Rhythm of Love
Chapter 012: Finally Back
September 1st, 2012.
"There hasn't been an agreement reached yet, and we don't think there will be. We have some of the biggest names in the league meeting in Toronto and speaking on behalf of their organizations..." The annoying TSN Reporter, Ryan Rishaug spoke. I didn't really care. But for some reason I always found myself on channel 13.
I turned off the TV and grabbed my coffee. "You're not interested in the lockout?" Daniel asked, with a small grin. I think he was pretty aware of my mood right now.
"Yeah, not really." I responded as I dug in the fridge for butter. I wanted to eat a bagel. Daniel had recently got a new California suite, and it was nice. I had to come back to LA to get back to my musical work.
"Do you want a ride to work?" He asked as he took seat on the stool by the isle. I heard my bagel pop up in the toaster and I grabbed it and started buttering it right away. I was in somewhat of a hurry.
"Uh, I can drive myself." I answered as I had a mouthful of food. It wasn't so bad. I mean he knew my circumstances.
"What's wrong, hun?" He was concerned. I was just a little bit angry with myself. I was feeling so guilty about leaving my family. I didn't understand how Jesse could do it so easily. Maybe his heart was just a little bit colder and a little bit lonelier.
"I just have a lot on my mind right now." I replied with a lie mixed in the truth.
"Well, if you need someone to talk to--" He started.
"Danny, I'll be okay." I insisted with a forceful smile.
* * *
I just wanted to play and write the song that was on my mind. The song was for him. I just wanted him to hear it, so he would know what he made me be. I was so in love with him, but it all washed away the day I or he walked out of my life. It was a memorable memory. It left me with the tears and broken heart. But for some reason, I still cared about him.
I started playing around with some riffs before I got it to sound the way I imagined it to. "I bet this time of night you're still up. I bet you're tired from a long week. I bet you're sitting in your chair by the window looking out at the city. And I bet sometimes you wonder about me." I started to sing and I wrote it down. I may leave it the way I sang it at first, or I may change it.
I had my headphones on, and JT started to talk from the other side of the recording glass. "Hey Rydell, that was great. I like the way it sounds. I think it will sound way better once I get it mixed up and fixed." I usually left my longtime friend JT in charge of everything. I would get the music done and make sure that I liked the way the final sounded. JT was like my manager, producer and everything above.
I smiled, happily. "Alright, thanks JT. I actually wanted to talk to you about getting this song really out there. I want everyone to hear it. My plans were that the person I wrote it about would hear it." I sheepishly offered. It was true. I wanted him to hear it. Carey would have been shocked.
He paused for a second. "Okay, so I was going to save this for when your birthday came. I thought it would be an awesome gift or surprise. But Universal liked your Crazier track, they sent it over to their wing EMI Records. EMI is willing to help you produce your own album. Since you're rights are mine, they signed me as your personal producer and manager." He spoke and I put my guitar down instantly. I ran out of the recording room and went to see him. I screamed with joy and hugged him, tightly.
JT was tall and had long blonde hair. He was a total beach babe, but there was no attraction between us two. I met him when he played hockey for the WHL Rockets. He was one of the most sarcastic guys I have ever met and also one of the nicest. "Thank you, thank you so much! JT I love you so much right now, you don't even know." I squealed and he just chuckled.
I released him and smiled. "I need you to get your ass to work and make about thirty songs in about a month. It shouldn't be so bad, I mean you have like fifteen good songs to bring in." He suggested. JT was right though. I had a lot of songs that I could use. There was a couple that I wanted to write.
"Yeah thanks. God, JT you're a real friend." I told him and he just smiled again.
* * *
"Mom, I could just check up on him if you want me to." I told my mother who was worried about my brother. Apparently my brother wasn't up to no good back in Chicago.
"Rydell, it'll be okay. Jesse said he'll come visit us in a week. It's just Erin said that he has been into a little heavier drinking, lately." Erin was my brother's fiancee. She was a practicing lawyer for his company and my brother was the owner/founder. It's funny how their relationship worked. It was just a business relationship, but they were happy. In the end that's what mattered.
"Alright then, mom. So how is dad?" I asked. My father was at home now and off of chemotherapy. He still wasn't healthy and wouldn't be for a long time. My dad decided to not take the surgery. He realized that he didn't want to go so sudden and leave us all. I knew that he was sick and he would still have to leave us at some point. I just wished that that time would be far, far, far into the future. But it was so near and clear that it would be here.
