8 Chapter 8: When is the Pilot coming?

Pepper Saltman, "The song is captivating, novel, and on the brink of genius."

"Just say genius. He is a genius." Mitchell corrected. He changed his impression of Edward and didn't hold a grudge anymore for belittling his fashion sense now. The moniker before Edward started to sing.

"The nuance, the way he lost himself in the music, the passion…the kid is a born singer," Cam added.

"I told you before, I will play two songs today," I said as I looked at the crowd. "The next Song was written by me when I felt down and lost someone important. I hope you'll like it." I said.

I saw Phil, Claire, and Luke sitting in a booth near the entrance – far away from Mitchell and Cam's position. I waved at Phil, and he, in turn, excitedly waved back with Luke. As Mitch and Cam's table was nearby, I whispered to them.

"Mitch. Your sister and brother-in-law are here."

"Really?" Mitchell turned and saw the Dunphys sitting nearby. Cam waved his hand at the Dunphys excitedly at them and mouthed he would be there later.

"Oh… This is awesome." Phil muttered as he stopped waving his hands.

A server comes to the table to take their order. Even the waiter had stopped what he was doing before when the Song was playing. Luckily for him, his bosses were inside the VIP booth, drying their tears with a handkerchief.

"Wait, We're not staying.." Claire tried to get up, but Phil took the menu and said, "Bring me coffee, black and iced chocolate for Luke… and Claire, you want some tea?"

"Phil!" Claire said in disbelief. "Alex is alone!" She whispered angrily.

"Don't worry. Alex is going to be fine." Phil said.

"What else is she going to do besides reading books? Throw a dork party?" Luke added and laughed together with Phil. "Dork party, that's hilarious," Phil muttered.

Claire hesitated in her awkward position of standing up and sitting down before she decided to sit.

"One more Song. That's it." Claire said. Besides, even she was curious about the Song.

"The kitchen is backed up, so it may take a while for your order to come out. Is that okay?" The waiter asked.

"Yeah, Sounds fine," Phil replied and returned the menu to the waiter. Claire looked astonished and wasn't sure how to react seeing Phil's action.

"He's starting," Luke said.

[Song: Amnesia by 5 seconds of summer.]

♬♪♬♪♬♪♬♪♬♪♬♪

Edward:♬♪ I drove by all the places we used to hang out, getting wasted. I thought about our last kiss, how it felt, the way you tasted. And even though your friends tell me you're doin' fine. Are you somewhere feeling lonely, even though he's right beside you?♬♪

Claire commented, "That's it. We will need to have a talk with him later." Phil looked helplessly at Edward, who'd dug his hole even deeper.

Edward:♬♪ When he says those words that hurt you, do you read the ones I wrote you?Sometimes I start to wonder, was it just a lie? If what we had was real, how could you be fine? 'Cause I'm not fine at all!!♬♪

"Who is he singing this for? I couldn't help but think there's something more to the lyrics." Pepper commented.

"I don't know. But you can feel the pain coming out from his voice." Cameron snobbishly said. Mitchell rolled his eyes and then couldn't wonder what had happened to Edward.

Ed: ♬♪ I remember the day you told me you were leavin'

I remember the makeup running down your face

And the dreams you left behind, you didn't need them

Like every single wish we ever made. ♬♪

Claire widened her eyes and slapped Phil's shoulder repeatedly, "Phil. It's about his mother!"

♬♪I wish that I could wake up with amnesia...

And forget about the stupid little things...

Like the way it felt to fall asleep next to you...

And the memories I never can escape...

'Cause I'm not fine at all...♬♪

"OH MY GOD, HE'S REACHING OUT AGAIN!" Phil said and almost stormed to the stage to give Edward a hug. Claire barely managed to hold Phil back by pulling his clothes, causing him to be choked by them.

The Song continued amidst the myriad of reactions from the people there. Even Haley standing near the club entrance, couldn't help but feel sorry for Edward. 'He's still…a jerk, right?' Haley thought.

Ed: ♬♪If today I woke up with you right beside me

Like all of this was just some twisted dream

I'd hold you closer than I ever did before

And you'd never slip away

And you'd never hear me say ♬♪

Haley placed her hand above her chest and her eyes shook as she heard Edward's change in tone. She became lost in the music, and didn't even hear what her friend beside her was saying.

No matter how hard her friends try, they couldn't snap her away from her mesmerised state. She didn't hear any other sound other than Ed's playing, and she'd hoped the moment would never ends.

