Love and Deception

[Kynna]

"You've got to be kidding me. Tell me you didn't," the artist begged her best friend. She was in sweatpants and an old t-shirt littered with holes, her long dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail so it was out of her face. She glared at her friend through her top-rimmed glasses.

Her friend, dressed in short shorts and a tight-fitting t-shirt, flipped her bleached blond hair out of her face. "Oh, come on, Joe," her friend sighed, exasperated. "So they thought your art was the best, what's the problem with that," she snapped, frowning.

"You entered my stuff into that stupid contest. Without. Asking. Me," she said, furious. "I DON'T EVEN LIKE HIM!"

"You can't tell me you wouldn't want to stare at that face for hours," Brittany disagreed, smiling down at the picture of his face on the front of his newest released CD album. She sighed and hugged the case to her chest, falling back onto Joanne's bed.

"I don't know why I keep you around. You never listen to me," Joe frowned more deeply. "I honestly don't want this, Britt."

"But think about the future jobs it could bring," Brittany pointed out.

Unfortunately, Joanne couldn't argue that. This rockstar that her best friend was currently obsessed over was huge all over. His face was on everything. If she had even one of his advertisements in her portfolio, she would certainly be considered for a good job. "Fine. I'll do it," she finally gave in, sighing as she flopped back onto her pillows. This was going to be a long summer.

 

[Ferril]

"Veil! Veil!! Veil!!! Veil!!!!" A thousand fans shrieking at once, thousands of feet stomping in a demanding beat, pulsating through the skies and pumping in the ground... What a Feeling, what a Rush. Its like nothing a guy could have ever hoped for, this many people all screaming out for you. On stage the lead singer for the Eternal Veil lifted his hand, somehow bringing an expectant quite down upon the crowd. As if he had, indeed, dropped a calming veil upon them. He let the silence stretch out only moving to lift his face to the sky, letting his crimson hair falling back along his head, and a little puff of white smoke escape his lips in a satisfied O...

Finally his hand began to lower, pointing a lazy finger at a gaggle of groupies in the front row, his head cocking to the side with a quizzical grin," People!!! Are you ready to rock?" The answer was so immediate and loud that the stage itself seemed to quiver under the onslaught of so many collective voices and once again the singer lifted his hands bringing down that calming veil and said, a sparkle of amusement coloring his voice," Alright, alright I get it. Sheesh. Deafen a guy why doncha?" The mans grin was almost sinister as he turned his back on the crowd and, one by one, the lights winked out leaving only a single pinpoint in the darkness.... the feral red glow of the singers lit cigarette.

In a dark and menacing voice he began,

"Let me tell you now
Here upon this stage
The men that you see before you
Are men of a different age"

This first was merely spoken, as if it really were nothing more than a warning before anything unsettling could happen, the red glow lighting the singers face only enhanced the image of dark menace....And then the first beat of the drum sounded, the singers light flashing out in an instant leaving everything in the gloomy darkness... but not for long. The guitars began playing, the drum beat to the same tune, and with each increase in tempo a light would flare and die all over again giving the whole thing the ethereal feeling of a night sky twinkling before the rapt audience.... Now things would really get started!

"Horrid days are those we faced~
Broken lives that line our way,
Heart of hearts we brush aside~
Darkest places, we do reside,

Silenced cries, the way we live~
Blinded eyes with naught to give,
Wounded sighs, we bide our time~
Till the day retreats and the night arrives,"

Suddenly the roof over the crowds collective heads began to recede revealing a night sky spattered with stars and colored deep red by the bands crimson lights. And the singers voice changed to a sort of silken seduction, wrapping itself around each and every person it touched and seemingly dragging them towards the stage.

"And the black veil rises~

Blinded eyes give light too see~
Silenced cries to rise and sing,
Wounded sighs ring fresh and new~
The time has come for the dark to rise,

The glowing night to banish hate~
Crooked path through darkened gates,
Embrace it now while there is time~
That greatest power, the veil of fate!!"

