Manchester was alive, almost as if England were playing in the final of the Europa Cup—or perhaps the World Cup final. But none of that mattered to Billy... The streets leading to Wembley Stadium were painted with festivity. Billy wore a leather jacket with a skeleton design, light-wash jeans with a few rips, and a cross-shaped earring hanging from his left ear. His long hair was slicked back, but a few rebellious strands fell over his face.
Avril, walking beside him, was a bundle of nerves. She kept tucking her hair behind her ear every so often, clearly unsure of what to say, nervous in her own way.
'Thanks for inviting me,' Billy said to Mick Jagger, not quite believing he'd be meeting true rock legends—people who had dedicated their lives to music.
He greeted Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Charlie Watts, and even hugged Brian Jones. The band had a crowd of people surrounding them, and the iconic tongue logo hung above their heads, grinning. Billy greeted them all, each one in their place, in their role, without hesitation. He took in all the greetings but directed his attention to Mick Jagger, who like Billy, was a vocalist.
'When Robert said that if there's a singer who can surpass us all, it's you… I didn't know how you managed to impress that grumpy old man, but he told me I had to hear you sing. Between the tours, the parties, family, and business meetings, I figured the best thing was to invite you to perform. There's nothing like seeing someone live to judge for yourself,' Mick Jagger remarked, studying Billy for two simple reasons: rave reviews and a reputation that was hard to earn with people of their caliber.
Without Mick, this opportunity would never have come about—it was like a trial by fire, a test to see Billy's talent firsthand. There was no bitterness, just an old-school rocker who wanted to witness a young star who had completely shattered expectations.
'I'll sing my songs. I hope you like my style,' Billy replied, confident that he could captivate the crowd.
Status.
Billy Carson.
Singing: (12/4200) Level 10: Guru
Piano: (124/1024) Level 7: Veteran
Guitar: (1204/2048) Level 8: Expert
Violin: (34/64) Level 4: Semi-professional
Global Ranking.
11/8,340,000
Followers: 24,693,030
He had only tapped into his Level 10 singing skill once before, but now he felt he didn't need anyone else to show him the way. Once people heard his voice, they'd understand what real singing sounded like. The strength of his voice was like a star stirring hearts, but now it came more easily to him—reaching high notes, delivering low ones. He was ready to unleash his Level 10.
'We'll start with a song for Avril. She'll join us on a few others, but we'll do a duet for three or four songs,' Billy told the band. Jack Sauce nodded in agreement, knowing full well that Kate Bosworth was in the VIP section, and it was time to perform.
'You're a special person,' Avril said quietly from behind, still nervous but with a tone that hinted at something different.
'You're not so bad yourself,' Billy replied as he stepped onto the stage, now dark, with the crowd only seeing shadows as they arranged equipment and dealt with the usual pre-show hustle. He grabbed a microphone and whispered something to Avril. She nodded at Billy's words while Connor and Egg Sugar stretched out their drumsticks. Spencer flexed his fingers without even touching the strings, and Jack Sauce kept shooting glances at Kate—glances that could only be described as lustful.
'First, we'll sing I'm with You, then we'll follow up with Clocks (Coldplay) and My Happy Ending third, followed by Use Somebody (Kings of Leon),' Billy murmured, reminding Avril of the song order. He grasped her calloused hands, rough from playing guitar, something Avril had taught him—being a true guitar fanatic herself.
The first song was from the Let Go album, which Avril had written back in 2002, a reflection of the breakup with her ex-boyfriend who left her out of frustration over her success and his failure. Around that time, she met Billy, and they became close friends, sharing musical skills and thoughts. Now, it was time to surprise the world. Not all her songs were about that relationship, but this one certainly was.
🎶🎶🎶🎵
I'm standing on a bridge
I'm waitin' in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound
🎶🎶🎶🎵
...
The first verse was sung as a whisper to Avril, completely drawing her into the atmosphere. Though she was famous, this was the first time she'd performed in front of 70,000 people, according to the latest estimates. The lights, the colors, it all acted as a medium to ignite the excitement she thought she'd lost—the thrill of singing. Don't get it wrong, hearing a crowd like that cheer for you is simply electrifying.
🎶🎶🎶🎵
Isn't anyone tryin' to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I, I'm with you
I'm with you
I'm looking for a place
I'm searching for a face
Is anybody here I know
'Cause nothing's going right
And everything's a mess
And no one likes to be alone
🎶🎶🎶🎵
...
Billy's voice blended with Avril's as he held the microphone in his hand. He took a long step toward her and used her mic while resting his forehead against hers. Avril was taken aback but kept singing. The band, as seasoned professionals, softened their playing to let Billy's lower notes shine through. He pulled his forehead away and continued the ballad, a duet between two grand voices. The feeling of loneliness Billy infused into the song evoked a deep sadness that resonated with some of the audience who had experienced heartbreak, all within just the first few songs.
