Road to Stardom
Welcome back to the story! Right now, you probably know I got into Jr. Pop and now I have to console a bandmate and protect her from the wrenches of an evil, malicious duo.
Okay, that’s what you probably think. Believe me, there’s going to be more.
Dive in!
2. The Sad And Dreary Secret
“Okay, guys, new plan,” I said, once Tom and Tam had hurt Tana and she ran off in tears to the makeup room. Mr. Bowers were looking at us if an earthquake happened and its epicentre was right where we were standing.
“We’ll handle this, sir,” I said.
He nodded again. “Well, I, uh, better talk to my boss about you kiddos. Stay, uh, safe.” Still dumbstruck.
When he left, me, Wylie and Elijah formed a huddle and decided to make an idea about what we’re going to do.
“I think we should do this,” Elijah muttered, “Trevor, you go talk to Tana, since you’re the one who knows her best. Wylie and I will handle The Two Impossibilities.”
“Great,” I said, “Just, try not to wallop them.”
“Deal,” they whispered.
We separated. Wylie and Elijah went forward to Thomas and Tamira, while I walked into the makeup area.
Tana was sitting in a chair, crying hard and dabbing a tissue at her eyes.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
She looked up, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
I sat in a chair next to her. “I want to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“About the thing you said to your ex-BMs.”
Tana sniffled. “It’s too complicated.”
“I can handle complicated,” I said.
“Okay, then.”
I braced myself.
Tana swallowed. “I…am basically alone. My aunt and uncle of my mom’s side take care of me, but…they don’t take care of me. They hurt me. If I want to go somewhere, they say things like ‘girls should be quiet’ or ‘we believe in tradition and girls shouldn’t engage in stuff boys do’ and ‘you’re a little blighter’ and things.”
“Harsh,” I whispered.
“Indeed.”
“What did your parents do?”
“That’s the thing. I don’t have parents.”
That hit me in the gut. “You’re…an orphan?”
“Yes.”
“I’m really sorry, Tana.”
“I know. People don’t say that.”
“Why?”
“They think kids become juvenile and delinquent when their parents die.”
“That didn’t happen to you.”
“I know.”
“So…how do you manage if your aunt and uncle don’t even look after you?”
“I just did what they told me to do. Then, I secretly shot videos for auditioning. Before Tom and Tam—“
“Left you?”
“Yes. They think getting on the band is all they want. Don’t care about anything else.”
“So…are you going to…you know: give them a piece of your mind?”
“I’ll show them here, instead. That I deserve to be here.”
I nodded. “I like that.”
She shyly smiled. The tears stopped, but she felt hollow.
"I have no connection to who my parents are. Who I am. All I know is, I'm an orphan, all alone, with a good-for-nothing aunt and uncle. I don't want to think about it, but I wish I had all the answers," she said.
I couldn't imagine how life must have been for her. No great care. Mom said Angela and I were lucky to have her, while a thousand kids didn't even have parents and they were shipped off to awful foster homes. I was meeting a person like that before. But then, a thought I thought came back to my mind. The day we became famous, after the time Tana confessed everything, the time I was practicing. I thought that I'd solve all my problems first, then worry about her. But no. Not now. I made it. I made it to Jr. Pop. All my problems were finished.
Now I needed to help her.
3. Timings In Time
“Now, here’s your schedule,” Mr. Bowers said, when we were all in his office. Elijah and Wylie managed to talk sense into Tom and Tam and convince them to work as a team. I had consoled Tana completely on the way, but she grabbed my hand tightly. I squeezed back.
“You won’t be going to school from now on.”
When he said that, everyone leaped in the air cheering, including me, but it was a bummer. I wouldn’t get to peer counsel anymore, but on the other hand, it was worth it to make songs and music videos professionally.
“Instead, at 8:00 am, you will be greeted by a chauffeured eight-seater car at your doorstep. Might I know where you all live?”
I raised my hand. “Wylie, Elijah and I live in houses #12, 13 and 14. You can pick us up in one go.”
“That’s settled, then. Tana?”
Tana shyly said, “I’m in #17. Across the street from EliTreLie’s homes. Thomas and Tamira are #18 and 19.”
“Good. So, you will all have vocal practice first. Quick warm-ups and a run-through of the songs. Okay?”
We nodded.
“Next, you’ll have three hours of tutoring. We have brought in one teacher to teach each subject. Don’t worry, though, because you all are in the same school, we matched the study plans for your time in the studio.”
