Katie Cox vs. the Boy Band

by Marianne Levy

  “Huh,” I said. “Huh.”

  “The results stay secret until the night of the awards, of course, so keep it under your hat. In the meantime, stick the date in your calendar and think about which song you’d like to play. And—Katie? Are you…crying?”

  “Sorry, it’s just…” I was thinking of all those people, in their bedrooms, watching me and then bothering to vote. It was kind of amazing. “I didn’t know how it would feel. To have people love me. It’s nice. That’s all.”

  Adrian gave me a pat on the back, and then Dad got up to give me a hug.

  “I’m glad you’re so pleased,” said Tony. “And I have to say, this all bodes very well for your concert next week. As instructed, we’ve booked you a nice, intimate venue, a little place in Camden, seats a couple of hundred. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, and there’s been plenty of interest. That and your impending award mean you’ve really got the wind behind you right now.”

  “Great!” I decided I wouldn’t think about the couple of hundred people. Or the performing part. Or, you know, anything.

  “There’s just one issue.” Tony looked for somewhere to put his mug, considered the cardboard box we were using as a coffee table, and then gave up. “We at Top Music were very interested to hear that you’d written and released a song.”

  “Ah. The song. Yes.”

  “Katie, you told me, back in the office, that you didn’t have any new material.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “And we’d worked very hard to come up with a list of things for you to write about.”

  “Yes, but it was—”

  “Then, instead, you write”—he wrinkled his nose—“something else.”

  “I didn’t mean for it to get heard by everyone,” I said.

  “So”—Tony leaned in as though he was talking to a particularly stupid child—“why did you put it on the Internet?”

  “I didn’t! I literally sent it to one friend! My bes—” I stopped myself. “One friend.”

  “Karamel are the UK’s most successful group. They’re with Top Music, like you. They are your agentmates. And now I have to sit at my desk and justify to the world why our newest signing has publicly made fun of our biggest act.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to make life difficult for other people. I just wanted to write a good song.”

  “From now on, I’ll decide if it’s a good song,” said Tony. “We can talk to Kurt. Get that embarrassment taken down. And replace it with…in fact, we’ve been working on a little something, if you’d like to take a look…”

  He handed me a piece of paper, heavy and white, with “Top Music” printed at the top, and my eyes scanned down to:

  Getting late

  Party’s starting

  See my friends

  Music’s playing

  “Well?”

  “It’s all right,” I said, looking into my lap. Then, I don’t know why, but it was like Jaz was sitting on my shoulder. Not a full-size Jaz obviously. That wouldn’t work at all. A mini Jaz, whispering into my ear. Saying, “I thought it was cool.” Jaz liked my song.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. And then, as tiny invisible imaginary Jaz rolled her eyes, I said, “I mean, not sorry. I am not sorry. I really like the song I already wrote.”

  Tony had been about to take another sip of tea, but he paused. So I continued.

  “It’s just, musically, I’m actually pretty pleased with how it came out. It has all this energy. And there’s nothing else like it out there, is there?”

  “Why do you think that is?” said Tony.

  A vision of Lacey and Savannah, swinging up the hallway ahead of me, comparing selfies.

  “I’ll tell you why—it’s because people are afraid to have an opinion. Everyone plays it safe all the time, so no one ever gets upset, and everything sells to the maximum number of people. And you know what? Maybe this has annoyed some dorky Karamel fans. But so what? I believe in my lyrics.”

  “I see,” said Tony.

  “Great!” I said.

  “Mmm,” said Adrian.

  “Isn’t Katie something?” said Dad. “I wish I could say she got it from me.” He grinned around the room. “I mean, I’m a musician myself, so in a sense, she did.”

  “Is that right?” said Tony distantly.

  “Session work, for the last few years. You know how it is.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “In fact, if you ever need anyone, for anything…”

  “Sure,” said Tony.

  Dad was reaching behind the back of the sofa for a guitar. “Happy to give you a quick demo now, if you’d like. Or I can ping you a link. Whatever’s easier.”

  “Um, Benjamin, buddy, I think he’s here for Katie,” said Adrian.

  “It’s fine,” I said. “Dad’s an amazing musician. You should totally listen to his stuff.”

  Tony held up his hands. “All right! I will!”

  Dad relaxed back into his chair.

  “So,” said Tony. “Just for the record, Katie, I am asking you, one final time, to write a different song. Something positive. Will you do that?”

  “But…”

  “You said, just now, how nice it was to feel loved. Do you really want to put out a song that’s all about hate?”

  And for a second, I did think, Maybe this man has a point. I mean, he was the head of a humungous record label with all this experience, and there were a lot of Karamel fans. Maybe I could try writing something else. If not about partying all night then maybe about…cats…?

  That would make Lacey happy too. A song about cats or dancing or my awesome friends. It would have me back in everyone’s good graces. I could be BFFs with Lacey and friends with Savannah and Sofie and Paige, and maybe we’d all ride around in a pink limo, and I could wear tight clothes and love Karamel like everybody else. Top Music would write my songs, and Savannah would pick my clothes, and I’d go on a diet and…

  “No,” I said. “My next single is ‘Can’t Stand the Boy Band.’ Exactly as I recorded it in my room.”

