53 How dare you

Burt

We knew Ned would be surprised to find the five of us enter his office, when he had called for just me and Steve. We're usually a really obedient boyband, when you think about it.

"What's going on?" he asked us, his eyebrows knotting into each other.

Here we go.

"We wanted to hear what you had to say to me and Steve?" I said, my voice very clear and level.

"It's only for you and Steve to hear, not for everyone," Ned replied, calmly, a little bit like how I would speak to Billy having a tantrum.

"We don't care," I was just as calm. "We signed our contract as Boy Next Door, so whatever you say to one of us, you have to say to everyone else."

Ned looked at each of us, one by one. I am suddenly reminded of when we had the meeting for Hunger, or rather the meeting where we demanded that Hunger would be our next single, and for us to change our image from boys to men. It was Steve's initial idea, which we all agreed on, and added on until it was difficult to tell which parts were whose ideas because they seemed like they belonged to all of us, and I was the one who made the demand. Just like now. We had really pissed Ned off, then. Just like now.

"We're not supposed to talk to everyone yet, it was supposed to be a feeler, a casual discussion," Ned reasoned.

"Time is gold, Ned," I said simply. I heard Jamie snort behind me; it was a very Jamie thing to say.

Ned sighed. "We are planning to offer Burt and Steve contracts for solo albums."

We remained quiet. It was exactly what we expected. We just looked at Ned and waited for him to convince us it was a good idea.

"Didn't you hear me?" Ned started to get agitated.

"Jay left Obsidian for a solo album," Steve said.

"Obsidian did not disband," Ned replied. Ned is smart, he could see where this was going.

"No, but they drastically lost popularity after Jay left, and their last album didn't do so well," said Mark.

"It was bound to happen," Ned responded. "Their concept is no longer on trend. They would decline whether or not Jay stayed."

"Is it true that Goddess Athena will disband after this album they're making?" Jamie said next.

Ned frowned at him. He correctly understood that we planned this.

"Omnipotent isn't doing so well, either," LJ added.

"Is our concept still on trend, Ned?" Mark asked.

Ned closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "You guys are not Obsidian or Omnipotent," he said in an almost snarl. "You made more money for this company than both bands put together, for fuck's sake."

"You seem really proud about that," I pointed out. That was low, but I had to say it. This was a negotiation and there was no way we could afford to lose.

He threw his glasses on the table. Is this admitting defeat? "What do you assholes want?"

I tried not to blink. "Everyone gets a solo album," I said.

"What the fuck?"

"Starting with LJ," I continued. "Nobody will expect a solo album from LJ, and that's how we can ensure that everyone stands a chance. So, first LJ, then Steve, then Jamie, then me, then Mark."

("Mine is the last?" Mark had questioned us earlier. He looked worried, but the rest of us knew why. "To give you time," Steve said.

"Time to back out?" Mark tried to joke, though his eyes betrayed how he really felt.

"Time to make the album awesome," I said. We all knew we were all going to help, that we were all in this together.)

Ned didn't question the sequence I presented. "And if Mr. Barnes doesn't agree to this?"

"We will pitch it to Columbia," I said.

"That's breaking contract," Ned threatened, like we knew he would. "How dare you act like this after nine years."

"How dare you," I said, simply. I was supposed to say something else, but this was better, thank you, Ned.

Ned stared at me, his eyes more furious than I had ever seen in our entire lives. Steve got up, and we all stood up, too. "We'll let you think about it. Steve has an album to master," I said, to take our leave. Without looking back, we quietly filed out of his office, our heads raised and our ears as hot as the sun.