Charttoppers - 5. Rising Star

The biggest day of his life - or so it seemed to Tyler - had finally come. Needless to say, he was up since the break of dawn, unable to sleep from all the excitement and anxiety. His debut single - yes, his very own song! - was out and the British guy felt like jumping out of his own skin.

He thought of when he posted his first video on his YouTube channel at the age of fourteen - a cover of a popular 90s ballad. It was a simple video: just him in his room, sitting on the bed and singing while playing an acoustic guitar. His parents, who recorded the video, encouraged him to post it even though he was terrified. He then spent the next two hours refreshing the page to see how many views it would get and whether anyone would leave a comment. It was a disappointing couple of hours to say the least. The only comments came from his friends whom he already told about the video. Eventually, though, the video racked up eight thousand views and nearly five hundred comments, and Tyler was over the moon. It encouraged him to record more of his acoustic covers and post them online.

However, today was totally different. This was not just a simple cover - it was a professionally written and produced song, released with the backing of a major music label. As Tyler lay in his bed, laptop in his lap, he kept switching between half a dozen tabs he had open, checking on his song, The Day I Found You. The music video, which was shot over two days in the British countryside, was on YouTube with nearly sixty thousand views.

“Oh my God, is this real? This can’t be real, there must be an error,” the nineteen-year-old mumbled to himself. He had never seen such big numbers next to his name. Five digits! He clicked ‘refresh’ and waited for the page to reload. The counter was now at sixty-three thousand. “Ahhh, people are really watching this!”

He leaned back and played the video, wanting to make sure it turned out alright - even though it was too late for any changes. As soon as it ended, Tyler clicked the ‘like’ button for good measure, giggling as if he just thought of the most clever loophole. No one said he couldn’t like his own stuff! Politicians vote for themselves in elections all the time, so why couldn’t he give himself a like? He was on his private account anyway.

He grabbed his cell phone, wondering if he should text any of his friends, but decided it was too early - it was only seven in the morning. Instead, he checked his social media, where he had already posted about the song, as instructed by his label. He was soon lost in the comments, reading what people thought of his song and video and hoping there would be no mean and negative stuff - or at least not too much. It was his big day and he didn’t want any negativity in his life.

It was some time later that he heard a careful knock on the door. Whoever it was, they were clearly cautious not to wake him up, which meant it must’ve been his mom or dad. Lucy and Kit would have banged with their fists and barged into the room by now.

“Come on in,” he said. The door opened, revealing his father, Eric.

“Hey, superstar! I knew you’d be awake by now. Big day, huh? How are you feeling?” the man asked, sitting on his son’s bed and glancing at the laptop screen.

“Good. Scared and excited,” Tyler said. There were a million other things he was feeling at that moment. After all, it’s not every day you make your foray into the music industry.

“There’s nothing to be scared of, champ. You’re not in this alone. Whatever happens, we’re with you the whole way, alright?”

“I know,” the boy nodded. “It’s just… the good kind of scared, I guess. I’m just nervous. I’ve been waiting for this day for so long, and now I’m like - can I fast forward a few months into the future to see what’ll happen?” Tyler laughed. “The waiting is killing me.”

“The anticipation is the worst, hey?” his dad chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. “Come on, then, we may not have a time machine, but mom’s made muffins for breakfast. Let’s go and eat while they’re still hot.”

If there was anything Tyler loved as much as music, it was his mom’s cooking. It was not evident at first glance, since he had always had a slim figure, but he would stuff himself full of homemade food whenever he had the chance. And now, at the very mention of fresh hot muffins, he could hear his stomach growling.

“Alright, I’m coming,” he said, getting out of bed and soon after following his father into the dining area for a big family breakfast.

It was past noon when Tyler left the apartment. His girlfriend of two years had stopped by - a slim, tall girl, just a few inches shorter than Tyler, with a bright smile and long, ginger hair. After a brief chat with the rest of the Edwards family, the young couple headed out to celebrate the release of Tyler’s very first song.

As they walked down the street to where Tyler’s old Mini Cooper was parked, Stacy could see her boyfriend looking around, as if he was expecting someone - or something.