On the last line of the song the lights flashed one final time, bright enough to light up the night sky like a star gone supernova, before dimming back to their more natural luminosity..... the crowd was speechless trapped under a spell of amazement... but as the singer turned back to the crowd and smiled his snide smile, the entire hall rang out with their voices," Vale! ValE!! VaLE!!! VALE!!!!" He could tell with a smug satisfaction that what they were chanting now was something different from the chant that started before the show... that had been a chant for the band.... this one.. this one was just for him, and gods but he loved it....

But he couldn't let himself bask in the crowd too long so with a final mocking bow, he turned away grabbing his band-mates by the shoulders and walking away with a giant grin plastered upon his face," So Vale you think the song went over well?" The guitarist asked his voice colored with sarcasm," Naw man that wasn't even about the song, they were all just so happy to see my pretty mug on something other than a billboard they couldn't contain themselves~" The band-members laughed good-naturedly and pushed him to his dressing room," Just go pretty yourself up you little primadonna the manager has a surprise for you."

As he opened the door and plopped himself down on the nearest chair, his feet resting on the coffee table, he wasn't surprised to find the manager waiting for him already," Whats up Herv? Somebody die?" The man looked up at Vale with a haggard grin," No but my career might." He said it with such a tired sigh that Vale had to ask," Whats going on man? The label causin trouble or somethin?" Hervie looked up with that strained smile and nodded," Yeah they decided to hold a contest for who would get the wright to be your all around go to guy for all things art and advertising. They told me to have you meet the contest winner." Vale looked at his manager, eyes blinking in stunned silence..."When?" His manager merely smiled," About twenty minutes or so im sure, the label gave her a couple of tickets to the show and asked her to meet you backstage afterwards."

"Say what?" Vale was starting to get a little pissed now, made all the worse by the fact that he couldn't do anything about the situation..." That better mean I get a say on whether this sap stays or not." The manager merely shrugged," They assured me you'd approve once you met them. Who am I to argue?"

Vale merely growled in frustration and did the only thing he could.... he walked out," Im going to blow off some steam, call me if they get here before im back." If I dont run into them first that is.

 

[Kynna]

Brittany screamed up at the stage as she cheered, jumping up and down in her band t-shirt cut at the mid-drift, and skinny jeans. Her hair was down, curled at the ends, and her makeup done the way she normally did it when trying to impress a guy. Even through the smell of sweat, Joanne could smell the perfume her best friend was wearing.

Joe grumbled in her seat, looking down at her small version of her portfolio. The bigger one would have just gotten in the way and probably ruined. She fiddled with the VIP pass that hung around her neck, staring at her name on it. Her friend had a similar pass around her own. Joeanne looked up at the stage and frowned. She got the impression that she wouldn't like this. He appeared to be cocky. A cocky jerk. Great. That's all she wanted. Her thoughts turned more cynicle and sarcastic as her mood soured. The loud music was giving her a headache, and she was dreadfully thirsty.

Once the concert was finally over, Joeanne and Brittany got a couple of bottles of water before heading back to go meet the rockstar, though it took a good fifteen minutes to get through the river of crowd that was walking in the opposite direction. Finally, they reached security to get to the VIP part. "We're supposed to meet Vale," Brittany informed, showing him her pass. Joeanne held up hers as well and they were admitted backstage. The artist blatantly ignored her wannabe-groupie friend's squeals as they walked through. "Oh, isn't this sooooo cool," she said excitedly.

"Yeah. Awesome," Joe muttered without any enthusiasm. She looked around, looking for either the rockstar in question or the marketing director. "Oh, I wish you wouldn't be such a killjoy," Brittany frowned at her.

The artist shot her a glare. "Maybe if some people would share my art after asking me instead of me finding out by a stupid letter, I wouldn't be so pissed," she hissed. She huffed and turned away. "Whatever. Just enjoy this," she muttered, her steps quickening so she could get out of here sooner. She knew she would have to move with the band to the next part of the tour. Half of her things were packed already, she just had her electronics set out so she could pick and choose which ones she would need, one of the things she would talk to her new employers about tonight. Finally, she saw a group of the guys that were up on stage.

