Gifted Connections 01

by S M Olivier

  “Come on, Pops,” Noah laughed. “You’re old, but not that old. You know kids have been sneaking into other kid’s dorms for years. There’s no way any healthy, virile teen wouldn’t hook up.” I pointedly cleared my throat. “Well, I mean.”

  “Time to backpedal,” Jax looked between Jemmy and Rachel. “Awkward!” He drew the word out.

  The girls laughed.

  “Okay, okay, time for us all to get some sleep. School is in a few hours.” Will stated. “Rachel, outside of the family no one knows about this. Consider yourself family now. Please tell no one and I expect to see you here next weekend. Tomorrow morning, I will call Judge Myers and see if he can help us.”

  Rachel looked close to tears as she left the room. I could tell she needed them, as much as I did.

  Remy followed me back to my room and I was grateful for his presence as he laid down on the bed and pulled me on top of him. He didn’t try to be intimate with me again, he just had me straddle his waist once more and pulled the covers on top of us. One of his hands went beneath his t-shirt to splay on my lower back, and the other tangled in my hair.

  We didn’t talk. We just took comfort in each other’s arms hoping Ella’s dream wasn’t a true premonition of what was to come. I wondered if we should clue Troy and Jace in on the recent events, but I was kind of upset at them. Troy didn’t have to ask Jace to attend an event that his hot ex-girlfriend/ best friend was at and Jace didn’t have to technically leap out of my bed to warm his ex-girlfriend’s.

  I knew I was being unreasonable and hypocritical, but the closer I got to them the more I wanted them all to myself, well within reason…

  Chapter 28

  Weeks went by and Thanksgiving was fast approaching. I was settled into school. My music program was amazing, and I felt Dr. Allen was molding me into a great student. He even convinced me to pick up another instrument, the violin, to help me become more ‘well rounded’. He was convinced I was musically gifted and I thrived under his tutelage.

  Crazily enough, I was beginning to love PE. I was becoming a fast runner, the second fastest female in the school behind Rachel, and I was gaining muscle where soft flesh once resided. I now had definition in my abs, thighs, calves, and biceps. Jax and Noah made sure to tell me how nice my butt had gotten too; they had to hastily backtrack and say it was nice before, but with the running and squats from my strength training class it had gotten ‘firmer’.

  Remy and I ran every Saturday morning together and I loved our quiet time.

  I stopped being a student in performing arts and became more of an assistant trainer. I was careful to keep my other gifts hidden. My instructor, Nelson (he insisted I call him by his first name), had me helping the younger students, which thoroughly displeased Zach Young and his daughters. But I had more than my required credits to graduate and I didn’t want to waste the time in study hall or some other pursuit that wasn’t necessary.

  Will, Stephen, Cora, and Beth had gone to bat for me and I was able to stay in my performing arts class in the capacity of an assistant instructor. The younger children seemed to flourish under our team teaching approach. Even Victor had changed his ways; I wish I could say the same for Mei Linn.

  Being part of a band was great. I was beginning to like the spotlight, especially since half our songs were written by Rick, Ben, or I. We had a bigger following now. I didn’t have a Facebook or Instagram, nor did I want one, but the guys made sure to keep me updated on our ‘followers’. Some people even followed us from spot to spot to hear us. Although, our main gig was at Remy’s new gastro pub on Friday nights. We brought in a packed house and it worked for both of us and Remy paid us handsomely for it.

  I hadn’t made any new connections and I knew Will was hoping to have me make them soon, since the sense of doom always seemed to follow us around. It was difficult to though. My time with Troy was limited due to my school and activities and he seemed to always be working. If it wasn’t his company, then it was for the school. The guys always seemed to be leaving for one reason or the other to find the other gifted.

  For some reason Noah was being distant too. He didn’t bring Stacey around much anymore, but that didn’t stop him from going to see her or other girls for that matter. It seemed to have even caused dissention with the other guys too. He was drinking now, a lot, and hooking up with other girls randomly. I didn’t know what his problem was, and he was reluctant to tell me.

