"I'm thrilled for you," Alan said, ironically.
"Anyway, Judith called," Alan added. "A pipe broke," he continued, "soaked her living room carpet... and she's completely freaking out."
"All true, Mother told me," I confirmed.
"Yeah, well, that's the difference," Charlie chimed in...
2025-05-13 15:22:40 +0000 UTC View PostA few days later, already in the second week of May, the recording session with Jennifer Lopez was officially behind us—and it had been a huge success.
She was even nicer than I expected. Not that I had thought too much about it; I wasn't exactly a fan—I only knew two or three of her so...
2025-05-12 12:36:15 +0000 UTC View PostThe shock from the last statement still lingered in the air.
"You got all A+?" Laura repeated, staring at me with a blend of disbelief and amusement.
"How did you two not know?" I asked, looking at Cher and Regina. "You’re the gossip queens."
They both gasped, offended.
...
2025-05-11 13:33:20 +0000 UTC View PostI looked around the room, raising an eyebrow. "So… what’s the plan now?"
Monica replied, "We were planning to stay here one more day, and visit you in L.A., but… you're already here."
"Well, I have a proposal for you all," I said, leaning forward a bit. "You can visit L.A. at th...
2025-05-10 17:45:45 +0000 UTC View PostI looked at Uncle Charlie, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Did you hear it?" I asked.
Charlie, still focused on the road, glanced back at me through the rearview mirror. "Yeah, I heard it. I escaped that one, huh?"
I rolled my eyes. "Oh well, nothing much to do," I muttered, then lea...
2025-05-09 11:57:02 +0000 UTC View Post"Hey, that makes four," I added with a smirk, shifting slightly in bed, still balancing the stack of papers Pepper had sent.
"You’re impossible," Pepper sighed on the other end.
"Are you sure you don't want to be interviewed by anyone? We're getting requests from every direction." 2025-05-08 12:20:07 +0000 UTC View Post
A few days later, the recording session with Ellie Goulding finally happened.
Everyone was gathered in the studio lounge, watching through the glass as Marshmello and Ellie stood inside the recording booth. The room was dimly lit, focused entirely on the two figures behind the soundproof wa...
2025-05-07 13:38:09 +0000 UTC View PostLaura and I were on the deck at Charlie’s house, locked in a long, lingering kiss.
She pulled back slightly, just enough to look me in the eye. Her cheeks were flushed, her smile soft.
"So, today it's only the two of us?" Laura asked, tilting her head.
"What? I'm not enough?" ...
2025-05-06 13:59:46 +0000 UTC View PostIt was early evening at Carly's house.
"Freddie," Carly called but he didn’t answer, so she blasted pressurized air at his hair.
"Ahh," Freddie flinched.
"Why so jumpy?" she asked.
"'Cause you blasted me in the head with pressurized air," he replied.
"I was here, I...
2025-05-05 12:21:36 +0000 UTC View PostThe day after, I picked up my phone and called Missy.
"Hey," I said as soon as she picked up. "So, what did you think of the movie?"
There was a short pause before she replied, "Okay, first of all—my parents didn’t want me to go see it just because it was a horror movie. My mom sa...
2025-05-04 13:36:59 +0000 UTC View PostRegina, Cher, and Laura showed up at the house less than an hour later.
"Hi Jake, I brought reinforcements," Regina said brightly, gesturing to Cher and Laura.
Laura chuckled. "I think she means Cher. I don’t have much knowledge when it comes to fancy parties..."
"Hey, girls,"...
2025-05-03 14:25:51 +0000 UTC View PostEllie Goulding was older than I remembered from my past life. She was already 20 years old.
She had some fame—sure, a few songs floating around—but nothing that had fully launched her into stardom just yet.
I wasn’t surprised she accepted so quickly.
Then I turned to Peppe...
2025-05-02 13:41:17 +0000 UTC View PostThe next day, we all gathered at Carly’s house.
Carly, Freddie, Sam, Cher, Regina, Spencer, Laura, and I were spread out across the living room, still buzzing from the success of the premiere.
In my hands, I held a DVD.
"Alright, guys," I said with a grin, "let's see something...
2025-05-01 16:26:08 +0000 UTC View PostThe day had finally arrived.
The premiere of Paranormal Activity.
Even though it was technically an indie project, the buzz around it had grown steadily—especially after Pepper worked her magic getting the right people talking.
I stood in front of the mirror, straight...
2025-04-30 20:15:16 +0000 UTC View PostTwo weeks later, I was on the deck of Uncle Charlie’s house, kissing Laura.
Not like those soft, shy kisses we exchanged when she first came here—this was deeper, a French kiss.
The sun was dipping low, casting everything in that golden hour glow. The ocean murmured nearby, ...
