(There's a fucking heatwave in my city. My brain is lting away. Soone throw inside a fridge!)
[Edward POV]
"Ed. You're scaring us." Mitchell said after I wouldn't stop smirking and burst out into laughter at inappropriate tis while recording the songs.
With a grin sculpted on my face, I turned to look at Mitchell before I bursted into laughter once more. "Muahahaha!" I laughed madly as I kept hearing the sound of coins falling into my pocket throughout the day after I knew the Flappy Bird ga would be a financial success.
There's more than 1000 reviews of the ga right now – mostly being orchestrated from my fan club, but the ga has gotten a 4.8 star review on both of the platforms.
Pepper showed a soft smile and admonished Mitchell, "Why are you bothering him? It's obvious that he's feeling so happy he couldn't hide it right now."
"Ka-ching bitches!" I muttered before laughing madly once more.
Mitchell shakes his head before turning his attention to Lily instead.
[Mitchell's comntary.]
He looked around the room to make sure Cam wasn't around before saying, "So. I know what he and Haley did."
"I thought he liked her. But today, I was surprised when I finally realized who Edward's true love really is..."
"It's Money." Mitchell said while gesturing money with his fingers.
He then smiled and said, "Of course. I'm just kidding. But Haley still needs to be careful around him. With the way she spoke about him, I know for sure she would be ready to give it up to him at any ti.."
Mitchell stopped in the middle of his sentence and muttered, "...I should teach her about birth control." He widened his eyes as he realized what he had done. "I...Shouldn't have said that."
[Comntary ends]
Today as I worked on my music, Cam chid in here and there to try and give tips about the songs I recorded for the first ti here.
"Okay. But what if I do this?" I said while doing the sa exact thing I did before he gave the tip.
He smiled brightly and said, "That's better. You're lucky I'm here-"
"There's no consultation fee for a ddling middle aged man." Pepper interjected.
"MIDDLE-AGED MAN!?" Cam let out an offended gasp before he retorted, "If I'm middle aged, you're a grandpa!"
Pepper gasped too, but their conversation was annoying , so I chid in, "For . All of you are middle aged n. You guys belonged to a generation two levels higher than mine."
Mitchell, Pepper and Cam all let out an offended gasp. Mitchell said, "I'm only one level higher. I'm wayyyyy younger than these guys."
"By 4 years. Calm down Mitchell." Cam retorted.
"Please Mitchell. There's no way you're a millennial unless you think about killing yourself everyday. And Gen Z like wouldn't care about the facts anyway. So all Gen X please get out of here so that I can finish my job."
I chased them all out before finishing the recording for the song 'Before You Go.'
"For Sothing Just Like This, I need EDM....But is that a genre that I want to dip my foot into?"
Suddenly, the trio barged into the room again, strutting their walk as they wanted to make things clear with .
"WE'RE NOT OLD!" Mitchell said as he was selected as the group's representative.
"I an...older than . You guys still have so good years ahead of you." I said casually.
"If we were at a bar, young people would co to us. So we're not that old." Cam interjected. I stared at him with a deadpan face before saying, "You just said 'young people.' Sooo...."
"So we're NORMAL...aged people." Mitchell intercepted.
"Sure.' Normal aged'. I think that's a thing... sowhere, probably... Maybe lol ." I replied with a sarcastic teasing, making them all angrier than before.
Before they could spiral any further, I said, "There's a simple test to see which generation of people you are-"
""DO IT!""
"Okay. But first, answer this. When you go to a bar, and find a stranger sitting on your seat after you co back from the bathroom, what do you do?"
"Ummm..." Mitchell struggled to find the answer, but Cam was confident in his answer, "Simple. Talk to them-"
Pepper cupped Cam's mouth quickly before he said dramatically, "Can't you see? The question is the test. THIS is ALLLLL....a trap!"
I smirked at Pepper's quick-wittedness before allowing them to think about the answer.
"Co on. I don't have all day."
"Mitchell...You answer..." Pepper nudged his chin toward Mitchell while he kept his hand on Cam's mouth to prevent him from destroying their chance.
