Once Upon A Dream (Kris Bryant)

49- Favorite Song

Jayden

After a really fun and really relaxing time in Mesa it was time to come back home. The playcation was over and it was back to work for the both of us. The Cubs were in LA to take on the Angels for the first series of the year and I got to go to the actual Atlantic records studio. Not to freak myself out too much, but I was excited beyond belief.

So Kris goes off for some media thing they were doing and I go to the office. I get parked out front before walking in the front doors and I was automatically shocked. There was plaques and records hung everywhere and even I was impressed. People like Ed and Jay-Z and Aretha Franklin and Kelly Clarkson are signed here. Their awards and trophies hanging up on the walls complety filling the place.

"There she is" a familiar voice rings out and I smile. Tyler comes towards me and I let out a sigh. He pulls me in a hug and I smile big. "I have missed you so much" he claims.

"I was gone for a month" I giggle.

"Not the point. You're somebody that someone misses" he claims.

"Why did you want me here" I wonder.

"Well you said you were ready to record again" he starts.

"Yeah" I say.

"But I have something to kind of close the chapter on the last album" he claims.

"Oh, okay" I nod.

I follow him around and he shows me some cool things. Where everyone wrote and recorded and collaborate and stuff. This is where he spends most of his time when he wasn't checking in on me or meeting with somebody somewhere. It was a really nice studio with some cool people working there.

I meet a bunch of producers and writers and really interesting people before we get to a long hallway full of gold and platinum records. We get to the end of it and there was one with a black cloth on it all by itself. Tyler stops in front of it and turns to me.

"What is it" I ask.

"Why don't you take it down and figure it out for yourself" he smirks.

I grab the black material into my hands and scrunch it up. I yank it down and smile big.

"No way" I whisper as I see my album up on the wall. But it wasn't gold or even platinum, no, it was diamond. The ever rare diamond album, and it was mine. "I don't get it, how is this possible" I ask.

"You sold 10 million albums in seven months. The only person to do so quicker was Michael Jackson and the Beatles. And you did it with no one writing your songs for you or telling you what to do. It was all natural and all you. You did this" he says and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in.

"Wow... I don't know what to say. I'm honored" I admit.

"You should be, this only happened 93 other times. And only once on this label" he claims.

"Why are you showing me this, telling me these things. You know I don't really care about the numbers. Though it's cool, all I care about is the fact that ten million times felt connected enough to my music to purchase it" I insist.

"Look around here Jay, you belong here with these people" he says and I look at him weird.

"Anyone referred to as "these people" are not my people. I am only capable of doing what I did because of who I did it with. Jay-Z and Bruno Mars didn't make my album, me and my friends back in Chicago did" I insist.

"And it was a great album. But following up album is extremely difficult, especially because no one else's first ever album has seen the success you have. It's not going to be easy to follow up that first album" he claims. "What we have here, artists would kill for. There's not a thing you could need that isn't in here" he insists.

"This place isn't my home" I defend.

"Neither than Chicago" he argues.

"Chicago is everything to me. Sure it might not have state of the art equipment or the worlds most talented music minds, but it has a piano and a guitar and a microphone. That's more than enough for me" I insist.

"I don't think you understand what this place offers" he claims.

"I don't think you understand how I work. If you're worried about making money on the next album I'll get you your money" I say and he sighs.

"That's not it" he claims.

"Then what is it" I ask.

"I just think it would be best if you lived out here to do media things and award shows and meet some interesting people" he insists.

"That's not me, Tyler. I don't want to hang out with whoever is popular right now, sit by the pool in our bikinis talking about politics and which famous guy has the prettiest eyes. I don't want to sell my music to other people because these are my songs and only work because I'm singing them. I don't want to sell out and turn into someone I'm not. I'm a southern girl with a midwestern heart. I don't have room in my personality for the west coast. I look ridiculous in boat hats and I'm way too spineless to get up in front of people and talk about something I don't believe in or don't understand just because someone told me to or because I was paid to. I'm sorry, but I just can't do that" I say.

"You're passing up a great opportunity" he claims.

"I know that. But I know what is back in Chicago is something I would never be able to recreate here. Everything I am, how I make my music and find my inspiration is in that city. It's in the people and the landscape and the scenery and the culture. That is what went diamond, not all of this" I explain looking around. "This stuff is awesome, I am honored to be a part of this. To be on a wall with these great people and have my name mentioned in the same sentence of all these incredible artists. But this... this isn't me. I'm sorry" I sigh.

"It's okay. I get it. I just really would like someone like you around here. You're a really great person and your passion is contagious. I don't want you here to watch over you or press people on you or force you to feel like you have to change. Obviously what you're doing is working. I was just hoping to keep you around some" he shrugs.

"I'm glad you're so fond of me" I tease and he laughs.

"You're my favorite song" he smirks.

After that I decide to be done. I change into Kris's jersey and a pair of black leggings. I pull a cubs SnapBack on my head and some grey Nike's before calling it a day before heading over to the stadium. The boys were taking on the Angels on opening night and were excited to showcase their talent. There's a lot of talk around them and they were ready to stop talking and start playing.