  He got to his feet. “All right then. I will do my very best to sell it.”

  “Thank you,” I said, sort of in shock. Had I really won?

  “Good luck, Katie.”

  “Thanks! See you soon, Tony.”

  And then he was out the door and the big black car was sliding away, leaving me and Adrian staring at each other.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” said Adrian.

  “Can you give me Tony’s email address?” said Dad.

  Dinner that night should have been great, what with having everyone around the table together.

  Should have been but wasn’t.

  Mom was shooting evil eyes at me and Dad.

  Amanda was ignoring Dad and shooting evil eyes at me. Adrian was giving me worried looks.

  I was sending love vibes to Dad and trying to avoid Mom, Adrian, and Amanda altogether. It was doing terrible things to my digestion.

  “Can I go up to my room?” I asked. “I need to get ready for Lacey.”

  Mom looked up. “Lacey?”

  “It’s my birthday dance party,” I said. “My belated birthday dance party.”

  “Right,” said Amanda, in a way that made it clear she wasn’t planning on joining us. “Have fun.”

  “Will do!” I said.

  And then, because while I probably could have eaten one more fajita, it might not have mixed well with the dance moves I was planning to throw, I excused myself and went upstairs to prepare the dance floor.

  One look down and I decided to give up. We could dance on top of the mess.

  Instead, I lay on my bed and waited for the doorbell. And waited.

  But it was nice to have a little me time. Get some headspace. Think about
the last twenty-four hours.

  Think about my new song. Think about what I’d done.

  What had I done?

  I decided I wouldn’t think about it.

  My thumb went to my phone and hovered over Lacey’s face.

  What time R U coming? K x

  Soz forgot. Am at Paige’s. Come over!

  We r doing eyebrows and U r totally invited xx

  Oh.

  So much for my birthday dance party. So much for best friendship.

  Not only had she now doubly abandoned my birthday celebrations, she was leaving me alone in my hour of need! My song was out there, doing its thing, and I was desperate for a little wisdom. Not a trip to Paige’s house and an attack on my facial hair.

  Which is when it hit me that Lacey was the worst possible person to help me face all this stuff. She would tell me to get rid of “Can’t Stand the Boy Band.” She’d probably even bring me a Karamel poster to stick over my bed.

  There was another option, though. If I was feeling brave.

  And yeah. Why not?

  Maybe don’t think about that, either.

  The reply came through almost before I’d hit Send.

  On my way

  Jazzzzz x

  Twenty minutes later, Jaz was propped up against my bed with my laptop open. She’d made herself very much at home, stuffing my pillow behind the small of her back and resting her muddy platform boots right in the center of Amanda’s face towel.

  I remembered the last time she’d been in my room, with most of my family, and the impromptu jam session that had lead to the release of “Just Me,” and locked the door.

  “Have you seen the fallout yet?”

  “I’m too…” I wanted to say that I was scared. But Jaz didn’t need to hear that. So I just said, “No. Not yet. Been really busy.”

  “Okay then. Here we go.”

  She typed my name and whistled.

  I pulled my sweater over my head, even though I could hear Mom’s voice telling me I was going to ruin it. Then, from inside my woolly tent, I said, “Is it bad? It’s bad, isn’t it? I really upset people. Oh please don’t let me get trolled. I can’t stand it. Let’s call Tony and get him to take it down.”

  “Katie, look.”

  “I just…I don’t know what I was thinking. Yes, I do. I was upset at Lacey, and this was my way of getting back at her. But it’s immature, it’s…”

  “Wow.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” said Jaz. “Really, look.”

  I stuck my nose out, and then one eye. And…

  LOVE IT.

  Finally someone is telling the TRUTH

  Stand up for real music!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  she haz such a nice voice I luv her

  will u follow me Katy I am yr biggest fan

  go 2 my site for KATIE COX CLIPS music wallpaper and MORE

  Bet Kristian is first one to leave lol

  “They like it,” said Jaz. “The people of the Internet are on your side. Well, not the Karamel fans—you’re going to have to steer clear of them. Stay in your bubble.”

  “My bubble?”

  “You know,” said Jaz. “Your corner. The Katie zone. Friends and fans and stuff.”

  “They honestly like it?”

  “They think you rock.”

  I looked. And, as crazy as it seemed, clearly, they did. “That’s unbelievable,” I said. “I am in actual shock.”

  “I don’t get you, Katie,” said Jaz. “I don’t get you at all.” Now this, coming as it did from the world’s least-gettable person, was a little on the surprising side.

  “What don’t you get?” I said, letting my other eye come out from under my sweater. And then the rest of me, because being half in and half out of a sweater is both difficult and uncomfortable.

  “You write a song because you have something to say. And then, when people start agreeing, you’re all, ‘Really?’ For the sake of your dignity, Katie, at least try to own it.”

  Which stung.

  “What should I do?” I said. “If I’m going to, um, own it?”

  “What do you want to do?” asked Jaz.

  “Er, nothing?” Wrong answer.

  “How’s this?” said Jaz, her black nails tapping at the keyboard.