Okay, so that even works.
“Then, lunch. And a 30-minute break to cool off. Last, a dance practice, complete with workout. And then, you go home at 4:00 pm. Cool?”
We nodded again.
“Now, I only brought you here to get the lay of the land. You all can go now, ’n have fun!”
We let out one last whoop and ran off to meet our parents. I saw Mom had picked up Angela, and she was also crying like how Mom did when she found out the news. I picked her up and hugged her tight. She wrapped her arms around my neck. Even she couldn’t believe it. All those years of practising actually paid off. I kissed her cheek and put her down.
Tomorrow, my new life was going to start.
…
I wrote the schedule and pasted it on my wall to take a look at it before I left every day. I grabbed my new pack, one that I had been given before during the J-Pop tour, and set it on my dresser. It contained my snacks, a sweat towel and two Thermoses of water. I also brought a ball to play a game inside the studio. Then, I dressed quickly in a t-shirt and sweatpants, and threw a jacket on. I picked up the pack and ran out of the door, skidding to a stop when I saw the fancy van-like car.
Wylie and Elijah were also in front of their houses, and rushed to meet me. We took each other’s hands and went to the car. I opened the door and got in. Tana was already sitting in one of the seats, so I squeezed in next to her. She smiled more widely than I ever saw her do.
“I can’t believe it,” she whispered, “We’re finally here!”
I nodded, then took her hand. I had held a lot of hands before, but never in a million years did I think Tana would hold my hand. That made our friendship even more special, and Tana kept her hand in mine for the whole ride. We talked about all sorts of things, like music, dance and the previous Jr. Pop Kids. I was feeling more at ease, and I could sense she was, too.
When we reached the studio, the glass-and-steel building glinted in the morning sunlight. Piling out of the car, we grabbed our packs from the trunk and headed inside. We had vocal practice first. But we needed a song.
…
"This is it!"
Mr. Bowers waved us in his office and showed a piece of paper.
"We got our song. And guess the title."
I squinted hard to think.
"Ummm...is it Billie Eilish?" I asked.
"It is!" said Wylie.
Mr. Bowers nodded. "You're right, Trevor. But, sadly...it's not 'Bad Guy'."
All of us moaned.
"Why?"
"But it's better."
Tamira perked up. "And it's...?"
Mr. Bowers grinned. "'Ocean Eyes'!"
I jumped in triumph. "Yes!"
4. The Vocals
We had warm-up sessions with our first teacher, Ms. Tempi. She’s pretty cool, and taught us a lot of tips and tricks to save us time while singing. She also let us prep songs on our own, then she’d go around making corrections, like, “Your pitch needs to be a little bit higher” and “Go hand-in-hand with the beat” and stuff like that. That’s what she did when we were practising ‘Ocean Eyes’.
We started singing the song. Tamira was first up on the solo part.
“I’ve been watching you
For some time
Can't stop staring
At those ocean eyes,”
Next up was Elijah.
“Every city’s in
Evening light
Fifteen things inside those ocean eyes,”
Then, Tana finished that verse.
“Your ocean eyes.”
We clapped, including Ms. Tempi. Then, she popped in her suggestions.
“Okay, now, the advice column.”
I smiled whenever she said that, possibly because she liked to make our vocal sessions as fun as possible. She gave advice.
“Tamira, a little more flow needed, because your voice sounds stiff. Elijah, you did perfect, just a little bit more trance-like. Tana, I want you to be more confident. Pitch-perfect, and you all hit the right notes. Wonderful.”
They beamed.
“Just more…feeling, is needed,” Ms. Tempi told us. “You need to feel the song to sing it better. Got it?”
“Yes,” we chirruped.
When we got up to go for three-hour school, Tana tugged on my sleeve. I turned to look at her.
“Did I do okay?” she whispered.
I nodded. “You did. You’re fine. I think you got nerves.”
She sighed. “It’s just…all of this is so new for me, I don’t know why I’m shy around people, but confident on stage.”
“Wow,” I said, “That is strange.”
Tana was worried. Her fingers wrapped my hand. I locked them with her.
Our teacher who taught us was Mrs. Henson. She had experience of teaching all of our subjects, and she was good in every single one. Our first lesson was in English, the class which I left to change my whole life. For a minute, my eyes went watery, and it was going to be hard to stop the tears. But Wylie was next to me, and she patted my arm. I smiled at her. She nodded, and smiled back. Elijah gave me a thumbs-up.
