Dirty Little Secret (h.s.)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

            "Alyson! Come over NOW!!!" I yelled through my phone.  I was trying to contain my excitement but it wasn't really working.  I had just gotten back from my 2 day trip to New York with my mom like 5 minutes ago.  I had to make Alyson come over so I could share my news.

            "Can you not just tell me over the phone?" Alyson groaned.

            "NO. This is too big! I need to tell you this in person.  I wanna see your reaction."

            "Sorry, but I can't right this second.  I have to watch Max.  Can you come over here?"  She asked, sounding upset.

            "Yeah, I'll be there in just a sec. Bye!"  I said without waiting for a reply.  I jumped off my bed, grabbed my keys, and ran downstairs to my car.

            "Where are you going?" My mom asked.

            "To Aly's. I wanna tell her about what happened but she can't come over.  She has to watch her brother, Max," I explained.

            "Okay, just please be back for dinner.  Then we can tell your father the news," my mom said, not taking her eyes off the newspaper.

            "Okay, Love you!"  I said, walking out the door.  I walked, well ran, out to my 2008 dark purple Dodge Charger and started it up.  I quickly pulled out of the long driveway and drove to my best friend's house, super excited. 

            "Hey! How was the trip?" my best friend asked, hugging me.

           "It was... wait.  I want you to sit down when I tell you the next part," I said walking into her living room.

            "Okay?" She said confusedly, slowly walking to her navy blue leather couch.

         I stood up in front of her and dialed Jaden's number on my phone.  I couldn't see him in person because he was staying with his dad in Atlanta, Georgia this week. 

            "Hello?"  Jaden answered as I put my phone on speaker.

            "Hey babe.  I am here at Alyson's house and I have some news about my trip," I said nervously.  "I couldn't just tell Aly and wait for you to get back so I called."

            "That's okay, I love hearing your voice," my sweet boyfriend said through the phone.

            "Okay, okay.  Get to it H!"  Alyson said looking at me desperately.

           "Okay.  So I went to NYC and met with Rob Stringer and Rick Rubin, co-chairmen of Columbia Records.  The member of the group couldn't be there.  I don't knwo why.  I didn't ask questions.  The receptionist led me and my mom into a small gray room with a long wooden table in the middle and gray chairs surrounding it.  Rob and Rick came in a few minutes later, and greeted me.  He looked at me and said, 'So I guess you're Hal Walsh.'  I looked at my mom and both of us almost started laughing, but stopped ourselves. I very nicely said 'It's Halliiieeee' dragging out the last syllable.  He said he was sorry then they both sat down across from us.  They introduced themselves then got right to it.  I got my acoustic from its stand in the corner and came and sat back down.  I played Live While We're Young for them on that one guitar and started to pull out my electric, but they said they had heard enough.  That's when I got really nervous.  They said, 'We've heard enough to know that you're amazing and PERFECT for the job!'  I jumped up and nearly screamed, shaking their hands and thanking them over and over.  Rob wrote something on a piece of paper then handed it to me.  It had a whole bunch of information on it about the company.  He had written a phone number on the bottom and told me to call it before I called them back to find out the music I needed to learn.  He told me it's the number of one of the singers from the group I'll be touring with starting in February."

            "OH MY GOSH!! THAT'S AWESOME!"  Both Alyson and Jaden shouted at the same time.  Alyson gave me a huge bear hug and jumped up and down.

            "So have you called the number yet?"  Alyson asked.

            "No, I waited so we could both hear who the person was at the same time," I told her, only watching her smile grow. 

            "You're so nice."

            "Jay, I would have waited for you too, but Rob and Rick gave me a deadline to get the set list."

            "That's fine.  I understand.  But I gotta go.  Love you!"  Jaden said.

            "Love you too," I said then hung up.

            "CALL! CALL NOW!" my best friend shouted as soon as I hung up.  She grabbed my arm and staring shaking it like she thought that would make me go any faster.

            "Okay! Chill!"  I said laughing.  I dialed the number into my phone and immediately turned on the speaker.

            "Hello?" a voice said on the other end.

            "Hi, this is Halle Walsh, with Columbia Records," I said, super nervous about whom I was talking to.

            "Oh yes.  One second," the mystery guy said, then shouted (clearly with his mouth away from the receiver) "LADS! COME HERE! IT'S THE NEW GUITARIST!"  There were a whole bunch of feet coming into the room, I could tell.  "Oh, I'm sorry love.  I forgot to introduce myself.  I'm Harry Styles."