Chapter 1

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Tw:self harm, eating disorders, abuse, rape ) for the whole book
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(Mikey)
"In other news today, famous rock band Five Seconds of Summer have just put word out that they will be postponing any tour or album releases for the coming months.
The band's lead guitarist, Joshua Rose left the band earlier this month due to conditions undisclosed by their management.
We don't know what this means for Five seconds of summer, but we hope they find a new guitarist"

"Mikey! Did you hear that? You should totally audition!" One of my best friends KC yells at me from the lounge room of our apartment that we share with our other best friend Jessie.
"NO!" I shout back, laughing when I hear her whine.
"Why not Mikey? Their one of our favorite bands and you could totally become famous!" She asks excitedly.
"He hates Luke remember" Jessie says walking into the room from his bedroom.
"Thank you Jes" I say smirking when KC pouts.
"Fine! But you will totally regret it when you don't get famous on your own!" She shouts.
"I don't care! I can do it on my own!" I tease, walking back into my room to get dressed for work. I work at a music shop getting money for school. I'm getting a degree in music.
Jessie works for Hopeless records, I do too but only on weekends. And KC works at our local coffee shop.

"What time are you done with your shift today Mikey?!" KC yells at me while I'm walking out the door.
"I'm done at hopeless at 2 then I'm at the music shop till 10. Don't wait up for me." I call back, closing the door and running to my car, an old 2006 Jeep Wrangler.
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(Luke)
"Ok guys I know the past month has been tough for you so we're just gonna do whatever you feel like working on today." John says, giving me a cautious look. I sigh in frustration, ever since they found out everyone has been tiptoeing around me. Like ya he raped and beat me for a couple years but come on I handled it I'm not a child.
"I think we should just work on finding a new guitarist for now, work on music later?" Ash says. I know he's just trying to help. He feels responsible for what happened to me, thinks that since I'm younger it was his job to keep me safe.
"I'm fine Ash, I've actually got some music I wanna record but we can deal with the new guitarist now I guess." I interrupt their conversation.
"Luke-" John starts to say.
" guys I'm fine, I know everyone thinks they need to treat me like I'm fragile but I'm not. Ya what he did was bad but he's gone now it's over." I say, slumping into my seat.
"Ok, if you want to carry on like nothing happened we can but eventually people are going to ask why he left. They don't even know he was arrested." John says. I sigh again.
"If it comes to it I'll explain but until then let's just continue, I can't let him ruin this for me any more than he already has." I say quietly.
"Ok. Let me call in the other staff, we all need to be in this conversation." John clicks on his phone and holds it up to his ear. He says some words and then hangs up, then starts typing furiously on His phone to presumably the other staff members.
"Ok you guys have a half hour break, the meeting will start at 5."
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(Jessie)
"Hello?" I answer my phone without looking at the caller ID.
"Jessie! I need you to come in to the office like now." John says.
" my shift doesn't start till 6?" I ask confused.
"Yes but we have a big meeting that is taking place at 5 and I need everyone I can get, can you call Mikey as well? We need some younger kids take on it." He says in a rush.
"I can come in now but Mikey has work at the music store he can't get off." I explain, grabbing my keys and walking out to my old beat up pick up truck.
"Oh well, it's ok. I thought he might have been in the building still. Ok see you in a bit."
I hang up the phone and drive to Hopeless records, still confused about what's going on.
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"Ah Jessie you're here come in!" John greets me as soon as i step onto the building.
"Am i allowed to know what's going on or no?" I ask jokingly.
"You will find out like the second you walk into the room don't worry."
"I'm not worried John" I laugh.
" anyway how is Mikey doing? I know he asked for a cut on his hours but it seems all he is doing is working." John asks as we step into the elevator.
" He works two jobs and goes to school full time, I don't even know where he has the time to breath. I wish he would pick one job and just work there but it's always something about not having enough money." I shrug.
"I've told that boy multiple times i would hire him full time on the spot but he won't take it. I'm starting to think he's lost his mind. That boy is special but he doesn't see it in himself." John sighs and the doors open. We walk out to the entire floor running around like chickens with their heads chopped off.
"Ok everyone to the meeting room please!" John manages to yell over the noise. Everyone quickly goes quiet and rushes to the meeting room.
"Alright let's get this started. First off, most of you may Know these three but if you don't , This is Luke, Ashton and Calum from Five Seconds of Summer," John introduced the three guys that I didn't realise were sitting there. Holy shit! I have to tell KC and Mikey! I quickly whip out my phone and start a new message to them.
Jessie: Holy shit you guys! 5SOS are here! I'm sitting in the same room as them.
Jessie: they are even more attractive in person!
KC: WHAT?!
Mikey: What the actual fuck?"
Mikey: you go to work on my day to work two jobs and get to meet one of our favorite bands?"
KC: This shit isnt fair!
KC: Make sure you get pictures with them!
KC: and maybe their autographs for me
Mikey: wait, why are they there? Like we know they are signed to the label but what are you doing with them?"
Jessie: meeting, john called me in, was gonna call you but your working. Apparently he needs a young person's point of view on something,
Jessie: I don't know man, there are like 50 people in here, this must be serious.
Jessie: I have to go it's starting.

