Charttoppers - 13. We’re All Stardust, pt. 1

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! My name is June Davis. I’m the host of Music Shack and I’m here live at the Staples Center in LA for the Stardust Awards red carpet! The biggest music night of the year is about to begin and I’ll be with you for the next hour or so, as we greet some of the hottest stars of the night. As you can see all around me, the place is already packed and our audience is eager to see their favorite celebs,” a beautiful young woman in a tight, fashionable dress spoke to the camera as the live broadcast started. She stood next to the red carpet in front of the venue, along with a dozen other reporters and cameramen.

Celebrities were starting to trickle in, some arriving with their managers or assistants, while others were accompanied by their partners or families. Cameras kept flashing as the audience screamed in the background at the sight of each new singer, actor or other celebrity that appeared. Those lucky to be standing next to the passage were the loudest, frantically waving their hands in hopes of touching their idols at least for a moment. Some brought T-shirts, CDs and vinyls to get them signed, holding them high in the air as they tried to draw the attention of the celebrities passing by.

“And look who we have here - Samson Flynn, everybody!” June flashed her megawatt smile as she approached the young singer walking along with his best friend Anna and manager Hank. “How are you feeling tonight?”

“Oh, honey, I’m feeling all kinds of things! Butterflies are having a rave in my stomach as we speak,” Samson replied excitedly. Dressed in a pink suit with a floral pattern and a mulberry shirt underneath, he certainly stood out from most other male celebrities who opted for classic black or gray outfits.

“You’re performing for us tonight too. What can we expect?”

“I don’t wanna give too much away,” the singer smiled coyly, shaking his head. “It’s gonna be a new song and I’m really excited to finally get it out there. It’s gonna be something different for me, so… You’ll just have to wait and see!”

“Well, we can’t wait,” the host stated. “Whatever it is, we have no doubt you’ll bring it, as you always do.”

“Well, thank you, that’s sweet of you!”

“Now tell me, who are you most excited to see perform? We’ve got a lot of good performers here tonight: Ash Khong, the FrontAlley Boys, and of course, Tyler Edwards.”

“Oh, that’s a tough question,” Samson replied, pretending he didn’t hear the last name. If he wasn’t performing too, he would seriously consider leaving the show early just so he wouldn’t have to watch the impertinent newbie who stole his spot. “I don’t know, I’m looking forward to seeing all of them, really. So many amazing singers here with us!”

“That is true! Well, thank you so much for chatting with us, Samson, it’s been a pleasure,” the woman said, as Hank motioned for Samson that they have to move.

“Thank you, you’re a delight,” the singer replied and blew a flirty kiss to the camera before walking off with Hank and Anna.

The host continued her brief chats with celebrities, trying to get at least a few lines from as many of them as she could find. After talking to Kelly Marvel, she noticed a British superstar coming her way, posing for pictures as he walked down the red carpet. Even though he was not a musician, he drew as much attention as the biggest hitmakers. After all, he was not easy to miss. His hair was long and red, matching the color of his eyes and fingernails, while his tight purple outfit fit his athletic body perfectly.

“Ladies and gentlemen, here with us is the one and only - Lance Lovecraft,” June Davis announced the young man standing next to her.

Lovecraft was one of UK’s biggest exports who started his career as a model, before becoming a dancer and a big reality TV star. After competing in shows such as “Strictly Come Dancing” and “So You Think You Can Dance”, he decided to transition into wrestling, much to the surprise of his fans. Now, as an androgynous, openly gay man, he was one of the most controversial heels in KADA Wrestling.

“You’re looking astonishing as ever,” the woman said, a big smile on her face. “Who are you looking forward to seeing perform tonight?”

“Thank you, honey, you look beautiful as well,” Lance replied as he ran his perfectly manicured fingers through his red hair, making it fall into place. “Gosh, I’m so keen to see everyone, but especially Ash, I’m such a huge fan of his! And of course, my British boy Tyler! Watch out for him, he’s gonna be huge!”

“I’m pretty sure everyone has their eye on him,” the host confirmed. “Speaking of, you’ve taken the world of wrestling by storm, but you do so many other things too. What can your fans expect from you next?”

“As you said, I always have my plate full! I’m doing KADA full-time now, but I also have some other projects that may or may not be wrestling-related. You’ll hear all about them in due time,” Lance replied, and after finishing his chat with the red carpet host, continued toward the arena entrance accompanied by his best friend Jane.

Ash had arrived in the company of his manager and publicist, as well as his parents. As promised, he wanted to take them out and show them a good time even if he was hardly in the mood for partying and having fun. He was missing Marcus and feeling horrible. No matter how much his parents and friends tried to cheer him up or distract him, he couldn’t stop feeling guilty about their breakup. At least he had his work to keep him distracted.