"Ooooh," Brittany shrieked before Joe could greet them, the blond running over to them. Joe sighed and followed her enthusiastic friend grudgingly. "It's so nice to meet you, you guys were AMAZING," Brittany crazed. "I'm Brittany~ My best friend won that contest, and she was nice enough to bring me with her," she rattled on and on, flirting with them.

Knowing her friend too well, Joeanne managed to all but shove her out of the way. She gave the guys an apologetic look. "My name's Joeanne," she introduced herself. "I look forward to working with you guys," she said with a polite smile, ignoring her best friend's furious look aimed at her.

 

[Ferril]

Vale groaned in frustration as he heard another pair of groupies walked up to his band-mates, I knew I shoulda found somewhere by myself... Well at least they hadnt spotted him yet. For the last half hour hed been sitting there crouched down his head leaned back against the wall, eyes closed and deep in thought. Once again the label had gone over his head, making decisions on their own. God did it irk him. When he and his band had first been discovered in some Podunk backwoods bar, performing practically for free, just so they could get their name out there, hed felt theyd hit the big score... and for the most part they had. Fame, fortune, adoring fans, amazing music. They had it all, the only problem? While on stage, Vale could feel free, nothing can touch him, it is, for all intents and purposes, like a little world all his own... but when off stage... Dammit I cant handle this shit....

Vale puffed on his glowing red cigarette and sighed... nothing to it... the old artist had been a friend of his for a while now, hed been comfortable working with the guy... and now they fire him and bring in some newbie who just happened to win a contest. What a fuckin pile. Done with his musings for now, he turned back to the two newcomers just in time to see the blond flirting with the other band members... How typical.... But then the other girl intervened pushing her friend back and greeting the group in a surprisingly professional manner... And then he caught part of what she was saying, his mind finally tuning in to the conversation," Contest?" SHE was the winner???

He was struck speechless, now that he was really SEEING her he knew exactly what his manager had meant when hed said the label thought he would approve... she was stunning. He felt a sudden kick in his chest as his gaze raked across her lush body and could barely keep himself from going forward then and there... he had to be calm about this. Take the mask and secure it firmly.

He put his cigarette out in a small ash tray hed carried up here and sauntered up to the girl arriving just as her name slipped past her lips," Joeanne? Ah, you were the contest winner? Well its a pleasure to make your acquaintance... though im sure we could have met under better circumstances, everyone being so exhausted after the show and all." He gave her his best roguish grin before turning to her blond friend," And if I heard right your... Brittany yeah?" He gestured the other band members forward and introduced them," Johnny the drummer" The long haired mans lips split in a huge goofy grin," Yo~" "His brother Rodney the bassist.. we call him Rod for short." The brothers grin was almost matching, but just a bit more shy," And the guitarist, Stix... dont ask his real name.. he wont tell you."

Vale smiled broadly at them both and gestured the whole group down the hall," Lets head to the rec room. I think the manager should be in there," As he began to walk off his arms draped across the both the brothers he turned too look over his own shoulders," Oh and im Vale~"

 

[Kynna]

Joeanne kept a polite poker face, wanting to groan as her friend squealed in her ear at meeting her idol. "OhmygoshIcan'tbelieveI'mmeetingTHEVale," she gushed, barely keeping from bouncing up and down. But while her friend was only gushing over the lead singer, Joeanne was turning to each of the band members to shake their hands. She didn't believe the lead singer should get all the credit. After all, he would only be a singer if his band wasn't behind him. She would make sure they would get the glory shots, too, she decided.

Joeanne held a tight grip onto her miniature version of her portfolio as they made their way to the manager's mobile office. She was a little nervous, though mostly excited as she stepped foot in the door. She held her hand out to shake the manager's hand. "Joeanne Kershiff," she introduced herself with a friendly smile. "I can't believe I won the contest out of all those people," she said, shocked. "You had to have millions of entries!"