  “Hey, earth to Blake,” Ben chuckled. “Are you almost ready?”

  I looked up, distracted from my thoughts. “Oh, yeah. Just let me run to my dorm really quick.”

  It was a Friday afternoon, we had a half day, and Rick’s parents had paid for a photographer to take pictures of the band. Ben’s parents had paid for us to get studio time and this weekend we were going into a real studio to record some of our tracks. Ben’s and Rick’s parents were convinced we could make it somewhere and somehow, I had gotten swept up in the tide.

  I had a busy weekend ahead of me and for the first time in six weeks, it looked like all my guys would be together for the weekend, into the holidays. I was beyond ready for the break, and I had been pleased to find out this school had a Thanksgiving break, Christmas break, and Easter break.

  “For what?” Ben asked, barely able to contain his excitement. He had barely talked about little else since the ball started rolling in the beginning of the week.

  The guys had convinced their parents to attend our performance last week and ever since then it seemed like they realized their sons weren’t just being ‘flighty’ or ‘unrealistic’. They flew in from New York City, Toronto, Miami, and Ben’s parents drove the half hour to We 7. Remy made sure to reserve a section just for our friends and family, and the drinks and food had been on the house that night for them.

  It was all it took to convince their parents that we were good. Especially after they saw our turnout. Remy had to charge a cover and hired Troy’s New York office to act as security for the nights we played.

  “Well, I need clothes and makeup,” I spoke to him as if he were dense.

  He was like a puppy bouncing up and down and all around. “No need. Mike’s mom couldn’t be outdone by my parents or Rick’s parents, so she hired a stylist and makeup artist.”

  I stopped mid stride. “Don’t you think this is all so…sudden?” I asked hesitantly. I loved performing now and I was glad I had creative reign, but this was all fun and games for me. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to jump on this ride they were on. However, I knew this was all the boys had ever dreamed of. I knew if I chose to walk that it would negatively affect the band and I didn’t want to impede their progress or hinder their fame.

  Ben stopped and grabbed my shoulders. “What are you saying, Blake? Don’t you want this as much as we do? You’re not getting cold feet, are you?”

  I saw the worry and panic in his eyes, and I feigned a laugh. “Of course, I want this. Let’s go. Let me just text Remy and let him know we’re on our way.”

  We pulled up in front of We 7 and Remy’s house a half hour later. Remy graciously offered up his house for the photoshoot, since it fit the ‘image’ the guys wanted us to have. He had just had it completed of all renovations a couple of weeks ago. It was an old warehouse on the outside, but on the inside, it was a masterpiece. It was across the parking lot from We 7. Which was convenient for him, since he had made this his ‘home’ restaurant and headquarters.

  When we pulled up I saw that there were several cars already waiting on us. Ben had talked a mile a minute the whole ride here and I knew he sped the whole way. I was surprised to see Jemmy, Will, and many of my guys’ cars parked out front already.

  I looked over suspiciously at Ben, “Why are there so many people here for a photoshoot?”

  Ben shrugged sheepishly. “Jax was really excited about us getting all these opportunities and he wanted to throw us a party.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why would you guys hide this from me?”

  Be
n laughed. “Jax didn’t think you would want all this fuss and…Will kind of found an agent for us.”

  “An agent?” I asked shocked. “Like, we’re not just taking photos, and laying down a few tracks tomorrow, but they expect us to get further than this?”

  Ben chuckled. “Look at this.” He opened his phone and went to his Facebook page and opened our band page. He pointed at a number on the screen.

  “5,346. Is that good?” I asked confused.

  “Good? That’s freaking great! We don’t even know that many people. That’s people sharing our page and liking us. Imagine if we had someone promoting us full time, securing us real gigs.” Excitement shone from his eyes.

  I sighed and rubbed my eyes. This had been all for fun and games. Hadn’t it?

  To get to Remy’s actual living quarters you had two options: climb the stairs, that was once a fire escape, or you could enter the garage and he had a modern circular staircase going up into the living area and an old service elevator that he had completely rebuilt to keep the look of a service elevator but updated the safety features.

