Chapter 17: The Queens of Summer IV

Summer Madness was a type of Battle of the Bands event that I had never heard of. Rather than all of the participates play during one weekend, the performances were spread out over the course of a week with judges compiling the scores of a band’s performance throughout the seven days.

Bands were tasked with performing at both small venues and large venues and sometimes even the streets to see if they could attract a crowd with just their music alone.

Winners were typically determined by the bands that could consistently fire up a crowd, no matter the setting of the performance or the size of the audience.  Styles and looks also played a part in too but the judges for the most part and also the crowd, mostly cared about the music.

Despite telling them that I thought they could win it all, Haruka thought I was just being biased. So while April was spending the day getting her hair done and getting a manicure, Haruka showed me old footage of the previous year’s Summer Madness.

And she was right. The type of people performing there were out of this world and it seemed unthinkable that none of these bands were signed artists or had any mainstream buzz.

“So will you talk some sense into April and tell her we’re not ready for this? She never listens to me but she might listen to you.”

I didn’t know what to tell her. So I decided to just tell her the truth.

“I think you’re right. The other bands participating in this are probably going to make the bands around here seem like a joke. But even still……I would bet all my chips on you two.  Because they don’t have your sound. They don’t have your looks. And they don’t have your drive. The only thing that separates them from you is your confidence. You should trust your abilities more. And maybe have a little more faith in April. I really think you two got this in the bag.” 

Haruka didn’t like my words. She never did when it came to compliments. But even still…

“Fine. But if we get embarrassed you’re taking responsibility for this, Mr. Manager”

She always listened to me in the end.

Haruka still grumbled about it later. But when Summer Madness actually began, she became a new person. It was as if she didn’t have a single doubt, a single fear in her body. It was as if she had finally decided to go all in. It was exactly what April had been waiting to see. And I admit, it was something that I had been waiting to see as well. Because, I wanted them to win the summer crown.

And prove that they were the true queens of summer.   

Chapter 16: The Queens of Summer III

What April meant by me being their manager, she never told me. All I know was that I was practically doing the same things around them that I was doing before summer break started. I listened to their music whenever they practiced, sat in the crowd whenever they performed, whenever they were thirsty or hungry, I’d make a run to the kitchen and occasionally I pretend to be a boyfriend to keep guys from harassing them whenever they didn’t feel like being bothered.

But on the second week of summer break I started to understand what April meant by being their manager. 

With school out and so much free time, April had sent demo CD’s to practically every venue in town. Coffeehouses, bars, resorts, she had secured more gigs than she and Haruka could possibly keep up with. And so they turned to me. To manage their time as well as other things that they didn’t have time to participate in. Like bringing in the crowds.

I spammed music message boards. I designed posters for them and posted them up all around town. 

I would take my megaphone and go to the busiest intersection in the city and hype up their events as the greatest show on earth. I even created a fan channel for them on SimTube and began uploading all of their performances online.

It wasn’t just a one way street though. While I gave my all to help them in their road to stardom, they also gave me their support in return.

From critiquing my paintings to offering to be beta readers for mystery novel, they seemed to take an interest in all of my hobbies.

Even gardening which surprised me because Haruka and April seemed like the type of girls who would turn up their noses at the idea of getting their hands dirty.

However, beginning on the Monday of the third week of summer, what little time I had for my hobbies quickly came to an end.

“The Summer Madness is coming to town” April told me with a smile. She said it was a battle of the bands event that was held every summer in Bridgeport but this year they had decided to host it in Starlight Shores.

“Haru thinks I’m crazy for signing us up for it, she thinks we’re not ready, but I think she’s just scared of getting on a bigger stage.”

“I heard that. And I’m not scared, I just think we have a long way to go before we tackle something this big. Summer Madness is like a world stage. This isn’t like the small crowds we’ve been playing in front of, April.”

“Oh my god, Haru. You’re always so negative.”

“Jalil, you agree with me right? You’re our manager, give us your honest opinion. Do you think we can handle this?”

Chapter 15: The Queens of Summer II

Before Jonathon could pummel me into the ground, I walked away but I snapped a picture of the building before I did. I was determined to find out why the name Lusha was bothering my conscious and I surfed the internet for hits, hoping to snag a clue.  What I found out was that Lusha was a talent agency and a scandalous one apparently. Although they had been open in Starlight Shores for only a few months, there were lots of articles about them stealing high-profile clients and using shady tactics to do it. From the looks of that tomboy and her goon who had just threatened me earlier, it was very easy to believe, but I still didn’t understand why the name Lusha was bothering me. 

At school, I decided to tell April and Haruka about my home situation and also the problems with my parents. And I have to admit I was a bit surprised by their reaction. I was never sure how to classify our relationship but apparently they had given me a member’s card to their inner circle without me ever knowing.

“I thought we were friends. I can’t believe you slept all night on a bench instead of calling us. What kind of moron are you?” Haruka said

“And you should have told us about your parents sooner. My dad’s an athletic scout and my moms a photojournalist. They’re away from home like all of the time and Haruka’s dad practically lives at the office if you haven’t noticed already. You really could have told us about your parents sooner.” April told me

“Way sooner” Haruka added

I felt a little warm inside knowing that they cared for me. It was more concern then Jorvan ever showed me although I was starting to get some thoughts on why he decided to kick me out. I think pressuring him about my parents maybe contributed to it but I really think it was because of summer vacation that was starting tomorrow. He probably just didn’t want me hanging around the house while school was out because I would probably get on his nerves. It seemed like something he would do even though I thought that we were slowly starting to understand each other. I guess I just thought wrong.