  “What? What did you write?” I leaned around her.

  KTCoX: Hey Kurt_Karamel thnkx for posting my song. So nice of u ;) xox

  “What? Don’t say that! Jaz, what is wrong with you? You’re out of control.”

  She gave me one of her looks, and as she did, I considered how a message like this would look, to the world.

  It would look as though I was kind of crazy. And cocky.

  And confident. And cool.

  This, I realized, was why I’d invited Jaz over. She went to delete the words, and I held her arm. “Actually, yeah, say that.”

  She pressed Return, and there it was. I’d said it.

  My insides did a little whoosh.

  “I mean, it’s not like he’ll see,” I said, as much to myself as to her. “He must get a gajillion messages a minute. He’s hardly going to—”

  “He replied,” said Jaz. “Freak to the beat—Kurt from Karamel has replied.”

  Kurt_Karamel: Thought you were better than this.

  We looked at each other, and I became aware that we were both squealing. I mean, not in a girly way, that’s not really me, and it’s certainly not Jaz. But if you had to pick a word to describe the noise we were making, the word would be squeal.

  Even as we were still making faces, my hands were on my laptop, and this time I didn’t stop until I hit Return.

  KTCoX: I like real music. Not yr soppy plastic gunk

  My eyes were dancing, while my head filled with this buzzing sound, and…no, it was my phone. My phone was buzzing.

  “Lacey?” I felt a little kick of unhappiness. “Aren’t you busy tonight?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just hanging out with Jaz. Doing a little messaging. You know.”

  “Leave Kurt alone.”

  An hour ago she was too wrapped up with Paige and co. to talk to me. Now, though, now she was interested.

  “Gosh, Lacey,” I said. “Poor Kurt. I bet he’s crying into his Karamel pillowcase.”

  “He’s a sensitive, kind, real person, Katie.”

  “No, he’s not. He’s a famous person. They are not sensitive or kind. Everyone knows that famous people are selfish and annoying.”

  “You’re pretty famous,” said Lacey.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  A thump followed by a flurry of giggles. “Paige! I am trying to talk to Katie. This is important! Stop it. Stop it!”

  Were they having a pillow fight? Life in the Savannah gang seemed to be one long tampon commercial.

  “Come on, Lace,” I said. “He’s not a person like, say”—I tried to think of a person—“um…Dominic Preston. And I couldn’t care less about his pathetic fans.”

  “Katie, you are…” Lacey searched around for the word, and I heard another thump, and then she hung up.

  While I’d been wasting time with the new Savannah Mini Me, Kurt had come back for more.

  Kurt_Karamel: My music means a lot to me. I write from the <3

  My fingers raced across the keys, trying to keep up with my brain.

  KTCoX: U write to make money7. From girls who don’t know better

  “Too bad about the seven,” said Jaz.

  Kurt_Karamel: Coming from the new Justin Bieber

  “What? I am not! Bieber is… I am not a Bieber.”

  “You did get famous by recording a video in your bedroom that then went viral and…” began Jaz, before seeing my face. “No. Of course you’r
e not.”

  KTCoX: At least Im not a manufactured band who plays music writne in confrence rooms by middle aged men unlike SOMONE.

  Kurt_Karamel: I don’t need to defend my music to you.

  KTCoX: Like you can call it music. U are the enemy of good music.

  I hit return, then realized I hadn’t finished.

  People like u are—

  Only, Jaz’s hand was on top of mine. “Can we stop a minute?”

  “What? Why? I was just getting going.”

  “Yeah. I think you need to calm down,” said Jaz.

  “I am perfectly calm, thank you very much.” I mean, I was breathing a little heavily, and one of my legs had started twitching all on its own, but let’s be clear, I was in full control of the situation. “He’s an idiot!”

  “Yes. But”—Jaz studied my duvet cover—“it’s a bad idea to do this kind of thing when you’re worked up. Hey, let’s go through your sister’s stuff instead.” Then, next thing I knew, she’d closed the laptop and was opening up Amanda’s top drawer and lining up its contents on the bed.

  “Um, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I said, trying to drag my head out of the sharp, shiny world inside my screen and into real life again. “Mands is a total neat freak. She’ll kill me if she thinks I messed up her stuff.”

  “And that affects me how?” said Jaz. “Where’s the booze?”

  “Amanda doesn’t have any booze,” I told her as Jaz dropped a load of socks down on the floor, where they were immediately sucked into the swamp. “She’s even less exciting than I am. You should probably put those back.”

  “Okay, I’m over this now,” said Jaz, who didn’t seem in any hurry to put anything away. “Should I see if Nicole’s around? She’s been saying she wants to get her belly button pierced.”

  “It’s too late,” I said. “No place will be open.”

  “Pierced by me,” said Jaz. “You can watch, if you want. Take photos.”

  “No thank you, Jaz,” I said, opening up my laptop. My life was complicated enough without Nicole’s belly button bleeding all over it. “I want to get back to Kurt.”

  “Nah,” said Jaz, nudging it shut. “You’ve done enough. Leave it now.”

  “Seriously, I don’t mind upsetting him. He deserves it. For crimes against the top one hundred.”