Things Are Different

Chapter 31: pre-show

"Dad, wake up! I have a song idea!" I shook him awake quietly. I felt bad for waking him up but it was stuck in my head.

"Meet me in living room, we'll have to be quieter than usual but we can make it work." He wiped down his face and grabbed his laptop as I grabbed the microphone and headphones. In little time we had a mini-soundboard and a mattress from one of the spare rooms set up.

I fixed together a track that hasn't been used in my laptop since it was created. Partly because it was for Jaden and he and I have two totally different styles of creativity but this time I think I knew the direction of the song.

"Ready?" My dad asked taking over the board as I sat in a chair. "Yeah. Just let me feel it out for a sec." I said nodding my head as I heard the opening elements. Listening to the whole beat I knew it was a feel good song. Knowing that my concert was tomorrow I wanted to add it the set list immediately.

"Can you loop it?" I said nodding my head.

"Yeah. Paradise..."

//

"Noel! Get up we have to be there by 10." Lovely knocked on my door. "Got it Lovely." I called back pulling on my sweatpants that were beside my bed. "Show day Noey." Trevante pulled in his shirt and rolled it down over his head. "I won't even realize it until later quite honestly." I chuckled pulling my shirt over my head next.

"Are you coming with us or are you coming later?" "I'll come later, let you get in your zone. I'll just hang with Kylie and Ken until then." He told me as I pulled on my jacket and grabbed my phone and earphones. "Okay, I'll see you there then." I kissed his lips softly before opening the door. His hand fell on my forearm stopping the door from opening all the way. "You just gave me a chaste kiss. That's big." He grinned.

I felt myself blushing as my cheeks burned. "Shut up!" I laughed warmly opening the door all the way open as he followed me out of the room us going separate way as I headed into the living room and he headed back to his room.

"No strenuous activity before a big performance. I see that rule was broken." Lovely jokingly poked my arm. I scratched behind my neck as I smiled nervously. "Don't tell my mom." I smiled nervously. "Lips sealed." She zipped her lips. "Thank you." I nodded gratefully.

"Ready?" My aunt Kourtney adjusted her hoodie around herself as she approached us. "Yes, are you?" "Yep" she smiled. "Then we're set." I pulled out my earphones Lovely led us to the cars as I listened to the song I had just recorded. Lovely let me and my aunt in our own cars as she traveled with my team from my fathers label.

"KeKe can you listen to something for me?" I asked breaking the silence in the car. We had been on the road for a minute fighting the congested streets of early morning traffic in New York.

"Sure, did you record this with Justine?" She asked as I unplugged my headphones. "No, I recorded this yesterday with my dad. We just finished the cut early this morning." I shook my head. "You never stop do you?" She smiled jokingly. "Never, even when you're making progress." I shook my head.

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it softly. "I'm proud of you." She smiled. "Thank you." I smiled genuinely. "For everything really, I can't thank you enough actually Aunt Kourtney." I pulled her into a hug. "You're welcome." She kissed my forehead. "Now this song? Are you performing it or is it album type?" She asked.

"Both, I'm feeling really good about it." I smiled. "Ready?" I rose my eyebrow. "Whenever you are." She nodded.

//