Just What I Needed (15)

Picture of Colton :) ---------------------------->



The next day, Keely was driven into the midst of Central Park for her photo shoot, she found that odd, but was happy they weren't in that empty warehouse again.


And though the snappy woman Demet was there, Keely was happy. It was a more relaxed setting, and she found herself laughing even more than usual.


Instantly she was strapped into a pair of tight leather pants, making her feel like Olivia Newton John, and an off white loose long sleeved shirt that left more than a few buttons loose at her chest. Everything was made better by the fact that she was given a guitar to pose with in front of the lake, it was a black Road Worn Stratocaster, she might have drooled if she wouldn't have gotten in trouble from the make up artist.


She'd been lusting after that very same guitar for months, it felt like the holy grail had been placed in her hands. Keely could literally recite the exact model: Road Worn 50's Stratocaster, Maple Fingerboard, Black. Yes, she'd wanted the guitar much more than what was healthy. But as it was about two thousand dollars, she'd just have to wait until she could pay for it herself and stick with the two old – but still beloved – guitars that had been her mother's, they were both fenders as well. What? They were a fender family.


But soon enough, Keely's short time in the modelling business was over for the day. To be truthful, she would hate to be a model. Yeah, she'd prefer to stay with music.


Though the moment she sat down in the car, her cell phone started ringing. Looking down, Keely saw Colton's face gracing the screen of her phone. After the rather awkward beginning, she actually like Colton and Marco, Seth was very iffy.


"Hey," she answered. "Oh, sorry, Dave. Just take me back to the hotel," she nodded to David.


"So you're done your photo shoot?" Colton asked.


"Uh, yeah," she answered plucking her songbook from her purse and flipping to a free page where she jotted down a verse she'd thought of during the shoot. It would need a lot of work, but Keely thought it had the bones to be a good song. "The shoot was in Central Park, it was actually pretty great. More relaxed than the other one, though the dragon lady was still dragging me everywhere and not letting me speak."


"Oh, well," the tone of his voice suggested a shrug. "It's mostly like that, so it's not like that's ever going to change. And since you're done the shoot, I was wondering what you were doing for lunch?"


"Why?" she enquired vaguely still writing the lyrics. "What are you doing?"


"Well, I'm heading down to practice with the guys, but I was wondering if you were doing anything for lunch. Because," he lengthened the word. "Someone I know, by the name of Marissa James, wants to meet the opening act for her tour and she's going out to grab pizza for lunch and was wondering if I could call you."


Rolling her eyes, Keely thought about the distaste she had been holding for Marissa James for so long and then shrugged. If she was going on tour with her, Keely was going to have to meet the girl eventually, why not bite the bullet? "Sure, just tell me where to go."


There was a smile as he answered.


Reciting the restaurant name to Dave, Keely leaned back and took three deep calming breaths.


She didn't really look like going out to lunch with the most popular, yet plain singer on the planet. But there was no time to go back to the hotel to change.


So Keely would be stuck in the navy blue straight-legged sweatpants, a black fitted tank top with a brown cropped leather jacket over top that had arrived with almost all of the rest of her tour clothes from Andy and black uggs.


"Thanks," Keely murmured, grabbing her purse and walking to the restaurant. "Marissa James," said she carelessly to the person at the front desk. She was actually starting to feel quite nervous about meeting the girl, she was going to have to deal with her for the next few months. Though she expected it, Keely hoped that Marissa wasn't going to be a typical Hollywood barbie girl.


"First of all," the girl snorted. "Marissa James isn't here, and I wouldn't let you near her if she was, you paparazzi are a pain in the ass."


But then someone grabbed Keely's arm, and dragged her to the side. "You're Keely Staub?" Keely barely had time to nod before the person started talking again.


"Get me and Keely a seat will you?" Marissa said to the girl who was suddenly gaping, but she barely gave her a glance. She touched Keely's hair interestedly, "Todd was right, you are really pretty, and you have great hair. I'm so excited that you're coming on tour, I mean, we need another girl around. I love your jacket, oh, have you ever been here? Oh, wait, you're new here, but you could have been to this restaurant anyways."