He was opening the show, his first big performance in nearly a year, which meant he had to bring his A-game. Of course, with Marcus out of the picture, they were one dancer short since they were unable to find a replacement so quickly. It was just another thing that had gone wrong, but Ash was not giving up. He would give the best performance of the night no matter what.

As he walked toward the arena entrance, showing his parents around, Ash noticed a flamboyantly dressed young man approaching him, seemingly nervous, but excited at the same time.

“Excuse me, Ash? I’m sorry to bother you, I just wanted to say a quick hello. I’m Lance Lovecraft and I’m such a massive fan,” the red-haired man spoke in a British accent, offering his hand.

It took a moment for Ash to realize - he recognized the man. It was the famous UK dancer, and now apparently a wrestler too. The Korean promptly grabbed his hand and shook it, smiling at him.

“Hey, it’s so nice to meet you! I watched you on Strictly Come Dancing, you’ve got some moves,” Ash replied. “You know, I almost competed in that season too, but had to back down last minute.”

“Oh, that’s a shame, you would’ve had so much fun!”

“You definitely looked like you did. And now wrestling? Who would’ve seen it coming?” the singer asked, genuinely surprised. He had seen Lance’s photos in fashion magazines and appearances in dancing shows, but he had never pegged the man as a wrestler.

“It’s my biggest passion,” the Brit replied, emotion evident in his voice. “But I’m not giving up on dancing. I’ve got all the moves to Off The Rails down to a T!”

“Really?” Ash laughed, flattered at seeing how the other man was clearly a fan of his. Suddenly, an idea formed in his head. It was crazy and out of the blue, but it just might work. “Do you really know all the moves?”

“Of course, honey, I’ve watched the video more times than I can count,” Lance replied confidently.

“Because I’ve got an idea… And you’re free to say no, of course. See, I’m one dancer short…” the Korean started to say. Lance’s eyes immediately went wide as the realization hit him. “...How would you like to join me on stage tonight?”

“Oh my gosh! Are you sure?” the dancer exclaimed joyfully, covering his mouth with his hands. “I would love to! Are you absolutely sure I won’t ruin it?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t.”

“Then yes, let’s do it!” Lance grinned, wrapping Ash in a hug. Even though the Korean was rather tall, Lance was towering over him in his high heels. “Oh, but I don’t even have a matching outfit. What will I wear?”

“You’re Lance Lovecraft, you can wear whatever you want,” the singer shrugged. “We’re opening the show though, so do you mind if we go backstage and prepare? My dancers will meet us there.”

“Of course, let’s go!”

Ash said goodbye to his parents, leaving them with his manager and publicist, while Lance had an emotional moment with his best friend. After giving her a hug and promising to join her in the audience after the performance, he followed Ash inside the arena.

A little further away, Marcus stood with a few of his dancer friends, observing the entire scene with a scowl. He waited a few moments before excusing himself and sneaking into the building.

~~

The Staples Center arena was full to the very last seat, the crowd buzzing with excitement. The areas near the stages contained tables reserved for celebrity guests, while the much larger standing areas further away were for regular visitors. However, famous or not, both groups seemed to be equally excited for the show to start.

As the lights on the main stage suddenly lit up without any announcement, a hush fell over the crowd. Everyone was silent, their eyes fixed on the stage, expecting Ash Khong to appear and open the ceremony.

The instrumental to Off The Rails started blaring through the speakers as a truck-sized replica of a Harley Davidson motorcycle was rolled onto the stage from the back. Hundreds of phones immediately shot up in the air, ready to record every second of the performance.

The Korean singer sat on the giant seat along with two other dancers, while the rest of them, including Lance Lovecraft, were strategically positioned on other parts of the vehicle. As the motorcycle came to a stop, Ash stood up on the seat, while everyone else jumped down and got in formation in front of it.

His heart pumping wildly with excitement and adrenaline, Ash launched into the opening verse while the dancers did their choreography on the floor. Even though he never got the chance to practice with them, Lance had learned the moves and was managing to keep up with everyone. If it wasn’t for his long, red hair and eye-catching outfit, he would easily be able to pass as just another of Ash’s dancers. Many from the audience recognized him, but they didn’t realize how impromptu his appearance was. They believed he was meant to be a part of the show from the start.

After the end of the second chorus, two cables with hooks came down from the ceiling, which Ash attached to his belt. He was then lifted into the air and flown down to the stage, front and center, where two of his dancers quickly helped him undo the hooks. It took just a second before everyone launched into the rest of the choreography, this time with Ash joining them. They worked like a well-oiled machine, high on the energy they were receiving from the crowd.

However, no sooner had they started dancing, than a figure rushed out onto the stage from the back, much to the surprise of the audience. It didn’t take long for Ash to notice what was happening. As he turned around, he saw Marcus joining the rest of the dancers and doing the dance break with them.

