Chapter Text
Teach Me
“By all means, give me lessons in my ways,
But damn it, don't expect me to change”
Kieren couldn’t believe it. Jem couldn’t believe it. His parents couldn’t believe it, they still didn’t despite Kieren’s attempts to convince them. He’d shown them the email, the letter, even the newspaper headline about it.
BOY FROM NOWHERE IS SIGNED BY A RECORD COMPANY.
“Well this is exciting isn’t it!” Sue said pulling on her seatbelt.
“Yes, it’s not everyday we get to drive to the city as a family.” Her husband replied.
“Dad it’s not everyday Kier is requested for a personal meeting with Alex Scott?”
Kieren didn’t say anything, he just kept kneading his hands in his lap. He was nervous. Mind you he usually was. The call from Rick hadn’t helped this morning. It was nice though that Rick had thought to call.
“You’re gonna be great.” Rick said from down the line.
“Yeah.”
“Ren, it’s just like that time you sang in the legion, for the competition.”
“Rick singing in front of every drunk in Roarton and head-judge Pearl hardly matches up with singing in front of Alex Scott.”
Rick sighed through the receiver, “who is this guy anyway.”
“I’m not entirely sure, I’ve heard of him before but I was on the internet last night and I think he basically owns the entire music industry in England.”
“Shit.”
Kieren’s energy sunk.
“I mean...look don’t worry, you’ll do fine okay, he may not even make you sing.”
“Yeah.”
“I gotta go, my dad’s calling.”
The call disconnected, Kieren didn’t even get to say goodbye.
It had all started three weeks ago. Kieren needed money for art school, his parents couldn’t afford all of the fees and although actually applying was a year away for Kieren, he wanted to be prepared. So he went busking, he’s always had a talent for the arts. He could paint, that was a given, yet he never really knew he could sing. Of course he’d entered the legion competition for a months worth of drinks on the house (although he was too young to drink so didn’t win, by default), but no one had ever said ‘yeah you can sing’. He didn’t count his parents, if Kieren turned into a goldfish his parents would praise him.
He’d seen plenty of teenagers busking on YouTube, they seemed to do alright. So he pulled out the guitar he got four years ago on his thirteenth birthday and applied for a licensee to busk. After a week he was out on the streets singing what could of only been called a very poor cover of Elvis’s ‘You Were Always On My Mind’. A girl watched him for three songs. And he was grateful when she gracefully dropped a fiver into his empty paint can. She’d winked at him and danced with her boyfriend while he was singing, her skirts swishing above her ankles as if she was from the victorian era. Soon the street was filled with dancing people and he’d kicked it up a notch with ‘Dancing Anymore’ by Is Tropical. The throng of dancers danced as if they were a highly organised flashmob, but they were purely spontaneous. Something in Kieren always inspired spontaneity, it was if he exuded it. Couples weaved around each other, each pair revolving together. The girl who’d begun it all threw her head back in exultation, her boyfriend enthralled in her happiness. Through the mass of twisting bodies, Kieren saw someone filming him. He knew it was normal practice to film street performers but this man was different. Dressed in a sharp, stylish suit; he looked as if he’d just come from a business meeting. When their eyes met, the man nodded in appreciation, shut down his camera and left.
Kieren knew now that the man who’d filmed him was Daniel Ames, personal assistant to Alex Scott. Obviously Daniel had shown Alex the footage of Kieren busking and he’d made the spontaneous decision to snap Kieren up. They’d been emails and letters requesting a more official meeting, and that’s where Kieren was going now.
Alex Scott owned a building, he had his own floor. Floor number 33, not the top floor, the middle. It was said he chose the middle floor so no one could hide from him. That rumour, whatever it meant, was one of the reasons Kieren was so nervous.
He let his family come into the reception with him but he stopped them at the lift.
“Wish me luck.”
“Don’t you want us with you?” Jem said, disappointedly.
“No I’ll be okay.”
“Don’t sign anything son.” His dad said firmly.
“I won’t.”
“You’ll come right back here if he does anything to make you uncomfortable won’t you.” His mum added.
“Yes.”
“Right off you go then.” He smiled and headed up to the meeting room.
Alex Scott was sitting in a black armchair near the window when he arrived.
“Mr Scott?”
“Kieren my boy, good to see you.”
They shook hands.
“Take a seat.”
Kieren sat in the opposite, overly comfortable, white armchair.
“You know why you’re hear right?”
“I wasn’t sure, the newspapers have been–”
“First thing I’m going to teach you, don’t trust anything the newspapers say. Normal people will, stars don’t. That’s what makes a star.”
Kieren deflated. Perhaps he wasn’t here to be signed then. Maybe whilst busking he’d violated Alex’s copyright or something.
“However, we are in the unusual circumstance that the newspapers are right.” Kieren filled with the same nervous energy from earlier, “there’s obviously a leak in the company who needs to be fired!”
Alex Scott smirked. Somehow Kieren knew Alex was the one who leaked it,for publicity or something.
“You think we’re going to sign you as a solo artist don’t you?”
“I had an inkling.”
“Kieren, we’re not going to, I am sorry.”
Kieren was tired of all this deflating.
“You’re not unique enough. Bet you never thought you’d hear that right. But you’ve got Ed Sheeran’s hair, it’s not fresh enough for the industry.”
Alex Scott paused, sighed and rubbed his temples.
“We do want to sign you though, because you’re fucking talented for a seventeen year old.”
He stood up and stared out of the window.
“And there are only a few like you.”
Get to the point Alex.
“So those few of you, the young and actually talented, we want in a band.”
A band? Kieren had never been in a band. Kieren had never really properly been part of anything before.
“There’s three other people, around your age. Two guys, one girl.”
An actual band?
“Really talented guys too, like yourself.
” I’m talented, Kieren thought, surprised by the revelation.
“And we want you for it, we’ll have to teach you a lot but we think it’s worth the risk. What do you say?”
“Teach me.” He said it without even thinking about it.