My life could be the same, if I got the right people with me. And Wylie and Elijah were the ones.
5. A Two-Way Game
After a nutritious lunch, we realised that we had a break, and then dance practice. So, we decided to play a physical game, and the ball I had in my pack worked in it.
I heard it was a tradition to play it during breaks in Jr. Pop, and we needed not one but two balls to do so. I grumbled about having the right tools, but then Thomas opened his bag and pulled out another ball. We grinned at each other. The rest of us pumped our fists in the air.
The game was what I called ‘a two-way game’. Basically, everyone had to stand in a circle, and two people had to hold two balls. They need to be on the opposite places of the circle. Then, they should pass the balls around in opposite directions. If someone breaks the pattern, they’re out. We added an extra challenge: to sing any of the Jr. Pop songs while doing the passing. We modified our ‘tradition’.
Tom and I put our balls down on the ground and motioned everyone to form a circle. When we were done, both of us picked the balls again.
“What song?” Tana raised her hand.
“‘Best Time Ever’!” We chorused.
I passed my ball to Tamira, who was on my right, while Thomas passed his ball to Wylie, who was on his left. We started singing and we were soon happily prancing from foot to foot giving and taking the spheres.
“ I'm gonna have the best time ever
Gonna have the best time ever
I’m gonna have the best time ever
Hey-oh, hey-oh
I’m gonna have the best time ever
Gonna have the best time ever
I’m gonna have the best time ever
Hey-oh, hey-oh!”
I didn’t see in the fun, but I swore I saw Mr. Bowers pop in the Viewing Room (where we were playing) to check on us. He smiled and chuckled to himself, stroking his grey beard.
Every so often, he’s like that.
6. Cool Chemistry
We had dance practice with Ms. Gwen after our break. She was super athletic, and she was awesome at stunts and most of the ballet stuff Wylie, Tana and Tamira do. We had a fun warm-up session with her, exercising to the song ‘Cake By The Ocean’. After that, we had an unexpected surprise waiting for us.
“It’s time you pick your dance partners," Ms. Gwen said.
I just looked around at my friends. I was fine with anyone, but my top hopes were either Elijah, Wylie, or Tana.
I saw my best friends talk to her. She was looking a bit trembly during warm-up, but whatever they told her seemed to have calmed her down. Then, they came to me.
"We told Tana that you could be her partner," Elijah said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because we're teaming up. So that Tana gets some space and feels better," Wylie said, "Until Tom and Tam make things up with her. You can understand her better than we all can. You know…"
I nodded. Everyone knew about Tana's backstory. However, it helped.
They waved and strutted over to another section of the dance room.
Tana walked over to me. "Hi."
"Hey."
“So, can we do the stunts?”
I nodded. “But the first thing I don’t know, is why we need partners.”
“Yeah,” she agreed.
We stood still, thinking. Then, I clapped my hands.
“We’ll just start.”
We practiced a couple of handstands, and worked on our flips and aerials. Then, we practiced dances on a few songs, especially my favourite, ‘The Git Up’. Tana wasn’t lousy in her steps unlike what Tamira said. She was far from it. She was so energetic that I had to put more power in my moves to catch up. We didn’t notice that everyone stopped their revision and turned to look at us. After the song was done, Tana and I slapped each other high-fives. We were both exhausted. I looked around and saw Tom, Tam, Elijah and Wylie staring at me, and I immediately blushed scarlet. Tana pulled her black locks to hide her face.
“What cool chemistry you two had!” Ms. Gwen, had, no doubt, seen our ‘performance’, and was giving her feedback. “I was right to see you as partners. Wonderful work!”
And whenever anyone had to describe our dance, ‘cool chemistry’ was all they needed to do it.
7. The ‘Independence’ Challenge
As we were packing up to go home after a really jolly first day, Mr. Bowers called for an urgent meeting in his office. We all started to worry when he announced through his loudspeaker in the reception. Tom and Tam started shivering, Wylie had a concerned look on her face, Elijah was muttering a prayer underneath his breath and I stood still, taking short breaths. Tana was scared too and dug her fingernails in my hand.
When we stepped inside, Mr. Bowers threw some sleeping bags at us. Confused, we caught them and handed them back to him, but he smiled and shook his head.
“No, kids! I’m telling you, keep them.”
