Pop Singers, Am I Right?

Chapter 21: Tours Part 3, Am I Right?

I was listening to Dear John when I was writing this, so blame John Mayer for this.

. . . . . . 

Fitz POV

The broken way she nods as she starts tearing up hits somewhere deeper inside me. Knuckles covering her eyes as she tells me the truth. The real truth.

"When we started dating. That's when it all started." She can't even look at me as she sobs, "Alvar messaged me and told me he could make our relationship beneficial and profitable. Some dumb shit. I was so fucking young, so stupid enough to believe that bullshit. He fed me lies, I was a victim in the end, just like you. But I wasn't smart enough to ever double guess it, and there was no one else involved. He was just some dumb puppeteer and I was some dumb kid. Not to call you dumb, but he's such a manipulative mastermind like-like a cartoon villain. But of course, he tricked me into falling in love with me. With his good looks and fresh money that kept coming, I didn't care from where. I loved him and he told me he loved me. I was just a fucking kid. After a while, I started connecting the dots and after he gaslit me a million times, I figured out that he just wanted me so he could a crew more views for you. He had dirt on me. And like not a little amount of dirt. Like enough to bury a body. I shouldn't have confided in him. But he told me he'd give me a job and not ruin my life if I just continued dating you and photograph anything interesting or out of character. So I did. I never thought what the consequences of my actions would be, but I didn't know they'd have such a domino effect on everything. I should've thought..."

All of this hits me like a train. Suddenly it all makes sense. I can hear him now, talking down to me like I didn't understand the weight of any situation. Smooth voice, applying salt to the burn underlying the bandaid, like I wouldn't notice. And I didn't. All his stupid traps that he set out in front of me, falling into each one as he convinced me it was just bad luck. My whole reality deformed as I ask myself, Who else? Who else is behind this?

"It's okay if you don't believe me, but it'd be in your best interest to." Sophie said weary, curling up into a ball with her chin tucked into her knees. "I never hated you, Fitz, I just hated myself for doing this."

"Why'd he do it?" I ask, voice dry from holding back words that I didn't want to say.

She sighs, "I wish there was a better excuse. But it's fame."

"Fucking fame. It's ruined everyone I know." My fists tighten, "The hollow pursuit of love from strangers. It turns people into monsters, doesn't it?"

"It really does." She nods, "We have role models, right? And the world chews them up and spits them up. We have to kill our role models, devouring their insecurities and drama and ripping them bone from bone. We're horrible. But it's how society works."

I narrow my eyes at the window, gazing out at the window. "He's in the suite above us. I need to talk to Alvar."

"No." Sophie stands up and looks me dead in the eye, "He's dangerous, Fitz."

"I survived him once. I'll survive him again." I say, standing up.

"Not you." Her eyes are droopy like she's been up every night worrying about this. "Your sister. Me. Jensi. And your...Dex."

"I can defend them and you. This is between me and Alvar." I say firmly, walking away.

"You don't know the things he can do!" I ignore her pleas. I grab the door knob and swing the door open. "Wait! Fitz!"

I turn around, and Sophie, face flustered from tears and eyes desperate, says, "Don't let him win."

"I won't." I promise, smiling even though it hurts.

. . . . . . .

Running as fast as I can, taking two stairs at a time, my body moving so fast that my heart beat is the only thing I can hear. I don't know exactly what I'm going to say, but I know a lot of "fuck you"'s will be tossed out and it will be very powerful. If not, nothing will work. I mean, Sophie's acting like he's Thanos or something. So he got a bunch of people to help black mail me in some weird fucked up way. But isn't that what all celebrities do? He's weak under all of his armor. He probably didn't expect me to find out his secrets, so I have the upperhand. I think.

When I get to his door, I open it without knocking. He's sitting at his desk, typing something.

"Hello, Fitz." He murmurs, not looking up from his computer.

"You know, I think you should've hired a better photographer than Sophie." At my words he tenses, "She didn't get a great angle, now did she? I was thinking the next time you hire someone to stalk me they could at least take a flattering picture."

"Fitz, let me explain-"

"This better be fucking good." I say, refusing to sit across from him.

"We needed publicity. So I gave us publicity." He shrugs, "I could've done worse."

"HOW? NOT TO OVERREACT BUT YOU DID HIRE SOMEONE TO STALK ME, REMEMBER?" I yell, "AND WAS ALL THIS SOME FUCKING SCHEME? ALL OF IT?"

"A plan. Not a scheme, a plan." Alvar holds his head up and his hands are in his lap, folded neatly. "I knew you and Dex would make a wonderful pair, so I told Sophie to be the fucking psychopath she is and get his attention. And we also scored some media attention, so she really did well on that part. We quit with Mr. Forkle because he was quite boring and got another singer to call off their contract so we could secure a chance in signing with the label. We got Drisilia after I dug up a little history...did you know she had a girlfriend when she was younger?" He laughs, "What a dumb little bitch. Anyways, I convinced her to duet with you and get together with Dex. Both Drisilia and Sophie took the reins for drama from there. Jensi came into play at the perfect moment. I got him on the blackmailing list too. Such a perfect victim. So useful. And you were stupid enough to head to a club with Dex, get wasted, and tell Jensi everything that anyone ever did to you? Well, I didn't know that you and Dex were fags, but I guess I know now. Really, even more perfect for the narrative when I take over as label manager and steal your job. Or I could get you to stage another dramatic problem that makes you seem like a monster, and bam! I take over. The noble older brother, who had no idea how evil his younger brother was."

Silence.

"I'm telling the press."

"Oh, telling them what? You and your little boyfriend were victims of the evil, Alvar Vacker, who's never done anything wrong, while you've cheated on your girlfriend and admitted it, and, soon, when we get a little more photo evidence, abused her?" He laughs even more, "tell you what, Fitz, you ever see that little homo Dex again, I tell the world everything. I'll release the recording of what you said in the car when Jensi brought you home. I'll tell everyone that Dex is gay and maybe toss in the girlfriend abuse from you, and ruin you both. Maybe add something about...what's that bitch who sits at the front desk at his little stupid studio? Maruca?"

"You wouldn't." My voice is cracking, because I'm breaking apart. I can't believe she was right.

"You having an affair with her, have Drisilia come out from dating her too...this is too good." Alvar starts typing again, "Thank you, Fitz, you gave me some really good ideas. This'll make one hell of an article one day. Maybe I'll get Jensi to author it."

The silence that came after. It was deadly. I lost. It only took a little effort to lose everything.

"Please, Alvar." I ask, eyes watering, "Please don't hurt them."

"Aw, Fitz." He looks up from his laptop, grinning like a real villain, "I already have." 

so evil >:(