I lock my phone and pay attention to what john is saying.
"Ok for those of you who don't know, Joshua Rose was kicked out of the band last month, the reason is on need to know basis until the band decides otherwise so no asking. Alright so this meeting is because we need a new guitarist and we need your help to figure out how to get one." John says.
"So any ideas just throw them out there"
"Have a contest?" someone says.
"Ok contest" John writes it on the board.
"What kind of contest though? Like the prize is to be in the band?" Ashton asks. For a while people throw ideas out there and john writes them on the board.
"Jessie what do you think?" John calls on me. Oh great put me on the spot.
"Uh if you go along the lines of a contest but don't call it a contest, just call it auditions? Then like open venues in different countries or states or soemthin, depending on how much time you have. Almost make it like X-Factor and Got Talent, anyone is able to audition, old enough that is and just listen to them play?" I say then quickly type out a message to Mikey asking his take on it.
"That's good, any addons?" John asks. I get a message back from mikey then.
"Uh Mikey said if you're going to go with the auditions make sure you have them perform for other people to make sure they are good enough before they perform for the band because some people will come just to try to meet them and you don't want that it will just be waste of time."
"Thats a good idea" calum says for the first time the whole meeting, he turns and smiles at me.
"Good on Mikey, working two jobs at once" John jokes.
"He's asking if he gets paid for his charity work" I laugh, looking at the message on my phone.
"I"ll pay that kid as much as he wants as long as he keeps working for me. Ok joking aside, so we can plan to hold auditions, say in Aus and them go over to America?" John looks to the band for confirmation. Ashton and Calum nod but Luke just stairs at the table.
"Why don't we just hold them here in like a week? If they really want to audition they will come here." Luke speaks for the first time, the sound of his voice seems forced, like he would rather be anywhere but here. I'm starting to see why Mikey doesn't like him too much.
"I feel like that's mean to everyone around the world but if we go to america but nowhere else that's not fair either so I think staying here is the best, plus it might deter people who would only audition as a joke or to meet us." Ash says. I nod to myself.
"Ok so we will put out the message, all guitarists who want to audition to be in the band are to report to our building in a week's time, some staff will listen to them first and if they think they are good the band will listen to them the next day. Ok thank you for everyone's help, you may all go home for the day." John dismisses us, but when I go to leave he calls me back.
"Jessie! Wait a second would ya?"I nod and walk over to him, he's standing with the three band members.
"Ya?" I ask.
"Jessie this is Ashton, Luke and Calum, boys this is Jessie, he's one of the best people I have working for me." He introduces us and I blush at the complement.
"Ya ok, we all know Mikey is the best" I say jokingly.
"Who is Mikey?" Ashton asks.
"Ya, I've heard his name before a bunch from just being here." Calum adds.
"Mike is my best friend, he worked here too he just has a lot of classes so his work hours are cut shorter. He does like everything here, he's the guitar tech, he's the recording booth tech, he knows how to make the tracks and everything, then he does the Pr things as well , literally anything you could need help with in here go to Mikey and he knows what to do" I explain.
"These two have been working for me since they were 15, of course they know everything there is to know." John says patting me on the back.
"Oh great john employing minors?" Luke says, sounding serious but the way the other three laughed I could tell he wasn't serious.
"Jessie is my illegitimate Nephew, and It's just impossible to not like Mikey." John shrugs.
"Illegitimate?" Ashton raises an eyebrow.
"He's married to my aunt but my aunt is my step aunt, if that makes any sense" I explain. They nod.
"Ok besides that we wanted to thank you for helping today, it's been a rough month and we needed a new mind working with us." Ashton says, I smile.
"Ah no problem i work here so it's kind of my job." I grin.
"Well If it's not too much work we would like you to help us with all this, you're our age so you know how the internet things and contest things work." Calum says.
"Oh ya man, thats no problem. I'd be happy to help" I say looking at john.
"Can you ask Mikey if he would too? He's the guitar tech so he knows a good guitarist when he hears one."
"It's next week? I'll definitely ask him, he might have classes and work but i'll let him know." I shrug frowning at the amount of work my friend does.
"Tell him I'll pay him double for it. I just- these guys would really like to get back on tour and making music so we will take all the help we can get."
"Ok Ill let him know, I'm not sure if he has his schedule yet so we better cross our fingers he will help." I say before waving goodbye and going to the floor above where my "office" is, it's kind of just a room with two desks. Mikey has one and i have the other. Well, I met one of my favorite bands and I can already tell the reason Joshua left is bad. Can't wait to tell Mikey and KC!

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