“Why?” I asked.
His bushy beard shook in happiness. “It’s part of the challenge! I’m doing an independence challenge where you get to sleep over at the studio.”
“Here?” Elijah asked, elated.
He nodded. “Yes, Elijah! Now, pair up, take these bags here and search a good place to hatch your survival plan. Your parents sent your pyjamas to have a party with, so grab ‘em. One rule: you can’t snitch the food!”
“Awww!” we moaned.
“No exceptions. However, you can enjoy breakfast here!”
That let out a cheer.
We left excitedly, picking up our nightclothes from the wardrobe. We even made our pairs: Tom was with Elijah, Wylie and Tamira would have a girls’ night and I took Tana as my partner.
“Let’s hunt!” Tamira said.
Our pairs went in different directions. Only me and Tana were left, we wondering where to go.
“I have an idea,” I whispered to her. She looked excited, and leaned in to hear.
I grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs of the studio, then reached a room in where we played the two-way game before: the viewing room. What was special about it, was the fact that it had a huge glass window covering one wall. The other three walls were wood, and the floor was having a mat. Sofas were spread alongside. Still holding her hand, I seated Tana next to the window on the floor, slid in alongside her, and pointed to it. Outside, it was a whole glowing skyline of NYC. Tall skyscrapers and huge buildings stood before us.
“This is what we’re going to sleep next to,” I said.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, touching the glass and staring outside, her bright eyes reflecting the neon light from the buildings.
I turned to smile at her. “I’m glad you liked it.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.” She sounded like as if she was in a daydream.
“Come on, we need to set up the bags,” I said tugging her arm. She nodded and turned away to help me with the arrangement.
I put my sleeping bag next to the window, in the middle. Tana nodded, but there was some sadness in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
“I hope you don’t mind, but…” She pointed to my bag. “I want to sleep there.”
I held out my hand. “Go ahead. It’s all yours.”
I pushed the other bag next to it. I decided to ask Mr. Bowers when we would be having dinner, but Tana tugged at my sleeve.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Can I stay here?”
“Of course you can. I’m going to talk to Mr. B. I’ll see if we can go for some food.”
She probably wasn’t listening, but I didn’t mind. As long as she’s happy, I thought. Tana’s been through a lot.
As I walked out of the room, I wondered about what else I hadn’t discovered. I remembered about the marks on her forearm, but she didn’t bring it up. I whistled a jovial tune to myself, when I heard voices in a room. The voices were familiar. Very familiar.
“We haven’t told her yet.”
I jumped. It was Thomas and Tamira! They were talking about someone else, though. In the props room.
“We can’t lie to her, Tam, I’m telling you.”
I leaned against the door to listen to the conversation.
“We have to tell Tana! All of this is for her. She’ll finally get away from those rabid relatives of hers.”
What’s going on?
“Trevor, Elijah, Wylie; none of them trust us.” It sounded like Tamira.
“So? We can tell Mr. Bowers.”
“He doesn’t trust us either. Why did we film the pranks, Tom! Our last resort also doesn’t seem to work.”
“How much money do we need to collect to pay for the bills?”
What bills? Aren’t those grown-ups’ work?
“I don’t know. Maybe we should just tell Mr. B,” Thomas was saying, “If he understands, we’ll have Tana in a better family. Where do you reckon she’s been staying if the aunt and uncle don’t let her in the house?”
“The studio. In the viewing room.”
“Exactly. If we get these done, she’ll be happy.”
“Isn’t she already?”
“Well, Trevor’s doing that. I owe him one. He’ll be glad about this too.”
“Enough. First step of Plan A, we go to Mr. B. But after dinner. We need to keep this a secret.”
My knees went weak. I felt sick. Even though I should’ve listened, I was freaking out too much to do so. I stumbled down the hallway to Mr. Bower’s office and rapped my knuckles on the door. He opened it and was startled to see me in a condition worse than nausea.
“Trev! What’s going on? Are you all right?”
I sighed, and managed to stand up straight again.
“Sir, I need to tell you something.”
8. A HUGE Confession
After dinner, Mr. Bowers explained everything to me, that Tom and Tam have been working on the case since they came, and that they moved Tana in to stay until they solved the case. How many lies has she told me?
As I got in my sleeping bag, I wondered how long Tana had been sleeping in here, in a sleeping bag, every day. She saw a NYC skyline everyday. I felt a tinge of jealousy, but it tittered out. Now, just sadness. I wished she had told me before.
