144 Chapter 144: Charity Concert (1)
[Edward's P.O.V.]
After Mitchell explained Amanda's situation, I agreed to help him by meeting the girl and taking a photo with her. I also gave her my poster and signature before ushering her away as politely and quickly as possible, as she was beginning to get on my nerves. She appeared satisfied, though, and Mitchell wouldn't get into any trouble.
"I'm sorry, Ed," Mitchell said.
He felt apologetic for leveraging our connection for personal gain, but I wasn't holding it against him. I knew from the TV series that he had practically no work-life balance, as his boss kept pressuring him.
"It's okay, Mitch. I'm just glad you could make it," I reassured him.
"Bahhh-" Baby Lily displayed excessive enthusiasm as we hadn't seen each other in a while. She playfully nibbled my cheek while I held her, resulting in my face being covered in baby slobber. I burst into laughter at her antics and started tickling her, eliciting baby giggles that made Cam's face turn red with jealousy.
"Hey, Ed, we should head backstage now," Alex suddenly entered the room. "Alex, good luck out there! Break a leg!" Cam exclaimed enthusiastically as he took baby Lily from my arms, despite her clear reluctance to leave me.
"Wait. Taylor is almost here. I want to meet her before going on stage," I mentioned as I wiped my face with a wet tissue.
Pepper, who had entered the room alongside Alex, chimed in, "No, she won't make it."
"Huh? Why?" I inquired, perplexed.
"She actually went to the hospital to surprise you there, but now she's stuck in traffic. She won't be here for at least another half-hour, so it's better for you to get backstage first," Pepper explained.
I let out a sigh before responding, "Alright. Make sure to give her the tickets."
"Don't worry about it. Now, go and get ready," Pepper urged. "If you're too late, the crowd will start to gather, and it will be problematic if they spot you walking backstage."
The venue was situated in the middle of a field, with no discreet pathways to avoid being seen by fans. So my best bet was to get backstage before the crowd started congregating for the show.
"It's still an hour and a half until showtime. Isn't it too early?" Alex questioned, looking a bit confused.
"It's not early at all! In fact, there are already DOZENS of people in the field," Pepper responded.
"Hmmm…" I stepped out the door, and suddenly, a tall blonde girl shouted, "Surprise!" and embraced me.
"Taylor!" I exclaimed excitedly, returning her hug, while Pepper and Alex snickered behind me.
"Ahh, you bastards played me," I teased as I turned to the duo. Taylor continued to smile and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," I replied. Suddenly, Taylor's expression turned serious, and she began sniffing my clothes.
"Taylor?" I asked, feeling both confused and concerned.
"I smell the scent of another girl! Who's that?" She inquired indignantly, but her eyes still sparkled playfully.
"Does it smell like talc or baby powder? Because you can see my other girl right behind me."
Taylor turned around and saw Lily, her face flushing red with embarrassment. I swallowed hard, wondering whether I should be honest or not, but Pepper came to my rescue. "Girl, he needs to get backstage right now. You can have your lover's quarrel later."
"Oh, is it time already? Alright, I'll go be with my dad. I'll introduce you guys after the concert," Taylor said with a smile.
"Sure," I replied as I watched her walk away.
Pepper suddenly grabbed my shoulder from behind and said, "Ed…why were you so nervous when she asked you…if there was another girl?"
"I…don't know what you mean? Let's go! We're already late!" I hurried towards the stage, not wanting to delve into that topic with Pepper.
"Hmm…Suspicious," Pepper muttered as he followed me. "Hey Pepper, can we come?" Cam asked with a grin.
"As long as you keep your mouth shut… Nah, we both know you won't be able to do that. Just don't get on Ed's nerves," Pepper replied nonchalantly.
As I exited the school compound, a few bodyguards joined me on my way to the staging area. Some fans recognized me and eagerly took out their phones to snap pictures while screaming for my attention. I waved politely with a friendly smile.
"Hmmm. Only 30 people. Pepper, should I call them over?" I inquired.
There weren't many people around yet, as most fans didn't see the need to arrive so early. However, this specific group consisted of members from my fan club, who were decked out head to toe in my merchandise and held banners with my pictures and name.
"Why?" Pepper asked, taken aback.
"Well, they came here quite early, so I want to create a nice memory for them," I explained.
Pepper grinned and responded, "Okay, if that's what you want."
"Call them over," I instructed one of the bodyguards accompanying me. The burly African-American man nodded and approached the scattered fans, informing them of my desire.
With faces flushed with excitement, the crowd of teenage girls hurried over to me, causing me to take a step back in surprise.
