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82 - Emmy

Dedicated to danigirl074 :)

I frown on impulse, then move my gaze to Sam.  He doesn't seem to have reacted to Laura's words yet, but a part of me had been ready for them.  Someone interviewing us the day after Michelle's blog came out, ripping us and our band to shreds, is hardly going to just ignore the subject and stick to asking us our favourite vegetable.

I take a deep breath.  "What do you want to know?"

Laura's eyes widen at the same time that Sam finally breaks out of his thoughts.

"Emmy."  He sounds cautious, trading silent words with Ollie as they share a concerned look.

I don't blame them.  Talking about the blog is hardly the smartest thing to do, especially when we'd agreed as a band to just ignore it.  But it's not going to go away so we might as well face it head on.

"What is there to know?" 

I can tell Laura's trying to keep the excitement out of her voice but her eager expression is betraying her.  The dictaphone is edging even closer, her arm out straight.

"The blog?"  Ollie leans forward, his hands clasped together on his knees.  "That's what you're really here to talk about, isn't it?"

I'd been expecting Sam to be the one to out Laura, so it takes me by surprise to hear Ollie voicing the things that I know are running through Sam's head.

"It's a big talking point at the moment," Laura says matter of factly.  "We've had people emailing us to ask what it's all about.  They want the truth."

"And you don't think the blog was the truth?"  Sam sounds blunt.

"Everyone knows what Michelle thinks but I'm here to find out your side of the story."

"What if they're the same?" Sam continues.  "Then what?"

Laura bites her lip, her eyes flitting to her laptop before she fixes Sam with a long look. "Well, for starters, I don't think Emmy's a horrible person.  Granted, I've only had one conversation with her that lasted a few sentences, but that's not the point.  Michelle paints you as a nasty person."  Laura looks to me and I feel weak under her gaze.  "I don't sense that at all."

Sam seems to relax in the seat next to me. 

"So you want to write a kind of anti-blog.  With the truth?"

Laura nods at Ollie's words.  "Yeah.  In a way yes."

"In a way?" Vince asks.

"I just want the truth," Laura says, pursing her lips.  "I don't think it's fair that you all get a bad reputation just because of one person's actions."

I can't help nodding in agreement.  She may be a journalist, but she's right.  We can sit here and pretend it isn't happening, but out in the real world people might be reluctant to buy our music because of what Michelle's said in her blog.

"I'll tell you the truth," I say, gaining looks from Sam and Ollie.

"I'm in too," Vince adds quickly.  "I want my name cleared.  I'm not the same anymore."

Laura's eyebrows raise in interest but I already know that Vince is referring to his player ways.  I'm starting to believe that Alex really has changed him and I'm so glad.  I want him and Alex together and soon.  There's only so much listening I can do before I get bored of hearing how perfect his hair is and how amazing his laugh sounds.

"Sam?  Ollie?"  She's wearing a patient look but I can tell that Laura's desperate for their support.  I am too.  I want people to know the real me. To be able to connect what they hear to what they feel from our music.

"Sam."  He looks up from his hands and to me.  "Can we talk.  Outside?"

He nods quickly and I know Laura's watching us as we move to the door but I need to let Sam know how I'm feeling and I can't exactly do that when there's a dictaphone recording everything I say.

We slip out into the corridor and I shut the door quietly behind us. 

"Are you okay?"  Sam looks worried; his forehead creasing with concern.

I smile.  "I'm fine.  I just wanted to be able to talk without Laura listening in."

Sam's face relaxes.  "Good.  I thought something was up."

My heart flutters as it registers his concern.  "No.  I just want you to know that I think it's a good idea that we speak to Laura about the blog."

There's no answer from Sam.  He looks in thought but his eyes haven't left my face. 

"I mean, sure.  She's a journalist.  We both know what Yazmine from LZ TV is like, and I don't doubt that Laura's the same, but she's actually offering to do us a favour.  We need everyone to know the truth."

"Does it really matter though?  She can listen to what we say and then still print whatever she wants."

I bite my lip, trying to take in Sam's words.  But I don't think that's the case.   "This isn't going to go away on its own, Sam.  Even when people stop talking about it, it's still going to be on the internet.  And if Michelle gets famous, what if people side with her?  What if they choose what she says because we haven't done anything to deny it?"

Sam scratches his head.  "You're right, I guess."

I try out a small smile to encourage him further.  "It's her version of events versus nothing.  It's not a fair fight unless we put out our side of the story too."

He nods ever so gently.  "Okay."

"You don't seem sure."

He shrugs, stepping closer to me and pulling me to him.  I get a nose-full of Sam and it makes me sigh.  "I just don't want Michelle to think we've done this to spite her, you know?  I don't want her thinking we're pulling the next punch."

"She's not going to like it, but that doesn't mean it's not the right thing to do.  I'm getting mixed signals from Laura.  One minute it's like she's my friend, looking out for me with only my best interest in mind, and then it's like she's a gossip hungry journalist.  Either way she's here for the truth.

"It's a way of getting the facts out there without having to write our own blog which, like we've already said, would be the wrong thing to do.  That's what Michelle wants.  I doubt she'd be expecting us to do this."

"Okay."  Sam sounds more certain now.  He smiles and nuzzles my neck.  "Let's do this."

I nod when a sudden thought crosses my mind.  It seems crazy, everything we've been avoiding so far, but strangely it feels right.  Pulling on Sam's hand I open the door back into the room where Ollie, Vince and Laura seem to be waiting for our return.

Laura's eyes zone in on our entwined hands straight away but before she can say anything I sit down on the sofa with Sam and hold up my free hand.  Drawing in a deep breath, and looking around the room for support, I tell myself this is the best thing to do for everyone, and for the sake of my sanity.  All this sneaking around and pretending is going to start doing my head in sooner or later.  Besides, how long are we going to wait?

Sam looks confused as I turn to face him before looking to Laura.  The red light on the dictaphone is still flashing and there's a hungry look in her eyes, like she knows something big's about to happen.

"Before we begin," I say before any last minute doubts creep in.  "There's something else you should know."

Sam figures out what I'm about to do a split second before I do it.  Before I close my eyes I catch sight of him smiling softly and then my lips are on his.  It's strange having an audience but I feel remarkably free.  If Laura wants the truth, she might as well have all of it.  Besides, what's the point in being in love if you can't tell anyone about it?