"Ummm....Ahhhhh....Mmmm... I will just ignore them and find a new seat?"
I widened my eyes and said, "That's surprisingly Millennial-like."
"YES!" Mitchell exclaid in excitent while Cam was finally released by Pepper.
"Why is that the answer? Why can't we go talk to them and find out their story? They may be private detectives that co to town to find soone." Cam asked.
"What are you imagining Cam? The question just ntioned a stranger. There's no backstory here."
Cam was offended by Mitchell and said to , "Okay. Mitchell's answer wasn't because he's young, but he has avoidance issues. He will also avoid talking to an acquaintance if we et them on the streets."
"CAM!" Mitchell exclaid in bewildernt. I laughed at them and asked them, "Next question. What drink do you order at the bar?"
""" Cherry Daiquiri""" All three of them answer at the sa ti.
"Wait, the question cannot be used for you guys. Forget you guys are gay." I said while they laughed at .
"Okay last question. How much ti do you spend on the internet a day?" I asked.
"Hmmm....For , 1 hour for leisure surfing." Mitchell replied. I turned to Cam and he answered, "I'm basically on the phone all the ti-"
"Not connecting with you friends. But opening websites such as sites, reading articles, playing gas, and other similar stuff. Not for faking human connection."
Cam thought for a while before he answered, "None then. I get my gossip from the magazines and newspapers."
"Sa here, but I also can get first hand gossip from my friends in the New York Tis. Do you know Lady Gaga is going to be guest starring on Gossip Girl?"
"WHAT. NO WAY?!" Mitchell exclaid and was absorbed in the gossip before he realized I was smirking at them.
"We failed the test huh."
"Yup."
I saw they were saddened by it, and a light bulb suddenly lit up inside my mind.
Pepper asked knowingly, the edge of his lips curled upward, "Why are you smirking?"
"Nothing." I replied as I covered my mouth.
"You got an inspiration...didn't you?" Cam asked with so anticipation in his eyes.
"...Uhh....No?"
"HE DID! HE WAS INSPIRED BY US. THE OLDER GUYS!" Pepper announced to the rest of the studio. The band laughed at us before all of them were looking at with anticipation.
I sighed and said, "Okay. I will sing it only once. Also, this song will be for the next album, not this one. We already have more than 18 songs for this one."
"18? How...Wait... Let count." Pepper said as he raised his hands up to count with his fingers.
"We had 6 songs at the beginning. Grenade, Toxic, It Will Rain, Amnesia, 7 years, The Lazy Song."
Cam added, "Then, after he ca to our house, he sang 'Photograph.' So that makes it 7."
" and My Broken Heart. Believer. Two Is Better than One. Before You Go. Sothing Just Like This. These songs are from his concert." Mitchell helped.
"Yeah. So we have twelve. He sang one song each to the girls he's flirting with. Rhythm of Love, Count On , and Just The Way You Are. So we now have 15. What are the other 3? Did you flirt with another 3 girls?" Pepper asked.
"I'm not flirting with either though." I said without aning it. They ignored my statent and asked again, "What are the other 3?"
"Well I sang one to Taylor before, but it's not because I'm flirting with her-"
"As if." Pepper snarked, making lose my words.
"Anyway. I got another one called Whatever it Takes (Imagine dragon). I wrote that one when I was 10. I have no evidence for that claim though as I threw out all of my journals when my birth giver left my ho."
"Birth giver?" Mitchell asked in confusion.
"Yeah." I replied casually, not wanting to continue that topic.
[Pepper's comntary]
"I decided to put him into therapy in the sumr." Pepper said with concern etched into his facial expression.
[comntary ends]
"Let's hear the songs then!" Pepper said in excitent. I raised one finger at him, and he let out a sigh as he saw I will not budge today. "Okay. Just one song....Only one!" I said decisively.
"You hear that Lily, 'Bed' is going to sing a song." Cam said to the baby in an affectionate tone.
I smiled and said, "Give half an hour to teach the band."
...
