London Rising (Wild Hearts Book 1)

Chapter One*

Music for this chapter: Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken by Pink

Damon Keller, former lead singer of Incredible Heights, was arrested late Tuesday night after assaulting a reporter outside his New York apartment. Sources say that Keller put E News reporter Jack Gaish into the hospital with minor injuries. A representative of Gaish released a statement just a few hours ago saying that the reporter will be pressing charges against Keller.

Keller's had a rough go of it as of late. Last year, his former bandmate and best friend, Gabe Garcia, was killed in a car accident. Keller assaulted a reporter at Garcia's funeral, too, though no charges were filed. Keller seems to be going down a dark path and rumor has it his mother, renowned Broadway star, Elizabeth Keller has threatened Keller with rehab.

Keller is a celebrity coach on singing competition Rising Star, which is set to air in just four weeks. Fans are wondering if this assault will affect Keller's position on the show. No more information is available as of yet, but stay tuned for any updates.

-Hey! Magazine article, published June 23, 2021

CHAPTER ONE

Waking up is one of my favorite things. Those seconds and moments where I open my eyes and everything about the day is familiar but new. Where I'm cocooned in my blankets, the sound of the shower running in the bathroom ten feet to my left can be heard easily due to a high pitched whine that comes from the pipes, and there is a feeling of serenity, of sleepy lightness, of being aware of the day- of the world.

Today is different. There is no high pitched whine and the blankets I'm curled up under are unfamiliar. I open my eyes to the clean cut neutral colors of the hotel. When I flip over to turn off the alarm, I accidentally hit my sister, Milan, who is sitting cross legged next to me.

"Ow, London, you are impossible to sleep with," she complains but she's grinning at me, her phone hanging loosely in her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't know." My stomach is churning and my nerves are shot, but I'm also really excited.

"Dad went down to the Starbucks across the street to get coffee. You know you only have an hour to get ready, right?" I glower at my already dressed and perfectly made up twin. Despite having slept as much as I did, a whole three hours, she manages to look lively and gorgeous. I shake my head, rolling my eyes.

"Yes, I am aware. I was up late last night." But she knows this because she was up with me, holding my hand and talking me through my nerves. Not that you can tell, concealer and foundation work wonders. "Is that my shirt?" I ask as I climb out of bed and make my way to the closet where my clothes are hanging.

"It looks cuter on me," She says and I laugh.

"We're identical," I remind her, taking the hanger holding my dress and laying it gently across the bed. "I'm getting in the shower." I say and she checks her phone once and tosses it onto the unmade bed, following me into the bathroom.

"I'll get everything set up. Want me to play your shower playlist?"

"No, can you play the one titled Piano II?" I'm afraid if I listen to anything other than the calming sounds of the piano I'm going to somehow jinx myself.

"Sure thing."

When dad gets back, I'm completely ready, physically at least. Mentally, I'm a wreck. I was nowhere near as nervous when I sent in my video submission, or for my first private audition or even the call back audition that determined if I could go to the live auditions where the judges hear you sing for the first time and decide if you're good enough for the show.

Now it's time for the live audition and I'm a wreck. But there is no time to second guess myself anymore, because too soon it's time to go and it feels like it takes five minutes rather than two hours before I'm sitting on a red couch in a lounge room backstage at the concert venue with my sister holding one hand and my dad holding my other. There are so many people around me, so many people who share my dream and it is easy to be intimidated. I'm taking in my surroundings in a daze when a man with a camera comes up to me, smiling kindly.