ANMELDENAlex’s voice cracked, and he hated it. Hated that the boy was still in there. “How many fucking years did you ask if I was alive? Did you ask if I was dead? Did you ask if I was eating? If I was sleeping? If I was drowning?” His father didn’t flinch. “Now you come back for a merge?” Alex was shaking now. “Whatever it is Shaw has on his sleeve, the board, the Feds, the fucking sky falling I’ll shed it alone.I Alex Maradona can do without your help ” “Alex Maradona,” his father repeated it with a smirk playing on his lip “There it is that is your name Alex maradona As long as you bear that name, you belong to me. I gave you life. I formed you. I brought you up. And you will belong to me till your last breath .” He stepped back. Wiped his trousers like Alex had dirtied them just by existing. Ground his cigarette into the hardwood with his heel, “You think SoundWave can save you? You think that little premiere you’re throwing for your dead friend will mean anything when they come
We hit him. We almost killed him too.” “I killed Joseph. I killed everybody that night. Yes. I know.” “But it has been eleven years, Mama Choice,”Alex whispered. “Eleven years. Why don’t we embrace this now? Bring Joseph his dream. The Scarwas his. The script. The black suit. The premiere. Everything belongs to Joseph. I cannot claim it as my own. I won’t.” “Every dollar. Every profit we make from this movie it belongs to Cassandra.. Not SoundWave. Not me. I’m giving everything to Cassandra. I’m not clout chasing with your son, Mama Choice. I’m honoring him. Why don’t you understand me? For crying out loud.” “Wow,” Mama Choice said.. “Wow. You are now yelling at me, Alex? You are raising your voice at me?” it's alright she said as she hung up Alex stood there, breathing heavy. Yes. hknew he was at fault. Yes. He knew everything that happened was his fault. But isn’t it always like this? Whenever he tries to move on, they just keep crawling back? This was the best decision. H
Alex could see him. Clear as daylight behind his eyelids. Seventeen. Alive. Running backward through Central Park, arms wide, spinning like the world couldn’t touch him. “Joseph, why are you running? Why are you dancing like that?”Joseph skidded to a stop, laughing. _“Come on! I’m practicing! Practicing how it’s going to look the day we have our big premiere. Of The Scar.”Alex frowned in the memory. “The Scar? What do you mean, The Scar?”“It’s a movie we’re going to shoot,” Joseph said, eyes blazing. “It’s going to be a lovely movie. I already wrote the script. We just need to wait. Once we grow SoundWave to be big, we’re going to make it. We’re going to act in it.”“You’re moving to movies now? I thought it was just music?” Alex had laughed back then. “You’re insane.”“I’m serious!” Joseph grabbed his shoulders. “I’m so happy, Alex. The day of the premiere, I’ll wear a black suit. And you” He poked Alex’s chest. “You are going to dance with me, right? Come on. Promise me.”The me
Thomas froze at the bottom of the stairs because Alex was already there, leaning against the banister with his arms crossed, Behind Alex stood Luther, holding a teacup and grinning while Nanny Joan fussed around him. Of course Luther always drank his tea standing. Like a maniac. Right.Thomas remembered now. Luther had shown up drunk at 2 AM, pounding on the door. “Where’s my brother from another mother?”Thomas had said Alex was asleep which was true, because Alex was always asleep at 4 AM. Or pretending to be. Alex didn’t do company. So Thomas shoved Luther in the guest room and forgot to mention it. “Hey, bro,” Luther said, clapping Alex on the back . “You look like shit. Good shit, but still shit.” m“Luther. What are you doing here?” Alex groan “You gonna chase me out of your own house?”Luther laughed, tapping his shoulder. “I sleep over and you don’t even say good morning? I’m hurt.” “I didn’t know you were here,” Alex said. “Obviously.”Luther followed Alex’s stare down
You can’t believe this,” Maya said, rushing toward them. “I am on the B board! I am on the B board! Everyone is talking about the movie, The Scar! Everyone is talking about me, how pretty I am! I can’t wait. I’m finally a celebrity, Emma. I can’t believe I’m a celebrity!” She grabbed Emma’s hands. Her nails were blood red. “Oh my God, some short clip will be released tonight! Your soundtrack is going to be used too! Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m finally a celebrity. I will be rich. I will be rich.” “Maya, you’re overreacting,” Romeo said, but he was smiling. They both laughed as they walked toward the quad. *** Alex woke up to light so bright it felt like an attack. He hissed, throwing an arm over his eyes. The sun was high. too high. He fumbled for his phone on the nightstand. The screen burned into his retinas. 12:04 PM. He sat up so fast the room spun. Twelve PM? He never slept past 6 AM. Not since Joseph. Three hours that was his limit. Three hours of fractured,
Alex didn’t move. He just stared at the spot where Emma’s hand had been on his. . The keyboard kept humming under Emma’s shaking fingers, but she wasn’t playing anymore. Just pressing random keys. Anything to fill the silence. “Emma,” Alex said finally. His voice was quiet. Too quiet. She didn’t look up. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know why I I shouldn’t have” “Stop.” One word. It made her freeze. Alex leaned forward.. “Look at me.” She did. Slowly. His eyes weren’t angry. They were… empty. Like someone had turned the lights off inside him. “You felt it, didn’t you?” Alex said. “ Emma’s mouth went dry. “Felt what?” “That hollow.” He tapped his chest once. “Right here. Like someone carved you out and left you standing.” She couldn’t answer. Because yes. She had felt it. sir ? She said instead Alex stood up. Walked to the door. For a second, Emma thought he was leaving. He didn’t. He locked it. Click. The sound was small. But in that soundproof ro
Rebecca’s cheeks flushed. She looked down at the floor before answering. “sir. I am signed. But you weren’t here last time. You were still in Korea. I needed you to see me perform in person. To know I actually merited it.” Alex’s expression shifted. For the first time today, a small smile pulled
Lena’s smirk dropped. For the first time, real surprise flashed across her face. “I am broke,” she said quickly, like it was a defense. “ please leave contestants 001 the manager said you’re going to hear from my mom.” Lena said as a threat Alex’s expression didn’t change. If anything, it got c
“I just want to say a few words before we start.” The hall went completely still. Even the camera shutters stopped. “For years, Soundwave has been about the people the industry overlooks. The ones who stay up at 2 a.m. writing in a bedroom. The ones who get told ‘no’ a hundred times before someone
Morning light cut through Columbia University like a spotlight, The campus was alive with noise Soundwave banners stretched across the main quad, students huddled in groups, phones out, whispering about the announcement that had been trending since midnight. Rebeca and her crew were in the middle







