Chapter 20: Chapter Eleven-1

I was shocked as I came forth to the sound of my blaring alarm, though I didn't dare let it stop me from springing to life. I quickly shut it off and booted up my newly purchased laptop, courtesy of my old man. I'd been after a MacBook for a while now and decided to use what little I had left over of Dad's life insurance to bite the bullet. He'd want me to use it on something I'd enjoy as opposed to bills and petrol. So I did it. Rose gold and brand new; I was now the proud owner of all Apple products. I quickly and efficiently followed the link sent by Will and found the page took me to a live stream of a show called The Glen Rider Show. I'd never heard of him but pressed play nevertheless and was delighted when Will's face came into view. From the looks of things, I had missed majority of the interview and had joined mid questionnaire. "Username Jessy_xo has tweeted and would like to know which one of you is the most flirtatious?" enquired the presenter, Glen, I assumed. "Hands down, Kyle," answered Matt, certainly not beating around the bush. "He can sweet-talk anyone." His dark-ish hair held elements of copper throughout and although unusual, I found myself strangely captivated by it. It didn't look dyed but I knew of no one else who had such a unique hair colour. It shone like silk under the studio's lighting and was slicked back, away from his face. His clothing also matched his cool persona and with a clear leather theme going on, he really did ooze all things rock n roll. The other's dressed similar with the exception of Will who looked rather dashing in black jeans and a white shirt. He did, however, dress it down by wearing it two buttons open which gave onlookers a glimpse at that wonderful chest tattoo of his. I guessed the outline of something tribal but soon lost interest when a question came up that I was genuinely interested in. "I believe that," laughed Glen, winking at a smirking Kyle. "We have time for one more. Username Sassy__AF__ wants to know, in your opinion, what is the worst pizza topping." The crowd 'Ooooh'd' their response and started throwing out suggestions such as fish and pineapple, but in the end, it came down to Will to answer. "I think the worst pizza topping ever is salad cream," he said, totally going there. "WHAT!" I shrieked, giggling thereafter. "Who on earth puts salad cream on their pizza?" asked Jax, truly horrified. Will continued to laugh at the audience's reaction and proceeded to shake his head. "I know of someone," he smirked, secretive as ever. "What is Salad Cream? Is this some British concoction we Yanks don't know about?" asked Glen, clearly unaware of the best sauce ever. "It's a very sweet sauce that is known for going well with salads. It should, by no means, end up on pizza," explained Kyle, stunning the poor presenter into facing the camera and calling me out. "Well, whoever you are, if you're watching, just know you are sick in the head." Will cracked up from his side of the sofa and threw back his head in total amusement, taking me along with him. I had to laugh, even though he was completely mocking my pizza ritual. "Alright guys, it's been great chatting with you. You're going to be performing for us now, is that right?" "Yeah," grinned Matt, taking charge of the situation. "It's called Speak Easy and it's from our new album." "Perfect! Well, while you guys get ready, here is how you at home can bag yourself a VIP ticket to Song 41's charity gig next week in London." The screen cut to a montage of the band, alongside the instructions to enter the competition. I hadn't known they were doing a charity gig and found it quite nice that they were. They often did things to raise money for various conditions and diseases and I truly commended them for that. Between them, they probably had enough money to open up a Vegas casino, so it was good that they gave back every now and again. "Be sure to enter that!" encouraged Glen, getting his audience riled up. "Now, the moment we've all been waiting for. With a new track from their third album, please give it up for Song 41!" The beat instantly kicked in and I threw the covers off of my body, gearing myself up for the much anticipated performance. The spotlight focused in on drums, giving Jax one almighty silhouette. It was a fantastic visual and as the beat dropped, all other lights came to life and lit up the remaining band members. Will was up front and centre, looking truly fierce with his eyes closed in a 'look at me, I'm a rock star' stance. One foot was resting on the floor lights and his hands, big and masculine, held on to the microphone with so much casualness, it really did suit him well. Kyle and Matt also looked at ease with their guitars and although no lyrics had been uttered yet, each once was in a trace of their own. "Speak up or don't speak at all In a room full of noise, everyone is listening." Will's deep baritone came into play moments later and sent chill after chill through my body. He really did have a beautiful voice and although I could vouch it was much better in person, what he sounded like now was nothing short of amazing. All husk with a hint of softness, he held the ability to captivate an entire nation and never once took it for granted. I read somewhere that he did daily rituals to look after his most important instrument and his earlier comment about being on vocal rest all day was proof of that alone. He took care of himself and I admired that about him. "Silence is nothing, silence is true, Silence is everything when it leads me to you. Speak easy." The four continued to win over the live audience and no doubt, the many people watching from home. It was a fast track and had a beat which held the potential to make people dance. After just two choruses, I knew I liked it and that was I rare thing to come by these days. Usually, it would take at least a few listens for me to admit I was a fan but with this, I instantly knew. Was I a little bias? Perhaps, but who cared? "Failure is within me, yet I choose to prevail Speak easy." The song same to a satisfying finish, rendering onlookers completely speechless. It took the audience a beat before they went crazy with their loud cheers and high pitched whistles. Even Glen had to force himself to speak when thanking everyone for watching. I inwardly squealed and immediately reached for my phone, so overcome with adrenaline. I found it difficult to type. Rosie: Consider me impressed. You did great, rock star. You all did. P.S Salad Cream is THE BEST pizza topping and don't you ever forget it. I pressed send and decided to play around on my laptop for a while, knowing I was long past the stage of sleep. I was far too energetic after witnessing that performance and eventually busied myself by making a pot of tea. By the time I finished my first mug, it had gone four and I decided to take a quick shower as a way of freshening up a little. I was just re-entering my bedroom, wrapped in my towel when an incoming message sounded from my phone. Will: Thanks, sweetheart. I'll admit, I was nervous knowing you were watching. Sorry about outing your secret on national television but come on...SALAD CREAM.  It's disgusting. Rosie: No need to be nervous. I loved the song and you were very...hmm how do I say this without coming across flirtatious? Will: Just say it. I won't accuse you of flirting. Just got back to the hotel now. It's 11.52pm here. Why are you still awake? I looked out of my window and towards the ever rising sun, contemplating why myself. Rosie: You were very... Oh, screw it! Rosie: You were very sexy (and yes, I'm blushing). I can't sleep. Too much adrenaline. Will: So is this you up for the day? His straight up refusal to acknowledge my 'sexy' comment sat uncomfortably within. I didn't know how to take it and decided it was perhaps best to move on and learn from my mistakes. Note to self; don't call Will sexy. Rosie: Yeah, I'm awake for the day. I continued to dwell over my thoughts for a while, not once stopping. Not even when the voice in the back of my mind told me to. Perhaps calling Will sexy was a mistake but I was so over lying to myself. I made a promise to be honest with him. Sure, I hadn't quite expected that type of reaction but it was fine. I was a grown woman; I could handle rejection. Suddenly, my phone's peculiar alarm forced me to avert my attention elsewhere. At first, I thought we were being invaded by aliens but soon discovered the rather UFO-sounding ringtone was indeed an incoming Facebook call.