Five

NOAH

Even when I am fighting with Lucy, I still think of Tiffany. Yes that is how badly that girl, my ex has dug herself into my skin, I don’t even bother trying to remove her again. I was done with that stage a long time ago, I just learnt how to live with her in my memories and stopped deceiving myself that some other girl will be able to take her place eventually. 

Lucy however, I thought was different. I didn’t get to think much about Tiffany when I was her so I used it to convince myself that I was finally getting over the ice queen but right now, it’s like I am back to where I was before I started dating Lucy, thinking of other girls fifty percent and Tiffany as the other fifty. 

Normally I would get mad at myself. I mean these girls did not break my heart for crying out loud, Tiffany did with her words, she has always being good with them and as if that was not enough, she just had to calve out the heart by cheating on me and showing me that our break up was not affecting her. I went back, ready to crawl on my knees for her to forgive me for leaving her and worrying throughout the night, almost ready to give up my dreams for hers. Only for me to get back to the apartment hours later to see another man on my bed, fucking my girlfriend. It only took seven hours for her to get a rebound.

“Man, you okay?” Ashton, one of my former band members asked. Although we split up a while ago, the two of us still remained friends and still sings sometimes and I believe we are the only two whose career are anything to talk about. 

“Sure? Why asking?” I questioned with my tone filled with suspicion, not at him though but at me, was I doing it again?

“Whoa, calm down.” Ashton replied with his hands up in mock surrender thinking that he was the reason for my suspicion. “You just got an angry glare on your face. That’s all.”  He stated. 

“What I don’t seem to get is why girls are so complex. You want a fancy dress and to be treated like a princess, no stress at all. why can’t you just act that way on my arms attending an important black tie events with me, I mean, everything that will be on you that evening will be on me and it will run into five figures. It’s the least you can do to repay me.”

Ashton watched me rant with a shake of his head. “You are asking the wrong dude bro, remember that I don’t do girlfriends, I try to avoid the kind of nastiness that you just mentioned. Girls are good for one thing and only one thing in my book.” He clapped my shoulders as he drops his guitar which he was strumming. 

And he just reminded me of the reason why we are not the same, he still parties hard and take out different women, a playboy to the bone but then again. That is his image and he rocks it perfectly fine. “And before I also forget.” He points at me, wagging his finger at me. “Someone has been a naughty boy.”

“What?” I asked him, confused. I have not done anything wrong for a while now, straight laced as I should be. I should even be given the award for best well behaved Artist of the month. 

“Boss man is asking to see you.” He smiled at me.  “Tell me, what did you do that they had to clean up so fast so nothing will be done to tarnish the image of their perfect boy idol.” 

I shrugged because I was coming up empty. I didn’t do anything and so that was what I told him. “Nothing.” 

He shook his head at me. “Fine keep your precious secret but you don’t need to keep your boss waiting. He would not be pleased at that.” 

And his words were true, with a groan. I straightened up and walked to the Label I was under Ceo office. When I knocked and was allowed in, the man quickly wrapped up his call seeing me and that was how I knew that I would not like what he wanted to tell me, after all this was the same man that kept me waiting because he was on a call while I had a last minute flight to catch to a place where I was going to be singing. 

“You asked to see me sir?” I asked on guard. 

“None of that Sir bull crap, Call me tony, you have being with me for the past four years I think we are that familiar now.” 

I nodded, more on guard than I ever was. This was a man who didn’t care for me in particular until he saw that I was really shinning in the group so he removed me and Ashton from the band telling the rest to go their merry way. 

“What can I do for you Mr. Tony?” I asked and he sighed. He knew that was the best he could get me to calling him. 

“I want you to write new songs. Great ones son, like your very first album last two years. We want to storm the whole world with you.” 

I was filled with dread. I don’t write songs. I just sing the ones which people have written for me. I wrote songs when I was suffering from heartbreak, Tiffany heart break. The only reason while I remained with the band then was that they were in the party phase but when I got my head out of my ass, I tinkered on the songs until they became great then I tested pitching one to the bands and it worked out. From there it was history for me. When I was offered, my very own first album. I put all the songs I have written on that album and now I have none left to give. 

“Sir can we talk about this? I am honored that you want to boost me into world level but I don’t have any more songs like that. I am not sure I have it in me…”

“Sure you do, now I don’t like being told No to, so try to write okay? I am sure that the magic you had then, you still have it. Don’t let it go to waste son.” And with that he turned to dismiss me. 

I was in trouble. I really didn’t know what came on me when I wrote those lines and I had a long time to just let them lie around and then I tinkered… heavily on them. He needs to know that. 

“Mr. Tony. That is literally impossible for me, I had to work on the songs for a while.” 

“You need time, sure. You have two months, that is twice the amount of time I wanted to give you, don’t disappoint me son.”

“Okay sir.” And with my words, I left my boss office thinking of how on earth I will get ten songs that will be billboards topping. I guess I was going home to Lucy anyway. In fact our fight is needed right now. I need something to take my mind off this clusterfuck I am experiencing.