we done now? Can I go?
‘Sixteen is underage in California,’ he adds.
I shoot him a sharp look, momentarily forgetting to blush. Is he talking about sex now?
‘Google it,’ he adds.
‘OK!’ I say, trying to sound breezy. ‘Do you mind if I go and get a shower? I’ve literally just rolled out of bed.’
‘Not yet,’ he says. ‘There’s something else I need to talk to you about.’
Oh, God. What
now
?
‘Don’t look so worried. This bit’s good news,’ he says with a grin, before adding, ‘at least, I hope it is. You remember when you did a few harmonies for me before
Christmas and we put it on a demo for Nick?’
I nod. Nick is from his record company.
‘Well, he wants us to lay the track down properly. You OK about featuring on my new album?’
I nearly fall off my chair. When I’m done screaming, he laughs softly. ‘I’m going to take that as a yes.’
There’s no time to waste. Johnny’s next album is coming out at the end of February, well in time for the world tour that kicks off in April. I’ll have to postpone
tomorrow’s singing lesson so we can go to the studio downtown after school.
I can’t believe it. I’m going to sing on his album! I’m even going to get paid for it. I am beside myself with excitement.
Finally I get up to go, desperate to wash away last night’s cobwebs, but, on my way out of the door, Johnny speaks.
‘And Jessie?’ I look over my shoulder at him to see a crease between his eyebrows. ‘Don’t mention anything about Sienna or Dana to Meg. I don’t want to stress her
out if I can avoid it.’
Now I realise why we had our conversation in a soundproofed booth.
Chapter 9
‘I hope you’re not getting carried away with it all,’ Stu says a few days later when we finally manage to catch each other for a chat. It’s so difficult
with the time difference. ‘I keep hearing your name being bandied around school.’
I can’t help giggling. I find it surreal but also kind of hilarious that people at my old school are talking about me.
The press attention has gone a bit mental this week. Today I got my ten thousandth follower on Twitter, and yesterday Johnny’s publicist, Hannah, was contacted by two journalists
requesting an interview with me – not All Hype: me! After the initial excitement, I felt a bit uneasy. Johnny has asked Hannah to handle my publicity, going forward, but she’s going to
wait until I’ve spoken to the guys before getting back to the journalists. I’m on my way to see them now for Thursday afternoon practice. We haven’t got together since Saturday
night. Unfortunately I had to cancel band practice on Tuesday because Johnny and I were still in the studio.
Not a sentence I ever thought I’d say.
‘Just try not to get too swept up,’ Stu warns.
‘I won’t.’ I catch Sam’s eye in the rear-view mirror. He collected me from school today.
‘Listen, I want to talk to you about something.’
First Johnny, now Stu. It’s not easy having two dads in your life.
‘GCSEs,’ Stu says. ‘I think you should still do them.’
The American school system is very different to the British one. Over here, there are no GCSEs or A levels – your teachers give you tests and grade you. The big ‘examining
board’ style exams happen at the end of Eleventh Grade – but they’re not even compulsory. You have to pay to take them so most people only do them if they want to go to college.
They’re called SATs and ACTs. Some colleges prefer SATs results, others ACTs, so people choose which exams to do, depending on where they want to go. Some students choose to do both. The
results are what the colleges rely upon when they’re accepting admissions.
As I’m in Tenth Grade here, I’m not due to do my SATs until next year – if I choose to do them at all. I’m not sure I want to go to college. I’m thinking I’d
rather pursue my music, like Jack.
But Stu thinks I’d be doing myself a disservice by not taking my
‘Sixteen is underage in California,’ he adds.
I shoot him a sharp look, momentarily forgetting to blush. Is he talking about sex now?
‘Google it,’ he adds.
‘OK!’ I say, trying to sound breezy. ‘Do you mind if I go and get a shower? I’ve literally just rolled out of bed.’
‘Not yet,’ he says. ‘There’s something else I need to talk to you about.’
Oh, God. What
now
?
‘Don’t look so worried. This bit’s good news,’ he says with a grin, before adding, ‘at least, I hope it is. You remember when you did a few harmonies for me before
Christmas and we put it on a demo for Nick?’
I nod. Nick is from his record company.
‘Well, he wants us to lay the track down properly. You OK about featuring on my new album?’
I nearly fall off my chair. When I’m done screaming, he laughs softly. ‘I’m going to take that as a yes.’
There’s no time to waste. Johnny’s next album is coming out at the end of February, well in time for the world tour that kicks off in April. I’ll have to postpone
tomorrow’s singing lesson so we can go to the studio downtown after school.
I can’t believe it. I’m going to sing on his album! I’m even going to get paid for it. I am beside myself with excitement.
Finally I get up to go, desperate to wash away last night’s cobwebs, but, on my way out of the door, Johnny speaks.
‘And Jessie?’ I look over my shoulder at him to see a crease between his eyebrows. ‘Don’t mention anything about Sienna or Dana to Meg. I don’t want to stress her
out if I can avoid it.’
Now I realise why we had our conversation in a soundproofed booth.
Chapter 9
‘I hope you’re not getting carried away with it all,’ Stu says a few days later when we finally manage to catch each other for a chat. It’s so difficult
with the time difference. ‘I keep hearing your name being bandied around school.’
I can’t help giggling. I find it surreal but also kind of hilarious that people at my old school are talking about me.
The press attention has gone a bit mental this week. Today I got my ten thousandth follower on Twitter, and yesterday Johnny’s publicist, Hannah, was contacted by two journalists
requesting an interview with me – not All Hype: me! After the initial excitement, I felt a bit uneasy. Johnny has asked Hannah to handle my publicity, going forward, but she’s going to
wait until I’ve spoken to the guys before getting back to the journalists. I’m on my way to see them now for Thursday afternoon practice. We haven’t got together since Saturday
night. Unfortunately I had to cancel band practice on Tuesday because Johnny and I were still in the studio.
Not a sentence I ever thought I’d say.
‘Just try not to get too swept up,’ Stu warns.
‘I won’t.’ I catch Sam’s eye in the rear-view mirror. He collected me from school today.
‘Listen, I want to talk to you about something.’
First Johnny, now Stu. It’s not easy having two dads in your life.
‘GCSEs,’ Stu says. ‘I think you should still do them.’
The American school system is very different to the British one. Over here, there are no GCSEs or A levels – your teachers give you tests and grade you. The big ‘examining
board’ style exams happen at the end of Eleventh Grade – but they’re not even compulsory. You have to pay to take them so most people only do them if they want to go to college.
They’re called SATs and ACTs. Some colleges prefer SATs results, others ACTs, so people choose which exams to do, depending on where they want to go. Some students choose to do both. The
results are what the colleges rely upon when they’re accepting admissions.
As I’m in Tenth Grade here, I’m not due to do my SATs until next year – if I choose to do them at all. I’m not sure I want to go to college. I’m thinking I’d
rather pursue my music, like Jack.
But Stu thinks I’d be doing myself a disservice by not taking my
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