He's The One Behind My Music

Chapter 1

I'm Avery Rae Perez, fifteen and I didn't know that I've been gifted a singing voice until I was 14.  

Today my cousin Neil Alexander Rodriguez, 17 and I were recording popular song covers and right now were recording As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber. Neil was my guitarist and his guitar skills were incredibly amazing. 

I have known Neil was my cousin when we have celebrated a grand family reunion.

~FLASHBACK~

The family reunion was held at the hotel here at the Philippines. I was in a table with my family feeling bored and just playing games at my phone while we wait for our other relatives to come. 

I can't take it much longer so I ask permission to my parents if I could roam around the hotel and they've agreed and permitted me to go. 

While I was walking, I was very amaze of how the architecture and interior designs of this hotel was beautifully made. 

It took a few minutes until I ended up sitting at the bench near a big fountain. 

I was admiring how big and beautiful the fountain was until I heard a sound, more like a guitar being strummed using a palm mute technique. I stood up and followed the sound, Stoping beside the big fountain covered in a dark shadow. I found a teenage boy sitting in a bench across the big fountain. He was playing the song Lucky by Jason Mraz. This guy must be one of my relatives because this hotel was exclusively close just for our reunion. His guitar skills was amazingly perfect and how he strum it was totally captivating. 

Because it was extremely captivating, I started to sing the girls part. "Boy, I hear you in my dreams I feel you whisper across the sea, I keep you with me in my heart, you make it easier when life gets hard." I began while walking away from the shadow and slowly walking towards him. 

I sat down on the bench beside him. It was extremely magical how he plays the guitar. 

We've started singing together some parts of the song until it ended. 

I can't believe that I started singing in front of someone. I usually sang at my room when I'm alone. But right now I can't believe at myself. I felt embarrass I think he thought my voice was awful, I just lowered my head and my hands were tightly holding the bench while looking at my feet. 

"Whow!.." he began. 

"I know! My voice is awful! I'm sorry I destroyed the song!" I said feeling embarass and hating myself. 

"Are you kidding me? Your voice....It's....it's.....amazing! wonderful! captivating!" he replied excitedly. 

I just laugh then said "What?"  

"Your like an angel when you sing!" he shouted tapping his guitar. 

"Actually No! It's my first time to sing in front of someone!" I confessed feeling shy. 

"You've got an amazing voice! Your gifted!" he added. 

"Thank You!" I replied with a smile looking down at my feet. 

I felt that my face was blushing and then I lowered down my head. 

"I'm Neil!" he began reaching out his hand. 

"I'm Avery!" I replied shaking his hand. "It's nice too meet you!" I added. 

"Yeah, me too! We must be relatives!" Neil replied with a smile. 

"Yeah! I guess so!" I grinned. 

"By the way, You've got an awesome guitar skills!" I commented. 

"Thanks! I've been taking classes!" Neil answered shaking his guitar being proud of himself. 

I just giggled.

We've returned at the dinning area, where our relatives are mostly in there. When I've returned at the table where my family is, Dad was talking to someone. A woman with his husband maybe, and Mom was also joining the conversation. 

I've never guessed those two were Neil's parents. The woman was father's sister and that makes Neil my cousin. I've never seen Neil nor his parents in my whole life, and that's because they were living in New York City but they've decided to move here in the Philippines from now on. Neil was 16 that time and I was 14. 

It's been a year that we've been covering popular songs to be uploaded in youtube. I remembered how Neil begged me to do some covers in youtube. At first I didn't want to because I'm totally shy. I'm afraid of the feedbacks, of how people will judge me. 

When I finally gave in and started recording, It just felt that I'm just singing in my room and no one is watching. When we uploaded it, a couple of days later our cover gathered hundreds of views then thousands and so on. 

It made me feel happy inside when I read the comments of how they like my voice, how they found it magical and how they like me & Neil to do some more covers. And that's the start of how me and Neil agreed to do more covers of today's popular songs. And our parents liked this idea so much that they have been our number one fans.

~END OF FLASHBACK~

We've finished recording and editing the song As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber, that we've beeb covering a while ago. And we've finally uploaded it on youtube. 

Then 10 minutes had past my phone vibrated and rang. When I look at it, I got an e-mail from someone. It's not just someone it was from Mark Brunett the producer of The Voice USA. It made me think what it is all about and when I opened and read it. My eyes widened, I was shocked and didn't move for a minute and then looked at Neil. He was doing something on his laptop.

"Hey Neil!" I muttered. I felt that my hands were shaking. But since I was just standing near him, he manage to hear me. 

"Yeah?" He asked but his eyes were still locked at the laptop screen. 

"Guess who e-mailed me?" I replied still shaking and can't believe. 

"Who?" he just asked, he's eyes were just glued from the screen like he didn't care who it was. 

"Mark Burnett the producer of the, The Voice USA!" I answered looking at him while waving my phone. 

"Who, What!!" he uttered shockingly and that made him to look away from the laptop screen. 

"Mark Brunett the produce of The Voice USA!" I repeated showing him my phone. 

Neil grabbed my Iphone from my hand and then read the e-mail loudly.

Avery Perez and Neil Rodriguez:

A pleasant day to both of you, 

I emailed you because I want to notify you, that you have an entry to join the YOUTUBERS SINGS! 

It is a singing competition where only the Youtube sensation singers can enter this competition and you two have been qualified to join. 

This will be held at Hollywood, California. 

Call me as soon as you read this, here's my number: 

XXX-XXX-XXXX 

-Mark Burnett

Neil paused for a while after reading the e-mail. And then he put down the phone at the table and looked at me. He grabbed my shoulders with both hands and then he shake me. 

"What the Hell!" he yelled while shaking my shoulders.  

"I must be dreamibg! Can you pinch me?" he added. 

After letting me go, I pinch his right arm that cause him to yell. 

"Ouch! Avery it hurts!" he complained while rubbing his arm. 

"And that proves that your not dreaming! This is a real thing!" I replied, this time I'm the one shaking his shoulders. 

"I just can't believe it Aves!" Neil muttered and then hugged me. 

"Yeah! me too!" I returned the hug and smiled. 

Neil is not just my cousin, he is also my best friend.