  Ben and I decided to enter the garage where Remy had three of his four vehicles parked. He had rebuilt the ‘men’ and ‘women’s’ bathrooms so it was one large bathroom complete with a huge walk-in shower made of natural stone, a toilet, and a double sink. There was also a workout room that reassembled a professional gym and a bedroom located down here. We went to the service elevator and closed the metal gate and pushed the first-floor button. The elevator arrived in the kitchen and we were greeted by controlled chaos. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were arranged in an open-concept layout. The floors were a driftwood gray tile that imitated wood planks. The ceilings were vaulted, and the beams and middle support beams had been left exposed and refinished to look more modern to tie in with the rest of the house. Remy had kept the large square windows and replaced all the window panes.

  Three of the ten bedrooms were located down here along with three bathrooms. One was for guests, while the other two were attached to two of the three bedrooms. A large spiral staircase entered the loft area where five more bedrooms and two bathrooms were located. I knew if you went up there, there were two other staircases to the left and right of the loft that led to two other bedrooms and bathrooms.

  Remy had converted one of the upper-most level areas into his master bedroom. The area that he had converted into his bedroom was once a greenhouse of sorts; located on the roof of the building. He had insulated them, changed the windows, and added sturdier walls. A wall of French doors led out to an outside patio area on the roof with a hot tub.

  His house was ultra-modern with the charms of a warehouse. I loved it! I knew he had called in some help with the designing, but his touch was everywhere.

  “It’s about time,” Mike and Rick rushed over to us.

  I looked down at my watch. “We still have five minutes to spare,” I argued with a roll of my eyes.

  No one else noticed our entrance, so I took the time to take in the scene before me.

  I was intrigued by the bustle of activity everywhere. It looked like Remy had called in some of his chefs, Adam and Court (Courtland), from We 7 because they were making food in the state-of-the-art chef’s kitchen. Of course, Drake was in the thick of it. I laughed to myself thinking he probably would like this help all of the time when he had to feed us.

  A few appetizers already sat on the island ready for guests, making me salivate. I had grabbed a banana for breakfast, but I had been so busy today I hadn’t eaten anything else.

  Will was talking to a well-dressed man off to the left of the room. I immediately pegged him as our ‘agent’. We had an agent?! My mind reeled. Was it too late to get off this crazy ride?!

  In all high probability, he was gifted. I had learned the past few weeks that we had gifted everywhere. Especially, in ‘high’ places. We were a tight-knit community and many of the most affluential gifted ended up being donors to the school. Without the funding coming from these highly successful people we were unable to bring in the gifted that we found in troubled homes, foster care, or even on the streets.

  People like me made up twenty-five percent of the school’s population. Of the twenty-five percent, over half of them had done better with their lives and became the bigger donors and contributors to our community.

  I could see Jaxson and Troy outside on one of the fire escapes talking, laughing, and drinking. A few females I didn’t recognize were standing in front of them, chatting them up. I had to tamper down my jealousy.

  I had to fight over that ugly emotion a lot lately. Although, I knew the guys had no clue. I didn’t want to act like a jealous, possessive, psycho, but it was becoming increasingly hard the more I got to know them and the more I started to truly care for them. I averted my eyes, telling myself it was normal for girls to be drawn to them. They were attractive men.

  Remy and Jace were directing some men on the placement of a piano. A piano! Why they felt the need to rent or get a piano for a three-hour photoshoot was beyond me. I had learned to stop questioning them when money was being thrown out by them. They seemed to have plenty of it and didn’t seem to care when money was spent frivolously.

  I didn’t see Noah, Jemmy, and Rachel, but I knew they were here. Noah’s car had been out front, and Stacey was sullenly hovering, like normal, and Jemmy and Rachel had sent me a Snapchat of them with Remy.

  I had giggled. Remy hated the term ‘selfie’ and hated selfies in general. The girls knew that and took every opportunity to insist that he take a ‘selfie’ with them.

