The Invisible Girl
Why Me?
1 year later
[Phoenix POV]
I dropped my bag on the sidetable and sat on one of the couches here at the back lounge of the bus. I'm on the road with Sleeping With Sirens as they just released their new album called 'FEEL'. They're having their Southeast Asian tour and we're in Singapore right now. As one of Rise' A&R Senior Scout, I have to find new artists from my contacts and the press. Jasper, their manager, is unfortunately bugging me to find a new band to sign up since a couple of bands under our wing left the Rise family. Lorie offered me this A&R managerial position but I declined. That would mean that I had to stay at the office. 'Hell no!' I wanted to be on the road that's why I kept my position as a senior scout.
I opened my laptop and tried to read my almost full inbox. Word got out that Sleeping with Sirens has an A&R scout on board with them and I already anticipated my schedule to be full for local band guest list every night.
"Nix! got a demo for you here." It was Garrett. SWS' tour manager and one of my good friends.
I looked up and saw him walking towards me. He tossed me the CD and read the note with its band's name, 'Ode to La Luna'
"Thanks, man." I smiled at him as I placed the CD at the stack beside me. I continued listening to a demo and still browsing my mail when Garrett spoke.
"Looks like you're damn tired Nix. The boys are going out, you want to come with us?" he sat beside me as he opened his laptop.
I'm doing fine and happy with what I am now. The work sometimes stresses me out but the band is a good friend of mine so I just get along fine.
Before I could even answer Garrett, I heard shuffling noises at the front lounge. I saw Gabe, Justin, and Jack laughing as they entered the bus.
"Man, you saw the girl? Damn! She's hot!" I smiled when I heard Jack.
"Hey, Phoebe! We're going out tonight. Let's go!" It was Justin.
"I already asked her that. I'm still waiting for her answer."
I smiled. "And where the hell are you planning to take me?"
The three boys along with the newly arrived Kellin, Jesse, and Lewis - Justin's guitar tech, yelled all at the same time, "Zouk Club!!"
"I heard it's the most famous nightclub here in Singapore." It was Jack.
I laughed as they tried to pin me down and tickle me just so I would say yes.
"Don't you have a show tomorrow?" I asked them and looked at Garrett. He looked at the band's daily sheet and shook his head.
"C'mon Phoenix, all you do is work. Ever since you went on tour with us 8 months ago, I haven't seen you have fun. We're at the most beautiful places on earth. Spoil yourself!" It was Kellin who spoke.
"Alright! I'll go so you guys will have a keeper in case you all get drunk."
"Word!" Jesse yelled and everyone laughed.
"Nix! C'mon!" It was Justin. They're all ready to go clubbing and get drunk.
"Yeah! just a minute." I yelled back.
I glanced to myself at the mirror for the final look. I smiled at how I looked tonight. I'm still the same old me. Nothing has changed. I was still the hotheaded, moody, snob, crazy Phoebe Nichols. I lived my life like before. But there were times, I just found myself being alone and thinking about him. Old habits are hard to forget. It's been a year already. But I felt like it just happened yesterday.
"Damn!" I snapped my head to where the voice came from. It was Justin who probably got tired of waiting and went to see what's keeping me here.
"Ready to go pretty lady?" he smiled and offered his hand to me.
I grabbed my red purse and said to him, "Ready as hell!"
When we arrived, Garrett reserved a VIP lounge for us. I recognized some familiar faces around. Justin is still escorting me. These guys are like my brothers. At one point, Justin tried to ask me to be his girlfriend but I told him that I don't want to ruin our great relationship as friends, as brothers-sisters. I love them and I don't want to lose them in my life. Justin said, 'No hard feelings.'
The boys are already having fun on the dance floor. Kellin and Jesse looked like they're already drunk as they danced with some girls wildly. I went back to our table to rest for a bit. I ordered more tequila when all of a sudden, the boys went back too and Kellin embraced me saying, "Let's take a picture Phoenix! This is a remembrance of you having fun! Yeah!!" then he took out his phone and took our picture.
Then I felt my phone vibrate. I had Instagram and Twitter notifications. Kellin tagged me;
@kellinquinn: With the best lady in @SWSofficial lives, @realPhoeNix Hell yeah! Isn't she adorable?
Then I read Jack replied, @JackSWS: @kellinquinn You're damn right! She looks wasted though lol
I decided to reply, @realPhoeNix: @JackSWS, still the most stunning among the bitches here lol
Gabe joined in, @gabebarham: @realPhoeNix @JackSWS @kellinquinn Damn straight man! Then go ahead and get her laid!
I shook my head and as I'm about to reply to these unbeliveable tweets, my phone rang. It was Jasper. I excused myself and I went outside to hear him better then answered my phone.
"Hello?"
"Phoenix! Looks like you're having fun. Saw your picture with Kellin." he answered.
I laughed. "Yeah, I am. The guys invited me out. What's up?"
"Phoenix, you need to go back here." I felt like my heart skipped a beat. I suddenly can't breathe.
"W-why? I'm still not done here. I haven't found you a new band yet."
"You don't have a choice Phoenix. We're short of people here. Of Mice and Men will release their new album next month and we need you."
I cringed when I heard the band's name. I've cut contact with Austin when I landed in Sydney a year ago.
'So they're finally back on track.' I thought to myself.
"Nix, are you still with me?"
"A-ah, Y-yeah. But why me? don't you have Jessica there?"
"Yes, she's here and available. But you can't say no to this Phoenix."
"Why?" my eyebrows burrowed.
"Lorie requested you to handle the band. It's an order Nichols."
'Fuck!'
Then the line got cut off.