Jealousy and insecurity spurring him on, Marcus stood right in front of Lance, wanting to block the usurper from view. How dare that clown steal his place on the show! Even worse, how could Ash replace him so quickly? It stung, but at that moment he had no time for pain. All he had to do was dance.

What he didn’t count on was that Lovecraft was an excellent dancer, and just as competitive as Marcus was. There was no way he would be upstaged.

The British wrestler-slash-dancer wasted no time in stepping up right next to Marcus, doing the moves as best as he could, and even including some of his own elements. Both men quickly forgot all about the choreography they were supposed to be doing and started freestyling, trying to outdo the other one.

“What fresh hell is this?” Samson laughed, watching the performance in disbelief while sitting in the audience next to Anna and Hank. He wiped tears from his eyes, being probably the only person in the crowd who realized what was happening between Ash and Marcus. He knew there was no way this was planned.

“Lance is looking fabulous, though!” Anna leaned over to yell into his ear, and Samson nodded in agreement. He wished he thought of enlisting the Brit for his performance first.

Even though pissed at Marcus for ruining his performance, Ash had to keep a straight face. There was still almost a minute to go and he had to keep singing. However, with Lance and Marcus stealing all the attention and for all the wrong reasons, he had to do something. Desperate, the singer stood in front of them, almost at the edge of the stage, and ripped off his shirt, revealing his sexy, sweaty body. Suddenly, all the cameras were back on him.

While the crowd screamed and cheered, the singer threw his shirt onto the floor and kept singing and gyrating to the music, hoping it was enough to draw the attention back to him.

As the final beats started playing and the dancers began their final sequence of moves, Lance quickly rejoined them, realizing they were supposed to wrap things up. Still angry at the newcomer, Marcus reluctantly followed suit and did the final moves in unison with everyone else.

When the song finally ended, Ash bowed down together with his dancers and waved to the crowd, mustering a big smile for the cameras.

“Thank you so much, Stardust Awards! Have a great night,” the Korean shouted into the mic before leaving the stage.

As soon as he was out of view of the cameras, his smile turned into an angry scowl. Not stopping for anyone, he stormed over to his dressing room, where he proceeded to take a shower and change so he could rejoin his parents in the audience. If it wasn’t for them, he would have left the show immediately.

When he got out of the shower, towel wrapped around his waist, he found Marcus standing in the dressing room, waiting.

“Ash, I just wanna say-”

“Don’t. Say. A word,” the singer threatened, glaring at him. “And get out. I have to get changed.”

“Not like I haven’t seen you naked before,” Marcus rolled his eyes, but Ash was in no mood for jokes. He aggressively put on his shirt, tuxedo and pants, his back turned to Marcus.

“I don’t care. I can’t even look at you right now.”

“You don’t have to look at me, but you’re gonna hear what I have to say,” Marcus was insistent. “I came to apologize-”

“Really? And for what this time?” Ash interrupted him again. “For ruining my performance? For another jealousy fit?”

“Yes,” the dancer nodded, staring at him blankly. He had never seen his boyfriend so angry. “I know I messed up and I’m sorry. I just… I saw you with that guy and… it hurt to see I’ve been replaced so fast.”

“Well, tough. I don’t care. As you said the other day, we’re done,” the singer brushed him off as he passed him by on the way out. “I have to go find my parents.”

Before Marcus could stop him, the singer rushed out of the room, where his manager was already waiting for him.

“Don’t ask,” Ash immediately warned him. He wasn’t in the mood to answer any questions. “Let’s just go watch the damn show.”

~

This was Stacy’s first time riding in a limo. Also, it was her first time wearing such a beautiful and expensive dress. After all, she couldn’t show up at the Stardust Awards in any old piece of trash. The dress was dark red, her favorite color, from some kind of material that felt like her body was enveloped in a cool, pleasant cloud. Whatever it was, she never wanted to take it off.

However, that was the only good part of her evening. As soon as she landed at the airport, she was greeted by David, the driver sent by Tyler’s manager to pick her up. Now, as she sat in the back seat, the girl kept nervously checking the time on her phone every few minutes. With every passing minute, she was more and more certain that she would not be there on time.

The limo was crawling at a snail’s pace, stuck in a traffic jam in what was obviously a very busy street. It was also her first time in LA, so she was completely at the mercy of the driver.

“How much longer?” she asked the man as she checked her phone for messages. She knew Tyler must be concerned about her not showing up, so she let him know that she was on the way. “The show’s starting in fifteen minutes.”

“I’m sorry, but we are definitely not making it on time,” the man replied. “At this rate, it’ll take us at least an hour.”

