Scratched

Twenty Seven

TWENTY SEVEN

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I wasn't sure how it happened but one minute I was enjoying the silence of my hotel room, and the next it was filled with music and lots of yelling. I frowned from wear I was sitting on the bed, watching Callum and Reed battling it out. Reed was handing it to Callum. Well, actually Reed had been handing it to everyone like he always does. The song ended, proclaiming Reed the champion. He clapped his hands together. "Welcome to the Jungle, bitch!" he said to Callum.

"This is shit!" Callum exclaimed.

He threw down the guitar angrily, dropping onto the bed beside me. I looked over at him, raising my eyebrows. He just shook his head. "Still the undefeated champion!" Reed announced to the room. "Who wants to go next?" Everyone looked around, but no one wanted to take it. He sighed. "You are all no fun to play with. I'll just demonstrate my skills further." He turned back to the screen, selected Fame. We had been at this for about an hour. Reed had run through nearly everyone in the room. I had avoided going up because I still felt the sting from my last defeat. I wasn't ready to relive it.

The classic opening started and Reed started singing it himself. It was probably the most distracting thing he did while playing. It made it nearly impossible when you went up against him to concentrate. "Fame, makes a man take things over. Fame, let hims loose, hard to swallow. Fame, puts you there where things are hollow. Fame," he sang, glancing back at us while still playing. "Fame, it's not your brain, it's just the flame that burns your change to keep you insane. Fame. Fame, what you like is in the limo. Fame, what you get is no tomorrow. Fame, what you need you have to borrow. Fame."

I looked over at Callum, joining in with Reed. It was contagious. I didn't know how you could listen to this song without singing it. "Fame, nien! It's mine! Is just his line to bind your time. It drives you to, crime. Fame," I sang, nudging Callum with my elbow. He laughed and joined in as well. "Could it be the bes, could it be? Really be, really, babe? Could it be, my baby, could it, babe? Could it, babe? Could it, babe? Is it any wonder I reject you first? Fame, fame, fame, fame. Is it any wonder you are too cool to fool. Fame. Fame, bully for you, chilly for me. Gt to get a rain check on pain."

Reed launched into the last half of the song, finishing off with a perfect score. He fist pumped, turning around to look at us. "That's how you do it!" he said with a pointed look at Callum. Callum made a face, standing up from the bed. Reed tossed the guitar aside. "I could really go for a drink. What do you say?" Toad and Luke both nodded in agreement. I was about to throw in my input when my phone started, buzzing. I grabbed it up, bringing it to my ear. I held up a finger, telling the room to be quiet, and for once they actually listened.

"Piper, I have some news."

"Is it about the album drop?"

Andrew had mentioned the album release several times but he hadn't given a lot of details about it. We had gotten into Lechston late last night, and I could hardly sleep waiting for the details. I was more than a little anxious. I had put a lot of work into it. "Yes, the party for Obscure is tomorrow night. I expect you to dress immaculately. You will be in the spotlight all night," he told me. I could hear the smile in his voice. He knew I would just love that. "See you then." With that he hung up.

"What'd he say?" Ian asked.

"The release is tomorrow!"

I jumped off the bed, throwing my arms around Ian. I laughed. My very first album would finally be released tomorrow. I could hardly believe it was finally here. "We need to celebrate!" Reed announced as he rushed towards my refrigerator. He grabbed a bottle of champagne, popping off the cork. He got out glasses and poured us all one. "To Piper's album!" I clinked my glass against everyone's, and then took a sip. I was never a big fan of champagne but it didn't matter my album was going to be released tomorrow.

Just then there was a knock at the door. I drained the rest of my champagne, rushing over to the door. I hadn't known what I expected, maybe room service, but what I found instead completely took me by surprise. My mouth fell open as I gazed at the woman in front of me. She had long dark brown hair that was brushed heavily to one side while the other had three braids running from above her ear back. She was clad in a long sweater dress the hung off her shoulder and boots, and she was covered in tattoos.

She smiled her trademark smile, one I had seen on magazines everywhere. "Hey, what's up?" she asked in her smoky voice. She peered around me, rolling up onto the tips of her toes. She pointed in. "Is Callum here? He invited me. I'm not a crasher, so you know." Just then Callum appeared, moving passed me to wrap her in his arms. She laughed, trying to get away. Callum looked back over at me, hooking him thumb towards the woman.

"Have you two met?" he asked.

"Nah, I don't think we have."

"Pardon my manners! he said to us. He wrapped an arm around the woman, looking over at me. "Piper, this is Harper Bradley. Harper, this is my good friend Piper Evans." I never thought I was one to star struck but I totally was. I recognized her as soon as I opened the door. Harper Bradley was a prodigy in the music industry. She'd "officially" broke onto the scene at the age of sixteen, but she had been playing classical long before that.

Music literally gushed from Harper Bradley. Her grandfather was the a revered classical composer and producer. He had produced some of the best bands out there. Her father was also well know. He was the founder of Military Arcade, a well known rock band in the Eighties. She flashed me a smile. "I know you! Your song Cold Sun is off the chain! I feel like someone dropped me into a kaleidoscope," she told me with a throaty chuckle. Her words brought me back to reality.

"You know me?" I asked her.

"Of course! Your making waves."

"I love your music," I gushed.

Callum lead us away from the hallway, merging us back into the living room. I think everyone was starting to feel awkward hovering near the door. She took a seat on the couch and I did too. "Ah, what's your favorite?" she asked, pushing her thick hair out of her face. Callum ruffled her hair as he moved over to where Reed and Luke were laughing. She wrinkled up her nose, straightening her hair again. "I bet you a hundred I know what you're going to say."

"My favorite?" I said, running my hand over my hair. "That's hard. I like them all. Almost Suddenly was such a new sound, and  then Sin was great because it was loud and rough. But what was great was how you managed to blend the light and the dark together in Fiercely Mild. It was revolutionary! It's not an easy thing to do. Fiercely Mild is probably my favorite." Harper snapped her finger, smiling triumphantly. I raised my eyebrows questioningly at her.

"I knew it! What did you think of Motion?"

This was the question I hoped wouldn't come up. While Harper was widely respected she was also widely criticized for this very album. In comparison to the huge success of her other album Motion had come up short. Many thought it was thrown together and was lazily done. They thought it lacked the passion of her other albums, and in a way I agreed with them. It did feel lacking, but I was still a huge fan. "I think it has potential, but it wasn't explored."

She nodded, looking down at her hands. I couldn't tell if she was upset or angry. When she looked back up she had a distant look in her eyes. Eventually, she smile but it was lacking its usual light. "That's a commonly shared opinion," she said nonchalantly. She stood up, casting a look around. "You got something heavier than champagne. I don't roll with this bubbly shit. If we're celebrating we should be celebrating!"That was when things really kicked off. Reed broke out a bottle of vodka and put on a record. He lined up shots and we all took turns throwing it back. Before long the room was spinning and then it went black.

* * * AUTHOR'S NOTE * * *

The song is Fame by David Bowie. :) And sorry for the shortness of this chapter but it wouldn't fit anywhere else. The next one should be longer and interesting. And what did you think of Harper Harper is this idea I've been harboring for a while now. I really think I'm going to write a stand alone story with her because her background story is really unique. I picture her as like a more feminine Joan Jett, including her voice singing and otherwise. I just love Joan Jett's voice.

Hope you enjoyed it. Comment/ vote!