For the duration of the ride home, we drove in silence which I was grateful for, getting down from the Van in front of my house I wave goodbye to Sam and Ibrahim before heading towards the door.
Stepping in, the first person I see is Jayden laying on the couch in the living room. Pulling off my sneakers, I threw my bag to the floor and stomp over to him in anger, ready to give him hell.
But he sits up immediately and cuts me off before I could even get a word out. "I know you're worried but no scolding, I did this so I could be closer to you and offer the help you need."
"But Jayden, I don't want you sacrificing yourself–"
"It's hardly a sacrifice if I'm getting something out of it." He laughs in amusement.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare at him in annoyance. He drops the smile off his face and sigh.
"Sure, this isn't the way I pictured beginning my career as a singer but it sure as hell comes close. It's like I told you before, I don't mind entering the competition. If it helps get me and the band some notoriety then I'm all for it."
I drop on the couch next to him and sigh in resignation.
"Speaking of the band, how did they feel about you performing on your own in a music competition?"
I've met the members of Jayden's band on few occasions and even went to one of their performances, and though they're cool and down to earth guys, it's been made vocal they feel overshadowed when it comes to Jayden's popularity among the band.
Especially since he's the youngest, and honestly the better looking one out of the five of them.
"They sure as hell weren't thrilled," He snorts. "But they relented and agreed that me being famous will give us notoriety."
"I will admit that the band will definitely be known when we start the show, but how sure are you that an agency is going to sign all of five of you. They'll most likely just want you, then a band they've never heard of. It will be easier to build a solo career for you considering you'll already be slightly famous by that time."
"I don't plan on staying in the competition for long, I'm only staying until you can get out of it. Since we have four months of performing as a group before the real competition starts, I think that should be enough time to give us notoriety."
"You aren't planning on winning?"
He shakes his head, leaning back on the couch with a huff. "No, are you?"
"God no!" I exclaim in horror, and he throws his head back and laughs. "I just… when you said "Sure, this isn't the way I pictured beginning my career," I thought you meant you were all in to thee very end."
"No." He huffs, amused. "What I meant was, I didn't think I'll begin getting me and the band close to where we want to go by entering a competition just for notoriety sake. I don't plan on being a solo artist, at least not now."
"Fine then." I shrug, I don't want to be the one to burst his bubbles considering he's trying to help me in my sticky situation, but unless it's by some miracle, I don't think his time with the band will be a long one after or during the competition.
"If you're sure about this then, I won't scold." Pulling me closer to rest in the warm comfort of his arms, I mumble and hug his body in return. "Love you, Jay."
"I love you too you brat, forever and always."
We jerked apart with a startle when a familiar voice suddenly releases a roar close to our ears, turning around we stare at the sight of our father doubled over in laughter. "Dad… what the hell?" I put a hand to my racing heart. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"You both should have seen your faces."
"Oh yeah, real mature." Jayden glares in anger before standing up with a huff and stomping upstairs to his room.
When my immature father finally calms down long enough to stand, he stares at me with a grin and spreads his arms wide open for a hug. Rolling my eyes, I walk over with a tolerant smile.
"Did I scare my two little chicks too much?" He teases, and I pull back to poke him playfully in the ribs.
"You think, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. Besides, you know Jayden hates being scared, why did you do it?"
Shrugging, he walks over to the fridge to pull out a bottle of water. "Cause it was fun." He sticks his tongue out. "Anyways, you promised to explain your entertainment problems so come on, tell me all about it while I prepare dinner."
After regaling my father with my tale of woes, he comforted me by saying I should just try to calm down and take things one day at a time.
"I mean sure, if the Masked Queen is exposed it will be bad, but it still doesn't mean you've lost whatever makes you so famous and special. You, my dearest sweetheart are the Masked Queen. And you, besides a few unimportant others, brought her to life. Not the other way around."
I smile in appreciation at his words and let what he said sink in. Though he tends to say little in terms of giving advice, he always has a way of making those few words make you feel better.
The next day in school I hardly paid attention to anything and even though Bora, who is talking to me again, and the twins tried to talk about the show during lunch, I couldn't get myself to focus on them.
I know they're curious and worried about me, but my mind is completely occupied and no matter how much I try to shove away my problems they just keep coming back.