[Phoenix POV]
I dropped my bag on the sidetable and sat on one of the couches here at the back lounge of the bus. I'm on the road with Sleeping With Sirens as they just released their new album called 'FEEL'. They're having their Southeast Asian tour and we're in Singapore right now. As one of Rise' A&R Senior Scout, I have to find new artists from my contacts and the press. Jasper, their manager, is unfortunately bugging me to find a new band to sign up since a couple of bands under our wing left the Rise family. Lorie offered me this A&R managerial position but I declined. That would mean that I had to stay at the office. 'Hell no!' I wanted to be on the road that's why I kept my position as a senior scout.
I opened my laptop and tried to read my almost full inbox. Word got out that Sleeping with Sirens has an A&R scout on board with them and I already anticipated my schedule to be full for local band guest list every night.
"Nix! got a demo for you here." It was Garrett. SWS' tour manager and one of my good friends.
I looked up and saw him walking towards me. He tossed me the CD and read the note with its band's name, 'Ode to La Luna'
"Thanks, man." I smiled at him as I placed the CD at the stack beside me. I continued listening to a demo and still browsing my mail when Garrett spoke.
"Looks like you're damn tired Nix. The boys are going out, you want to come with us?" he sat beside me as he opened his laptop.
I'm doing fine and happy with what I am now. The work sometimes stresses me out but the band is a good friend of mine so I just get along fine.
Before I could even answer Garrett, I heard shuffling noises at the front lounge. I saw Gabe, Justin, and Jack laughing as they entered the bus.
"Man, you saw the girl? Damn! She's hot!" I smiled when I heard Jack.
"Hey, Phoebe! We're going out tonight. Let's go!" It was Justin.
"I already asked her that. I'm still waiting for her answer."
I smiled. "And where the hell are you planning to take me?"
The three boys along with the newly arrived Kellin, Jesse, and Lewis - Justin's guitar tech, yelled all at the same time, "Zouk Club!!"
"I heard it's the most famous nightclub here in Singapore." It was Jack.
I laughed as they tried to pin me down and tickle me just so I would say yes.
"Don't you have a show tomorrow?" I asked them and looked at Garrett. He looked at the band's daily sheet and shook his head.
"C'mon Phoenix, all you do is work. Ever since you went on tour with us 8 months ago, I haven't seen you have fun. We're at the most beautiful places on earth. Spoil yourself!" It was Kellin who spoke.
"Alright! I'll go so you guys will have a keeper in case you all get drunk."
"Word!" Jesse yelled and everyone laughed.
"Nix! C'mon!" It was Justin. They're all ready to go clubbing and get drunk.
"Yeah! just a minute." I yelled back.
I glanced to myself at the mirror for the final look. I smiled at how I looked tonight. I'm still the same old me. Nothing has changed. I was still the hotheaded, moody, snob, crazy Phoebe Nichols. I lived my life like before. But there were times, I just found myself being alone and thinking about him. Old habits are hard to forget. It's been a year already. But I felt like it just happened yesterday.
"Damn!" I snapped my head to where the voice came from. It was Justin who probably got tired of waiting and went to see what's keeping me here.
"Ready to go pretty lady?" he smiled and offered his hand to me.
I grabbed my red purse and said to him, "Ready as hell!"
When we arrived, Garrett reserved a VIP lounge for us. I recognized some familiar faces around. Justin is still escorting me. These guys are like my brothers. At one point, Justin tried to ask me to be his girlfriend but I told him that I don't want to ruin our great relationship as friends, as brothers-sisters. I love them and I don't want to lose them in my life. Justin said, 'No hard feelings.'
The boys are already having fun on the dance floor. Kellin and Jesse looked like they're already drunk as they danced with some girls wildly. I went back to our table to rest for a bit. I ordered more tequila when all of a sudden, the boys went back too and Kellin embraced me saying, "Let's take a picture Phoenix! This is a remembrance of you having fun! Yeah!!" then he took out his phone and took our picture.
Then I felt my phone vibrate. I had Instagram and Twitter notifications. Kellin tagged me;
@kellinquinn: With the best lady in @SWSofficial lives, @realPhoeNix Hell yeah! Isn't she adorable?
Then I read Jack replied, @JackSWS: @kellinquinn You're damn right! She looks wasted though lol
I decided to reply, @realPhoeNix: @JackSWS, still the most stunning among the bitches here lol
Gabe joined in, @gabebarham: @realPhoeNix @JackSWS @kellinquinn Damn straight man! Then go ahead and get her laid!
I shook my head and as I'm about to reply to these unbeliveable tweets, my phone rang. It was Jasper. I excused myself and I went outside to hear him better then answered my phone.
"Hello?"
"Phoenix! Looks like you're having fun. Saw your picture with Kellin." he answered.
I laughed. "Yeah, I am. The guys invited me out. What's up?"
"Phoenix, you need to go back here." I felt like my heart skipped a beat. I suddenly can't breathe.
"W-why? I'm still not done here. I haven't found you a new band yet."
"You don't have a choice Phoenix. We're short of people here. Of Mice and Men will release their new album next month and we need you."
I cringed when I heard the band's name. I've cut contact with Austin when I landed in Sydney a year ago.
'So they're finally back on track.' I thought to myself.
"Nix, are you still with me?"
"A-ah, Y-yeah. But why me? don't you have Jessica there?"
"Yes, she's here and available. But you can't say no to this Phoenix."
"Why?" my eyebrows burrowed.
"Lorie requested you to handle the band. It's an order Nichols."
'Fuck!'
Then the line got cut off.
Notes
Hello guys! I decided to mention Sleeping With Sirens as they're also one of my favorites. Enjoy!
Phoenix will go back in California. What will happen if she meet Alan again?
Glad your back :)
4/28/14