Mum was drivio the school when we saw that a few men were lurking around the front gate. That's odd.

  Just then I caught sight of something b one of the man's hands and I could hazard a very good guess who they were.

  "Mum, reporters are here. Oh yes, I almost fot. Drive around, the principal gave me permission to use the batrance." I ducked my head to avoid getting caught by the sight of any of the reporters.

  "I know about that. I didn't think they'd be here again, especially when you took a day off yesterday." Mum drove around the school without slowing down at all.

  "Is it possible they are here for anyone else?" I asked hopefully.

  "Possible? Yes. Likely? No." Mum deadpanned, "When I talked to your Principal st time, she said that a few of their students are popur with the media but they are in the high sostly, with one in middle school but none iary."

  And we had just driven past the entrao the elementary siddle and High schools had their own separate entrances.

  "That could be a bother," I muttered after getting back up as we were past any suspected media people.

  "Should've thought of that before you became an actor," Mum smirked at me.

  "Mean adults!" I grouched audibly to which Mum ughed out loud.

  She dropped me off at the designated pd I got out of the car ao my css. On the way to the css, I noticed that the gazes had lessened somewhat but the kids still felt a little skittish around me. When I sat down in my seat, I found another unusual thing. Evan who used to sit behind me was already in his seat and didn't so much as lifted his head to greet me.

  "Hey, Evan. 'Sup man?" Being the adult I was supposed to be, I initiated the versation.

  "Hi," He answered in a low voice as if not ied in talking at all.

  I sighed in annoyahe ohing I liked about Evan the most, his ability to not give a fuck about others and be a chill, mature guy was waning.

  "Good m, students."

  "Good M, Miss Rachel."

  Relutly I had to get my head ba css. But I am not letting this shit go on much longer.

  (Break)

  As soon as I heard the bell for recess I quickly stood up and blocked Evan from running away like he had been doing sihe day before yesterday. I grabbed his elbow and forcefully dragged him away from the .

  "Hey, get off Troy!" He tried to shove me but I didn't budge.

  "Not until we have a talk and you tell me what the fuck crawled up your ass and died?" I shouted at him after pulling him to a er in the hallway. He fli my nguage.

  I don't usually swear in front of him because I always felt as if I was corrupting an i kid. But when the kid was being as obtuse as he was I couldn't help myself.

  "What do you mean by that?" He finally asked after a few moments of unfortable silence.

  "Don't even try that, I know something happened and now you are avoiding me." I gave him a disappoiare.

  He looked guilty for all of 5 seds before his face was back to being resolute, "What does it matter to you, huh? With your first role, you have everyone flog to you. Yiving others advice about being an actor and you never once asked me if I wao be one, huh?"

  "Do you want to be an actor?" I asked.

  "That's not the point! The point is you don't care about me and will leave me when you get a better role and everyone wants to talk to you! Yesterday, the teachers told students to treat you normally because even they noticed that! And why are we being warned about not talking to the media?" Evan ranted.

  I took a deep breath in. Wow, that was a lot to take in all at once.

  "Some reporters are outside the scho… Damn it! It doesn't matter! You are my best mate, and I ever fet ynore you. The people who e to the actors after they are popur are all fake. All they want is the ce to say that they know someone popur. And I didn't give out any advice to anyone." I shouted back at him, frustrated at his behavior based on pure specution.

  "Then why was Erica saying so yesterday?" Evan asked dejectedly.

  "'Cause she was lying," I answered back smoothly, "That's what I was telling you, people are fake. They make up stories about knowing me personally and all that."

  I let it stew for a few moments as he took ihing I said. I gave him time to think before tinuing, "But Erica said that yesterday and you were mad at me even before then. What happened?" My voice gave him no space fetting out of that.

  "My cousin Jimmy told me you will ignore me when you bee popur. His friend did it too. Then you could go away for some film for months or even permaly. I ot follow you around everywhere like a lost puppy." His voice was crag up, on the verge of tears.

  I sighed out loud. The seal moron. He's ag like a lovesick girl. I put a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

  "It's okay, bro." I tried using my words. "Even if I go away, you'll still be my best mate. Y'know we email each other using a puter. And then we meet during the summer or winter holidays."

  "So you are actually going away?" He asked with a tone of realization.

  This was an unfortable topie. I had a long discussion with Dad about it a few weeks ago but had put it away from my mind and hadn't discussed it with Evan. I knew he would be depressed when I gathered the ce to tell him.

  Better to just pull it off like a Band-Aid.

  "I went to audition for a big film yesterday, starring Bruce Willis," I began slowly. "The audition was good and there is a high ce that I will get the role. Don't tell anyone about it yet, but if I get it I'll have to go to Phidelphia for two months at least."

  He looked at me apprehensively, "Just two months?"

  I ged a little at that, "Dad will have to go back to London for work. So, we will all have to move back during this summer."

  "For how long?"

  "As long as it takes," I replied holy. We were moving back to begin the pre-produ of the Harry Potter movies if everythi well. Dad had shared the idea with me and asked my opinion about moving back to Engnd after just two years iates. Evan robably the only reason I was hesitant to answer him, but I khat Dad would have to go with or without me, and I love him and our family more than I cared for Evan, so of course I chose the family.