"Going to give me a chance to speak?" Keely laughed with an eyebrow raised, usually she hated when girls talked like that with the almost no breath fashion. But, oddly, in this case, Keely was surprisingly amused and found it almost endearing.


"Maybe not," Marissa giggled, hooking her arm through Keely's as they strolled towards there seat. "It happens when I'm nervous," she waved a hand carelessly. "And you know what, we almost match," she laughed again.


For the first time, Keely looked over Marissa's clothes. She was wearing sky blue sweatpants and light blue uggs, her hair was almost styled the same as Keely's as well, barely curving to the middle of their backs, though Keely was red while Marissa was blonde. She was also wearing a long white and grey vertically stripped tank top with a black one underneath to keep herself modest for her young fans with a grey sweatshirt open over top.



*



The lunch date actually went well, once again surprising Keely. Because she ended up to really like Marissa. Despite the words she had said, 'Marissa James can't sing, can't write her own music and is a spoiled brat'.


"So what are you doing for the rest of the day?" Marissa asked, hooking her arm through Keely's again as they walked out of the restaurant.


Shrugging, though feeling quite comfortable, Keely answered, "Nothing. I just had a photo shoot down at the park today, and I have the rest of the day free."


"I love it when the photo shoots are at places like that," Marissa sighed, her eyes going dreamy. But then she seemed to come back to the earth, "The reason I asked isn't for having nothing better to say, seriously. I was wondering if you wanted to go to the recording studio with me, I just have to lay down the vocals for a new song. And then we could go shopping, because I need a new outfit for this concert I'm going to tonight."


"Sounds great," Keely smiled, "What concert?"


"Oh, U2," she said easily, and then grinned at Keely's longing look. "And it just so happens that I have an extra ticket. So, what do you say about getting a new outfit for you as well."


"You couldn't keep me away," giggled Keely. "So do you want me to meet you at the studio?"


Pulling on her sunglasses, Marissa shook her head. "Why don't you just ride in my car? I mean we're going to the same place, might as well car pool. You know, going green and everything."


"Sounds good, I'll just tell Dave."



"Do you write your own songs?" Marissa asked when they got the recording studio.


"Ah, yes," Keely looked around. This was the first time she'd ever been in a recording studio, and she wanted take in everything. She was surprised to see a lack of anyone besides the two of them, but she was new and she wasn't about to question a person who had been doing this for so many more years than her. "My mom taught me how to sing and play when I was younger, but she never wrote her own songs. So, I guess that's kind of my thing."


"I haven't written a song since I was like five," she pursed her lips.


Holding back the question about if she really did like her music, Keely made an interested sound in the back of her throat. Suddenly a thought came to mind, what if it wasn't Marissa who chose her music? "Who's your agent?" she blurted.


"Uh, my dad," she muttered vaguely leaning over the panel of buttons that were like a mind map to Keely.


Feeling quite content about watching Marissa record the song - since she would have to be doing this in two days - Keely sat on one of the three chairs. In actuality, Keely was liking this arrangement. Marissa wasn't what she'd expected, and wasn't that just great? And now she had a girl friend in New York. Plus, while Marissa was laying down the vocals, Keely would get the chance to ponder over the mystery.


On one of the breaks where Marissa would come out for a drink, but mostly just to talk, because she could have had water inside the studio, she looked Keely straight in the eye. And said, "Have you recorded yet?"


"Ah, no," Keely said slowly. "But I'm going to be in the studio with Marco, Colton and Seth on Thursday."


"Time for a bases course," Marissa giggled. Confused, Keely watched as she grabbed two bottles of the water from the mini fridge.


"What are you doing?" she asked perplexed, but her last word was cut off short because Marissa grabbed her hand and pulled her through the door into the sound and out of the technical room.


"I think I'll let you take this one," Keely backed up.