"Of course they did - Vale is an icon," Brittany piped up, smiling her million-dollar smile at the lead singer. "And it's also no surprise that you won," she nudged her friend. "Your stuff is amazing! I'm sure they'll be glad to have you on the team."

Joeanne ignored her friend's comment about Vale being so popular and smiled sheepishly at the praise. "Anyway, I read the deal in the letter. I'm supposed to travel with the band on tour, right? Do I need to bring any equipment with me, like printers, or my own computer and tablet? I just want to make sure I'm prepared for this," she chuckled. "And I hope I won't be in anyone's way. I might be small but girls do take up more space," she chuckled sheepishly.

Brittany's gaze lingered on Vale, though she did look to the manager. "I also have a question," she said. Joeanne looked at her with a look of cautious curiosity. "I was wondering, if it wasn't too much trouble, if I could come on tour, too," she said. "Brittany," Joeanne hissed under her breath, frowning at her friend. "What are you doing?"
"I want to come, too," she said, frowning in return. Joeanne's anger snapped, but she kept a poker face, giving the band manager an apologetic look as she pulled her friend out of the office. "What the hell is that," she snapped at her friend. "You enter my stuff in this contest so you have a chance to go on tour with your favorite band!?"

"Well, yeah," Brittany frowned at her friend, ripping her arm from the tight grip. Joeanne felt a pang in her chest. She felt used, hurt, and angry at her friend. The hurt showed in her eyes, but she wouldn't let the tears spill. "No. No, I won't let you go," she told her friend, shaking her head. "You used me, you fucking used me," she snapped at her best friend. Some friend.

 

[Ferril]

Vale grimaced in distaste as he walked into the room... the place looked like it hadnt been cleaned in years.. though the band had only been there for a day or so setting up for the show, theyd managed to trash it fairly well. His manager smiled and winked at him at his first sight of the women behind him and Vale barely contained a curse.. yeah hed known about the artist. The bastard. Vale and his bandmates moved around the others finding comfortable seats while their new artist made herself known to the manager.. Vale on the other hand flitted about the room knocking the accumulated trash away and into a small wastebasket he was carrying with him, wiping a few spots off of one of the couches last, so that the two would have a clean place to sit... still he caught the trailing end of Joeanne's smile and was almost knocked off his feet... amazing.

He did hear her friends praise, and he could practically feel the girls interest.. but she couldnt hold his attention, especially when Joeanne talked to him. He could barely think... of coarse she was going on tour with them... Holy hell... she was going on tour with them... Vale smiled even more brightly than before, his mind turning over the many possibilities of such a situation.. He could tell there was some coldness towards him, even though he was doing his best to turn on the charm, maybe with a bit of time he could do something with that.. He grinned brightly at the both of them," Yeah youll be on tour. And trust me.. a band will always have space for pretty women, especially talented ones." He smiled mischievously at them both even as the other girl spoke up.

She wanted to come along too? It was understandable.. who would want their friend to go alone on tour with a bunch of guys right? Vale took a look at the manager for the mans reaction and got a shrug in return... guess its up to him.. or her maybe.. As Britanny asked the question he could see a flash of something in the other girls eyes.. anger? He was almost sure of it as Joeanne dragged her friend out of the room.. damn. The doors were soundproofed, he looked up at his bandmates and they each shrugged in turn. They didnt really mind the girl coming with apparently...

Well.. guess we wait till they finish their.. conversation.. For some reason he had the feeling this might take a while and he looked around the room... and spotted something interesting. Joeanne had left her portfolio, Vale smiled as he picked it up.. might as well take a look at the art that would soon represent them... And as his fingers flipped through page after page, his eyes slowly grew... talented? Hell gifted was a better word... no Genius. Artistic Genius. As he continued the band members slowly migrated over, joining in his snooping... and his awe.

Where their music was art in raw form, this girls drawings, paintings, and sketches were art in perfection, a feast for the eyes. They all sat there picking through the portfolio finding their favorites among the many pictures that had been placed, lovingly, within. The manager merely sat back a small grin across his face, as the band gushed over the art they found most interesting....