The audience watched performing the song through the glass wall while being thoroughly absorbed in my song creation. Well, all of them except Lily of course. Cam put sound dampener headphones on Lily's ears as the music would get a bit loud for a performance. That way, she could enjoy the song without it damaging her ears.
I stood in the middle of the band while holding the microphone stand with both arms.
"This one's for the young guys!" I said teasingly before starting. The drumr dropped the beat and I gently swayed at the lody.
[FUN - We are young]
The addictive drum beats made Cam turned to Mitchell and said in excitent, "My entire body is excited. See...Goosebumps are rising from my skin, and the song hasn't started yet."
"Shhhh. Don't speak to you rascals." Pepper admonished Cam imdiately.
"??Give a second I...I need to get my story straight..."
I pointed at my head lazily as my body swayed with the beat. After I got the dance talent, my movents beca more natural whenever I needed to do a performance.
"??My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State...??"
"I'm sorry...What?" Pepper asked in disbelief. "Pepper. It's about us. He's just imagining a situation....I hoped." Cam said to defend and mumbled his last sentence only for himself to hear.
"Maybe he's imagining Leo." Pepper said with so disgust.
As if I was telling my story, I took off the microphone from the mic stand and walked around in the middle of the band.
"??My lover she's waiting for just across the bar??"
"??My seat's been taken by so sunglasses asking 'bout a scar, and...??"
Cam laughed and said, "I knew that guy had a story." Mitchell rolled his eyes contemptuously at Cam before focusing on the show.
"?? I know I gave it to you months ago...I know you're trying to forget...But between the drinks and subtle things...The holes in my apologies, you know...I'm trying hard to take it back...??"
The music slowed down and I walked to the glass wall to face the audience.
"??So if by the ti the bar closes....And you feel like falling down....I'll carry you ho...??"
I raised my index finger up in the air as I looked up before I sang.
"??Tonight~~~!!??"
"??We are young~~!!??"
"??So let's set the world on fire...We can burn brighter than the sun...??"
"HOLY MOSES!" Cam widened his eyes as he heard the chorus. He turned to the CEO, grabbed him by the shoulders and said, "Pepper. This needed to be put inside the alb- No. This needs to be released as a song for the singles. This will go viral for sure!"
"Unhand you country brute. You're wrinkling my suit!" Pepper said.
I didn't care about their reaction and continued.
"??Tonight~~!! We are young~~!! So let's set the world on fire...We can burn brighter than the sun...??"
The band mbers were extrely excited by the song and sohow managed to do it perfectly on their first try. All of us were unaware at the ti, but Leo had pressed the record button and was actually catching the whole song on tape as he thought I was preparing it for the album.
"??Now I know that I'm not...All that you got...I guess that I, I just thought...Maybe we could find new ways to fall apart...But our friends are back...So let's raise a cup...'Cause I found soone to carry ho...??"
Mitchell said, "I'm excited about the song. But should a 14 year old really sing about a scene at a bar? Did we point him in the wrong direction?"
Pepper and Cam were silent hearing Mitchell's opinion as they didn't know what to say.
"??Tonight~~!! We are young~~!! So let's set the world on fire...We can burn brighter than the sun...??"
"??Tonight~~!! We are young~~!! So let's set the world on fire...We can burn brighter than the sun...??"
The band sang the background choir, "Na Na Na Na Na Na Na NA"
"??Carry ho tonight (na na na na na na)
Just carry ho tonight (na na na na na na)
Carry ho tonight (na na na na na na)
Just carry ho tonight (na na na na na na)
The moon is on my side (na na na na na na)
I have no reason to run (na na na na na na)
So will soone co and carry ho tonight (na na na na na na)??"
"??The angels never arrived (na na na na na na)
But I can hear the choir (na na na na na na)
So will soone co and carry ho (na na na na na na)??"
"What should I tell Ted now?" Pepper closed his face with his left hand as he thought about the implications of the song.
"Yo-You could get soone to beco a ghostwriter. That way his rep won't get ruined." Mitchell threw out an unnecessary solution since No one in showbiz would care about it anyway.