“Hey, what’s the matter, you seem nervous?” the girl asked, squeezing his hand. It took a few seconds for Tyler’s distracted brain to register her words.

“What? Oh, it’s silly… I, uh, I wonder if any of these people have seen my video,” he replied, glancing at the people passing by.

“Wow, calm down, you’re not going to get recognized that quickly,” Stacy let out a chuckle.

“I know, I know,” Tyler laughed, realizing he was being silly. “I guess I’m just new to all this. But I know I’m not suddenly a superstar just because I have a song out. So many people release music every day, but not all of them get to make a career out of it. I could very well be one of them.”

“Come on, you can’t think like that! Positivity, ok?! You’re too cute to fail! And you’ve got a pretty good voice, too,” the girl smiled sweetly, leaning to kiss him on the cheek. “And remember what Mrs Sutton said, you are in for a drastic change in your life, lots of money and fame. Jupiter is the planet of luck and it’s-”

“Oh, babe, you know I don’t believe in that stuff,” Tyler shook his head as they entered his car. Do you know how many times Mrs Sutton did my mom’s horoscope and she never gets anything right.”

“That’s because you don’t want to believe, but ok,” the girl relented. “So, where are we going?” she asked as she turned on the radio, switching to one of the local stations.

“How about that Chinese place we’ve been meaning to check out?”

“Oh, I’m down for that,” she quickly agreed.

As they drove downtown, conversation turned to Stacy’s education. In just a few short months, she would be moving to Manchester where she was to start college. Her plan was to major in anthropology, as she was interested in studying human culture throughout history. The girl went on and on about her first impressions from when she visited the college recently, until she suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open.

“What happened?” Tyler asked, glancing at her, until it hit him. His girlfriend quickly turned the volume up and he could clearly hear the opening notes to his song.

“Oh my God, that’s-”

“-your song, I know!” the girl practically screamed, bouncing in her seat.

“They’re playing my song! This is not a drill, Stacy, they’re really playing my freaking song,” Tyler nodded as he stared blankly at the road ahead of him, trying to comprehend what was happening. It was barely past noon, but it was already the most surreal day of his life. He could actually hear his own voice on the radio, and not like before when he would call to answer questions to win concert tickets. No, this was his actual song!

“Oh my gosh, I’m so happy for you, baby! Aren’t you happy? Why aren’t you freaking out about this?” Stacy asked, turning up the volume even more.

“Because I’m trying to concentrate on not killing us,” Tyler laughed. “I’ll freak out as soon as I park, believe me!”

And that was exactly what happened. As soon as he parked the Mini Cooper in front of the small Chinese restaurant, Tyler started jumping up and down in his seat before giving his girlfriend a hug, both of them laughing hysterically.

“Shit, that was really my song! Can you believe it?!”

“Yes! It sounded so good on the radio,” the girl nodded vigorously.

“It sounded amazing,” Tyler agreed, unable to hide the pride he was feeling. “And did you hear the hosts, they seemed to have liked it too.”

“Liked? They said they LOVED it! They said they couldn’t wait to hear more from you,” she corrected him, playfully smacking him in the arm.

“Ow! Ok, they loved it, hahaha! Can you believe next week I’ll actually be in the studio with them, giving an interview?!” the young singer felt on top of the world. He could hardly believe his own song was being played on radio stations all over the country, and the video was on YouTube for everyone to see. And best of all - he got to share that incredible moment with his girlfriend.

As he stepped out of the car, a sudden feeling of giddiness overwhelmed him so much that he had to stop for a moment and refrain himself from jumping and screaming in the middle of the street. There were too many people around. Still, the big grin he had would not leave his face, no matter how hard he tried to calm down. If that was what it felt like to be a singer, he was definitely ready for it!

~~

Standing in the hallway in front of his sister’s apartment, Samson rang the doorbell again with his free hand. In the other one, he held two bags full of gifts for Talia and her little son. He loved to spoil the kid and shower him with gifts and affection whenever he visited, which was not as nearly as frequently as he would have liked. The sad truth was that his job simply kept him too busy to see his family as much as he wanted. Still, both Samson and Talia made sure to keep in touch via Skype and phone and to see each other at least once every two months.

