Ellie

Chapter Twenty six

PART THREE (The Bumpy Road Ahead)

( Just over four Months later)

Time flew in as usual. Once the album was finished, they were occupied in the whirlwind of doing interviews, mini tours. and television shows in an attempt to promote it. For Ellie it was the perfect excuse for putting off having to deal too much with what was going on with her and Brett in their personal life.

Astonishingly to her, they were still together without murdering each other yet. In fact their relationship had been pretty amiable so far. But, perhaps it was because they were also both focused on their music and the album to have time for petty squabbles with each other.

Apart from the few people, like the band members and Travis, their romance was still a well kept secret. Ellie was happy enough with the excuse that their professional life was so busy, it kept getting in the way of having to face her family, especially her father, about her personal relationship with Brett, as it wasn't on the list of her most important priorities yet. Though she sometimes wondered if it was a subconscious decision, imagining, that once their relationship became public knowledge, it might fall apart under the media scrutiny

But, it seemed their dedication and hard work had paid off. When they finally released their first single from their new album, it went straight to the top of the charts much to their delight.

Much to their delight the album was doing just as well when they finally released it.

Even more exciting was the fact their first album was now starting to pick up interest in the American market, which meant their record company and Travis had worked out a small mini tour in some of the American states that would be tacked on to the end of their up and coming European and UK tour

The fact they were starting to attract attention in America, had Brett on a new high much to Ellie's amusement. She had to keep reminding herself that unlike her, the chance to mingle, to become a part of the rich and famous, and having all this recognition and attention, was all new to him. and he was embracing it along with Joe and Donnie. 

Whereas, having been brought up, albeit still shielded, from the worst excesses of fame, Ellie took the whole thing more in her stride, and she still tended to take a more backseat approach and shied away from it.

But she was still excited for the forthcoming tour, as it would be the first real proper one where they would be the headliners, and she couldn't wait to get out there and test their new material in front of a live audience, that was where she always felt in her element.

Just a few weeks before the tour started, they were making an appearance in one of London's top music stores, to sign autographs for their fans and promote their album. It had attracted quite a crowd that had been queuing up from early that morning. After an hour from the doors opened and the crowds streamed in to meet them.

 Ellie's right hand was feeling the strain of signing so many autographs, and her cheeks were slightly aching, from smiling and posing so much, whilst obligingly taking many selfies with her excited fans on their phones, for a memento of the day.

Brett was in his element doing the same, whilst also doing some harmless flirting with his gushing female fans. Sometimes they were very obliging and took a pic together with a fan, though most of them preferred keeping Ellie out of the picture, and having Brett all to themselves, she realised with much amusement.

Finally their time was up, and they were then whisked away in a car to the nearby television studio, to do another short interview. But as it was still a few hours from their appearance, they went up to the canteen to grab themselves some lunch first.