  In true Will fashion, when Rachel returned to the mansion that second weekend, he had a phone for her with all our numbers already programmed in it. Even Troy’s, who she hadn’t met at that time. Rachel had literally cried, then immediately downloaded Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. She was just as bad as Jemmy, Jax, Troy, and Noah when it came to technology and social media.

  Well, like Noah had been. I didn’t know what to do with him, or how to help him out of this destructive spiral he was in. I don’t even know why Stacey stuck around. She knew he had been randomly hooking up with other girls. He had become an alcoholic, and his grades were starting to suffer.

  Will finally saw us standing by the elevator and made his way towards us. “Ben and Blake, you’re here!” he smiled warmly, shaking Ben’s hand and pulling me into a warm hug.

  Our relationship had warmed up. I found myself calling him Pops more and more. I didn’t feel like I was betraying my father/ uncle anymore. The way he treated all the ‘children’ in his care was above and beyond what was required or expected of him.

  “Ben, Blake,” he continued, “I want you to meet your agent, Lionel Bradley.” He looked at me hesitantly, knowing I still hated when any part of my life was decided for me and not discussed with me.

  I was stunned to know our agent already. Not by face, mind you, but by notoriety. He already represented quite a few renowned bands and singers in the music industry. He was known as the agent with the Midas touch. Everyone he represented became ‘gold’.

  I pasted on a smile for now, knowing now was not the time and the place to discuss this. Plus, it didn’t help that this had been the guys’ dream for years now and if I were to cause a scene right now, it would more than likely hinder them. If I wanted to say something or leave the band I should have left weeks ago.

  I had noticed our growing notoriety. I knew the guys had become almost famous overnight. Playing football had made them popular, but our music had made them famous. We had a following of local public high schools and private schools from a lot of the surrounding cities now coming to see us almost every week. This was the natural progression of the road we had been on.

  “It’s great meeting you guys,” Lionel shook our hands. “Will sent me some of your videos and I checked out your YouTube videos and Facebook. I’m really excited to represent you, if you’ll have me,” he looked at me pointedly.

  All I coul
d do was shrug and nod. “Thanks, it’s nice meeting you too.”

  It was too late. I was already on the ride. We were strapped in and there was no going back. Was this what I had wanted to do with my life? I guess I had no choice now.

  “We have a lot to discuss on Monday, but for now I would like to help you get this photoshoot done, create an image for now. Tomorrow, I’ll be in the studio with you guys and helping you decide what tracks should be made and we can discuss the nitty gritty parts on Monday.” Lionel said excitedly. I could tell he had energy that would rival Jemmy’s and that was an impressive feat.

  “What kind of contract will they be getting, what is your cut?” Taylor’s mom, Adrienne, asked.

  Adrienne was a high-powered attorney that lived in New York City. I liked her, even if she came across as overbearing and a bit intrusive at times. Taylor was her only child and despite her love for her career, there was no doubt she loved her son.

  Lionel gave her an indulgent smile. “We can discuss this on Monday, but technically at eighteen, Taylor is legally able to make these decisions.”

  “He’s still in high school and as his mother and lawyer, I will be there,” Adrienne said bitingly.

  “My lawyer will be there as well,” Dwight, Ben’s dad, stated. He owned quite a few McDonald’s in the surrounding area.

  “I would like to be there,” Mike’s mom, Hillary, said. She was an investment broker and had sent her son to Knightstown for convenience when he was five. His father had been gifted and suggested this school to his mother before he passed and to this day she had no clue her son was gifted. He was only a four, but he was still gifted.

  “Me too,” Shasta, Rick’s mom, insisted. Her and her husband were renowned surgeons (healers), and it was clear who wore the ‘pants’ in the family. Kirk, Rick’s dad, was seated on one of the couches, blissfully unaware of his surroundings, eating some of the appetizers and playing on his phone. After years of being married to Shasta, he let her do all the talking and decision making. Shasta was clearly the “Alpha” as Rick laughingly called her.