Because her parents were going to be gone for the summer, April invited me to crash over at her place and she invited Haruka as well. When I asked her if she had asked her parents if it was cool if a guy was staying over, she said they trusted her but something told me she never bothered to ask them.

“Even though I’m letting you stay here, I expect a return in my investment” April told me later that night. Haruka was in the shower and I was trying my best not to be aware that one of the hottest girls at my school was sitting in front of me with nothing on but her bra and undies. I couldn’t tell if she was purposely teasing me or she had just friend-zoned me so hard that she forgot I was a guy. Either way I asked her what she needed and yet what she told me made me even more unnerved.

“You want me to be your what?” I asked her, hoping I had heard wrong.

She chuckled and gave me a bright smile “I said I want you to be our manager. Well at least for the summer.”

Chapter 14: The Queens of Summer I

When April and Haruka finally played on stage together for the first time, Haruka forced me to sit on the front row. She said she was doing me a favor but I knew the truth was that I probably was the only person in the crowd that she was brave enough to look at without feeling the nerves. Because if she wasn’t looking in my general direction while she performed, she was staring dead at her keys and looking nowhere else.

But as they continued to perform in small venues across town, her confidence slowly blossomed. It was nowhere near the bravado of April who played and sung like she was a popstar sent from the heavens but Haruka began to develop a small swagger of her own nonetheless. It was more subtle and not as flamboyant but I could still notice the slight change in her demeanor.

I continued my afternoon sessions with Ms. Nakamura despite Haruka and April eating a bigger chunk of my afternoons and although Jorvan still forced me to hit the gym, I think I balanced them all masterfully.

The only thing that continued to unsettle me was the disappearance of my parents and why they continued to ignore my phone calls and emails. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it no matter how long I thought about it. How grim they looked when they entered my room that night. The eerie car drive to Starlight Shores. Telling me to ring Jorvan’s doorbell and speeding off right as I walked up to the door step. I just didn’t understand why they would leave me in the dark about it and why we had to leave Appaloosa Plains for it.  Why couldn’t they just explain to me what was going on? I’m 17, I’m sure I could have handled it. Even Jorvan still didn’t want to tell me anything. 

I tried to keep pushing it to the back of my head but once their cells got disconnected, I could take it no more.  I got in Jorvan’s face for the first time in my life and I pointed my finger. I told him I wouldn’t do a single chore around the house or run a single mile until he filled me in. I put my foot down and told him I wouldn’t accept any compromises. 

He kicked me out of the house in response. He told me not to come back until I came to my senses.

I thought about asking April or Haruka if I could sleep over at their house but I really didn’t want to impose on them or put them on the spot like that. So just I wandered around the streets of Starlight Shores, thinking of my dilemma and thinking of solutions on how to solve it.  When the sun settled I just decided to crash on a bench for the night but I promised myself that tomorrow I would have a better plan. A better solution. But sleeping on a bench strangely brought me fond memories. Because I was reminded of the angel I had met the last time I had randomly fell asleep on a bench.

Even now I still had dreams of her on random nights. I could never remember what her face looked like but I always woke up feeling like I had been in the presence of a woman that was born into royalty. A woman who carried herself so elegantly that I woke up feeling like I had been in the presence of a woman who was the perfect definition of grace.

And yet when I woke up this time, the woman facing me was anything but that.

“Wake up” were the words she said that stirred me awake.

I thought she was just another stranger who was going to ask me if I was alright or was I waiting on a ride so I said “If you’re worried about me, I’m just fine. I’m just catching a quick nap while I wait on a ride.”

I thought that was enough for her to move along but she narrowed her eyes at me and clicked her teeth.

“You need to go loiter somewhere else. We don’t need vagrants sleeping in front of the building making our business look bad. Do you understand?”

I thought she didn’t hear my lie the first time so I repeated myself “I’m not loitering. I’m just chilling here until-”

I thought she raised her hand to cut me off but she used it to summon some final-boss looking guy who came out of nowhere and who looked like someone had just spilled his protein shake right before a work-out.

“Will you leave with your own two feet or do you need assistance?”

I couldn’t believe this woman “What’s your problem with me hanging out here? it’s not like you own the building? I told you I’m just waiting on a ride.”

“You’ve been waiting on your ride out here for two hours. Spare me the excuses.”

“Jonathon, give him ten more minutes. If he’s still holds on to his lie, kindly assist him to the homeless shelter down the street.”

“You got it.” 

As this “Jonathon” cracked his knuckles and looked like he was hoping that I would give him a reason to slap the soul out of me, I glared at the back of this woman’s head and prayed to the watcher that I would never run into her again ever in my life. In fact, I wouldn’t even go near this building again. Not even during the day. I turned around to see what sort of company was so grandiose and fancy for me to get bullied to this extent and I tell you my heart stopped when I read the name.

It was Lusha. A name that I was sure I had heard before. A name that I was sure I should have remembered.