"Hmmm...I will discuss it with Harvey." Pepper said as he had no trust in Mitch.
"Hey I'm a lawyer too!"
"??Tonight~~!! We are young~~!! So let's set the world on fire...We can burn brighter than the sun...??"
"??Tonight~~!! We are young~~!! So let's set the world on fire...We can burn brighter than the sun...??"
The lody slowed down, and I stood back behind the microphone stand.
"??So if by the ti the bar closes, And you feel like falling down...I'll carry you ho... tonight??"
The audience applauded at my performance and I walked calmly outside the room to hear what they thought about it.
Mitchell inhaled sharply and said with a grimace, "Weeeeelllll....The song is great...so great...but the lyrics..."
"Ahh..." I exclaid in realization as I understood what he ant. "Don't worry. That's just MTV's influence. You don't expect to actually be dead drunk at a bar and need soone to carry back right?"
"Not before the song. No." Pepper said with so hidden concern behind his tone.
...
[3rd Person POV]
"Congrats. Now he's not singing the song." Pepper said sarcastically towards Mitchell.
While avoiding Pepper's eyes, Mitchell said, "You're the one who asked him if he had gone drinking before. So don't put all the bla on ."
"Ugh. This sucks. That song is addictive. I could hear it being played at bars all over the country. Thanks a lot Mitchell." Cam added.
"It's not my fault!" Mitchell said in frustration.
"If only we had recorded it." Pepper exclaid. Leo was walking by at this ti, and he stopped when he heard Pepper's words.
"What's wrong mini boss? Did I forget to press record again? I'm pretty sure I did before."
The trio widened their eyes as they looked at the hippie. Pepper gripped both of Leo's shoulders and said, "Are you sure? You recorded it?"
"Yeah.I think. I didn't smoke...you know...for a few hours now. So...pretty positive."
Pepper released him and said in excitent, "Oh you high earth slling man. Now, I'm no longer thinking about firing you. Instead I am thinking about pushing you into a bath."
Leo sniffed his arm, but his nose had stopped working decades ago. He didn't notice anything wrong with his body odor, shrugged, and then left the room.
...
[Edward POV]
It was almost 11 pm when I arrived ho after a hard day of work at the recording studio. Mitch and Cam left at around 7 in the evening as they had other appointnts to get to.
Cam insisted on being there for the music video production, however he gave up after learning that the shooting was tomorrow.
"Sleep. Don't do anything else. I need you to be fresh for tomorrow. Are you sure you're bringing your own outfit?" Pepper asked after dropping off in front of the house.
"Yeah. I want to do it in my own style." I said. "You called the actress right?"
"Are you sure you want to go with Penny? I do get the impression that she's a sweet girl, but I don't think she is the best choice for the female lead." Pepper expressed his concerns.
"No need to get worried. She'll only co out for a few seconds. For so people, it would be hard for them to even catch her face." I said with a smirk.
"Hmmm... Okay then. It's your music video. Now. Go to sleep." Pepper said before stepping on his gas pedal and driving away.
I sighed and turned toward the front door. I still needed to check up on the ga for bugs or other reports. I took off my shirt as I entered the empty house. Dad would be back around 1 am, so I knew I had at least so ti to myself.
While I was walking with heavy steps toward my room, I suddenly heard soone giggling from inside it.
"What the hell?" I opened the door, only to find Haley sitting on my bed while talking to soone on her phone.
"Oh. he's here! I need to go!" Haley said excitedly before ending the call with Tara. "Uhh...why are you shirtless?" She asked as she finally realized it.
"The real question is, why are you here?" I asked, masking my confusion.
"Ah. I want to congratulate you for launching the ga. I have been here since 10. Had to sneak out of my house to be here." Haley said as she scooted off the bed and walked towards .
"Anyway. Congrats." She said as she gave a platonic hug.
"I haven't taken a bath all day." I said teasingly, expecting her to release her arms imdiately, but she said, "It's okay. You don't sll."
She finally released after half a minute and said, "I'll go ho now. You should go to sleep."