But I stayed put. My body tingled, and I sunk down inside. I fell into a deep sleep, but I had a nightmare, and it was really scary.
New York was in the middle of an earthquake, and I was running for my life, away from the studio, which was about to crash on me. I ran away, a good distance far. Then, I heard a voice call from behind me.
“Trevor!”
I turned around wildly. The sound was from Tana!
“I’m coming!”
I raced towards the voice, then found Tana half stuck in a hole in the ground. I grabbed her hand and tried to pull her out, but she was badly wedged inside. I tried to lift her out by locking my hands under her arms, but it was no use. Then, a block she was standing on gave way, and she fell, calling out my name helplessly.
“NO!” I screamed, then my dream finished.
It was shocking, and I decided to turn to one side and have another dream, but someone grabbed my shoulder. I woke up, drenched in sweat, wondering if a band of marauders had come to snatch me away. But it was Tana.
“W-what’s wrong?” I asked, turning to look at her.
Her face was flushed, and she was sweating too. “I want to tell you something.”
I sat up and stared at her. “What do you want to tell?”
“My whole life, not leaving any detail.” Her voice shook.
With that, I knew that Tana was nervous about the huge decision she was going to make.
While she talked, her voice cracked and shook, like she was speaking earthquake. I touched her hand, but even that didn't calm her down, because it was shaking too. So I tried something else.
"Give me both of your hands," I said to her.
"W-why?" She asked.
"Just do it."
She reluctantly held them out. I took them again, feeling any signs of relaxation. None. I then clasped her palms together and covered them protectively, gently massaging them.
"What are you doing?" Tana asked, this time a bit stable.
"It's something my mother does if I felt nervous," I told her, "It calms me down."
I leaned in a bit.
"Now tell me everything."
…
“I was born here, and my parents, according to my relatives, were simple but happy people,” Tana said, her hands in mine, “But then came the time when they were riding in a car, on a round around the city. Then, there came a truck, and it hit the car…and…”
It was too sad to consider. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes. I scooted closer to her.
“But then, my aunt and uncle took me in, according to the law. I was supposed to do all the chores and finish menial duties. I was doomed.”
“Go on,” I said.
“And, well, I found time to squeeze in school, and record my MVs, and audition. But they noticed and…hurt…me…physically.
She showed me her forearm, the one where the three angry red lines stayed like scars. I gingerly fingered them. She flinched whenever I went in a deep spot.
“Do those hurt?” I asked.
“Every day. They do it if things aren’t things which I caused, especially bad ones. One whiplash each night.”
I looked at her sadly. “I wish I could help.”
“Don’t feel bad. I’ve been able to handle them.”
I wanted to tell her about what I heard in the props room, but I thought about Tam’s words: We need to keep this a secret.Maybe she was right. If Tana doesn’t know, it won’t complicate things.
Tana turned away, her hands slipping from mine. She stared at the skyline beyond the window.
“I’ve never seen it though,” she whispered, “if you think that. New York looks pretty in neon. I sleep too early.”
She crawled back to her bag, and squeezed in. Soon, she was fast asleep. I looked outside, wondering what was going on in that vast, futuristic world of my city. I looked back at Tana again.
She was feeling restless. I went over to her and saw her in a heap, her eyes staring out, looking frightened. I patted her arm, then went back to my bag and crawled in, coming to rest.
Maybe she’s fine. Maybe she isn’t. Whatever it is, we were going to help her.
9. Video Shoot!
“Jr. Pop!”
That was the shout of Mr. Bowers as his voice rang out in the viewing room, when we were playing the two-way game. He had a surprise announcement to make, and we were all excited.
“After your dance practice, report to the wardrobe and makeup room. Got it? Ms. Gwen will tell you when to leave. I have nothing more to say. Off you go! End of your break.”
We checked the time and realised that our two-way game had to be ceased. We headed down to the dance room, where Ms. G was waiting for us.
“Now, you all remember the signature move for the song?” she asked us.
Everyone nodded. We even performed it to convince her. It worked.
“Good. As usual, start with the dance practice. Later, do the ‘Ocean Eyes’ dance step three times. End of that, and class is dismissed.”
When we finished everything to do in her instructions, Ms. Gwen waved us off. We were wondering what was going to happen in the H&M division.
Mr. and Mrs. Bowers were both there. They were standing next to the huge wardrobe.
