Chapter 74 - fans

July 30.

No matter the age or status, whether you are rich, famous, smart, beautiful, or wise... girls and teenagers tend to have crushes that are beyond discussion. Every person falls into the grasp of some platonic love that can be considered every teenage girl's dream.

A young, blonde Kesha couldn't stop watching Billy's new commercial, her cheeks blushing, while she flipped through the latest issue of Teen magazine. Billy's interview included a quick questionnaire that had to be filled out, a game that was very successful and sold more than two million copies.

How compatible are you with Billy Carson?

A test of 50 questions, rated from one to ten depending on the answers, where compatibility was revealed in the write-up. The next issue of Seventeen would feature Billy's answers and the compatibility results, a marketing move that caught the attention of several teen gossip magazines, now eager to have a picture of Billy.

Kesha kept squealing at Billy's pictures. The future singer saw Billy's freshness and couldn't stop sighing. Nora Arnezeder, two years younger, wasn't in a better state, filling out the survey with all her school friends, who couldn't help but fantasize about asking him for an autograph. But she wasn't the only one who would someday talk about her platonic love. Amethyst Amelia Kelly, known as Iggy Azalea, didn't hide her desire to meet the boy who made their hearts race with just a photo. The large Vans poster was cut out and displayed in their special places.

The list was clear.

What's your favorite color?

Do you prefer the beach or the forest?

Night or day?

Rock or blues?

Generic questions for the first ten surveys. As they progressed, the questions became more complex.

If you had a superpower, which one would you choose?

On a scale of one to ten, how much do you like romantic movies?

On a scale of one to ten, how willing are you to share the most embarrassing day of your life with a group of friends?

Who is your favorite superhero?

Why did you cry last, and what was the reason?

If you were granted three wishes, what would you ask for among the following options?

Do you sing in the shower?

This last question caused a sensation among the girls, who couldn't help but laugh.

The interview:

-Interviewer: How has your last year been? -

-Billy: Better than I thought. At first, I planned to live a quiet life, but it turns out I'm good at music and have enough talent to win some diamond records. -

-Interviewer: You recently won a platinum record in Canada and the UK. -

-Billy: Wow, I didn't know that. Let's go for more! -

-Interviewer: Congratulations. Surveys say you might reach that milestone in the US, you're less than a quarter away from the goal. Do you feel nervous about having such a good album that the next one might not meet expectations? -

-Billy: Wait for my new album. It won't be the same, but it will be good. I hope everyone knows this album contains many of my repressed emotions. I'm someone who uses music for spiritual benefit. -

-Interviewer: We can't wait. I'm a big fan of rock, and you've been the biggest surprise of the era. Rock seems to be reborn under your name. -

-Billy: I'm an artist. My talent is to make others happy. -

-Interviewer: We've heard you're a heartbreaker. Any comments for all our subscribers? -

-Billy: Not at all, I just try to do my job as best as I can. I'm lucky to have such beautiful fans who have supported me. Without you, it would be harder...-

-Interviewer: Wow, I hope my sister doesn't read this. -

-Billy: Your sister should read it. Send her my regards. -

-Laughter. -

-Interviewer: Tell us something nobody knows about Billy Carson. -

-Billy: I started singing less than two years ago. -

-Interviewer: Wait, what! Less than two years? That means you were born for music. Now I want to hear more of your album, but I hope it comes out next month, right?!-

-Billy: Totally. Next month we're releasing the album. I can reveal the title for all of you: "About loneliness". A mix of solitude, deep sadness, and my thoughts on the path we walk as humans. -

-Interviewer: Wow, that sounds deep. -

-Billy: Music is deep. Only in that way does music hold meaning. If we don't do something like this, people won't be willing to listen. I pour my soul into every song. If you can come to my concerts and experience my abilities, you'll realize I'm not just talking. Only by giving ourselves to music for what it is can it be valued by people. -

Little Kesha read the interview three times before going to bed and sighing with longing. She wasn't alone. Many girls read the article more than once, and now it could be said that most of them were in the same position. Especially all the singers who saw how Billy treated music with an artistic vein that stood out in-depth and wit; his beauty and words now only made him more desirable.

-I can't believe it, - she whispered.

-Again, staring at that guy, get over it, Rose, - commented Kesha's brother Lagan. Her full name was Kesha Rose Sebert.

-Mmmmmm, out of my room! - Kesha shouted.

A loud laugh echoed.

***

Billy looked at the magazine that talked about him, and how his image was beginning to shape up to that of a teenage idol that people were eager to know. Not far away were the charts; he reached the top spots on the Billboard. "Like Stone" reached number 3, "Lose Yourself" reached number 1, while his other songs were ranked 5th, 6th, 11th, 12th, 18th, 23rd, 28th, 31st, and 33rd.

It was a streak of successes, the album that had been on the Billboard chart for over 40 weeks, competing against Shaggy, who had been the success of recent months with his catchy songs like "It Wasn't Me." Another one of his songs played on the radio again, and he couldn't help but be surprised; he was starting to get tired of hearing his songs so often.

-It's great that sales have been satisfactory, - Billy said with a brief sigh.

-It's all thanks to the marketing campaign. It was simple because we leveraged things we shouldn't have touched. However, the journey must continue, and with your new album, I'm 100% sure you'll reap the fruits of success, - Jerry commented, knowing that Billy's next year as an artist would be a huge endeavor.

-The best-selling issue in the history of Seventeen!! We should do these lists every three years; I'll charge a 5% royalty next time, - Billy said.

Jerry's eyes lit up like a savvy businessman.

...