Chapter 7
"Britney?!" I asked, stunned.
"That's what I said." Replied Kevin, grinning from ear to ear.
"But how?"
"I told you that everybody wanted you. Did you think that
Britney would be different?"
"I hadn't even thought about her, why would I have?" I was
still shocked. Singing a duet with Britney Spears? This was going *way*
too fast. In less then a day I had been asked to be BSB's supporting act,
offered a record contract *and* been asked to record a duet with one of
the world most famous people. Wow.
"Well anyway, do you want to do it?" Why ask? The answer
was written all over my face.
"Of course I want to do it!"
"Ok, I'll arrange for you to meet the manager that we have
picked out for you. He's really good. His name is James Murphy. As
soon as we are finished here I'll give him a call and tell him to come
over as soon as possible, so he should be over tomorrow. Jive is sending
over their people soon to get you to sign your contract. I suggest that you
get yourself a good lawyer before then." There was something that I had
to tell Kevin. I hadn't thought about it until I saw the look in his eye
when I said that I would love to work with Britney, that glint that said.
"What guy wouldn't?" If he was going to do all this for me then I had to
tell him. I had to tell him that I was gay.
"And I really have to go. That taxi's been waiting forever, and I
have a flight to get real soon."
"I'll see you out." I said. I had to tell him.
"It was great to meet you." Said Mum, the other two in the
room echoing her sentiments.
"I guess that I'll be seeing you soon if he's coming on tour with
us. Bye, it was great to meet you all." We walked out into the hallway.
Just before we got to the door I turned to him.
"Kevin."
"Yeah?"
"I have to tell you something, and I have to know that you
won't tell anyone else. Promise?"
"Of course. What is it?" I took a deep breath. Now or never.
"I'm gay." There, it was said. Now it was up to him.
"Oh. Ok." He surprised me. I thought that I would have
gotten more of a reaction then that! "You do know that this changes
nothing, don't you?" He asked. Studying my face.
"I was hoping that you would say that. But I thought that you
had to know. I mean, with you helping me like this and all." I was so
relieved that he could accept it. I didn't want to throw away this chance,
but I didn't want to do it under pretence to those that I cared about.
Kevin then surprised me by grabbing me in a tight hug.
"Don't worry about anything. So what if you're gay? I don't
care, and I know that none of the others will. Just don't go spreading the
word around, ok?" Kevin said.
"Sure. Tell them that I said hi will you?"
"I'll do that. Have fun. You have no idea what your life is
going to be like from now on."
"Bye."
"Bye." And with that he left. Climbing into the taxi and
heading off to the airport.
"Did you tell him?" Said Helen.
"What?"
"Did you tell him that you're gay?" She asked.
"You know me too well. And yes, I did tell him."
"Good, I don't think that you would feel alright if you hadn't."
Helen was relieved that I had told him. It felt pretty good as well, you
know, not having to hide the way that you are around someone. Not
having to make sure that everything that you censor everything that you
say to make sure that you don't slip up and say something that you don't
want to.
Next I rang my other best friend, Stephen, to tell him the
incredible news. I didn't know Stephen as well as Helen because I only
met him when I started going to Secondary School (Age 12). We were in
the same class and because I got in late on the first day, the seat beside
him was the only one free. Things went from there, and we got to know
each other well. But he didn't know that I was gay, and I didn't have any
plans to tell him.
I spent the rest of the day unpacking, watching programs that I
had had taped for me while I was away, recording the songs like Kevin
had told me to do, and telling my sisters and Helen the full version of
what had happened while I was in New York and Washington, but for
some reason they were most interested in what had happened between
those two cities! After a long night's sleep (Jet lag) I got up and went to
school. It was the standard school day, teachers reminding us of what we
had forgotten over the last two weeks, telling us to learn it and giving us
mountains of homework to make sure that we knew it.
I drudged in the front door after school to be greeted by Marie.
"There are some really important people in the Sitting Room
with Mum and Dad" She hissed. "We all have to stay in our rooms until
he was gone. Mum said to tell you when you came in to get changed and
join them." I nodded and raced up the stairs. It must be that manager that
Kevin got, I thought. I changed my clothes and, after freshening up,
walk down the stairs and into the sitting room. I looked around the room,
seeing Mum, Dad, someone familiar from Dad's work, and a pleasant
and friendly face smiling at me.
"Fiachra, you remember Tom Newbridge from last years
Christmas Party, don't you? And this is James Murphy, we've been
spending the last while getting to know one another." Dad said. I sat
down in one of the free chairs and said hello to both the men that we
there.
"Hi Fiachra." Said James with a beaming smile. "Good to meet
who I'm going to be working with. Your parents have been doing a good
job on letting me know what you are and aren't going to be doing in the
future!"