2025-04-29 21:31:22 +0000 UTC View PostI looked up from my book just in time to see Uncle Charlie step into the living room. He stood there for a second, his face somewhere between annoyed and baffled.
“You okay?” I asked, setting the book down. “You’re back early…” I pointed out.
He didn’t answer right away...
2025-04-28 20:29:54 +0000 UTC View PostSam gave me one last skeptical glance before finally stepping out onto the deck.
I followed behind her as Carly and Freddie were already making themselves comfortable. Laura greeted them both warmly, and it didn’t take long before the four of them were in conversation.
I sat back in...
2025-04-27 16:21:11 +0000 UTC View PostThe next day, I walked into the kitchen and found Charlie already leaning on the counter, flipping through stations on the small radio tucked near the coffee maker. His face lit up when he found the one he was looking for.
“Here it is,” he said, adjusting the dial. “Told you they’d ...
2025-04-27 16:19:17 +0000 UTC View PostLater that weekend, I was having dinner at a fancy restaurant in downtown Los Angeles with Dad, Uncle Charlie, and Gradma.
Evelyn was studying the menu with that usual air of half-interest
She looked up from the menu and asked casually, “So, Jake, do you see anything you like?” 2025-04-26 20:58:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Sia set her bag down near the vocal booth, taking a quiet moment to look around the studio. There was a calm focus to her movements, like someone who’d done this a hundred times but still knew how to appreciate the moment.
Pepper handed her the printed lyrics, but Sia was already familiar...
2025-04-25 20:41:56 +0000 UTC View PostSam and Freddie were still going at it, trading snarky jabs back and forth while the rest of us just watched, mildly amused.
Laura leaned toward me and whispered, “Are they together?”
Before I could respond, Sam and Freddie both shot back in unison, “No!”
Their expressio...
2025-04-24 19:57:16 +0000 UTC View PostThe new recording session.
This time, it was the turn of the third song: “Happier.”
I stood inside the booth, fully dressed as Marshmello.
The guest singer was Richard.
He wasn’t famous, but he walked into the booth with quiet confidence. I stood nearby, nodding to t...
2025-04-23 23:30:15 +0000 UTC View PostI was sitting at the usual corner table of the school cafeteria with Carly, Sam, and Freddie. The lunch rush was just starting to peak, and trays clattered all around us as students shuffled through the lines.
A few minutes later, Regina and Cher approached with their trays. Regina sat down...
2025-04-23 00:40:56 +0000 UTC View PostDad and I were gathered around the breakfast table. The morning sun streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow on the kitchen. Plates clinked and soft chatter filled the air.
Alan had gone out of his way to order all of my favorite breakfast items—fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon, fre...
2025-04-21 23:57:28 +0000 UTC View Post"Yes," I said with a nod. "And that’s actually something I want to talk about."
That caught everyone’s attention.
"Wait, for real?" Sam asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Like… seriously?" Carly added, shifting closer.
"Yeah. I’ve been thinking a lot about it," I con...
2025-04-21 19:13:49 +0000 UTC View Post"So, what do you wanna talk about?" Freddie asked.
"I'm sorry again about telling people you never kissed anyone, and about putting blue cheese dressing in your shampoo bottle, and about sending your cell phone to Cambodia," Sam said in one breath.
"So this means you're not gonna mess...
2025-04-21 19:12:42 +0000 UTC View PostSam didn’t show up to first period.
Carly noticed right away. She kept glancing at the empty seat, then at the door, then over at me. Her fingers tapped nervously on the edge of her notebook, like she wanted to ask but didn’t know how.
I sat still, eyes forward, pretending not to ...
2025-04-21 19:11:34 +0000 UTC View PostI was sitting in Carly's living room, sipping a soda and talking about everything except the Super Bowl. Her place was cozy—warm lighting, tidy shelves, and Spencer’s usual bizarre artwork scattered everywhere. Carly sat across from me on the couch, legs crossed, a smirk dancing on her lips a...
2025-04-21 19:10:53 +0000 UTC View PostBy 5:30 PM, everyone had gathered back at the hotel. The lobby buzzed with energy, our group slowly reuniting after their own afternoon adventures. People were dressed in jerseys, team scarves, or whatever merch they had picked up since arriving in Tampa.
I looked around and started the rol...
2025-04-21 19:09:24 +0000 UTC View PostAfter the flight, everyone headed straight to the hotel. We were all a bit tired from the trip, but the energy was still high with the Super Bowl just around the corner.
As we stepped into the lobby, Cher looked around with a casual glance and said, "Oh, I remember this hotel. It is a nice ...
2025-04-21 19:07:28 +0000 UTC View Post