Grabbing her arm, Marissa pulled her back up towards the mike. "No way, you can't be afraid of this, because you're going on tour."


"I've only sang in front of one crowd, and they were all my friends," reminded she.


"Which makes it harder, c'mon," Marissa crooned.


There was no way to say no to her. So - sighing - Keely let Marissa drag her to the mike.


"Sheet music is there," Marissa pointed out excitedly. "Put these on," but, once again, she was too inspired to wait. And in her eagerness, she pulled the giant headphones over Keely's head, but she quickly fluffed Keely's hair our carefully, so it still looked fashionable.


Very nervous, Keely sang the first line into the mike.


Shaking her head, Marissa was suddenly - and surprisingly - a very patient person, at least when it came to teaching. "No," she said gently, patting Keely's shoulder. "You're too nervous, your voice is shaking."


Rolling her eyes good naturedly, Keely let the headphones fall behind her head. "I can't help it, I'm nervous."


"That's when you learn to control it," she assured her. "We all get butterflies before we go out on stage, it's just a fact of life, but because this is what we do, we learn how to control the fear in our voices. Just like this," she demonstrated by singing the line Keely had just sang.


For the first time, Keely realized that while Marissa didn't have an amazing voice, it was sweet and pure. Maybe that's why people liked it, and she sang with such joy, that you couldn't help but feel it as well.


"That was better," Marissa assured her, there was still a glint of hope in her eye. "But your voice is still tight, why don't you do a few scales and then we'll start again," she suggested.


"I know this is your song," said Keely cautiously, she didn't want to cross any boundaries. "But can I try something?"


"Be my guest," she waved an arm carelessly while sitting back on a stool in the studio and taking a drink from her water bottle. "Just do your scales while you do it," Marissa reminded.


Already Keely was feeling more relaxed, but she was still wondering how on earth Marissa could be so cavalier about singing. Maybe it was because she never really did anything hard with her voice, no too high or low notes? Or was it because ever since she was a baby people had been telling her she was great while since Keely's mother had died they told her she had to be one thing, and that one thing only and if she did anything else it would be a mistake? Or was it just because Marissa had put out her first multi-platinum album at the age of thirteen?


Still singing the scales, Keely looked down closely at the sheet music. Her voice sounded impeccable, but Keely had no idea, she was more focused on Marissa song at the moment. If she was going to a U2 concert tonight that must mean she has some taste in music, right?


"Can we try this instead?" Keely asked, passing Marissa the sheet of paper.


Smiling, she didn't even look down at the music. "As long as you keep singing like that, I'll sing something my father wrote."


"Have fun with that," Keely snorted. She kept doing scales as Marissa looked over the music, she wanted to keep her voice easy.


"This is great," Marissa murmured while running a finger over the song.


Shrugging modestly, she said, "I know you're in the more pop genre, so I put some old school hip hop into it. I mean, I'm more into the well, I like everything, so all of the genres."


"But you don't like my music," Marissa smiled knowingly at her.


Feeling uncomfortable all of the sudden, Keely started squirm. "That's not what I said," she pointed out evasively.


"Don't worry," she laughed patting Keely's shoulder companionably as they pulled on the headphones. "Really, I never have and never would listen to my music either, so, it's all good."


"Then why do you play it?" Keely enquired interestedly.


She didn't understand when someone could put out the worst music in the world and still sell millions of records would choose to play that horrible music.


"It's actually fun to sing," she shrugged. "And it's not really me that gets to choose what music I sing or play, really, I don't even get to decide what parties I go to. That's all for my agent to figure out."


"Your dad," Keely said slowly.


"Right," she smiled, "Now, let's do this amazing song."'




- Well, I have really nothing to say. Today has been a boring day, and I hope you like the chapter! 


Don't get both your dogs excited at once, because I swear they can plan. They will decided to jump on you at once and tackle you to the ground, plus when you laugh, it'll just make them even happier and you'll be at the bottom of the dog pile.


Isn't Colton hot? Lol... Okay, that's it!

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