STELLA (English Version)

CHAPTER 4 - CALLUM

Callum still dwelled on his actions from the previous night, regretting how he could have handled things better with his band—they were, after all, best friends since childhood. The night was meant for them to enjoy, promote the band, but as always, he had found a way to ruin it. This time, his past had messed everything up.

They didn't deserve this. That's why Callum was determined to give his best today. They would get that contract, no matter what. Every ring of the phone echoed like a dead end, making him want to scream at the walls.

"Damn it! Someone answer, for God's sake," he vented on the phone just as he heard on the other end:

"Geffen Records, how can I help?" The woman's voice sent shivers down Callum's spine.

"Good morning! I'm Callum, and I'm part of a band called High Voltage. We were wondering if you could listen to our demo."

"How many members in the band?"

"We're four. Four guys," he replied.

"We already have plenty of bands like that out there. What would be your unique selling point? Any special element?"

"Come on, man. What are they saying?" Hunter intervened impatiently.

"Shut up. Let him talk. He knows what he's doing," said Dylan, completely serious. "Or at least I hope so."

Callum signaled with his hand for the two to stop arguing because he couldn't hear properly.

"Yes, we have!" he confidently responded.

"And what would that be?"

"Give us a chance and let us show it in person. I guarantee your mind will explode."

The silence on the call was deafening for Callum; he didn't know what was happening, whether it was good or bad. This had never happened before.

Hunter stared at him with a questioning expression. Callum could feel Zack's gaze on his back, reproaching him for his bold answer. Screw it, I'm going to get this, no matter what, he thought.

Dylan was restless in front of him, pacing back and forth, restraining himself from bombarding him with questions.

"Alright," came the voice from the other end of the line.

"Alright? What do you mean, alright?" Callum asked incredulously. "Did we make it?"

"We'll give your band a chance. But that special element has to blow our minds," the woman confirmed. "Otherwise, I guarantee you won't ever be able to talk to a record label again."

"Rest assured, it will blow!," Callum tried to control his emotions as best as he could. "When?"

"In three days. We're having a mini event at the Santa Monica Pier, and you guys have to be there. You'll be one of the attractions."

"SANTA MONICA, AS IN LOS FUCKING ANGELES?" Callum got a little worked up due to happiness. He had already paced around the room so much; his hands were sweating, and he didn't even care about the look Zack gave him.

"Exactly. At 4 pm, Santa Monica Pier," she confirmed. "What's the name of the band again?"

"High Voltage. You'll never forget that name; it's written in the stars."

Callum kissed the phone in pure happiness. The boys were staring at him, waiting for information. He forgot they couldn't hear the conversation.

"We did it!" Callum said. "We did it!" Callum raised his voice. "We did it, damn it!"