“What’s going on?” Elijah asked.
Our director gestured to Tana. “Open it.”
She grabbed the handles and pushed the doors. Inside were not our official Jr. Pop costumes, but there were more specific ones.
In one section, there were shirts, coats and vests, complete with pants or trousers, hanging on a rod. In the other section, tops, tees, tights and skirts were dangling from cloth handles. There were all in shades of blue, and the mic logo was stitched on the upper-layer clothes, in the left corner.
“W—what are these?” I asked, touching a nice T-shirt and thumbing the stitches.
“Your new costumes for the ‘Ocean Eyes’ music video.” Mrs. Bowers sounded proud, like she had designed and stitched the clothes herself.
“These are beautiful!” Tamira was practically hyperventilating.
“You need to try them on today,” said Mr. Bowers, “as they have to be tweaked today itself in case anything doesn’t fit.” He gestured to the hallway. “The changing rooms are there.”
We went there, and tried the costumes on. They weren’t itchy or too tight. They fit perfectly. Then, we all came out, and we admired each other’s costumes.
“So good,” Wylie said, pointing to her top. It looked really pretty, and the colour was such that it matched her pale blue eyes.
“Yeah.” Elijah was spinning in his clothes. “Best getup ever.”
“You need to get your hair done.” Mrs. Bowers was right there. She beckoned us into the makeup section. Six hairstylists were standing in there. They smiled at us.
“We need to get a good style to see you on the screen. The girls, especially. It’s our first music video with you six, and frankly, we don’t want to mess this up.”
I nodded. “I’m ready for literally anything.”
Elijah, Thomas and I sat in three chairs, facing the mirror. The girls sat in three other chairs.
The hairstylist I was assigned was genius when it came to my hair. It was all straight and flat, and angled in one direction, like most normal boys do. Only difference? I’m not normal.
Once he was done, my hair was all the same, except he trimmed the sides, and they’re really small in size I could run my hand over it and not mess it up.
Elijah and Tom had done the same, despite us having different hairstyles.
But when I saw Wylie, Tamira and Tana, now I knew why Mr. Bowers was so intent on having our hairstyles done.
Wylie had her hair done in two plaits, each one tied by a camouflaging gold band. On both ends. There were a few water droplet clips pinned to her hair on the top. Tamira had her hair done in cute ponytails, and they were shaking in the air with excitement. Tana’s hair was pinned to the top in buns, the rest of her black strands normally hanging. Now what did we need to do?
“You’re all looking perfect! Now, stand there so that we can click a picture. Come on!” Mrs. Bowers said, moving us to one side.
Everyone pulled out their phones and took photos of us. From every angle. After that, me and the guys went to change into our original clothes, while the girls had the hairstylists remove their buns and plaits and ponytails.
We rushed downstairs to the outside. Since it wasn’t four yet, we brought a pack of cards from Mr. B’s office and started playing. Wylie almost always won all of the games, but it was fun to defeat her every once in a while. After what seemed like five long games, we quit and started walking around the studio. Tana and I were playing in the spindly red and black chairs.
“Seems like hope isn’t lost yet,” she said, smiling at me. “We’re going to shoot the video tomorrow, I think.”
I nodded. “Maybe. But the costumes were great. Blue against a red or an orange or a yellow background—that’s why the costumes were designed like that.”
She sighed, and changed the subject. “I finally feel…at ease here. But…there’s the point. My aunt and uncle tricked everyone into thinking I’m a no-good troublesome orphan. I don’t know how they’ll react when they see me in the music video.”
“That’s not true.” I stopped spinning to look at her.
“It is, Trevor. People don’t like me,” she whispered, “No one looks at me at all. I’m plain, shy, quiet. I can’t be seen at all. I wish I never had these bangs. They make me look even plainer.”
I took her hand. “I—I don’t think that’s the case.”
Tana looked at me, her eyes tearful. “What is it?”
“Don’t even care about what people say. Be yourself. Show the world what you got. I know you better than the girl who escaped from her cracked relatives.”
She sniffled. “Okay.”
“Plus, you look beautiful. I’d bet my allowance on that.”
“Really? Or is it just because we’re friends?”
I hugged her. “No. Really.”
She smiled and squeezed back, then released. “We better get going.”
I nodded, then picked up my pack. I thought back to the secret conversation Tom and Tam were having.
What kind of bills did they need to pay? And why does it involve Tana?