"And your father asked Tom come over to make sure that
everything is in order." Said Mum, entering the conversation.
We got down to talking about what was going to be expected of
me by Jive and by the fans (If I was successful.).
"And the fact of the matter is that if we get the song material
now, we can have a single out on the shelves in less then a month,
assuming that Britney's timetable works for us."
"That soon? It takes most of my clients more then 3 months to
get any thing done." Asked Tom.
"But you're forgetting that Fiachra's already been offered a
record deal, and that Jive want this to happen quickly. And when
someone that big in the music business is leaning on you."
"Sure, but are you positive that you're not underestimating?"
tom asked again.
"Yes, I am." There seemed to be some sort of hostility coming
between those two.
"I've got the tape upstairs if you want to have it now." I said,
hoping to break the tension that had suddenly enveloped the room.
"Sure Fiachra. Make sure to bring down the written version too,
ok?" Said James, who was back to smiling. I went up to get it, when I
brought it back down Dad's friend Tom had gone. I decided not to draw
attention to it.
I handed the tape to James. "Here you go."
"Good, look here. I've made out a timetable that I think looks
realistic. We get this stuff to a producer, who'll put music to it, and split
it for a duet. We also forward a copy of the words to a Video Director;
I've already got one in mind. Then within a week, maybe a little more,
you can go into the recording studio with Britney, I still have to call her
managers, then we give that to the record company, get you a couple of
photo shoots with Britney, shoot the video over the next weekend, get it
edited, have it out in a couple of days on MTV, and then release it, with
Britney doing the promo work in the States, and you doing some on this
side of the ocean. What do you think?"
"I haven't got a clue." I said bluntly.
"That's what I'm here for! Don't worry about a thing, it'll all
be sorted out for you. I assume that you'll want input into the producing
of the single?" I nodded. "And the video?"
"I've already got some ideas."
"Good. But we've got other things to talk about."
He turned to address my parents. I assume that you've got a
phone?" They nodded. Who didn't have a phone?
"You and your children are going to have to make you numbers
private, and possibly change them, before we start any promotional
work. You'll have to consider very carefully whom you give your
address or phone number out to, and who you talk to about your son,
things like that."
"As for you Fiachra, you *are* going to have to change your
number, and you're going to have to extremely careful about who you
talk to, also, you're going to have a body guard from as soon as this goes
public."
We went on to talk about the nuances of what I would have to
do. What guidelines to follow, nothing restrictive, everything was for my
own safety and security. So I didn't complain too much.
The next day the lawyers from Jive Records came over to
discuss terms. Tom was there again, and he was a great help. He made
sure that I could still go to school full-time. The rest of the week was
busy; making the changes that would help ensure my safety and the
safety of the people around me. I got calls from Nick and Britney
Spears, both of who assured me that life was never going to be the same
again. Britney was coming over in the next couple of days, as soon as
the producer was ready for us to record, then she was going to spend
some time relaxing in Ireland, as soon as we made the video she was
going back to the U.S. to promote the single. It all promised to be fun.
The song sounded incredible once we had it down. I couldn't
believe that that was me singing, with Britney Spears on a song, that I
wrote, that was going to be heard by millions of people around the
world. All that was left to do was make the video.
---------------------
"Your manager said that you were interested in organising the
video, so what do you want to do?" I thanked Kevin again for James. He
had proven to be a very capable manager, who always made sure that I
was comfortable with what ever he had planned. And did everything that
I asked him to do (Within reason.).
"Well, you know from reading it that it's about so I won't go
into that, but I think that it should be in a school. Y'know, Britney and I
sitting at opposite sides of the classroom, glancing at each other when
we think that the other isn't looking. We could go onto performing in a
school hall, or something. What do you think?"
"I like it! It'll bring Britney back to her first video as well as
anything else and since you're so young still. Does your school have a
concert hall?"
That surprised me. He was thinking of doing it in my school?
"Yeah, but you do know that my school is Single Ed don't you? Only
Boys?"
"Is it? Damn." He stopped to think. "What are your uniforms
like?"
"They're nothing much, just a black jumper, white shirt and
black trousers, why?"
"Because then it wouldn't be too much trouble to put girls in
your uniform, all we'd need is to get them black skirts. I think that I
can arrange that. Do you think that your school would mind?" He asked
me.
"You're going to have to ask them yourself. I have no idea,
besides, I think that they'd take you more seriously then they would take
me."
"True. Well, I'll see what I can do. But I think that I'll stick to
the school thing anyway, see you whenever." And with that he hung up.