"The doctor's say he is doing better. They guess maybe in January." I knew that she meant they thought he would pass away in January. A whole new year without my old man. The only guy who has yet to break my heart. He was the one I would trust with my life and all of my secrets.
"That's good. Mom, I should be back before the holidays. But can you put dad on the phone?" I wanted him to be the first to know about the label. I promised him that he would be there to help me pick the album name if I were ever to get this chance. My dad would always say that I should choose because I was the hardworker, but he was the one who pushed me.
"Yeah sure, hunny." My mom spoke as it soon went silent. I tapped my foot anxiously.
"Hey Rydell." I heard the very familiar voice speak. I just smiled and thought about his reaction.
"Hey dad. I just wanted to tell you that EMI Records hired JT, and they are willing to do an album with me." I squealed and jumped up and down outside in the parking lot. I didn't even care, I just wanted to let it all out. For once in a long time I could be happy without it involving some silly boy. This ecstasy was pure and true to itself.
"Wow! Rydell that's amazing!" He roared with a cheerful chant. The hot California sun just shined down and it burned my skin. It felt great to geat some Vitamin D.
"I know." I gushed into the cellphone. My mind was whirling and I couldn't explain they way I felt. The same thoughts kept repeating in my head. Everyone I knew would hear the songs if it was to all work out. Even if it didn't, atleast I got to enjoy the album.
"Aw sweetheart, I'm so proud of you." He said, whole-heartedly. I soon found my way into Daniel's silver 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe. I sat down and put the keys in the egnition.
"Thanks dad." I responded. "But hey, I better get going." I said, alas.
"Alright, hun. Want me to tell mom?" He asked before ending the conversation.
"Yeah, go right ahead." I told him.
"Okay, bye Rydell."
"Talk to you later dad."
* * *
I walked inside the apartment building. I put the keys on the table. It was oddly quiet for someone who shouldn't have gone out, maybe it was my silence. Daniel said that he wouldn't be going anywhere, because he still hasn't gotten his license back from the government.
"Daniel!" I yelled to see if anyone was here. No one replied, so I decided to go look around. I found myself in the living room staring the two.
"There hasn't been an agreement reached yet, and we don't think there will be. We have some of the biggest names in the league meeting in Toronto and speaking on behalf of their organizations..." The annoying TSN Reporter, Ryan Rishaug spoke. I didn't really care. But for some reason I always found myself on channel 13.
I turned off the TV and grabbed my coffee. "You're not interested in the lockout?" Daniel asked, with a small grin. I think he was pretty aware of my mood right now.
"Yeah, not really." I responded as I dug in the fridge for butter. I wanted to eat a bagel. Daniel had recently got a new California suite, and it was nice. I had to come back to LA to get back to my musical work.
"Do you want a ride to work?" He asked as he took seat on the stool by the isle. I heard my bagel pop up in the toaster and I grabbed it and started buttering it right away. I was in somewhat of a hurry.
"Uh, I can drive myself." I answered as I had a mouthful of food. It wasn't so bad. I mean he knew my circumstances.
"What's wrong, hun?" He was concerned. I was just a little bit angry with myself. I was feeling so guilty about leaving my family. I didn't understand how Jesse could do it so easily. Maybe his heart was just a little bit colder and a little bit lonelier.
"I just have a lot on my mind right now." I replied with a lie mixed in the truth.
"Well, if you need someone to talk to--" He started.
"Danny, I'll be okay." I insisted with a forceful smile.
* * *
I just wanted to play and write the song that was on my mind. The song was for him. I just wanted him to hear it, so he would know what he made me be. I was so in love with him, but it all washed away the day I or he walked out of my life. It was a memorable memory. It left me with the tears and broken heart. But for some reason, I still cared about him.
I started playing around with some riffs before I got it to sound the way I imagined it to. "I bet this time of night you're still up. I bet you're tired from a long week. I bet you're sitting in your chair by the window looking out at the city. And I bet sometimes you wonder about me." I started to sing and I wrote it down. I may leave it the way I sang it at first, or I may change it.
I had my headphones on, and JT started to talk from the other side of the recording glass. "Hey Rydell, that was great. I like the way it sounds. I think it will sound way better once I get it mixed up and fixed." I usually left my longtime friend JT in charge of everything. I would get the music done and make sure that I liked the way the final sounded. JT was like my manager, producer and everything above.
I smiled, happily. "Alright, thanks JT. I actually wanted to talk to you about getting this song really out there. I want everyone to hear it. My plans were that the person I wrote it about would hear it." I sheepishly offered. It was true. I wanted him to hear it. Carey would have been shocked.