…
“This is it!”
The next day, Mr. Bowers had Ms. Tempi dismissed our vocal class early for a special meeting, which held a surprise, much bigger than the costumes.
“We’re shooting ‘Ocean Eyes’!”
We erupted in cheers. Mr. Bowers gave us the command to change our clothes into our fresh ‘ocean’ costumes. The girls had their hair done and all of us had some makeup work finished. We had creams and powders slathered on our faces. Tana, Tamira and Wylie had eye liner, lipstick and blush put on their faces. When we were done, we looked at each other, and felt this pride rise upon all of us. We headed to the huge set in the studio. We practiced our steps with Ms. Gwen—she was present there.
Once the setup was done, we sat on benches near the props. Tana and I sat together.
“I can’t believe it,” she whispered, covering my hand with hers. “We’re finally shooting.”
I slid my hand out from underneath hers and took it. “Me too.”
“We’re at a stage where we can’t back out now.” She looked at me, eyes wide in happiness. “We’re officially the new J-Pop Kids, Trevor. There’s no way we can’t do this.”
“Are you nervous?” I asked her.
“More excited. But in the excitement I might mess up.”
“Don’t think of that.”
She sighed, then moved closer to me.
“There are going to be many takes. And they’ll be fine. It’s how any movie, TV show, or music video is made.” I put an arm around her shoulders.
Tana nodded.
I saw that Mr. Bowers was calling everyone to order. Both of us stood up and walked to where he was signalling.
“Get on the set! Jr. Pop, on the set!”
“On it!” I heard Tamira shout.
But everyone was waiting at the edge for some reason. Tana and I went to join them.
“What’s going on?”
Thomas peered at us from the line. “Join all the way! One step for a kid, one giant leap for kid power!”
I linked arms with Tana on my left and Tamira on my right.
“Three…two…one…” Elijah was counting down.
After one, we all jumped on to the green mat of the set. We released and whooped and cheered, thrusting our hands in the air.
We took our respective positions. I stood near Tana, as we had to dance with our partners.
The cinematographers were going to shoot from a distance, like we used to do with our EliTreLie and 3Ts videos. But, they might start shooting close-ups a little later in the video.
When we started shooting, my heart was beating so fast it became a buzz. Either it was trying to pump blood into my head to focus, or just because I was nervous. I sang well and danced well, and soon the shooting was done. We had only one or two takes to do, and they were done neatly. Mr. Bowers said that the whole video will only be complete when we finished recording the song. But the job was done in a day, because we went to the ‘rec-room’, as we called it, and practiced the song beforehand. Then, we went inside and stood near wire mesh that covered the mic in front of us. Ms. Tempi told us to stay close to the mesh, for then our voices were going to be heard that way. We nailed the song in one go, so Mr. Bowers went out and came back to the studio with Mickey D’s takeout: fresh veggie burgers with a side of fried chicken. All of us ate meat, and so, we dug ourselves into the warmth of celebration.
Our director cleared his throat, then he gestured to us.
“You guys did a wonderful job. Even when taken by surprise. I must say, you kids are darn ready for the new album: Jr. Pop 35!”
We again broke out in whoops and cheers. Elijah even said the punch-shooting-line every JP kid says the end of a song, “It’s a wrap!”
We were happy the whole time in the studio, until someone banged on the door.
Wylie, Elijah, Thomas, Tamira, Tana and I spun around.
Who was here in the middle of the evening?
10. Crazily Cracked Cripples
“Tana!”
There was a voice that shouted her name. I protectively reached for her hand.
Two burly figures stepped in front of us. One of them was wearing a dirty brown cotton smock over her, her hair tied up in a bun that seemed really similar to that of a sumo wrestler’s. Well, probably because the two looked like them. The other person was wearing a fat shirt and trousers, his piggy little eyes squinting hard at us.
“Who are you?” Mrs. Bowers asked, in a tone that said: I’m in charge.
“Later ‘bout that, lady,” the woman said, spinning around to face me. I was next to Tana on the table. The woman pointed a grubby and fat finger at her.
“What’re you doin’ here, blister! You gotta scrub the floors of the kitchen! Up now, and leave the dining mustards here.”
Tana meekly bobbed her head. “I—I’m sorry—Aunt Marge.”
We all gasped. “It’s the Monites!” I cried out.
“I wish we never let her in this screeching group of demented monkeys,” muttered Mr. Monite.