"Hey, it's Lily," I commented as I spotted the bespectacled blonde girl in front of me. Lily's face lit up, and she asked with excitement, "You remember me?!"
"Yeah. You gave me the keyword 'Fairytale' at one of my previous concerts. You've cut your hair a bit shorter, but I can still recognize you. How have you been?" I inquired warmly. Other girls were grinding their teeth in envy as they waited for their turn.
"I-I've been well," Lily replied with a stutter and a blushing face. She couldn't even meet my gaze.
"Don't be so nervous. I just had another Lily slobbering all over my face a few seconds ago while she was in my arms. You guys share the same name, so you could borrow a bit of her confidence," I reassured her.
"Huh?" The fan club members were puzzled, and some were infuriated, thinking I was talking about my significant other.
"Ed! Eddddd!" Baby Lily called my name at a perfect moment. I chuckled and held her in my arms before saying, "See. You really could use some of her confidence."
The fans blushed in embarrassment, while the fan club president was initially startled but then broke into a wide smile. "Hi Lily," the adult Lily greeted the baby.
"Lily," the one-year-old mumbled her name while clinging to me, casting wary glances at the girls to assert her possessiveness.
I conversed with all of them, learning their names and chatting with those who were brave enough to ask for personal pictures. Only after that did I enter the backstage area, still holding baby Lily in my arms.
"She really doesn't want to be apart from you! What magic did you use? Why does my daughter adore you so much?!" Cam grumbled in confusion as he took Lily away for the second time, despite her reluctance to leave me.
"Cam, my entire existence is magic. Alright, Alex, what about Finneas and Billie? Have they arrived yet?" I inquired.
Alex responded, "Yes, they're on their way here. So... what do we do backstage?"
"Typically, we'd familiarize ourselves with the stage and check our instruments. But there's already a professional team handling that, so let's just get a feel for the stage layout. Oh, and we need to change into our outfits."
"Outfits?"
I glanced at her boyish attire and remarked, "Yes, you DEFINITELY need to change."
"Ugh," Alex groaned and obediently went to change her clothes. When Finneas and Billie arrived, their fashion choices were also critiqued, and they too willingly went to change.
We proceeded to the stage, which still had the curtains drawn, to acquaint ourselves with its layout and ensure we didn't interfere with the dancers as we moved around.
"Actually, we won't even move around; we'll just perform from our designated spots," Billie teased. I playfully tapped her head with my knuckle, causing her to pout and almost shed a tear.
"Peps, have the dancers arrived?" I inquired.
"EDWAAAARRRD!" Before Pepper could respond, someone called my name from behind, and I was enveloped in a dual hug.
"Kaya, Anna! Glad to see you guys here," I greeted them warmly as Anna examined my height with her hand, looking incredulous.
"How are you taller than me now?! What did you eat to grow this quickly!?"
"Mainly fertilizers and steroids," I replied, momentarily shocking both of them, as well as anyone who overheard. "I was just joking," I quickly added, earning relieved sighs from the surrounding crowd.
With a wry smile, I shifted the conversation to more professional matters. I learned about the spotlights, speaker placements, dance choreography, and more as I prepared for the performance.
"Hey, Kid, I'm not too late, am I?" Just minutes before the audience could enter the venue, I spotted some familiar faces heading backstage.
"Hey, Robert. Why are you here so early? Weren't you planning to come towards the end?" I asked, smiling as I walked over to greet them.
"Jon chased me off the set," RDJ explained, giving me a light hug before turning to two individuals beside him. "You know them, right?" He asked, sporting a mischievous grin.
"Of course. ScarJo and Don. I'm quite surprised to see you guys here," I said enthusiastically as I shook hands with both of them.
"Well, we came to support the cause. And Jon might have actually kicked us off too," Don Cheadle quipped playfully.
Scarlett added, "The dancers kept talking about you, so I got interested..."
"In me?" I flirted with a side smile.
RDJ rolled his eyes and swatted my shoulder, remarking, "You're 15! Don't make a move on her. She won't fall for it-"
He was the one who got swatted next. Scarlett rolled her eyes and said, "Ignore him."
I chuckled before asking them, "You guys should find your seats. The performance is about to begin."
RDJ quickly nodded and said, "Sure. Do you want me to be the MC?"
"Uuuff, sorry pal… your offer came a bit too late," I playfully responded, playing along with RDJ's feigned offer.
[General P.O.V.]
"Tickets, please," An official staff member checked the tickets of parents and students, permitting their entry into the venue. Most attendees wore excited and with eager smiles, though some parents seemed less enthused and were likely coerced into coming by their spouses or children.
"Gloria, I thought we had VIP seats?" Jay inquired, trailing behind Gloria and Manny as they made their way to the plastic chairs in the seating area.