After the second ring, the singer could hear the sound of hurried footsteps approaching the door. With a click, the door unlocked and opened, and Samson was welcomed by the smiling face of his older sister, a woman just slightly shorter than him, with long, wavy black hair tied with a simple hair tie.

“Hey, love!” she greeted him with a warm grim, wrapping him in a tight hug as soon as he stepped through the door. “Uh, it’s so good to see you!”

“Hey, girl! I’ve missed you so much,” Samson cooed, returning the hug. He inhaled deeply, his lungs filling with the warm aroma of his sister’s cooking. “I’m so glad to finally be here.”

“Me too! We’ve been looking forward to seeing you. Jake’s been talking about you all day.”

“Aww, where is he?” Samson asked, eyes darting around the spacious, but modest apartment.

“He’s in his room. He wanted to get dressed up for his uncle,” Talia chuckled and turned toward the kitchen. “Give me just a minute and I’ll be there with you, I gotta check on the lunch.”

“Take your time, honey, I’m gonna go check on Jakey,” he responded and took the bag for his nephew. As he reached the boy’s room, he knocked on the door.

“Hellooo, anybody here?” Samson called out in his singing voice. It took just a few moments for the door to open and before the singer even realized what was going on, his excited six-year-old nephew already had his arms wrapped around his uncle’s waist.

“Unca Samsoooon!” the kid shouted, as happy as a clam. The singer quickly lifted him up, spinning him around in circles.

“Jakeeey! Wow look at you, looking so dapper!” he said, noticing the boy’s fancy pants and long-sleeve shirt. “You must have some important guests coming, huh?”

“It’s you! Mum said you were coming!” Jake giggled and Samson finally put him back on the ground. “Are we gonna play video games?”

“Of course, love,” the singer nodded. “But first, let’s go to the living room and see what mommy is doing, ok?”

“Ok,” the boy smiled and grabbed Samson by the hand, dragging him out. It was all Samson could do not to tear up. Performing for armies of fans who loved him and knew every word to his songs was very high on the list of things that made him feel good, but even that couldn’t top being with his family.

While Jake was distracted with the shiny new toys his uncle brought him, Talia and Samson sat on the couch, having coffee and catching up. At that moment, they seemed like any ordinary pair of siblings, as if one of them wasn’t an international superstar. Of course, Talia never treated Samson as such. For her, he would always be her younger brother and he appreciated that, knowing that he could always count on her to keep him on the ground.

“So, any hot celebs in your life right now? Singers, actors… Come on, I’m a married woman, I have to live vicariously through you,” she asked, a playful smile on her lips. Teasing her brother about his love life was just a part of their routine.

“Honey, the only hot celeb in my life is the one you’re looking at right now,” Samson quipped. “Seriously, dating is… I don’t even know what it is anymore, I just don’t have the time or energy for it.”

“You can’t keep working so much. Have you even dated since Zachary? It’s been what, a year since you guys broke up?”

“I have, thank you very much,” the singer replied in mock offense.

“Really? How many dates have you been on?” Talia rolled her eyes.

Samson took a while, pretending to count on his fingers. “Three,” he finally admitted, giggling as his sister playfully hit him on the thigh. “Anna’s been trying to set me up, bless her soul. But I’m ok, honestly. At first I was just too busy and didn’t want any distractions, but now, I’m kinda liking this single thing. I have my freedom and I’m in no rush to give it up.”

“Well, ok then, as long as you’re happy that’s all I-” his sister started to say when the doorbell rang, interrupting her.

“Expecting any more guests?”

“No,” she shrugged as she got up and headed towards the door. “Maybe it’s the paparazzi, or some of your fans who saw you come in here,” she teased. However, the smile left her face as soon as she opened the door and saw her parents.

“Mom! Dad! Hi, I... didn’t expect you here,” Talia was lost for words, thinking of Samson back in her living room. Although they somehow managed to be civil to each other, the meetings between her brother and their parents were rarely warm and pleasant, and the last thing she wanted was the lovely reunion with her brother to be ruined.

