voice. “I’ll get the contract sent to you.”
He waits for a moment, and I’m just about to take back everything I just said, when he speaks again.
“I’ll always care for you Summer,” he says.
And then the line goes dead.
A wave of terrible hurt and guilt rolls over me.
Nice move Summer. What are you going to do now?
Ok. I try and drive back the tidal wave of emotions. Pull yourself together. You need a plan.
I haven’t thought much beyond getting hold of the contract.
If I can stall Dez then maybe I can… Make it all go away? All I can think of is I need to protect Adam and Tammy.
My phone beeps, and my pulse quickens to see Adam’s name. Despite our conversation, I guess part of me is hoping he’ll see through my lies. But what good would that do? The last thing I want is him in danger.
I open the message, and my heart sinks.
It’s the contract. Sent as an attachment. And a short message.
If ever you want to talk, I’m here.
I’m seized by a pain so tight, my hand goes to my chest. And then I make myself open the contract, and read through the tiny writing on my phone screen.
I’m filled with conflicting feelings as I read it.
At first I see nothing at all helpful. It’s all standard stuff. And as far as I can make out, it doesn’t stop me being bound by my earlier contract with Dez.
Then I spot something. It’s a clause about group musicians.
I scan it slowly. And then I stop.
If a band breaks up, they’re released from their contract.
With my heart pumping, I read it again. I can hardly believe it. But the clause holds. It doesn’t apply to solo artists, who are bound by watertight terms to the full show.
Bands like She’s All That will be instantly out of contract if we break up.
So all I have to do i s break the group up.
I let out a strangled sob, and put my head in my hands.
I can’t do it. But I have to.
Sing -Win has handed me the solution. All I have to do is tell George and Tammy I want to go solo. Then I’m out of contract.
This will buy me some time to figure out a way of evading Dez. Right now, it’s my only option. And it will mean Tammy and George can stay on the show.
Hardly thinking straight, I grab a pen and tear one of the remaining pages from my notepad.
Then I start to write.
Chapter 11
An hour later, and three redrafts, and I’ve got a letter ready. It’s for Tammy and George, explaining why I need to quit the band and go solo.
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to make it sound realistic. Because I know Tammy will never believe I’d just up and quit.
Then again, the girls both know that I started out solo. So maybe they’ll believe this is the direction I want to head in.
I know they’ll both b e angry and hurt. I can’t help that. This is for the best.
But the minute I’ve finished the letter, I have a dramatic change of heart.
I can’t do this to them.
After all we’ve been through, I just can’t do it. I can’t do that to Tammy and George.
So how am I going to stop Dez?
It repulses me just to be in the same room as him. Being back under his management would be like prison. I literally couldn’t stand it. So what would I do? Run away? Hide like before?
I have no guarantee Dez wouldn’t carry out his threats just to be spiteful. Now I’ve seen him in person I have no doubts that he would do something terrible.
He’s a completely different person since I last saw him. When I knew Dez, he dabbled in drugs, but, he was nothing like the scary mess who threatened to kill me today.
I shudder to think of his bloodshot eyes and pale face. Dez always had a menacing edge to him. But it’s spilled over into dangerous. And unpredictable.
Slowly, I screw up the letter.
I’ll find another way.
I need a better plan than this. But what?
The door handle of the bedroom turns, and I look up distractedly. I’m expecting to have to put on a front for George and Tammy.
But instead, Adam is standing in the threshold.
My
He waits for a moment, and I’m just about to take back everything I just said, when he speaks again.
“I’ll always care for you Summer,” he says.
And then the line goes dead.
A wave of terrible hurt and guilt rolls over me.
Nice move Summer. What are you going to do now?
Ok. I try and drive back the tidal wave of emotions. Pull yourself together. You need a plan.
I haven’t thought much beyond getting hold of the contract.
If I can stall Dez then maybe I can… Make it all go away? All I can think of is I need to protect Adam and Tammy.
My phone beeps, and my pulse quickens to see Adam’s name. Despite our conversation, I guess part of me is hoping he’ll see through my lies. But what good would that do? The last thing I want is him in danger.
I open the message, and my heart sinks.
It’s the contract. Sent as an attachment. And a short message.
If ever you want to talk, I’m here.
I’m seized by a pain so tight, my hand goes to my chest. And then I make myself open the contract, and read through the tiny writing on my phone screen.
I’m filled with conflicting feelings as I read it.
At first I see nothing at all helpful. It’s all standard stuff. And as far as I can make out, it doesn’t stop me being bound by my earlier contract with Dez.
Then I spot something. It’s a clause about group musicians.
I scan it slowly. And then I stop.
If a band breaks up, they’re released from their contract.
With my heart pumping, I read it again. I can hardly believe it. But the clause holds. It doesn’t apply to solo artists, who are bound by watertight terms to the full show.
Bands like She’s All That will be instantly out of contract if we break up.
So all I have to do i s break the group up.
I let out a strangled sob, and put my head in my hands.
I can’t do it. But I have to.
Sing -Win has handed me the solution. All I have to do is tell George and Tammy I want to go solo. Then I’m out of contract.
This will buy me some time to figure out a way of evading Dez. Right now, it’s my only option. And it will mean Tammy and George can stay on the show.
Hardly thinking straight, I grab a pen and tear one of the remaining pages from my notepad.
Then I start to write.
Chapter 11
An hour later, and three redrafts, and I’ve got a letter ready. It’s for Tammy and George, explaining why I need to quit the band and go solo.
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to make it sound realistic. Because I know Tammy will never believe I’d just up and quit.
Then again, the girls both know that I started out solo. So maybe they’ll believe this is the direction I want to head in.
I know they’ll both b e angry and hurt. I can’t help that. This is for the best.
But the minute I’ve finished the letter, I have a dramatic change of heart.
I can’t do this to them.
After all we’ve been through, I just can’t do it. I can’t do that to Tammy and George.
So how am I going to stop Dez?
It repulses me just to be in the same room as him. Being back under his management would be like prison. I literally couldn’t stand it. So what would I do? Run away? Hide like before?
I have no guarantee Dez wouldn’t carry out his threats just to be spiteful. Now I’ve seen him in person I have no doubts that he would do something terrible.
He’s a completely different person since I last saw him. When I knew Dez, he dabbled in drugs, but, he was nothing like the scary mess who threatened to kill me today.
I shudder to think of his bloodshot eyes and pale face. Dez always had a menacing edge to him. But it’s spilled over into dangerous. And unpredictable.
Slowly, I screw up the letter.
I’ll find another way.
I need a better plan than this. But what?
The door handle of the bedroom turns, and I look up distractedly. I’m expecting to have to put on a front for George and Tammy.
But instead, Adam is standing in the threshold.
My
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