Negative, Ghost Writer

Chapter 11

"I can't believe you're going on tour next week. It feels like time if moving so quickly," Remy told the guys while they were out to lunch. They all nodded their heads, disbelief and anxiety coursing their veins, yet they couldn't help but smile at her response. "You say it like you're not coming with us," Cole said skeptically.

Remy sighed, putting her hands on the table and bracing for an extremely difficult conversation she was about to have. "You know I love you guys, and that I want to go on tour with you," she started. However, she was interrupted by Braeden. "No, there is no way you aren't coming. You're going to miss the first show of our headlining tour? We've worked our asses off for this, all of us. You have to be there."

Remy looked over at her best friend sympathetically and noticed that he was about to cry. "Braeden, I promise you I will be on tour with you, I just can't in the beginning. I was set on going with you, until Paul McCartney called me and asked if I wanted to collaborate on a song," she told them all. They all looked at her with blank faces, and for a moment she was worried that they were furious with her. That was until they started shouting, getting out of their seats, and jumping up and down while shaking her.

"MY BEST FRIEND IS WRITING WITH PAUL MCCARTNEY. I THINK I'VE PEAKED IN LIFE," Braeden shouted to the entire restaurant, tears of joy and proudness streaming down his face. Meanwhile, Remy was sitting in the metal chair, face red as a beet, looking at the floor. She couldn't stand this type of attention. "If you guys stop yelling and jumping I will tell you all of the details," she said, still embarrassed by their outwards display of pride.

"Okay, okay we're sorry. Now tell us everything," Dylan panted, out of breath from jumping and screaming.

"Alright, I got a call from an unknown number on my work phone, so naturally I answered it. And I hear this British voice say 'hello love' and I think to myself 'wow, this guys sounds familiar'. And then he goes 'this is Paul McCartney' and I think I like blacked out for a second. So we continue to talk and he told me he's heard a bunch of the songs I've written and said to me, and I quote 'thats a woman I have to work with.'," the guys gasped, however the young woman continued. "So he's gassing me the fuck up and I can't help but fangirl and tell him it was my dream to work with him because the Beatles were the reason my best friend and I got into music-" she was cut off by Braeden. "OH MY GOD PAUL MCCARTNEY KNOWS I EXIST." She laughed again, continuing the story. "So we chat a little more, and he tells me that he was in touch with Dominic Fike, and they were planning on working together, and they need my help. I am now done and willing to take questions," she finished her story, smiling from ear to ear.

"Wait, isn't Dominic Fike your celebrity crush," Cole said smirking at her.

"Cole, I just told you I'm working with one of the most revolutionary musicians in history and you are focusing on the fact that I once said that I thought he was hot."

Braeden looked at her confused and jealous. "Wait, you think he's hot?"

"Guys seriously this is not what I wanted to be talking about. This is a huge accomplishment."

Dylan interrupted all of them to recenter the conversation on what it should have been about. "Okay so like where are you recording? When are you recording? Can we crash said session?"

Thankful for the shift in conversation, she answered him. "It's going to be in San Fran, I leave in 4 days. If you guys had time you could have definitely stopped in, but I think you're leaving for the east coast by then right?"

"Maybe we could change our flight to be out of San Fransisco airport," Cole suggested. The guys all nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'm calling Marty. Give me a second," Dylan said walking outside to try and convince their manager to let them leave from San Fransisco.

After 10 minutes, Dylan came back in with an unreadable face. Remy always admired that he was so in control of his emotions. "So, Marty said no. But maybe we can FaceTime you while you're there if that is alright." She nodded, of course she would do her best to let her best friends meet their biggest inspiration.

Remy found herself sandwiched in-between The Paul McCartney and Dominic Fike, writing a song about the scope of life. How in a way, many of us will have very similar experiences, regardless of where we are in the world. She was stunned by the brilliance she sat between, and couldn't believe that this was her life.

After a few hours of writing, Dominic was in the booth recording his verses, and she and Paul were sitting at the table, when suddenly her phone rang. "Excuse me a moment, I'm so sorry," she told him. He smiled warmly at her and nodded.

Walking out of the room, she answered the FaceTime request from Braeden. "How's it going in there? How is he? Is he nice? Please tell me he's nice." Remy laughed as Braeden threw questions at her. "Brae, he's as nice as he is brilliant. Would you like me to introduce you to him?" Braeden stared at her wide eyed, then proceeded to fix his hair and wipe his face. "Okay, I'm ready."

She walked back into the room with Braeden still on the phone. "Hey Paul, I have someone who would like to say hello to you if that is alright." He turned around in his chair. "Oh that sounds lovely," he said extending his hand to grab the phone. Remy had never seen Braeden so nervous in his life. However, once he had Paul started talking, his nerves washed away. After a few minutes of conversation Braeden thanked him for his time and hung up the phone. "Your boyfriend is very kind and handsome. Wish him a good luck on his tour for me," Paul told Remy returning her phone to her. She laughed and blushed. "Oh no, he isn't my boyfriend. We've ben friends since the day he was born. Our moms have been best friends since my mom came from the UK to the US," she told him. He nodded a look of concentration and understanding on his face. "Ah, so he isn't your boyfriend yet. Remember to invite me to the wedding so I can tell you I was right." Remy laughed and shook his hand, binding their agreement, even though she knew it to be a fantasy.

Two days later, Remy was on the train back to LA. She would go home for a bit to work, pack, and then leave for wherever the guys were heading next. She decided to spend her time on the training reading The Miniaturist. She was in love with the writing of the book. It was so detailed, every word more beautiful than the last creating gorgeously written sentences. She was on the edge of her seat, knowing that the love interest was going to confess his feelings to the protagonist. As she got to the line, she couldn't help but start to cry. 'You are sunlight through a window, which I stand in. Warmed my darling.' A scribbled annotation next to it saying what she had always wanted to hear from the boy she fell in love with so long ago. 'I've loved you since we were 17.'

Wiping away the tears she pulled out her phone and dialed Lydia's number. After 3 rings she answered. "Hey girl, I was waiting for your call! How was working with the the best musician of our time? Was it everything you hoped and dreamed."

Remy sniffed into the phone. Choked up, she told Lydia "He was so brilliant I still can't believe it."

"Rem, sweetie why are you crying?"

"When is the first show of tour?"

"Remy you don't have to be upset that you're missing their first show, you had a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"No it's not that. I have the time I'm going to come to the first show if I can make it. When and where is it?"

"Tomorrow in Vermont. I can text you details. Why are you crying? Whats wrong?"

"I'll tell you everything when I see you, Lyd. I'm booking my flight now."