“Hello, darling,” Grace Flynn said, giving her daughter a hug and a peck on the cheek. “We were just in the area so we thought we’d drop by.”

“We went to see old Denise and Rick. They just got back from their cruise,” her father Thomas added as they let themselves in. “Sorry we didn’t call, we-”

As they entered the living room, their eyes fell upon their son, sitting leisurely on the couch, legs crossed and a half-empty coffee mug in one hand.

“Suprise,” Samson said, smiling as charmingly as he could. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Sammy! This is a surprise indeed,” Grace was all smiles, making a beeline for him. “Come, let mama give you a hug,” she motioned for him to stand up before wrapping her arms around him. The singer smiled and played along, returning the hug. If there was anyone good at pretending everything was fine and dandy, it was his mother, and Samson was not about to be outmatched. After all, it was better that they exchange fake pleasantries and make small talk then go back to sniping at each other, especially with Jake nearby. As far as the little boy was concerned, they were all one big happy family, and that was just as Samson wanted it. There was no need for his nephew to be in the middle of any spats between the adults.

Of course, the calm before the storm did not last long. Quickly after Jake went back to his room to play with his new toys, Talia accidentally opened the can of worms with what she thought was a perfectly innocent question.

“So, how are Denise and Rick? Did they enjoy the cruise?”

“They loved it. You know Rick, any excuse to get out of the house,” Thomas started explaining. “Luckily, they’ve got all the time in the world now that their son’s taken over the company. Following in his father’s footsteps, that one,” he added, looking at his son.

“No surprise, of course,” Grace interjected. “After all, he did study business management, so it was only logical that he’d find a job in the field.”

“Let’s hope he’s happy with the job. Wouldn’t want him to do something he doesn’t like, would we?” Samson replied, cocking an eyebrow and refusing to look either parent in the eyes.

“How would he know if he likes it or not if he’s never tried it?” his father asked, now openly staring at Samson.

“Well, you’ve never tried fisting before, who’s to say you wouldn’t like it,” the singer deadpanned, shrugging his shoulders while his sister almost spat out her coffee, rushing to get a napkin.

“What’s fist-” Grace started to ask before being cut off by her husband.

“Sometimes you have to do things you don’t like. It’s called being an adult. Do you think your mother and I loved all of our jobs? Hell no! But we had to be responsible.”

“And I’m not responsible? Please,” Samson rolled his eyes. “Maybe you didn’t have a choice, but I did and I chose what was best for me. Why would I become a lawyer like you when I could do something I actually love doing?”

“And how long do you think this career can last? Three, four years tops, until new pretty faces come and take your place.”

“First of all, thanks a lot for thinking I have nothing else to offer than looks. And secondly, imagine being so clueless to think you actually know anything about the music industry? Don’t make me laugh,” the singer scoffed. “Even if I wanted to, I could easily retire in five years. With all the money I’m making, I’ll be set for life. I could live on royalties and endorsements alone.”

“Darling, do you really think you could sustain your current lifestyle for so long? It’s very naive of you to think so,” his mother added, cocking her head to the side.

“And what kind of lifestyle do you think I have? How much do you think I spend? You literally know nothing about my finances and what I do with my money. I had to learn everything from my manager because even though I have parents, they never showed any interest in helping out,” Samson berated them, making sure to be as quiet as possible so Jake wouldn’t overhear anything from his room.

“Alright, enough. If you’re gonna argue, you can just leave right now,” Talia said, frowning at her parents.

“Us?” Grace asked, shocked by her daughter’s suggestion.

“Yes, you two. Samson and I were having a good time before you showed up. I don’t want to fight, especially not with Jake in the next room, so if you can’t behave, the door is that way,” the young woman pointed with her finger, talking in the strict voice that was usually reserved for when her son was misbehaving.

