Tone Deaf

Chapter Thirteen

Author's Note:

According to most of your comments, you guys much preferred the first person format, so this chapter is back to that :) Hope the transition wasn't too weird. I might eventually go back to the previous two chapters and change that, but I barely have time to write these days at all, so we'll see! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Q.

Devon:

I've got a secret.

Thankfully, after years in the entertainment industry, I've gotten pretty good at keeping secrets, but I still have that little shifty feeling inside me, tempting me to reveal it to someone.

But I won't. Not yet. Not until I have some concrete answers.

I've got enough on my place with my album release date approaching. There's only seven months to go, which means J-Pow's already demanding to listen to some of the tracks I've been working on with Freddie Junior, so we can start deciding which songs will make it onto the album tracklist.

I want to get Kyle's opinion too, but for some reason, I'm apprehensive about asking him. It makes no sense, really, since once it's released, the whole world will be able to hear it, but I still feel like the songs are too personal, too close to me, and I know I would feel so vulnerable playing them for Kyle.

That's the nature of my work, though, and I have to admit I'm proud that despite all my years in the business, I still write all my own music and still have an emotional connection to the songs I put out.

Kyle and I haven't been able to hang out as much recently, since I've been at the studio with Freddie Junior practically every day. J-Pow's also sent Kyle on a short radio tour to push his new album and promote his new sneaker line.

It's weird.

Kyle and I have an interesting friendship. We don't usually talk about serious or personal issues, which I've realized Kyle prefers, but we still somehow know more about each other than anyone else. At this point, Kyle knows more about me than even Hazel does. That being said, for the most part we just play video games and talk about music.

Which is why it's weird that I feel like I miss having him around. I'm so busy that even if he were in town, I wouldn't have the time to just hang out at home and play Atomic Warfare III for hours, but still, I feel his absence more strongly than I thought I would.

I mention it to Hazel over coffee, and she merely shrugs.

"Of course you miss him. He's, like, your best friend. It's normal," she says.

I consider this. I've never really had a best friend. After all, I started working as a musician full time when I was only fifteen. I lost touch with all of my childhood friends, not having enough time to properly keep up with them.

I have friends in the industry, sure, but they're more like acquaintances, really. I never had a real, genuine connection with someone until Hazel. And now, Kyle. I suppose Hazel might be right. I don't exactly have enough experience to know what best friends are like. Until now, maybe.

"Have you been following his radio tour?" Hazel asks.

"Uhm, no," I admit, suddenly feeling like a bad friend. I've been so busy lately that I didn't even think about it, but now I wish I had.

"They keep asking him about you," says Hazel, with a grin. "It must be driving him crazy."

I find a grin growing on my face as well.