Wylie’s eyes turned into slits. Her brows mashed together in anger. Elijah, Thomas and Tamira were with her.
“He did not just say that,” I muttered through gritted teeth.
But I think Wylie’s limbs were faster than her brain. “Bring it on, sandy marshmallows.”
I knew exactly what was going to happen. In one minute, I pushed everyone to her side. Wylie and I locked eyes. She nodded. Do it, I mouthed.
Then, she aimed a flying kick—right in the Monites’ sumo-like tummies. They buckled in agony. I knew they weren’t giving up without a fight, but the distraction was worth it. I pulled Tana to her feet. We ran for a secret doorway I found a few days ago and went outside. I knew I left my pack, but at this time, it didn’t matter. We found a rent-a-tandem stand; we couldn’t really run to my house from here. The man saw us, gasped, and handed us a bike.
“Seems like you need to get somewhere fast? On the house,” he said. I nodded.
“Thanksalotandhaveagoodday!” Tana shouted from behind her shoulder as we climbed onto the seats and balanced ourselves firmly. We both stomped our feet on the pedals and sped up the road to my home.
When we reached my #13 of my neighbourhood, I glanced behind my shoulder to take a look at Tana’s home. The Monites weren’t there. Good. I hastily shoved her inside. “Go, go, go!”
I slammed the door and locked it with a click, then turned towards her. Tana was looking around warily. Mom was still at the court, and Angela planned to sleep over at her friend’s place. I took Tana inside my room and closed that door too.
“Are we safe here?” She asked.
I nodded, eyeing the window. “Yeah. They won’t come looking for us. Wylie and the team is keeping them at bay.”
“I wish I told you about this sooner.” She sounded sorry.
I took both of her hands. “It’s not your fault.”
She sat next to me on my bed, then rolled up her sleeve to show the three red marks. She winced in pain, gasping a little.
I was alarmed. “What happened?”
“They whipped me yesterday,” she whispered softly. “They wanted to punish me for getting into Jr. Pop.”
Now I wanted to cry. I wanted to cry and regret everything. I wished I could’ve done something to help. But I didn’t want to start the ruckus in front of Tana, who was looking around warily.
She inched closer to me. “I’m happy here, Trevor. That’s not the problem. I want to get away from them. They don’t have any heart towards me. I…wish…there was some way…” She looked like she was about to start blubbering quite fast.
I hugged her tightly. “No, that’s not gonna happen. You’ll find a great home, rest assured. I just now want you to be okay.”
When I got a text from Wylie that said she had kicked the crippled Monites out of the studio, I started to wonder where Tana should spend the night, because she would meet a nasty and dangerous shock if she went back to her home.
“Don’t worry.” She must’ve read my mind, because she opened my room’s door and stepped out. “I’ll be alright. I’m staying at the studio.”
I nodded. “Okay. Be safe.”
Tana nodded, leaving the room. I heard her outside, ringing a bell on a bike and cycling away, away, away, down the road. I texted everyone to come home immediately. Lying down on my bed, I looked out the window on the side.
Tana needed to get adopted. But when?
11. Seriously?
“Check this out!” Wylie said when we were eating lunch. She held up her tablet with the company’s YouTube channel opened. And our latest upload: ‘Ocean Eyes’ Official Music Video. We stared at the view count, and our jaws dropped.
“One million?” I blinked hard, trying to think this was a joke. “That couldn’t happen!”
Mr. Bowers chuckled. “I guess I wouldn’t be surprised. You kids are famous already! Surely you would be as a team named Jr. Pop!”
“‘Ocean Eyes’ was one of the best songs by Billie Eilish. Why wouldn’t it be as a J-Pop song, guys?” Tana said.
I laughed. “You’re right! Come on, a toast to 35!”
Everyone raised their glasses of lemonade. “To 35!”
Whooping with joy, we settled back down into our chairs. I smiled at everyone on the table. Wylie and Elijah were laughing, and Tana was happily talking to Mrs. Bowers. Even Thomas and Tamira had changed in just one week and were nudging Tana to tell her about their feelings.
Could just one successful video change all of that?
Maybe. Maybe not. But all I knew is, that we were going to change history. I knew that many things will happen behind the behind-the-scenes. Many things. Maybe friendships form. Bonds break. A whole lot of things involving goofing up and being super-serious might occur. But I know of one thing though.
We were going to be prepared for what’s coming.
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