“Fine, let’s go, Thomas,” Grace got up reluctantly, taking her purse. “Since our own daughter is kicking us out of her home…”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m a terrible daughter,” Talia rolled her eyes as she went to see her parents out, feeling just a tiny bit of regret. She had been supportive of Samson since day one, but that did not mean she was ready to cut ties with their parents. For all their flaws, they were still good to her and even better to her son, and she did not want to deprive him of his grandparents. Still, there were times when she could not be a mediator, as much as she tried. Sometimes, she just had no choice but to put her foot down and pick a side - and that side was always Samson’s.

The singer was quick to go to his nephew’s room, wanting to put the unpleasant conversation with his parents out of his mind. If they were so stubborn and refused to support him, he had nothing more to say to them; he decided he was done trying to change their mind. Instead, he chose to focus on making the people he cared about happy - Talia, her husband Tommy and their little son.

As promised, he spent the next hour playing video games with Jake, pretending to lose in almost every game until his little nephew started believing himself to be some kind of an ultimate gaming champion.

It was already starting to get dark when Samson returned to his apartment, tired but elated after a day with his family. After putting on some soft instrumental music, he filled his large bathtub with hot water and took off all of his clothes. The bubbles were almost overflowing as he entered the tub, closing his eyes and enjoying the relaxing scent of his favorite bubble bath - passionfruit and mango.

His moment of relaxation did not last long, though. As soon as he heard his phone chime, Samson opened his eyes and reached out to grab the device left on the nearby shelf.

“Who…” he muttered to himself as he saw a message from an unknown number. He opened it and quietly read the words.

<Friendly tip: move your release date. You’ll have big competition on the 24th.>

Although his first instinct was to dismiss the message as a random trolling attempt, Samson quickly found himself taking it seriously. This wasn’t just a private message on Twitter that anyone could send. It was someone who actually knew his personal phone number.

His mind racing, the singer tried to think of who it could be, but kept coming up blank. Finally, he dialled his manager.

“Samson, hey, what’s up?” Hank Silverton answered after a few rings.

“Hey, just taking a nice bath, trying to relax.”

“Now that’s something people would pay to see,” the young man teased, making the singer crack a smile.

“You know it, baby. Hey, could you be a doll and check if there’s anyone big releasing on my week?”

“There’s no one, that’s part of why we chose that date in the first place. But I can check again, give me just a sec,” Hank replied, and Samson could hear the man typing away on his keyboard. “Nope, no other big names but you. There’s a few country artists and some indie rappers, but no major releases. Why?”

“Well… I just got a text from an unknown number, telling me I should push my album back because someone big is releasing that week,” the singer explained. “Any clue?”

“Sorry, I got nothing, but don’t worry. We’ll figure this out, ok?” the manager said, but there was no reply. “Hey, you still with me?”

“Huh? Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking…” Samson replied, sounding distant. Hank could hear the insecurity in his voice. He knew Samson well enough to know that he was overthinking things. “To be honest, I’m worried. What if someone is trying to intimidate or sabotage me? I can’t have another underperformance. I need this album to succeed or…” The singer was afraid to even finish the sentence. If his label dropped him, it would be so hard for his career to recover. He couldn’t let that happen and prove his parents right. They would be thrilled to see him fail and tell him how he should have listened to them instead of ‘playing dress-up’ and ‘shaking his butt’ on stage.

“Hey, I don’t want you to think like that because we’re not letting it happen. Whoever this is, it doesn’t even matter. We’ve got your rollout all planned out and it’s gonna be great. Nothing can stop that,” Hank said, trying his best to ease Samson’s worries. The singer was more than just a client for him. Hank honestly admired him in every way - his determination, strength and passion, his perseverance in the face of any challenge.

“I sure hope you’re right,” the singer replied.

“I am. I’ll call you as soon as I find anything out, ok?”

“Thanks, Hank, you’re a star. See ya tomorrow,” the singer smiled before hanging up and laying his head back down on the towel he set at the edge of the tub, resuming his bath. Even though his body quickly relaxed, his mind did not. He couldn’t get that message out of his head. What if someone was really trying to sabotage his album release? If his new record fell short of expectations, he would be in serious danger of being dropped by his label. He had to find out who the sender was, and quickly.