...
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Sometimes all I think about is you...
Late nights in the middle of June...
Heat waves been freakin me out...
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The sound of Plastic Humans blasting from Von's phone on the nightstand was usually a vibe. But eight now, it felt like a war crime.
It took a few more rings for him to pick up the phone and squint against the annoying white light.
"Oh, crap," Von muttered after seeing the caller.
[Incoming Call: Aura]
Reality immediately flooded back. The plan. The secret rehearsal. The fact that he was supposed to be downstairs twenty-eight minutes ago.
"Hello?" he picked up.
"You're late," a calm voice came through the speaker. "We're outside your door. If you don't open up in ten seconds, Sofie is threatening to kick it down."
Von scrambled out of bed, tripping over his shoes in the dark. "I'm up! I'm up! Give me a minute."
He hung up, splashed freezing water on his face, grabbed his guitar case, and left the room.
Aura was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, looking effortlessly awake in a stylish black tracksuit.
Sofie also looked energetic, as she played with her hair. But Conor looked like a zombie. He had even taken to sitting on the floor already.
"I forgot to set the alarm," Von admitted with an apologetic smile. "Sowy."
"Forgiven," Aura replied. "But we're burning daylight. Or moonlight. Let's go."
***
The Grand Music Room was located in the basement level, far away from the guest suites. The double doors were massive and intimidatingly shut.
Von tried the handle. But it didn't budge until he located the bolt above and slid it down.
They slipped inside. Sophie hit the master switch, and the room flooded with light. It was pristine. The cleaners had clearly just finished, leaving the instruments arranged in perfect rows.
It felt like breaking into a museum.
Conor hesitated near the door. He looked at the Yamaha drum kit sitting silently in the corner. "Uh... Are we really meant to be doing this? What if security comes?"
Von closed the door softly and smirked. "I've told you already, Conor. Security is asleep, and the producers don't give a fuck. If we get caught, we say we're dedicated. If we don't, we get a killer rehearsal. Win-win."
His answer didn't seem to fully convince the drummer, but the pull of the instrument was stronger than his fear. Conor walked over, sat on the stool, and began testing the the sticks.
"Okay," Von said, moving to the center. "The plan now is simple. We run the set. We fix the levels. We figure out how to not crash into each other musically. Everyone knows their roles?"
Aura didn't answer; she just walked to the glossy black Steinway grand piano and sat down, her fingers hovering over the keys. Sofie picker up a tambourine.
It was clear to everyone that despite Von being the de facto leader, the arrangement pivoted around Aura. He had assigned her the better solo verses and the soaring high notes of the hook.
No one minded. When you had a Ferrari engine, you didn't put it in a minivan. You let it run.
"Okay," Von counted off, nodding to Conor. "One, two, three, go."
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Conor hit the snare, and the room exploded with sound.
***
They practiced for three hours straight. And thank goodness they did. The first run-through was a mess. The piano drowned out the guitar. Sofie couldn't keep up with Cornor's rhythm, and other minor issues arised.
If they had gone on stage like that, it would have been a disaster.
But in the safety of the empty room, they fixed it. They adjusted the dynamics. Von made Sofie understand when to shake the tambourine and when to mute it. Aura figured out how to project over the drums better.
By 5:00 AM, they were exhausted, but yet, perfect.
That was when the door creaked open.
A janitor poked his head in, broom in hand. He blinked at the four of them sweating over instruments in the pre-dawn light.
"Uh," Von tried to talk his way out of it.
The janitor just shrugged, muttered something about "crazy kids," and closed the door again.
But the secret was out. As they packed up to leave, early-bird contestants who had woken up for yoga or prayer started to peek in. Their eyes widened when they saw them leaving the room, clearly having been there all night.
Whispers started immediately.
"Did they sleep in there?"
"Look at them. They look wrecked."
"Are they that desperate?"
"Desperate? They're selfish for not letting others know we could use it."
The quad ignored the stares and went on for their preparations. They had already been informed their turn was by 11:00 AM. So Von began by hitting the gym for his daily quest.
He was already known as a workout manic now; but he didn't mind considering the opposite reputation he carried in his past life.
He quickly got ready and had breakfast before waiting for their turn.
(10:55 AM, February 27th. Wednesday)
Backstage was a pressure cooker.
Von, Conor, Sofie, and Aura stood in a tight circle, waiting for their call. A production assistant was buzzing around them, checking mic packs and confirming the instrument list.
Through the thin walls, they could hear the Judges ripping into the current team on stage.
"That was sloppy."
"Did you even rehearse together?"
"I'm not really impressed."
Moments later, the double doors swung open and Team 10 walked out. Two of the guys were crying. The girl leading them looked even worse.
Von watched them pass. He felt a pang of sympathy, but on the other hand. 'Their performance was a mess anyway.'
Compared to theirs, it was like day and night.
"Group 11!" the stage manager called out after some time, and they walked out.
"Hello!" Aria greeted them. She looked fresher today, though her eyes were sharp. "So many familiar faces. The blue-haired girl... and the Miami Rebel."
Rex Sterling leaned forward. "So, what do you have for us, Group 11?"
Von stepped up to the mic. They had already agreed he'd do the talking. "Good morning, Judges. I'm Von, and we have Aura, Sophie, and Conor. We were assigned Someone To You by Jack Philips."
Jax raised an eyebrow, his eyes drifting to the stage set up. "Interesting. I know that song. I didn't know it included a drum kit. Is that intentional?"
"Yeah," Von said, gripping the mic stand. "We decided that the original was a little too... quiet for us. We decided to make ours special. And better, of course."
His confidence made Aria and Jax chuckle. It was a bold claim to improve on a song in front of industry veterans.
"Better, huh?" Aria smiled, leaning back in her chair. "Well, we'll be the judge of that."
She gestured to the stage.
"Give us what you got, Group 11.