"I actually want to do a bit more work-"
"After working all day?!" Haley asked in shock. "You'll get burnt out. You should rest too, you know. You're still young, so you don't have to do everything by yourself."
I chuckled a bit and said, "I'm doing so more work."
I walked past her to open up my laptop but she grabbed my wrist from behind.
"You have the music video shoot tomorrow. So go get so rest!" She demanded. I got a bit irritated and I turned toward her. "What are you going to do if I don't? Will you cuddle with until I fall-"
"Yeah. I'll do that if you can get so rest." Haley said before I could finish my sentence. And even though I had run the sa simulation inside my mind thousands of tis, I still couldn't understand how we reached the next scene.
Haley was hugging my shirtless body on the bed. She was wrapping her arms tightly around as she pressed my head on top of her chest while singing a lullaby.
"Uhhhhhhhh...."
"Rockababa...How does it go again?" Haley asked. I chuckled a bit and said, "Okay. I'll go to sleep. You can go back to your place now ."
"No. I know that if I go away, you will just start working again the second I leave . So I'll stay here until you fall asleep."
I wouldn't do that. Not anymore, not after I saw her effort in trying to take care of .
"Okay. Then, I'll try to sleep now. So you should definitely stop singing."
"..."
After the initial embarrassnt, my tiredness took over my mind, and I fell asleep in her arms despite the fact that I only wanted to pretend to sleep in order to make her go away.
[Haley POV]
After cuddling with him for a while, I finally realized that he had fallen asleep.
"Even while asleep he is so pretty. Damn it." I let out a grunt as I played with his face. He didn't respond, so I was sure he wasn't faking his sleep. Although I could've released him and returned to my house right then and there, I decided to stay a little bit longer.
But then, he unconsciously moved in his sleep, reached out and wrapped his arms around before pulling close to his body.
"Oh damn it." I muttered using a whisper so as to not wake him up. "I'm not a body pillow!"
'Well. he'll release soon...right?' I thought as I buried my face in his bare chest.
Minutes passed by, and I didn't realize that my eyelids were getting heavier. And so, I fell asleep without even realizing it, while still inside the comfort of his arms.
...
[Ted POV]
For the longest ti, It had only been Ed and in the house. I knew that the loss of his mother had taken a toll on his ntal wellbeing , but Ed still pretended that he wasn't affected by it and kept masking his true feelings by putting on a steel face.
Pepper and I had a long talk after he called on the phone last night as soon as I got ho, and I finally realized that I couldn't put off Edward's psychological therapy any longer. He needed an outlet to express his feelings in a safe space.
After waking up from my short sleep, I walked to Edward's room to wake him up for today's shoot. God, I was willing to bet that my son was the busiest kid in California at the mont.
I turned the doorknob slowly and opened his door as usual. "Ed. Are you-" I paused as I saw he wasn't alone in the bed.
The light coming from the hallways made him open up his eyes, and his calm deanor broke for the first ti in a long...long ti as he saw the Dunphy's kid sleeping next to him. Haley opened her eyes abruptly as she heard my voice, and the two kids locked eyes with each other on the bed, only to realize that they were still hugging each other while they were sleeping.
"" AHHHHH!!!!"" Both of the kids scread at the sa ti andI felt a huge wave of relief wash over my entire body as I saw Edward's childish reactions.
"W-W-Why are you still here- DAD! This isn't what it looked like!"
He tried to convince , but I just couldn't wipe off my smirk at the mont.
"I'll give you guys so privacy. In the anti...work on your story. Make sure it's the sa one for when you try to explain this to other people." I said teasingly as I closed the door again. I heard the two kids scream again inside the room, and I chuckled as I walked to the kitchen.
"Teenagers." I exclaid. "Also...Haley huh..." I muttered as I rembered how comfortable Ed was around her. "Maybe...I can postpone his therapy...just a little bit longer."
I was excited to see what change Haley could bring in Edward as they were with each other, not realizing that they had an agreent to keep things platonic, and were already regretting their night together inside the room.
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