"These are the VIP seats. If you buy regular tickets, you have to stand behind us," Manny explained. He had donned a blazer as if he were attending a classical music performance, which irked Jay.
"You'll ruin that jacket with your sweat," Jay grumbled.
"It's fine; the sweat might help me lose weight faster," Manny retorted.
"Hey, Claire!" Gloria greeted Claire enthusiastically as she waved her ticket, spotting the Dunphy family already seated. The seating arrangements had no specific assigned spots, so Gloria decided to sit next to the Dunphys.
"Hey, we're here too," Mitchell greeted Gloria and Jay from their seat one row behind the Dunphys. Lily wore noise-canceling headphones to join the concert, and Gloria was so excited to see the baby that she took Lily from Cam's arms.
"Why does she like everyone but us?" Cam complained, waving his hands in the air in mild frustration.
"You're the one who insisted on bringing her to a concert, Cam. Wait, is that the VVIP section?" Mitchell's eyes lit up as he recognized several celebrities seated in front of them.
"Gloria, couldn't we afford those seats?" Jay asked incredulously, observing the comfortable, cushioned chairs in front of them.
"No, the tickets were reasonably priced. But I wanted to sit with the family," Gloria replied casually, irking Jay.
Eminem, RDJ, ScarJo, Don Cheadle, Taylor, Selena, Jennifer Stone (another actress from "Wizards of Waverly Place"), a few TV anchors and journalists, several Hollywood directors with deep pockets, and many more top models, actresses, and artists were present.
"What are they all doing here?" Cam asked, excitement lighting up his face.
Mitchell responded, "I don't know, maybe the charity event tugs at their heartstrings?"
Cam snickered with an expression that seemed to say, 'As if.' Suddenly, the music blaring from the speakers seized the attention of the entire audience.
"It's starting!" Haley exclaimed excitedly, waving two balloon sticks with Edward's name on them. Abby had cut her hair short following the previous night's incident, styling it into twin buns. She, Tara, and Haley joined forces to cheer Edward on.
Several cameras, including a Jimmy Jib camera, were capturing the show, which was being broadcast live on various streaming platforms.
"Wow, there are already 190,000 viewers tuning in," Pepper muttered in astonishment. "They only need to pay $10 to watch it, right? And the numbers are still climbing. Edward's advertising campaign is really paying off."
"Yeah, $10 to watch, an extra $5 to comment, and another $5 to create your own chat channel. The kid's brain is a money-making machine," the Director chuckled heartily.
"This is what Edward meant when he said that he could make a lot more money, even though he donated all the proceeds from the event tickets to charity. Nike and SOUP have already signed a deal for a commercial, with payment tied to the number of viewers," Harvey explained.
"A few more companies are vying to include him in their commercials, be it as an actor or even in his own page videos and even NBC and ABC have reached out to us," Harvey added. "Donna is handling those negotiations."
"Edward left all the business to you. I'll just trust your judgment," Pepper said, patting Harvey's shoulder.
"So, you're basically passing all the work to me," Harvey quipped.
"Without further ado, presenting the one and ONLY…Edward Newgate!!!" the Emcee declared after giving a brief introduction to the concert and its charity cause.
Suddenly, a man wearing a white mask and a classical suit appeared on stage with a violin in hand.
"Huh?" Abby was puzzled, but Haley's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, "That's Edward!"
Taylor, who was watching, was momentarily perplexed before recognizing Edward. "Why is he... holding a violin?" She murmured with a worried expression.
Edward began playing Vivaldi's "Four Seasons (Winter)," instantly captivating the entire audience, who fell into a trance-like silence.
"Oh my god," Camila whispered. "That's why my sister didn't want him to do anything else."
Ted, standing next to her in the VVIP section, wore a solemn expression. He sighed deeply and remarked, "It's been too long."
The symphony seemed to claw at the hearts of those present. Suddenly, Haley noticed that her cheek was wet. "Huh? Why... am I crying?"
Despite the powerful melody, Edward's anger and sorrow seemed to permeate the entire venue, causing hearts to race, throats to tighten, and emotions to swell. Some felt suffocated, some began to weep, and others experienced intense anger.
"The kid's a prodigy..." RDJ's eyes widened in disbelief, sensing an overwhelming anger emanating from the music.
Edward continued to play for about three minutes before abruptly stopping. The entire audience remained silent, and then Edward seized the violin with both hands, hoisted it into the air, and smashed it to the ground.
Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd, taking a few moments for them to regain their composure.
"Holy fucking shit!" Abraham exclaimed. Mrs. Henderson closed her eyes, and a solitary tear trickled down her left cheek.
