Chapter 25: Chapter 25

: More than Lucy’s Friend

Chris arrived at home shortly after Justin. He went upstairs looking for his brother, "So what did you think?" Chris asked Justin after finding him by the indoor pool downstairs.

He was dipping his legs into the pool, just relaxing, a lazy grin on his face as he sighed, "I don't know what to tell you man, she's gold," he replied, glancing at him.

Chris folded his jeans till they were knee high and dipped his legs into the pool, situating himself beside Justin, "Mmn," he hummed as the soothing coldness of the water tickled his feet, "that feels good."

Justin only hummed in response, closing his eyes, as he swung his legs through the current creating gentle bubbles, "you're lucky to have her man. I noticed the way you two behave around each other, like two little love birds."

Chris chuckled, a warm feeling overtaking him, "she just makes me feel good."

"So I guess everything good?"

“Just perfect."

"That's good,”

"I was thinking about maybe introducing Britney to Mom and Dad, what do you think?" Chris asked turning to face his brother.

"Well I guess it's okay?" Justin replied in a question like way, not really knowing what to say.

"You don't think it will freak her out, like maybe it's too soon."

"Bro, you don't have a choice. I assure you that's the first thing Mom will ask you about,” Justin replied, rolling his shoulders back.

"Yeah, she loves to get involved in our lives,” Chris joked, rolling his eyes playfully

"That's what mothers do," Justin replied, grinning to himself. He finally had a mother.

They sat there, with their legs in water just talking about any and every little thing til they were called down for supper then they went to bed. Chris called to check up on Britney and Justin did the same with Lucy.

He was trying.

**************

The next day was busy. The tutor came by early that morning. After that, Beats called them over to CR (Capital Records,) so they could finish the two singles Justin had been working on.

One was a solo while the other was a duet with an upcoming female musician who was making waves too. Her name was Tracè Karz. She also had an amazing voice.

The single was called, "Storm like This.” Robin had put his money on that song and he was hundred percent sure it would be a billboard hit.

So that afternoon they spent their time at the studio. However, before they could enter Capital Records they found a mob of girls at the entrance waiting for Justin Star with their phones out, ready to take pictures and notepads, t-shirts and many more things for him to sign. Things that would probably take the whole day to sign.

The security had to be doubled so Justin could enter peacefully, without being eaten alive by his fans.

Upon arriving in the studio he met up with Tracè. She was a boyish type of girl. Fun and wild. She mostly wore ripped jeans and t-shirts with holes in them. She would top it all of with a cap. She had a nose ring and loved to slang. He greeted her and they both went up to the studio.

"You're finally here," Beats said as Justin have him a fist bump

"Sorry bro, there was a mob of fans in the lobby, " Justin replied as Chris took a seat beside Beats.

"Where's Humphrey and George?" Chris asked looking around.

"Oh George just left, there's something he needed to take care of, and Humphrey's next door shooting some snippets of a new video," Beats replied.

Justin nodded before taking a stand beside Tracè.

"You know your Dad's going to be here after tomorrow, so you to best get recording," he said to them pointing to the screen.

"Oh yeah right," Tracè replied, making her way behind the screen, with Justin close behind.

"Tell me when you’re ready," Beats called out to them.

Justin helped Tracè put on her headsets and adjust the microphone before putting on his, "is this too tight?" He asked as he slid the headsets in her, "Nah, its perfect," she replied as he moved to his position.

He gave Beats the thumbs up sign when he was ready. Beats nodded as he begun the music. Justin waited for the intro to pass grinning when Tracè Karz' powerful voice began to sing.

"Sometimes I want to hurt you

Sometimes you make me mad

But even when you hurt me

I end up wanting you back

I don't care what you did, just stay with me

No one can understand, the way I feel"

Her voice was gentle yet strong sliding perfectly with the music.

"She's real good," Chris said turning to Beats.

"Yeah her voice is good, almost unbelievable if you tell from her looks,” Beats replied, widening his eyes as he slid some buttons up and down to adjust the tempo.

"Now I know to never judge a book by its cover," Chris replied, shaking his head.

Beats nodded in reply, while feeling the song.

"Tell me what you going to do if a hurricane came at a time like this?

