slumped, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kian scoffed and sat down on his bed. "And how do you know it's not something different in his head?"
"I- I don't know."
"And that's exactly my damn point. You're giving him a chance to get close, and something about that doesn't sit right with me."
"I know you worry and stuff, but..." She paused to straddle his lap and grab his cheeks. "I think you're overreacting."
He recoiled slightly, his expression falling with disappointment as he carefully extricated himself from her grasp. "Wow, Mads." Kian's lips curled into a bitter chuckle. "Uhm, I was so happy to come back and spend my off time with you, but this is not what I expected."
"Kian, I don't get why you're upset."
"Yeah, you don't... and that's a problem." He turned away from her, his hand resting on the doorknob. "Come back in a week. Maybe you'll realize why this is an issue."
Madison's lips parted, ready to fire back with a protest, but she caught herself and her head dipped in a defeated shake. "I'll see you," she whispered.
"Mhm," he closed his eyes and rested back on his bed. "Goodbye, Madison."