overwhelmed by the novelty of the experience. Now, I could focus on enjoying myself.
There was a raw, animalistic quality to Heath’s performance. In the high definition telescreen, I could see sweat drib down his bare abs. He belted out notes that showed he had the skills to back up the attitude. It was as if he was some demigod leading his followers into the rapture.
This time I watched from the side of the stage. It was a much different experience than watching from the VIP booth. I could feel the vibrations emanate from their performance. I remembered to wear ear plugs so I didn’t end up using a hearing aid like Megan.
The woman seemed so close to Heath. It seemed obvious enough. The two went back years when Double Damage was an up and coming Indie rock band. She had been with Heath through his journey. She had been the lover of his best friend.
I was only some hired tutor he had met a few weeks ago.
The next song was entitled “Forever.” It was about how an experience stayed with you for the rest of your life. He sang about how his first kiss tasted of cinnamon rolls and coffee. I didn’t know if it was true or not but the sheer emotion of his voice made me believe it.
In three years or less, we would part ways. Would I end up as a funny story Heath would tell at parties for cheap laughs? Or would I have made an impact on his life?
I turned and left the show. No one noticed my absence. They were all mesmerized by Heath Lawrence.
I showed up early for the after party. I didn’t know why they had one after each performance but they could certainly afford it. It was yet another sold out venue with merchandising brisk sales.
Nonetheless, there was an important business element to these parties. Deals were made over glasses of champagne and shrimp cocktail. Many of the people in the VIP booth were businessmen or politicians that Sterling Records had attempted to woo over. I knew Heath hated this aspect of the tour but the label had twisted his arm.
I expected to be alone since the party wouldn’t start for another hour.
Instead, I found another vagrant wandering the empty hall. “Jared? What are you doing here?”
“Charlotte?” the manager said, surprised at my presence. “I was doing some last minute checks before the guests arrived. What about you?”
I shook my head. “I just decided to come here early.”
“Did Heath pull another stunt?” he scowled. “Damn it! I told him that we don’t get paid if-”
“No, the performance is still going on,” I replied. “It should be over soon, though.”
“I see,” he said, walking up to me. “Charlotte, how are Heath’s studies going?”
“It’s still too early to make a definite statement,” I admitted. It would take another six months before I could truly gauge his progress. “The monthly progress report I’m supposed to give you will arrive in a couple of weeks.”
“Give me a sneak peek,” he requested which seemed to sound more like a demand. “Do you think he’ll pass the first GCSE exam?”
“It’s hard to say,” I sighed. “Heath has dyslexia. It’s like herding cats. I can get them to their destination but it’s easy for them to wander.”
The manager paused for a moment. “He has dyslexia?”
“It’s nothing certain but all the signs are there,” I answered. “I’m trying to work with him to overcome it.”
There was another uncomfortable pause. “Have you told anyone else about it?”
“No, of course not,” I answered. “Other than the fact that I’m not a licensed doctor, it’s a private matter between me and Heath. Well, I guess you know it as well now.”
“Keep it just between the three of us,” Jared said. “The tour is doing well and we haven’t had any major scandals. We don’t need this…
There was a raw, animalistic quality to Heath’s performance. In the high definition telescreen, I could see sweat drib down his bare abs. He belted out notes that showed he had the skills to back up the attitude. It was as if he was some demigod leading his followers into the rapture.
This time I watched from the side of the stage. It was a much different experience than watching from the VIP booth. I could feel the vibrations emanate from their performance. I remembered to wear ear plugs so I didn’t end up using a hearing aid like Megan.
The woman seemed so close to Heath. It seemed obvious enough. The two went back years when Double Damage was an up and coming Indie rock band. She had been with Heath through his journey. She had been the lover of his best friend.
I was only some hired tutor he had met a few weeks ago.
The next song was entitled “Forever.” It was about how an experience stayed with you for the rest of your life. He sang about how his first kiss tasted of cinnamon rolls and coffee. I didn’t know if it was true or not but the sheer emotion of his voice made me believe it.
In three years or less, we would part ways. Would I end up as a funny story Heath would tell at parties for cheap laughs? Or would I have made an impact on his life?
I turned and left the show. No one noticed my absence. They were all mesmerized by Heath Lawrence.
I showed up early for the after party. I didn’t know why they had one after each performance but they could certainly afford it. It was yet another sold out venue with merchandising brisk sales.
Nonetheless, there was an important business element to these parties. Deals were made over glasses of champagne and shrimp cocktail. Many of the people in the VIP booth were businessmen or politicians that Sterling Records had attempted to woo over. I knew Heath hated this aspect of the tour but the label had twisted his arm.
I expected to be alone since the party wouldn’t start for another hour.
Instead, I found another vagrant wandering the empty hall. “Jared? What are you doing here?”
“Charlotte?” the manager said, surprised at my presence. “I was doing some last minute checks before the guests arrived. What about you?”
I shook my head. “I just decided to come here early.”
“Did Heath pull another stunt?” he scowled. “Damn it! I told him that we don’t get paid if-”
“No, the performance is still going on,” I replied. “It should be over soon, though.”
“I see,” he said, walking up to me. “Charlotte, how are Heath’s studies going?”
“It’s still too early to make a definite statement,” I admitted. It would take another six months before I could truly gauge his progress. “The monthly progress report I’m supposed to give you will arrive in a couple of weeks.”
“Give me a sneak peek,” he requested which seemed to sound more like a demand. “Do you think he’ll pass the first GCSE exam?”
“It’s hard to say,” I sighed. “Heath has dyslexia. It’s like herding cats. I can get them to their destination but it’s easy for them to wander.”
The manager paused for a moment. “He has dyslexia?”
“It’s nothing certain but all the signs are there,” I answered. “I’m trying to work with him to overcome it.”
There was another uncomfortable pause. “Have you told anyone else about it?”
“No, of course not,” I answered. “Other than the fact that I’m not a licensed doctor, it’s a private matter between me and Heath. Well, I guess you know it as well now.”
“Keep it just between the three of us,” Jared said. “The tour is doing well and we haven’t had any major scandals. We don’t need this…
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