170 Chapter 170: Tour Begins!
{A/N: Season 2 Finale!}
[Edward POV]
After I sent Taylor home, I went back to my place and turned on my laptop.
"Joseph, right. Just you fucking wait." I murmured with rage in my eyes.
I didn't even sleep that night, and when the morning came, I worked out tremendously to calm down my emotions.
"What are you doing?" My dad asked.
"Waiting." I said while doing shirtless pushups.
"For?" He asked, a bit intrigued.
"For you to get to work before I can finally be at peace."
"That's a little hurtful."
I realised that I had accidentally released my pent up anger at him, so I apologized, "Sorry."
"Want to talk to Dr Linda?" He asked.
"YOU GO TALK TO HER!" I exploded after he kept badgering me and lingering around.
I went to the Entertain company in the afternoon to settle Taylor's signing with our agency. When I met with Taylor, she smiled and tried to act like usual, but I knew that she was still feeling awkward about the whole thing.
She was feeling anxious because she blurted out that she was going to abandon me, and provided no explanation about that. And I was also anxious because I wanted to hear the details to understand her better.
But as we didn't communicate with each other, the air between us kept getting colder and colder. We sat next to each other in the meeting room with Harvey, Pepper, and Taylor's lawyer.
"Alright. Taylor, we will give you the same contract as Edward, but you need to understand that his extra percent of the income was based on his ability to create his own melody and produce his own songs, so it won't be exactly the same." Harvey explained simply.
Taylor didn't talk as she read the contract. Harvey then continued, "But, the conditions for the extras will be there if you decide to fully create your songs. We won't discriminate against you, so don't worry about it."
Taylor smiled brightly and then said, "Let's talk about employee benefits. Will I be able to choose who I'm dating?"
"Sure. But keep it on the downlow when you are still trying to get to know each other. If you decide to get serious, then we can reveal it. This is just a suggestion, not a rule." Pepper said with a sly smile as he glanced at the both of us.
Taylor and I automatically turned towards each other, and then we decided something inwardly. After the signing process, we told each other what we had decided to do.
"Let's just keep things the way it is for now." Taylor said.
I agreed with her and added, "Yeah. Besides, we won't be seeing each other much for months!"
"That's true. Who knows what will happen during that time!" Taylor muttered with a nervous smile.
…
Later that night at my house. As I turned on the news;
[The Vice President of a highly rated entertainment agency was arrested earlier this morning for possession of illegal narcotics and heroin inside his apartment. The police stated that they received an anonymous source before they took action.]
The footage showed Joseph's figure being escorted to the police car with his hands cuffed behind his back.
[Not only did he try to resist arrest but police also found multiple incriminating documents in his apartment. The suspect was found to be blackmailing aspiring young girls into having sex with him for a chance in their career, with the numbers of victims in the double digit figure.]
I changed the tv channel as I opened up a can of beer before sitting on the couch.
[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Turtle in a Hard Shell!]
"Turtle power." I exclaimed with a smile on my face as I watched the cartoon show. However, as the incident happened, a heavy desire to clean my house grew inside of me.
Unfortunately, my house was already clean.
"Fuck." I cursed before angrily went to tend the garden in front of my house. The sunflowers I had planted when I first decided to change had bloomed. My front yard was filled with the sunflowers, which eased up my frustrations.
"~Needless to say, I keep her in check, She was a bad-bad, nevertheless (yeah)~"
I hummed as I water the sunflowers in the middle of the night.
…
"Ohh, you guys have waited for this long enough." I said holding a microphone as I stood in front of my fans. They cheered and applauded as I walked on the stage. In front of me was filled with banners of my name and my posters, which made me smile.
Before my tour started, I had plans for a fan meeting, but it was postponed because of my trip to Wisconsin. I wanted to do it online, but I decided to make sure to have a more personal touch in this.
We were all inside an auditorium near Pasadena, where more than 500 girls had come to join the fan meeting. Not only that, hundreds more were waiting outside the venue just to catch a glimpse of their new favourite artist.
I sat on a tall stool on the stage before the emcee let the first girl ask a question.
"Hey, wait, I know you." I said to the girl, interrupting her.
The girl smiled, flattered, and I added, "Yeah. You came to my school concert. Rebecca right?"
The girl squealed before saying, "Edward you're the greatest guy on the planet!!."
The crowd laughed and I chuckled. She then asked, "My question is about your song, Toxic. Did you experience that personally?"
I gulped some water before replying slowly. Most of the girls just wanted to talk to me, and I had fun with them for a while.
"Edward, what should we call ourselves as your fan club?" Lily, the president of the fanclub asked.
"Hmm…" I thought seriously. I didn't want something like 'Beliebers' or 'Swifties', and I wanted something that means a lot to me.
