Connection -- A Ross Lynch Story

The Proposition

I pulled one of the rolling chairs out from the long table and made myself comfortable, crossing one leg over the other. My chair faced the window and I got a clear view of the L.A. bustle happening outside the building. I watched the sea of people travel the sidewalks, all in a hurry to go nowhere. On the road, the horns honked and sirens could be heard from miles away. This was the city where people came to make it big, but the big city swallowed them whole.

"Trina, are you okay?" Carson asked, knocking me out of my stupor. He fiddled with the cap on the complimentary bottled water as his deep blue eyes watched me. "You look a little dazed."

I shifted in my chair, spinning slightly back and forth anxiously. "Do you guys even know what this meeting is about?" I asked the three other people at the table, ignoring Carson's question. I didn't want to admit to him that I was a bit on edge. Piper and Asher both shook their heads slowly. Piper's long fingers tapped on the glass table, sending goosebumps up my arms and down my back with every little tink. "We already got our album approved and it comes out in a week," I sighed. "If this is another one of those bullshit hoops to jump through, I swear to God."

"I'm sure it's not a bad meeting," Asher spoke up, shaking his head to get his long black hair out of his face. "They never use this conference room for the bad news. Remember when we flopped with the first cut of our album?"

"Yeah," Piper agreed. "This is going to be big, though." She finally stopped the tapping and tousled her curly hair. It was so blonde that it was nearly white, but she would look out of place with any other color. Her skin was so fair and her eyes were an icy blue. She looked nearly albino, definitely the most pale person in all of California.

"Hello everyone," one of the representatives and our main contact with the label, Mike, greeted us as he pushed the door open. Our agent, James, followed close behind, holding his Starbucks in one hand and his smartphone in his other, as usual. "How are you guys today?"

Everyone nodded politely, indulging his pleasantries. Everyone, that is, except for me. "I'd like to know what we are doing here," I said with a slightly snarky tone. I didn't care if I was coming off as impolite. We had to drop everything for an impromptu meeting at the record label on a weekend afternoon, and I wanted to know why. I wanted to know that exact minute.

Mike pulled out the chair at the end of the table and took a seat. He was empty handed, which struck me as strange. Who goes in to lead a meeting without backup material? "Katrina, you are always so snippy," he laughed as he settled down. James took the seat on the other side of me and quietly scolded me for my behavior. "I have some big news for you guys. From the pre sales of your album and the hype that has been generated from the publicity, you guys are going to become a huge deal this summer. No one is ever going to stop talking about Neon Lightning."

"You didn't call us here to tell us what we already knew," I laughed. "We have phones and computers. We are more than aware of the hype. What exactly does that mean for us, though. You know what we need right now."

He nodded and leaned into the table, clasping his hands in front of him. "I know exactly what you need, and I think I have the perfect solution." His eyes scanned everyone at the table, as did mine. Piper nervously chewed her bottom lip and her fingers returned to tapping. Asher had mimicked Mike's movements, his elbows resting on the glass surface. Next to me, James was leaning back in his chair with a smile across his face, and on the other side Carson sat casually with his legs crossed. I sighed, knowing that Mike was pausing for dramatic effect and I was completely over the entire show. "Another one of the label's big bands is doing a huge summer tour of the country and we have proposed that you co-headline with them. They seem very interested."

"Who is it?" Carson asked with his eyebrows slightly raised. This was our first full length album, and at the mention of the word 'headline', he basically creamed himself. All of us desperately wanted to do a proper tour, and this sounded like it could be our big chance.

"R5 is releasing their second full length album and are looking forward to meeting with the four of you to discuss this co-headlining deal. It has been strongly recommended to them by the label, and James and their manager have spoken already. All that is left is for all of you to meet." Mike leaned back, satisfied with his news.

I scoffed lightly. "Really?" I asked. "You want us to co-headline with a Disney band?" I grinned and shook my head side-to-side slowly . "No way, Mike."

"They aren't a Disney band," James added, clearly over my shit for the day. "Piper, Asher, Carson? What do all of you think? I'm curious to know your reactions, since we clearly know where Trina stands." I crossed my arms and leaned back into the chair, turning my body away from James.

"I don't really know a lot about them honestly," Asher sighed. He ran his hands through his hair and looked directly at me. "What do you mean that they're a Disney band?"

"She means," Carson interjected before I could even say a word, "that their lead singer was on a Disney show for a while. People suspect that their fame pretty much all comes from the fact that he is fawned over by little girls." He shook his head at me. "And obviously Trina is part of that group. I've heard some of their first album. It's pretty good, but not really our style, Mike. What makes you think this would be a good fit?"

"Their second album is a completely new direction from their older music," Mike defended. "We believe it would be a great pairing. I think you all owe it to yourselves and to R5 to at least meet them."

"Fine," I gave in with a frustrated sigh. "When can we get this over with?"

"I can have them here within the hour," Mike smiled. "I'll set it up right now. You guys won't regret this."