"Interesting Call?" Asked Helen, who, if anything, was
spending more time at my house now that I was getting so busy. I think
that she thought that I needed the support or something.
"I'm going to be releasing a single Helen. Do you realise that?"
She laughed. "I think I do. It's just sinking in now? I would
have thought that you would have gotten it by now."
"Yeah but, all I've done is signed some bits of paper, and now
life is changing completely."
"You'll always have me to keep you steady. You know that
don't you?" I smiled at her tender words.
"I know that. But I don't know if it's going to be enough."
"You are *not* going to do this are you? Not now. Not when
everything is going so well for you." She was worried, and with good
reason. Ever since I was young I would become depressed about
something and I couldn't let go of it for ages. Sometimes it was worse
then others. When I felt that my life was out of my control or when too
much work was piled on me, I would feel like I was sliding down a
slope and I couldn't stop my self from withdrawing into myself, pulling
away from everyone that I knew and loved. I had scared them before this
way. Once I had tried to commit suicide, but they had gotten me to the
hospital in time and it was after that 'incident' that I was diagnosed with
depression.
"No." I said with a smile, trying to convince her that I was ok.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry."
"You know that I'll *always* worry about you, and nothing
that you say is going to change that."
"That's why I love you Helen." I responded and gave her a hug.
"Knock it off! What is someone was to see us?! I've got a
reputation to think of here!"
"What *are* you talking about? I'm the one who has to think of
their reputation here!"
She laughed. Good, I had taken her away from *that* touchy
topic. "Yeah yeah, you wannabe pop-star."
-----------------------
I knocked on the door, when the teacher gave me permission; I
went into the classroom. I had a request to make. Since my principal had
given permission to use the school uniform and concert hall for the
video I had to go and get the uniforms that we needed. All that we
wanted were people's jumpers.
"Ok, this weekend I need to get a loan of as many school
jumpers as I can. You'll get them back on Monday before school, and
even if you don't, Mr. Burke knows that I'm taking them so it'll be ok."
"Why do you need them?" Great. The question that I was not
supposed to answer.
"I can't really tell you. But I can tell you that they will not be
burnt or messed up or anything if it helps." 6 people indicated that they
would lend me their jumpers for the weekend. The trouble was that no
one knew what I was going to be doing with them, so they didn't want to
give them up. I only had about 15 so far. After thanking them and the
teacher I left the room. Too my surprise I saw Britney down the hall.
She saw me and waved.
"What are you doing here?" I looked at my watch. There was
only five minutes until the end of class, and she shouldn't be in the hall
when that happened!
"I needed to talk to you and your cell was turned off." She
replied. "And it's nice to see you too!"
"Sorry, I was just surprised."
"Well, I gotta tell you something. Michael (The director of the
video) said that he wants to use people from here in the video shoot.
Y'know, the one in the concert hall? So you have to ask them to do that
now."
"But I can't even get jumpers from them! I don't think that I
can get them to give up their weekends!" I exclaimed. This was
impossible.
"You're going to have to tell them what's happening"
"Are you sure?"
"Yup, from Monday you are going to have a bodyguard."
"Fine. But you're going to have to help me."
"I'm up for it."
"Good. But we have about a minute until one thousand teenage
boys fill the halls, so can we move?
"I guess." And she gave me one of *those* smiles. The ones
that weaken you at the knees. Hers was almost as good as the one that
Nick did.
We hid in the secretary's office for 15 minutes until all the
pupils and teachers had gotten into class and were all calm. Then we
proceeded with the task at hand.
"I know that I was here already today, but this time it's for
something different. I still need some jumpers, but, on Saturday I need
for as many people as possible to come into school." I waited for the
laughter to die down.
"Yeah right!"
"Are you crazy Fiachra?"
"Why would we do that?"
"Why? Because you'll get paid." That shut most of them up.
"Because I guarantee that you'll have fun." They were all quiet now.
"And because it'll be something that you'll never forget."
"What would we have to do?"
"Nothing much. But I think that there's someone else here
who'd be able to explain better." I gestured for Britney to come in. Jaws
dropped. Eyes went wide. (I think I saw someone drooling.)
"Hi." She smiled at my classmates. I was going to have hell to
pay in class this afternoon but it was worth it to see the looks on their
faces now. "Basically, we're shooting a video in the school over the
weekend and we need loads of people to be in it, but we need girls as
well as boys, so if you all bring your girlfriends or whatever, then we
can do it ok?" I could see that they had been won over. I don't think that
her speaking had much to do with it though. They would have gone
because of the mention of her name. Sad really. We went through the
entire year, doing the same thing in every class. By lunchtime we were
done and I recommended that she go if she knew what was good for her.