"Hey, who's here have ever watched the Japanese animation, One Piece?" I asked them while raising my hands up.
The crowd were confused for a while before I saw some sparsely raised hands from them.
"You guys might not know this, but that show is my favorite show in the world." I said with a laugh. The fans smiled as they listened intently to my words.
"Inside the show, there's a character with the same name as I am, The Captain of the Whitebeard Pirate Crew, Edward D. Newgate. If you guys know my dad's business, then you can see where I got the reference for it."
The crowd gasped in realization and murmured. "Anyway, that character is named the Strongest Man in the world. Now, I carry the same name as him, so I may not be able to be the strongest man, but I want to strive to be the best performer in the world."
"So my thoughts are like this. Just for you guys, for my fans. I will be the 'Captain', and you guys will be the thing a pirate always dreams of…'Treasures'."
"How is that? Is that cool? It's not confirmed yet, so if you have any other suggestions, just let me know." I spoke casually.
"Treasures…Hehe…That's a great name." Lily mumbled to herself.
"How about NewBies?"A girl gave a suggestion.
"That sounds like Bieber's new fan name." Lily shouted quickly to shut down the idea.
I was also startled when I heard the name. To be honest, it was pretty great. But I'm pretty sure that the girl who mentioned it was a member of the new dark side of Twitter that has been shipping me and Justin Bieber together.
I shuddered at the thought and listened to a few more suggestions. We got 'Army', 'New Armada', 'Gaties', ENTrain, and a lot more. After a vote, my original idea won.
The fan event went for an entire day. I took pictures with the fans, gave out some autographs. I ended up signing everything from papers, albums, posters, shirts, and even in some cases bare skin.
"Just…don't tattoo it on yourself okay?" I said to the inked goth girl who wanted me to sign her shoulder.
"Oh ho~ But I will." She said excitedly.
When I was done with the event, I waited alone in the waiting room as my manager handled my logistics.
"Hmm…" I checked my phone and was feeling melancholic. Even though I had fun all day today, the people who I wanted to have fun with weren't there.
"EDDDDDDDDUUUUAAAAAARRRRRRRRDDDDDDDD!!!!" Suddenly, I got tackled from behind by a human-wolfcub hybrid. The tackle was so strong that I actually fell from the chair. Both of us rolled on the ground before I finally found out who the culprit was.
"Ouch- Mother fuck- Wait, Enid!?"
"ED!!! MISS ME?! " She lunged towards me and hugged me again, properly this time. She kept jumping around in excitement, making my dopamine and serotonin levels go up.
"Why are you back so early?" I asked her in surprise.
"Well I didn't want to miss your concert tour opening silly!" She admonished me. "I don't want to spoil the surprise, but everyone else is coming back too!"
"That's…already a spoiler." I grinned as I watched her face slowly turn pale from the realization. When I returned to my home, Jenna, Jacob and Elsa, Abraham, Finneas and Billie, were all already waiting in my living room.
"Congrats ED!" They cheered for me the moment I walked in.
…
[General POV]
Edward Newgate's first concert tour venue was located at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. A building seating around 20,000 people, and tickets were sold out in 10 minutes after sales went online.
"I'm a little bit nervous."
Edward looked at the girl standing behind him in confusion. He was already equipped with the earpiece and outfit to perform today.
"I'm the one performing, why are you the one who's nervous?" He teased.
Haley grunted, "I'm nervous for you! Go on Ed! Break a leg!" She urged him to go quickly as the staff members were already calling him.
"I still can't believe I missed out on your dad coming back while wearing a 'If you ain't white, you ain't right' shirt." Edward muttered gloomily.
"Well…I don't want to do this, but…" Haley took out her phone and showed Edward the photo she took of her dad wearing that highly insensitive shirt. Edward laughed out loud and said, "Thank's Haley. That made all of my nervousness disappear."
Haley blushed and then urged him to go there quickly, "GOO!"
"Give it up for, the one and only!!!! EDWARDD!! NEWGATEEEEEEEEE!!!" The emcee shouted exaggeratedly.
Edward laughed and waved Haley off before he got on stage. The second he entered, the crowd cheered thunderously to welcome him.
Edward held an electric guitar before saying, "Hello Everyone. I-"
Before he could finish, the crowd let out a deafening cheer, prompting him to stop and smile at their enthusiasm.
"Wow, 20,000 people. To be honest with you guys, I really didn't expect this to happen to me. I'm really glad you guys are all here, and I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the evening performing my best for you guys."
"WE LOVE YOU EDWARDDD!" Jenna and Enid who were sitting on the VIP seats shouted while raising Edward's name banner. Gloria, Jay and Manny who were seated nearby also cheered for him.