The curtains were drawn open, revealing the figures of Finneas, Alex, Billie, and several dancers, all wearing masks similar to the one Edward had worn, along with Victorian-era-style clothing.
Edward removed his mask as he returned to the microphone stand and tore away the fluffy neckties around his neck as the giant screen at the back showed a text in big bold golden letters.
A King who had lost his Kingdom.
The Revolution had begun.
Edward took a deep breath and got lost in the music as it started, with Alex on the cello, Finneas on the violin, Billie on the drums, and a bronze bell in front of her. Her eyes held traces of excitement and nervousness as she watched Edward perform.
[Coldplay, "Viva la Vida."]
The song's introduction filled the audience with anticipation. The combined efforts of Alex and Finneas were joined by Billie's beats. I grabbed the microphone while still clutching my guitar in one hand and began to sing.
"♫♪I used to rule the world~
Seas would rise when I gave the word♫♪"
"♫♪Now in the morning, I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own♫♪"
Claire's expression froze while Phil teared up, murmuring, "He must've been so lonely." Cameron was also moved, while Gloria asked Manny, "What did he say?"
The song continued, "♫♪I used to roll the dice… Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes♫♪"
"♫♪Listen as the crowd sings... Now the old king is dead, long live the king♫♪"
The elderly history teacher pushed up his glasses and mumbled, "This feels familiar."
♫♪One minute, I held the key~ Next, the walls closed in on me♫♪
♫♪And I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand♫♪
Finneas smirked as he played the violin, his eyes locked onto Edward's back with an intense gaze. Billie smiled as she struck the bell.
Edward, brimming with excitement, raised his hand as he sang the chorus.
"♫♪I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin'!
Roman Cavalry choirs are singin'!
Be my mirror, my sword and shield.
My missionaries in a foreign field.
For some reason, I can't explain.
Once you'd gone, there was never, never an honest word.
And that was when I ruled the world! ♫♪"
The crowd erupted in excitement, even those initially reluctant parents had now changed their minds and were fully immersed in the concert.
"♫♪It was a wicked and wild wind.
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums.
People couldn't believe what I'd become♫♪"
A gentle breeze caressed Edward's face as he continued to perform. Taylor whispered, "Is it time for the revolution now?"
Taylor's dad, Scott, maintained a stoic expression, but his left foot tapped the ground subtly, following the rhythms.
"♫♪Revolutionaries wait.
For my head on a silver plate.
Just a puppet on a lonely string.
Oh, who would ever want to be king?♫♪"
Unbeknownst to Edward, the lyrics had stirred deep emotions in two people close to him—his dad and his aunt—causing tears to flow.
"♫♪I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin' (♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh♫♪)
Roman Cavalry choirs are singin' (♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh♫♪)♫♪
Be my mirror, my sword and shield,
My missionaries in a foreign field (♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh♫♪)♫♪
♫♪For some reason I can't explain,
I know Saint Peter won't call my name♫♪
♫♪Never an honest word,
But that was when I ruled the world♫♪"
"The guy who stands in front of the Gate of Heaven." Abby's eyes lit up as she realized what Edward meant.
"♫♪Never an honest word,
But that was when I ruled the world♫♪"
"So he was never true to himself while he was on top of the world," RDJ muttered. "Damn, I have no words… Damn…" Don Cheadle was astonished as he tried to comprehend the lyrics.
"♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~!♫♪
♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~♫♪
♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~!♫♪
♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~♫♪
♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~!♫♪"
The chant of "♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~!♫♪" filled the air with an inexplicable emotion.
Jacob muttered, "Is this about the French Revolution? Why are some people crying?"
Elsa rubbed her forehead in frustration and retorted, "Do you really think this is JUST about the revolution?"
"That's what Ed told us," Jacob replied naively.
"♫♪I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin' (♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh♫♪)
Roman Cavalry choirs are singin' (♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh♫♪)♫♪
♫♪Be my mirror, my sword and shield,
My missionaries in a foreign field (♫♪Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh♫♪)♫♪
♫♪For some reason I can't explain,
I know Saint Peter won't call my name♫♪
♫♪Never an honest word,
But that was when I ruled the world…♫♪"
Beads of sweat glistened on the children's faces, yet their eyes shone with fanaticism as they soaked in the thunderous applause from the audience. Mrs. Henderson wore a satisfied smile, while the Dunphy family had never been prouder of Alex and Edward.
Edward, catching his breath, flashed a grin before addressing the microphone, "WHAT'S UP, FRANKLIN MIDDLE!!!"
"OHHHHHHH!" The crowd surged with excitement, their voices ringing out as they cheered for Edward and the rest of the band!