She agreed, and with a parting kiss on the cheek, she left.
The weekend spent making the video was some of the most fun
that I've ever had. (Aside from the choreography.) Not only that, but I
realised that I could sing in front of an audience. Even though this
audience was being paid to be there, it helped my confidence a lot just to
know that. Singing for people was getting easier and easier since that
first time on the bus with the bus.
After looking through CV's and file's for a couple of dozen
people I settled on a bodyguard called Cormac. I would have preferred
to meet him before deciding on someone but the record company was
really pushing to get someone looking after me, so I had no choice. But,
I reasoned, if I didn't get on with him then I could always replace him.
----------------------
"Hi, I take it that you're Cormac?"
"That's right. You're Fiachra?" I nodded. It was early Monday
morning, and I had to be out for school in 20 minutes.
"I've got to go to school soon. Are you coming?"
"Yup, I'm to stay as near to you as possible when you are in
pubic areas." He grinned. "This your first time with a bodyguard?"
"Yeah. Anything special that I should know?"
"Only that I get the first autograph that you sign." I laughed.
"Seems fair. Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Cormac
indicated that he was fine. We left for school in his car. I could get used
to having someone around.
-------------------------
"Could Fiachra O'Neill please go the principal's office." Blared
the loudspeaker. I got looks from the others in the class. Since that
weekend where they saw me singing with Britney Spears on what they
knew was a video for a song and nothing else they had had a new respect
for me. I didn't have the people coming up to me asking me about it that
I had expected. But still, that request was seldom made for a good
reason, and it was natural for them to wonder what I had done. But I
couldn't think of anything that I might have done wrong recently.
Standing up, I made my way to his office. I asked Cormac to stay
outside the outer office.
"Fiachra. Sit down please, we need to talk." Said Principal
Burke, in his commanding voice."
"About what Sir?"
"About that bodyguard who's been following you around all
day."
"What about him?"
"You see Fiachra, we can't just have someone wandering
around the school all day. Some of the teachers have complained that he
makes them feel uncomfortable, it's against school policy and frankly, I
don't like the idea much either."
"I see." My mind was racing. What could I say to him?
"Yes."
"Have you got any objections to my coming to this school?"
"Of course I don't. You have always proven yourself to be an
honest, trustworthy, reliable person."
"And you would like me to continue to attend school here?" I
was speaking slowly, choosing my words carefully. I didn't want to
make an enemy of my principal.
"Of course. Where are you taking this Fiachra?"
"Sir, soon I am going to be releasing a music single, and that
will place considerable pressure on me. I have been told to expect to
have fans wanting to gain access to me, and once they find out that, for
six hours a day, 5 days a week I will be in one place, don't you think that
it would be the ideal place to find me?" He nodded. "Then there are only
two courses of action, either have a bodyguard with me or leave school.
I am sure that I can find another school that will accommodate me with
regard to my protection so, if this school will not allow me to take the
reasonable measure of having a bodyguard with me then I will have to
find another. I love coming to school here. Don't make me change." I
thought that it was a well-constructed speech, despite having made it up
on the spot. It was the truth as well. I looked to see his reaction, but he
kept his face carefully blank.
"I see." He paused. "You have given me a lot to think about
Fiachra. I don't think that I can make a decision right now, come back to
me at the end of school." On my way back to class I discussed the
situation with Cormac. He seemed optimistic about it.
-----------------------
"Fiachra. No, leave the door open, I want to speak to you as
well." Cormac, looking confused, entered the room respectfully, closing
the door after himself. "I have reached a decision that I think will satisfy
most of the people involved, please, both of you. Sit down." He waited
or us both to sit down before he continued.
"I understand the reasoning behind your presence here in
school. I'm sorry, I don't know your name."
Cormac coughed, clearing his throat. "My name is Cormac
Kelly."
"Thank you. As I was saying, I understand why you are wanted
here Mr. Kelly, but at the same time, I have to consider the objections of
the staff here." He took a breath before continuing. "Fiachra, we don't
want to lose you as a student here because of your exemplary record so
what I'm going to do is this. I'll let Mr. Kelly here remain on school
grounds but he *must* not interrupt class for any reasons but the most
urgent, nor may he intimidate teachers or pupils." He turned to address
Cormac. "You can only stop people who clearly do not belong here. I
think that you'll find that a good place to start is to check their gender,
otherwise, you have to remain a shadow. Do I make myself clear to both
of you? Good.” Then he softened up. "I'm sorry to have to speak to you
like that, but for the record it's necessary." He stood up to shake our
hands. "I hope to get to know you better Mr. Kelly, now that you are
going to be working here, and Fiachra, don't you have a home to go to?"
Chapter 8
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