He paused for a second. "Okay, so I was going to save this for when your birthday came. I thought it would be an awesome gift or surprise. But Universal liked your Crazier track, they sent it over to their wing EMI Records. EMI is willing to help you produce your own album. Since you're rights are mine, they signed me as your personal producer and manager." He spoke and I put my guitar down instantly. I ran out of the recording room and went to see him. I screamed with joy and hugged him, tightly.
JT was tall and had long blonde hair. He was a total beach babe, but there was no attraction between us two. I met him when he played hockey for the WHL Rockets. He was one of the most sarcastic guys I have ever met and also one of the nicest. "Thank you, thank you so much! JT I love you so much right now, you don't even know." I squealed and he just chuckled.
I released him and smiled. "I need you to get your ass to work and make about thirty songs in about a month. It shouldn't be so bad, I mean you have like fifteen good songs to bring in." He suggested. JT was right though. I had a lot of songs that I could use. There was a couple that I wanted to write.
"Yeah thanks. God, JT you're a real friend." I told him and he just smiled again.
* * *
"Mom, I could just check up on him if you want me to." I told my mother who was worried about my brother. Apparently my brother wasn't up to no good back in Chicago.
"Rydell, it'll be okay. Jesse said he'll come visit us in a week. It's just Erin said that he has been into a little heavier drinking, lately." Erin was my brother's fiancee. She was a practicing lawyer for his company and my brother was the owner/founder. It's funny how their relationship worked. It was just a business relationship, but they were happy. In the end that's what mattered.
"Alright then, mom. So how is dad?" I asked. My father was at home now and off of chemotherapy. He still wasn't healthy and wouldn't be for a long time. My dad decided to not take the surgery. He realized that he didn't want to go so sudden and leave us all. I knew that he was sick and he would still have to leave us at some point. I just wished that that time would be far, far, far into the future. But it was so near and clear that it would be here.
"The doctor's say he is doing better. They guess maybe in January." I knew that she meant they thought he would pass away in January. A whole new year without my old man. The only guy who has yet to break my heart. He was the one I would trust with my life and all of my secrets.
"That's good. Mom, I should be back before the holidays. But can you put dad on the phone?" I wanted him to be the first to know about the label. I promised him that he would be there to help me pick the album name if I were ever to get this chance. My dad would always say that I should choose because I was the hardworker, but he was the one who pushed me.
"Yeah sure, hunny." My mom spoke as it soon went silent. I tapped my foot anxiously.
"Hey Rydell." I heard the very familiar voice speak. I just smiled and thought about his reaction.
"Hey dad. I just wanted to tell you that EMI Records hired JT, and they are willing to do an album with me." I squealed and jumped up and down outside in the parking lot. I didn't even care, I just wanted to let it all out. For once in a long time I could be happy without it involving some silly boy. This ecstasy was pure and true to itself.
"Wow! Rydell that's amazing!" He roared with a cheerful chant. The hot California sun just shined down and it burned my skin. It felt great to geat some Vitamin D.
"I know." I gushed into the cellphone. My mind was whirling and I couldn't explain they way I felt. The same thoughts kept repeating in my head. Everyone I knew would hear the songs if it was to all work out. Even if it didn't, atleast I got to enjoy the album.
"Aw sweetheart, I'm so proud of you." He said, whole-heartedly. I soon found my way into Daniel's silver 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe. I sat down and put the keys in the egnition.
"Thanks dad." I responded. "But hey, I better get going." I said, alas.
"Alright, hun. Want me to tell mom?" He asked before ending the conversation.
"Yeah, go right ahead." I told him.
"Okay, bye Rydell."
"Talk to you later dad."
* * *
I walked inside the apartment building. I put the keys on the table. It was oddly quiet for someone who shouldn't have gone out, maybe it was my silence. Daniel said that he wouldn't be going anywhere, because he still hasn't gotten his license back from the government.
"Daniel!" I yelled to see if anyone was here. No one replied, so I decided to go look around. I found myself in the living room staring the two.
Notes
A/N: OMG OMG OMG. So on my trip I met Nikolai Kulemin at the Pearson Airport in Toronto. Though his english wasn't all that amazing, it was awesome! He was there with his family and they were coming back from the Bahamas haha. Oh and his son and daughter are adorable! But anyways...I'm finally back! My trip was amazing. Now here, the next chapter.
i've now reposted it on the site with a new and improved cover!:)
7/1/13