Tell me what I'm going to do if another chick takes you off my ship

Tell me, what to do, if you left me in a tsunami

we could do anything. In a storm like this

you could love me, you could leave me, you could hurt me, you could keep me, you could tear me, to pieces, anything could happen in a storm like this," she finished.

Justin was going in with the song. He could feel the beat inside him just waiting for his queue to go in. He blocked away all his worries when he sang. He waited till he felt the climax before he finally unleashed his voice,

"Some days I want to hate you

Some days you make me laugh

'Coz you always find a way back to my heart

In some way I get frustrated, in what you do

But when you say you love, can't help but love you too"

He sang hard. His voice grinding against the best, making Tracè stop and stare at the way his vocals impaired her, rending her unstable.

"That's my bro!" Chris called out as Justin sang.

"You got to bow to the king," Beats replied with a toothy grin.

"Dope track," Chris said, bobbing his head up and down to the music.

"I want to keep you here," Tracè sung

"But if you disappear," Justin replied

"I have can't live without you, “she retrieved

"I have all to lose," Justin ended

"In a storm like this!"

They sung together hitting back at the chorus,

"You could love me,

You could leave me.

You could hurt me.

You could keep me.

You could tear me

to pieces.

Anything could happen in a storm like this."

They sung until their voices went into notes merely angels could reach. When they finished Chris and Beats where standing up clapping vigorously.

"That's how you murder a song!" Beats called out pressing a button so they could hear.

"It's a hit, I feel it!" Chris shouted out, still clapping vigorously.

"Thank you," Justin and Tracè replied. Justin turned to her, "you rocked it, you have such an amazing voice," he complemented.

"Aww don't give me all the praise, your voice is legendary," she said as they hugged.

They walked out together and Chris and Beats were still clapping.

Justin and Tracè smiled, shaking their heads at the flattery.

"You know we don't need to do that again because that song was perfectly flawless and I'm a hundred percent sure if Mr. Ryder heard it, he would agree," he said saving the recording.

Justin chuckled glancing over at a blushing Tracé.

"You two are done,” Beats said smiling.

"I didn't know you could go that high," Chris said as Trace’s phone beeped.

"Neither did I," Justin replied, "I just felt it, so I sung it,”

"Uhmm. Sorry guys, that's my manger

He says I have a photo shoot, I guess I'll just meet y'all later," Tracè said as she finished reading the text message. She hugged Justin who was standing next to her and fist bumped Chris and Beats who were sitting down. "I'll see y'all later," she said as she left waving.

"When you two sing, it's just meant to be," Beats commented, sitting back in his seat.

"Maybe the voice matches, but they would not look good together," Chris replied as he sipped on his juice box.

"Oh I did mean it like that, I know full well Justin's taken. I wouldn't want any bad business with Lucy, you know what I mean," Beats replied, lifting his hands up in mock surrender as he chuckled.

"Speaking of Lucy, shouldn't she be here right now? Isn't she your assistant?" Chris asked Justin

"You're right, I'll give her call," Justin replied as he stepped outside the studio. He reached for his phone.

*****************************************

Meanwhile

Lucy was just preparing to head out to drop by Britney's house for a girls day with her and Anna included.

She had just gotten into the car with Anna when her phone rang.

"It's Justin," she announced before picking up the call and they talked.

Then she cut it, "What did he say?" Anna asked putting her seat belt on.

Lucy sighed, “He wants me there, and he is already at CR.

"Really, then you have to go."

"Yeah, I do. Which means we have to do this later" Lucy grunted putting on her seat belt and starting the car, before suddenly stopping, "unless..."

"Unless what?" Anna asked trying to disguise the disappointment.

"We can't stand up Britney, someone has to find out what her flaws are and you need to get closer to Chris,”

"Yeah I know that,” Anna replied in a duh way.

"Well this is the perfect opportunity,” Lucy replied, with a sly smirk.

"I don't follow," Anna rejected

"Look, how about this, I go and spend the day with Britney and you cover for me as Justin's assistant for the whole day. I'll call him and tell him I had plans with Britney, I'm sure Justin will understand."

Anna nodded slowly, seeing the genius of the plan, "then I could be closer to Chris...” She realized.

"Absolutely!"

"Yes, Yes! Let's do it," she said smiling.

Lucy called Justin and explained to him. He saw nothing wrong with it and agreed. Lucy dropped Anna by CR and was on her way to Britney's who had texted her, her address.