  Also, had I chosen to stay, Kathy would have to stay here with me, away from her husband. It's better if all three of us move together. Even if I were to stay back, sooner or ter I would have to go to London to shoot the film if I wao py Harry Potter.

  Evan's face fell even more if that was even possible but he didn't say anything else to me. He just nodded and walked away silently.

  I let him. It's better if he thinks this through properly. It broke my heart to see the betrayed expression on his face, it really did. From his perspective, it didn't take him even a mio decide that he wao ge schools so he could be in the same css as me, but I abandoned him within a year.

  It looks pretty bad when I put it like that.

  The thing is, I have ehe active workforce wilfully and I love w on a film set, so I have to set my priorities. Work or friends? It would be so much easier if those two things weren't mutually exclusive as a kid. Especially in the absence of social media.

  I just hope Mark Zuckerberg works fast or I'd have to do his job for him.

  (Break)

  "Let him be

  Let him live

  If I die

  Let me die~"

  "Stop!" Mr.Tanner cut in.

  I looked up at him dispassionately. Ever since I had expihings to Evan, I have been feeliy ihe reason is simple: He is my only true friend in the whole world. I have heard numerous interviews of celebrities where they would say how difficult it is for them to make true friends. You would always sed guess if your friend is with you for fame or for real. With Evan things were different. He is my brother in all but blood. So the betrayed expression he showed me was more than a little hurtful for me.

  "Pay attention, Troy!" Mr. Tanner chided me harshly. "What has happeo you today? You used to love Les Mis songs."

  "I don't feel so good today," I mumbled uhusiastically. " we end the lesson early today?"

  "What happened?" Mr. Tanner softened his tone as he took the seat opposite to me. "Everything okay at home?"

  "Yeah, it's just... everything else. The media, my cssmates, teachers, everyone has ged ever sihat film came out. They think I don't notice, but I do."

  "What happened with media?" He asked. "Any new articles about you?"

  "Nah," I shook my head, "just the paparazzi. I'm not even that famous yet, and they are behaving as if I'm Tom Cruise."

  "Believe me, Tom Cruise has it much worse," Mr Tanner joked. "Are you sure you don't wanna tih our session? Because if I remember correctly, you had asked me to begin your piano lessons today after the vocals."

  I had fotten about that with everything else going on.

  "Okay," I relented. "Let's tihe lessons."

  "Good, because I was dying to tell you that you were ending the 'die' too fast. Use your epiglottis and stretch the melody like this, 'If I die, Let me die~~~'" He sang the note for a few extra seds and I could see the differeweewo versions.

  I nodded in uanding.

  I cleared my throat and sang again, "If I die, Let me die~~~"

  "Yes, exactly like that," He excimed when I was doh that partiote, "This was the most powerful song that I've heard iheater. It is so powerful that if done correctly, it move mountains. This song is inplete without that emotion. So feel the emotion of the lyrid the situation. Jean Valjean is trying to save the young man Marius and he is ready to die if it means that the love of her daughter live on. Bring in that emotion of sacrifice to your voice. You're ready to bet everything, even your life, for another persohe emotion!"

  Alright, that was too much emotion in one dialogue. Before I started preparing a Les Miserables song, I didn't know he was so passionate about Musical theater in general and Les Mis in particur. Or I'd have chosen something easier.

  It's not like I'm unwilling to sing more difficult songs. It's just very difficult to hit all those notes in a demanding song like 'Bring him home' until my voice drops, and that is quite some years away.

  Mr. Tanner k, but he wahe best that I could in my current dition so I persevered and we practiced for the rest of the allotted vocal time.

  "That was a det attempt for your first try." Mr. Tanner ented.

  I gaped at him. He was ingy with his praises. He was one of those rare teachers who wore his heart on his sleeve. Before today, he had only criticized me when I practiced 'Empty Chairs' for the first time. ing from him, a det attempt was like a sp on the face.

  "I'll try to get better."

  "Make sure you do." He said while walking towards the instruments se of our practi, "Shall we begin with your piano lessons then?"

  "Yes," I answered resolutely.

  "But you haven't mastered the guitar yet." He eyed me as he sat down in front of the piano.

  "I am good enough at pying guitar for my requirement. I will tinue my practice of course, but I want to diversify into piano as well," I expined. I didn't tell him that I wao learn drums, flute, and cello , in that order.

  "I have to agree, yuitar is very good for someone who began only a year ago, but it could be better. But as long as you tinue practig on your own, I don't mind beginning your piano css." When I nodded he poio the seat beside him, "Sit, we'll begin with your first chord."

  Mr. Tanner may not be the best at talking to his students, but he sure knew how to distract me just enough that I fot about all my other life tensions. In hindsight, it sounds so ridiculous that a 9-year-old has tension of any sort. I guess it isn't wrong to say that music is medie in itself in many ways. As my fingers pyed a beginner's set on the piano, I felt free.

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