The Obscure Downsides of Fame

11 // uhm, Saturday?

CHAPTER ELEVEN
uhm, Saturday?
•••

ᴏᴀᴋʟᴇʏ ᴄᴀʀʀɪʟʟᴏ

I didn't know what happened since the day I met Nolan at the ice cream place, but suddenly I felt like everything was so inspiring. I could literally write a one hundred page essay about the glass of water on my desk.

The music, however, still wasn't going as great as I'd hoped.

I was stuck with a bunch of lyrics that were semi-good, but with no music to support it. I didn't think I'd ever been able to write lyrics without music before. I'm a musician, not a damn poet.

I was pulled out of my train of thoughts by my phone ringing on my nightstand. I grabbed it, hoping for an unknown number that would likely be the one and only Nolan Mullen, but my screen lit up with a picture of me and Genevieve instead.

"Hey," I said. "What's up?"

"Oakley, you know what day it is?" she asked excitedly. I could already imagine the grin on her face. I knew exactly what she meant, but I decided to play dumb.

There was nothing more satisfying than annoying Genevieve Hastings.

"Uhm, Saturday?" I asked, a smirk spreading on my face.

"No, just one more week before Marionette's release!" she screeched. I had to move my phone away from my ear just to avoid becoming deaf. This was totally normal for her, however.

"Geez, Gen. You know I need my ears to hear it, right?"

I laughed at her incoherent speech from the other side.

"Gen, English please."

"Right. So I was wondering if maybe you could come to my house, you know? To watch it?"

I wanted to. I really wanted to. But with the pace I was writing with, I wasn't sure if I had the time. But I also didn't really want to disappoint her. I knew her, and she'd be very upset.

"Hey, have you even announced it yet?" I asked in a futile attempt at changing the topic.

"Oakley!" she yelled, and once again I had to pull my phone away from my face.

"Geez, okay. I don't know, Gen." I sighed. "I should've had at least one song done by today but I don't have anything," I groaned.

Mason had already called me earlier today, asking if I had anything done. To say he wasn't happy with the bad news, was an understatement. Masons anger worked in layers, and I'd figured that out over the years.

This time it managed to reach the third layer, which was silence. Absolute silence on the other side of the line.

Though I knew it was really bad when he reached the forth layer. It's hard to talk your way out of that one.

"Oh my god, Oaks. You're so dense. Don't ever let them make decisions without your knowledge, okay?"

Did I hear that right or did she actually deafen me? She didn't sound mad in the slightest.

"Wait, what? You aren't mad?"

"I mean, I'm disappointed," she said. And that was something I could hear in her voice. Her voice lacked the excitement it usually had. She sounded normal, which was definitely off for her.

"I just wish we could spend more time together. Like old times, you know?"

"We will," I promised her. It wasn't a lie, because I knew we'd find the time somewhere, just not right now.

Or maybe I could wriggle a little get together in my schedule somewhere?

"Hey, Genevieve?" I asked, staring out the window from the edge on my bed. The curtains on the room across from mine were wide open, revealing a cluttered mess of the room the boy next door called his.

I never liked that guy.

"Yeah?"

"I'll try to be there, okay?"

"Are you sure?" she asks. "I mean, if you really can't it's fine, I just —"

"No, it's okay. I'll be there," I promised her. "You're my best friend. I can't just let you down like that. I know how important this is to you."

It was a difficult promise to make, but I knew I'd figure things out. I wasn't going to miss such an important moment to her over music I didn't even want to make.

"Oh my god, yes!" she screeched. "Okay so I still have to invite Tina, Ben and Nolan. I need to get some snacks and—" she rambled.

I stopped listening when she mentioned Nolan though. Why hadn't he texted me yet?

"Oh and by the way, Nolan seemed pretty shy but I heard you guys got along pretty well, eating ice cream and stuff," Gen mentioned.

"How did they even know I was there?" I asked.

Like seriously, I had nowhere specific to be that I mentioned to anyone. The paps just found me. And took pictures. It still felt odd, being photographed everywhere I went.

"They know everything, Oaks. So tell me, you think he'll come?"

I thought about it for a moment, but I figured, if someone gets a panic attack from meeting someone, they probably won't willingly come to an event where there's a bunch of strangers.

"I don't know, Gen," I told her honestly.

"It's fine, I'll just ask him. I'm gonna talk to you later, alright?"

It sounded like nothing could ruin her day anymore, and hearing her like that made me happy too.

"Right. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she said before hanging up.

I glared at my phone for a few moments. Maybe if I stared at it, Nolan would finally text me.

I love Gen to bits, but apart from her, I literally had no friends. I lost touch with everyone after I graduated from high school, and I missed the simple things like getting ice cream and talking about problems. And for once, I felt like maybe I could have that again.

Though minutes passed and it got darker outside, with no new messages from unknown numbers.

Maybe tomorrow.