“An hour! Are you joking?” Stacy was devastated. She flew to America just to support Tyler on the night of his big performance, and now she was going to miss it altogether. It was true that they had been drifting apart lately, as she was doubting whether their relationship even had a future. But now, as she sat in the car helplessly, unable to do anything, she realized she wanted to be there for Tyler. “Can we not go some other way?” she pleaded.

“No other way if I want to keep my job,” the driver thought. He felt sorry for the girl, but there was nothing he could do about it. “I’m afraid we’re stuck here for the time being. I’m sorry you’ll miss the show. Maybe we’ll get there in time for the last part,” he said sympathetically.

“Yeah, I hope so,” she muttered as she sunk back into her seat, her spirit deflated.

~~

Tyler had known Stacy would not arrive at the award show together with him, but he didn’t know she would be this late. Her plane was to land in the afternoon, so she was supposed to come straight to the arena as soon as she could. On the other hand, Tyler and his family arrived together before the show, so he could pose at the red carpet and talk to the press. It was his first high-profile performance in the US and his manager Florence insisted that he make the most of it.

Kit and Lucy, who obediently went in front of Tyler and their parents so they could keep an eye on the two at all times, seemed thrilled with everything they saw. Kit, as well as his older brother, was starstruck at seeing all of the celebrities in one place, while Lucy was just fascinated by all the colors and lights around her.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have brought Lucy, she’s too young for this,” Marissa wondered aloud as she observed the skinny female celebrities in their skimpy dresses, their boobs almost falling out.

“It’s alright, don’t fret it,” Florence waved her off. “She’s too young to understand what’s going on. Besides, these shows are always kept PG. I used to watch them all the time and what’s wrong with me?”

Tyler’s manager walked behind the family, observing them with satisfaction. The driver had sent her a text to let her know he had taken the long route as ordered. He and Stacy were stuck in a traffic jam with no hope of reaching the destination in at least an hour. It was just as she had planned. All the reporters will take photos of Tyler and his family, showing him to be a proper boy next door - a handsome young man who loves his family, and most importantly, who is single.

Once they had entered the arena and found their way to the table with their names on it, Tyler gasped in utter shock. He had watched Stardust Awards for so many years, but seeing the venue live was a completely different experience. It felt unreal to be there, and especially to have to perform in front of such a large crowd. As he turned around and scanned the audience behind him, stretching way back in all directions, that familiar sinking feeling in his stomach returned. So many people…

“Hey, champ, getting some jitters, huh?” his dad asked, squeezing his shoulder.

“Yeah, a little,” Tyler replied nervously, not ready to admit just how scared he was. He was no longer that little kid who ran off the stage. He was an adult now, and this was his job. He could no longer afford to have stage fright. He couldn’t disappoint all of his fans who were sitting at home in front of the TV, waiting to see him perform.

Wanting to get his mind off of his upcoming performance, he looked at his phone, checking the messages. Stacy was letting him know that she would be late. Maybe it was for the best, he thought. She wouldn’t have to watch him embarrass himself. Still, he wished she were there. Maybe she would’ve given him the strength he needed to overcome his fear.

After Ash’s… rather interesting opening, Tyler and his family sat through two more performances until Florence let him know it was time for him to go backstage and prepare for his own. He was supposed to be on the main stage in exactly half an hour.

“Do you want me to go with you, baby?” his mother asked, reaching for his hand.

“No, that’s alright, mum. You stay here and enjoy the show,” he replied. Then, like a man going to his own execution, he followed Florence backstage, not even daring to look back.

In his dressing room, which was three times the size of his room at home, Tyler quickly changed into his outfit for the performance - blue pants, a beige blazer and a dark blue shirt with leaves. As he looked at himself in the mirror, he could see nothing but a frightened boy who was in way over his head. How could he ever think he could do this? Performing in the small TV studios in the UK was different - there were a few hundred people at most, and he felt like home. But this thing today, it was something he was completely unprepared for.

With every passing minute, he became increasingly more nervous, pacing across the room and wondering what to do. He needed to calm down and think. He needed some fresh air.

Finally, he slipped into the bathroom, opened the small window that led to the fire escape, hoisted himself up and got out. As he sat on the outside stairs, his cell phone turned off, the singer closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the fresh evening air filling his nostrils. Freedom.

Was it too late to back down?

With all the props from the previous performance cleared out, the main stage was ready for Tyler. In a matter of minutes, the lights would turn on again, and the British breakout star would start singing his new hit single Distance.

As the show host started making his way to the stage to announce the next performer, he could hear a panicking voice in his earbud.

“Change of plans! Tyler is not performing,” one of the producers spoke.

“What do you mean? Why?” the host whispered, stopping halfway to the stage.

“He’s gone. We can’t find him anywhere. Here’s what you’ll do…”

Thank you all for reading! And a special thank you to @AusGlitterati for letting me borrow his awesome character, Lance Lovecraft, for this chapter!