"Gloria." Jay called before taking pictures of Gloria and Manny. "Too bad Cam and Mitch couldn't be here to see it." Manny said.
"Too bad? That's the best part. Why do you think I'm taking the pictures? It's to rub it in their faces." Jay muttered gleefully.
Mitchell and Cam couldn't make it to the first day of the tour because Lily had a fever. Phil and Claire were also there, but they had the privilege of watching the show from the staff's location, together with Camila and Ted.
Selena and Taylor also came to support Edward, but they didn't go backstage.
Edward takes a deep breath before saying, "Thank you all for your support. Please enjoy my first song that I'd written especially for you guys who came to the first day of the concert, 'Counting Stars'."
The crowd cheered and was flattered when they heard it, and then they became silent as they awaited the performance.
[OneRepublic - Counting Stars]
Edward grabbed his mic and started singing.
"♫♪Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be ♫♪"
He glanced at Taylor's direction, and she was looking intently at him.
"♫♪But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said, "No more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars"♫♪"
"♫♪Yeah, we'll be counting stars♫♪"
Pepper smiled as he thought about the drive back from the studio in the desert with Edward where they could see the river of stars.
The crowd cheered explosively before Edward took a step forward to the edge of the stage.
"♫♪I see this life, like a swinging vine
Swing my heart across the line
And in my face is flashing signs
Seek it out and ye shall find♫♪"
Phil overanalyzed again, "Life is a roller coaster of disappointment and happiness. Edward is becoming more profound day by day."
Claire and Alex looked at Phil in disbelief.
"♫♪Old, but I'm not that old
Young, but I'm not that bold
And I don't think the world is sold
On just doing what we're told♫♪"
The crowd started to dance together with Edward who was dancing lightly on the stage. The atmosphere heats up instantly, and Penny who attends the concert with her female friends shouted in excitement.
"WOOO!"
"♫♪I~~~ feel something so right
Doing the wrong thing
And I~~~ feel something so wrong
Doing the right thing♫♪"
"♫♪I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie♫♪"
"♫♪Everything that kills me makes me feel alive♫♪"
The crowd shouted thunderously as the beats dropped.
♫♪Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said, "No more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars"♫♪
♫♪Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things we could be
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard"
Edward raised his hand to the sky, "Said, "No more counting dollars, we'll be, we'll be counting stars"♫♪
"♫♪Yeah, yeah♫♪"
"Oh my god. I am in love with the song." Elsa muttered. "What about me baby?!" Jacob asked fearfully.
Mrs Henderson who was standing amongst the crowd smiled at Edward's growth and said, "Goodbye Edward."
Edward smiled at the crowd. His skin glistened with sweat as he walked to the left side of the stage.
"♫♪I feel your love, and I feel it burn
Down this river, every turn
Hope is our four-letter word
Make that money, watch it burn!♫♪"
Claire smiled and joked, "He's making all that cash to burn? No wonder he's been working crazily for money."
"Mom, that's not funny." Alex retorted.
"♫♪Old, but I'm not that old
Young, but I'm not that bold
And I don't think the world is sold
On just doing what we're told
And I feel something so wrong~
Doing the right thing~♫♪"
"♫♪I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie~
Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly♫♪"
6 days of tour at the Staples Center, and Edward performed to over 100,000 people.
"♫♪Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said, "No more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars"♫♪"
After that, it was non-stop traveling and performing for him. He didn't spend time like his peers, spending summer at the beach or going to the amusement park.
"♫♪Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said, "No more counting dollars, we'll be, we'll be counting stars"♫♪"
He slept for only 4 hours per day, his schedule was busy with fan meets, interviews, meeting important people, and performing.
♫♪Oh, take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned♫♪
♫♪Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned♫♪
Without him realizing it, summer was already over.
♫♪Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned♫♪
♫♪Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned♫♪
When he finally arrived in New York, the one person he wanted to meet there didn't come to see him. Rather, he only met her mom– Desire.
♫♪Everything that kills me… makes me feel alive♫♪
His face carried traces of fatigue, but he gave his all during his performances. From dancing, to interacting with the fans. Performing during the rain, and also while it was very hot outside.
♫♪Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said, "No more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars"♫♪
When school finally started again, Haley was concerned when Edward missed out on the entire first week of school.
♫♪Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said, "No more counting dollars, we'll be, we'll be counting stars"♫♪
♫♪Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned♫♪
♫♪Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned♫♪
♫♪Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned♫♪
♫♪Take that money, watch it burn
Sink in the river the lessons I've learned♫♪
While others were studying, Edward was conducting interviews and was going to attend various awards programs. His life had become so different from his friends, that it was hard for him to even talk to them.
"Hmm…I hope Edward will come back soon." Haley muttered as she waited for him to reply to her texts.
(2 months timeskip after this)
