London Rising (Wild Hearts Book 1)

Chapter Two*

Damon Keller

@TheDamonKeller

Excuse me as I spend the next twenty four hours on this private Yacht. Just me, my music, and this little green cube. #TeamGreenIsMine #TeamDamon @RisingStarOfficial

Twitter post from Damon Keller, October 3rd, 2021

Damon Keller has gone to great lengths in the past to get the Rising Star team he wants, but this year takes the cake. Sources say that Keller hired a private jet to fly him to the Florida Keys at which point he boarded a yacht and remained at sea for the entire twenty four hour time period! Also posted, was a picture of Keller, lounging above deck, with the coveted green cube in hand. We won't find out for sure if #TeamGreen will be mentored by Damon Keller until Friday night's Rising Star episode which will air at seven o' clock eastern time.

The extravagance and the determination the singer/songwriter displayed has only added fuel to the fire as rumor has it Keller is secretly engaged to 19 year old London Trellis, who he has expressed interest in since the moment she walked on stage at her audition in Chicago back in August.

Hey! Magazine, October 3rd, 2021

CHAPTER TWO

It's the first week of live shows. I've been in the contestant's house for two days now and today we are getting assigned our coaches. An amusing process takes place where the coaches are each handed a black canvas bag hiding a brightly colored cube. Each colored cube represents a group, but instead of being normal and civilized, each season there is a twenty four hour time period before anything is finalized, and within that time period the judges can do whatever they can to steal a different cube if they want it.

The coaches all go to great lengths, but Damon is known for his over the top steals. He once hired an actor to flip out and say someone was giving birth backstage . Which is insane enough, but there was an actress faking labor in one of the lounge rooms backstage and since Caroline has a nursing degree and is a certified midwife she went running. While she was gone Damon snagged the orange cube and proceeded to lock it in a safe with an actual security guard.

"Attention all contestants, if you could report to the living room in thirty minutes, we will be getting started," says a voice over the intercom that goes throughout the entire house. I've just finished getting dressed; nothing fancy- skinny jeans, tank top, and a cardigan. Ponytail. No makeup. My twin usually does my makeup since my cosmetic capabilities are lackluster at best. So, the next three months of competition and filming, I'll be going au natural.

I'm sitting on the edge of my neatly made bed watching Nadia- my thirteen year old roommate- run back and forth between the bathroom and the room area getting herself ready. I can't help but laugh when she trips and falls whilst she hops up and down to pull on a boot.

"Are you okay?" She huffs, grinning ruefully as I help her up from the floor.

"I'm fine. Have you seen my hairbrush? I can't find it anywhere!" I point to her dresser where it sits amongst a pile of hair pretties and makeup items.

Nadia wasted no time in making the space hers- her stuff is everywhere. My stuff is placed neatly in drawers or on shelves. We're two very different girls- but it doesn't make me like the girl any less. She's hilarious, kind, and super sweet. Plus, her southern accent sounds so pretty and lilting.

With a huff, Nadia grabs her hairbrush dragging it through her wet, unruly curls then braiding two sections, creating cute pigtails. She starts looking around again and before she can ask me, I point to the bathroom, where she'd put down her headband to look for her brush. "Thanks." She does a once over in the mirror, smiles brightly at herself, and turns to me.