For the Rolling Stones veterans, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts, this subtle act was telling. They understood the difficulty of such a performance. It took a great band to back you up, but Billy's voice, so charismatic and thunderous, managed to move even them within the opening verses.
🎶🎶🎶🎵
Isn't anyone tryin' to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I, I'm with you
I'm with you, yeah, yeah
Oh, why is everything so confusing?
Maybe I'm just out of my mind
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah
🎶🎶🎶🎵
...
But for Avril, it was different. One moment she was singing to a stadium, and the next, it felt as if they were under a streetlight on a bridge, bathed in a circle of light that enveloped her and Billy. It was something so magical and powerful that she felt complete peace. His unexpected gesture awakened something in her. She sang with such courage that the trembling stopped. The fear vanished, and for the first time, she sang as she did in the studio, or in silence, singing with total confidence.
Billy's wink was a warmth that reached her heart. They were friends, but more than that, they were two people who needed each other. She sensed that darkness inside Billy, a sadness that couldn't be sung, a sorrow that even she couldn't deny.
🎶🎶🎶🎵
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I, I'm with you
I'm with you
Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I, I'm with you
I'm with you
Take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I, I'm with you
I'm with you
I'm with you
🎶🎶🎶🎵
...
They finished the song, and the blonde couldn't help but bite her lip. This time, Billy doubted that just this song would be enough to satisfy him. His eyes burned with intensity, and the old-timers in the band recognized it. He was going to change the setlist to something completely unexpected—those eyes conveyed the fierce determination of a song that demanded to be sung.
He went straight to the piano and asked Avril to sit on his lap as he held the microphone for her. Changing the plans even caught the logistics team by surprise.
The synthesizer chimed a few keynotes, and as soon as Billy played them, the band instantly understood what was going on in his mind. Spencer erupted into a powerful solo that added a magical touch. Spencer had a gift for taking a simple melody and elevating it three levels. Connor and Egg Sugar soon joined in.
'I think I need to sing this song for all of you. It's from my new album, but it's calling out to me,' Billy said.
Avril's bright blue eyes watched him, her back to the piano, as she observed that passion and intensity she admired so much. He was like a hungry wolf, a predator's instinct that could turn everything upside down and leave everything else at a standstill.
🎶🎶🎶🎵
Far away
This ship is taking me far away
Far away from the memories
Of the people who care if I live or die
Starlight
I will be chasing a starlight
Until the end of my life
I don't know if it's worth it anymore
🎶🎶🎶🎵
The voice was even more heartbreaking, the rocker vibe was truly captured by Mick Jagger for the first time. He believes there are two ways someone can attain that aura: one is through madness, and the other is through sadness or sensitivity. He's of the first kind, but it seems Billy belongs to the latter… surprises are not always easy to recognize. The singing was filled with countless efforts to evoke feelings of fear.
A subtle glance when he sang "Starlight" sent a wave through Avril's tender heart, making her throat burn.
...
🎶🎶🎶🎵
Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold
You in my arms
My life
You electrify my life
Let's conspire to ignite
All the souls that would die just to feel alive
I'll never let you go
If you promise not to fade away
Never fade away
Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations
Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations
🎶🎶🎶🎵
The following words were woven with love, a love so pure and majestic that it transported Avril to a field of flowers, beneath a sprawling oak with orange and yellow-tinted leaves in the spring. The impact is even stronger when the people Billy sings to are those closest to him. It was a powerful scene that overwhelmed the thoughts of some audience members, and Billy's strong cry from the center outward left attendees dizzy, confronted by a magician whose spell over their emotions was inescapable.
...
🎶🎶🎶🎵
Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold
You in my arms
Far away
This ship is taking me far away
Far away from the memories
Of the people who care if I live or die
I'll never let you go
If you promise not to fade away
Never fade away
🎶🎶🎶🎵
The lyrics, the melody, and Billy himself formed a magical formula for success, as Jerry Wexler once said. It was true—every word carried a certainty that couldn't be denied, rewritten, or contradicted as often happens in other performances. This was the pinnacle of expression. At this point, the concert, broadcasted in London, was being watched by 60% of the British Isles, introducing both Billy and Avril to the masses.
Billy Carson's global fever was starting to shift his audience from a predominantly younger crowd to a more mature one, ranging from 28 to 44 years old—a significant leap. The ecstatic collective outside wasn't spared either.
But the one most affected was Avril. How could anyone describe the love of a woman who feels she's being serenaded in public by a man she finds handsome, whose only hope is to hold her in his arms, take her to another world where they can live connected through memories? With a voice so beautiful, even she couldn't resist.
...
🎶🎶🎶🎵
Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations, yeah
Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations
Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold
You in my arms
I just wanted to hold
🎶🎶🎶🎵
When Billy finished the song, Avril leaped forward, giving him a deep kiss with a tongue that Billy received with hesitation, surprise, and a mix of conflicting thoughts. He thought about Leighton and the headlines of tomorrow.
'To hell with it,' he thought. – kissing her back with even more intensity, holding her in his arms.