*****

Justin walked back into the studio, " I talked to Lucy and she said she had planned a girls day with Britney so Anna's coming by to help."

"With Britney?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow with a slight frown.

"Yeah, I didn't think it was a problem bro. It would be nice for the two of them to get along, unless you don't think-"

"It's fine, it’s a good idea," Chris replied turning away, brushing it off. There was no problem in Lucy going to see Britney.

"You know, I haven't met this Britney chick," Beats commented, trying to clean up the song, glancing at Chris.

Chris chuckled, "Don't worry I'll bring her by some time. I'm sure she'll like it here."

"I hope she's pretty," Beats put in, with a deep sigh.

"That's none of your business," Chris replied hitting him playfully.

"Oh don't worry beats, I assure you she's okay," Justin added, with a chuckle.

"Well I hope so, because I don't want to see any skinny ass chicks in here with no meat on their bones," Beats said laughing at his own joke, quickly followed by Justin who couldn't contain his in.

"What?!  Man, get out of here," Chris said, shaking his head.

"I mean it, bruh. No skinny girls in here looking like malnourished chickens," Beats replied, in between chuckles.

"You got to quit bro," Justin said still laughing.

"You know what?  I would like to see the first girl you bring in here," Chris said trying not to join into Beats and Justin's contagious laughter.

"Boy, I assure you.  Mine will come fully packaged, with a lot of meat."

They all burst onto a whole new fountain of laughter, ”I'm serious dudes, I don't play around with no sick chicks, fat mommas are the real deal," Beats replied, "fat with a P , bruh. Those are the real women."

Justin was laughing his stomach out and Chris was shaking in his Chair as the laughs flooded the room.

*****

Anna walked into CR and headed for the recording studio, up the elevator, counting down slowly finally reaching her destination.

"Knock, knock," she said as she walked in,

"What's happening here?  Looks like you people are in good spirits," she said as she noticed the laughter.

"Oh, it’s nothing," Justin replied finally able to get to his feet, "Beats was just being.. Beats," he replied, only adding to Chris' laughter.

"That was a commercial break Justin," Beats finally said after catching himself, “C’mon bruh, you need to finish up the other song today so we can all have a break tomorrow." He said rolling his chair back to his equipment

Justin nodded as he pushed the glass door and went behind the screen again as he put the headsets on, "ready when you are," Beats called out pressing the button so Justin could hear him.

Justin paused for a minute making sure that the laughter was fully out of him before giving him the thumbs up sign.

Chris pulled up a chair for Anna so she could sit down beside him. Beats started the music and Justin begun singing along.

"You know what , Chris handle this for me, I need to take a break to the men's room," Beats said standing up, then maybe get some coffee, I'll be right back.

"Sure man, take all the time you need," he replied taking control of the sound equipment.

"Thanks dude," Beats said patting him on the back and leaving closing the door behind him.

It was just Anna and Chris watching Justin whose eyes where closed as he sung trying to feel the music.

"Dang, he does have a good voice” Anna complimented, watching Justin.

"Yeah, he is quite blessed," Chris replied.

"What's the track called?"

"The Artist."

"Very good lyrics,”

"Yeah, they're pretty good,” Chris agreed nodding, "It's just that his voice isn't sounding so powerful," he added trying to see what he could do.

"Well that's simple, just slide this up," Anna said reaching for a button and sliding it, "it allows you to adjust the pitch, see."

Justin's voice was heard more clearly in a matter of seconds.

"You know how to operate this thing?" Chris asked, raising an eye to.

"Well I have an annoying brother whose dream was to become a rapper once. He had one if these babies in his little makeshift recording studio in our basement.  I grew tired of telling him to shut up so I would just lower this button so no one could hear him, he could then proceed to shout all he wanted."

"You're smart," Chris chuckled, folding his arms as he looked at Anna.

"I don't mean to brag but I guess you could say that,”

"I like you," he said fascinated, finally seeing her as more than Lucy's friend.

"Why thank you, I like you too," she said smiling, with a wink.

"So is there any more tricks you learned that you're willing to show me?" He asked.

"Mmm, .it depends,” Anna replied rubbing her chin.

"On what?"

"How smart you are,”

"I'm very smart,”

"Okay then see if you can keep up,” she said standing up and showing him some buttons, “Well this button is for the drums and this is for the background...."