♬♪I remember the day you told me you were leavin'

I remember the make-up running down your face

And the dreams you left behind, you didn't need them

Like every single wish we ever made

I wish that I could wake up with amnesia

And forget about the stupid little things

Like the way it felt to fall asleep next to you

And the memories I never can escape♬♪

♬♪'Cause I'm not fine at all...

No, I'm really not fine at all...

Tell me this is just a dream...

'Cause I'm really not fine at all...♬♪

[Song ends]

Mitch and Cam lost their smile and they looked toward each other almost instinctively. Edward didn't know then how his choice of songs would've impacted his life. When he did, he would only have a wry smile on his face.

…

-In the VIP booth-

"It's a full house, Stephan," Steven said excitedly as he shook the arm of his life partner.

"We should thank Pepper for bringing in the talent. We haven't filled a place like this in forever. Maybe we should do more bands rather than just Jazz music." Stephan said.

"We should give him a payment like the other artist," Steven said excitedly.

"But… he's 14. We can't give him too much." Stephan said slyly. "Otherwise… he won't create more…new songs… to be played here…"

…

-Edward POV-

I bowed at the crowd amidst the thundering applause and walked down the stage to my table.

"Excellent, Edward! Do you want some water? Your throat must be parched." Pepper said and handed me a bottle of mountain stream water he pulled out of nowhere.

"Thanks." I grabbed the bottle and took a big gulp before sitting down. "So, what do you think?" I asked.

"It was great! Do you really write the songs yourself?" Pepper answered.

"I love how you play with the melody and emotions while you sing. You're like a professional." Cam replied.

"I feel the same way too. Especially... The lyrics for the songs, 7 years. How did you come up with that stuff? I don't normally choke up while hearing a song, but the Song manages to do that for me."

"Yeah. I wrote it myself…I-" Before I could continue, Phil grabbed my shoulder from behind.

"Edward…The songs are awesome!" Phil complimented excitedly. Claire walked behind Phil, her face full of contemplation.

'Should I address his mommy issues first? Or alcohol abuse?' Claire thought.

I looked at the time, and it was almost 5 o'clock. "I think we should go back now. My dad usually gets back at 5.30."

Although I want to stay longer, I am just a 14-year-old kid. "I can give you a ride home if you want." Phil offered.

"That'll be great."

"No. Don't." Haley suddenly interjected from behind the Dunphys.

"Haley. When did you come here?" Claire asked in confusion. Haley had ditched her friends and ran to her family in a feat rarer than a volcano explosion after hearing the Song. Now she wanted to go home and stop thinking about it.

"Don't give him a ride. I'm riding home with you. Can we go back now?" Haley asked her dad.

"I'm sorry. Am I missing something here?" Cam asked as he could sense the tension between Haley and Edward.

"Well…We kinda had a fight before this." I confessed while scratching my left cheek.

"What?" Phil looked at Haley and me…and then settled his gaze on Haley.

"What did you fight about?" Phil asked.

"I don't want to talk about it. Just know he's a jerk! Don't be so friendly with my family, you creep!" Haley said.

"HALEY!" Claire widened her eyes in surprise as she saw her daughter's unruly behavior.

"It's okay, Clai- Mrs. Dunphy. I was a jerk to her before. I understand that she couldn't stand me." I said calmly. Haley was stunned, and so did the rest of the group there.

"Ooooh. Drama. This is what I live for." Pepper muttered whisperingly. "I know, right?" Mitchell agreed with Pepper.

"Can you explain from the start? What happened?" Phil asked. He then turned to Haley, "I don't think he is a bad guy. Let's try to get to the bottom of this. What exactly happened?"

"He came to audition for Dylan's band. They didn't let him in, and then he cursed out everyone there while destroying Brian's garage!" Haley said.

"Ed. What happened? Tell me your side of the story." Cam asked.

I sighed, and I explained the whole situation. "Well, I came to the audition because of a flyer. It's for a bass guitarist in the band."

"I never learned bass before, so I practised hard."

Cam interjected, trying to guess the story, "So, you failed in the audition, got your ego hurt, and lashed out at everyone?"

"If… I could play in the first place. That will be true." I said.

Cam widened his eyes and said, "I'm sorry…Continue."

"So I came to the band practice to audition. But then, a girl I will name Yoko from now on as I deleted her name from my brain instantly after the incident. She mocked me before I even played."

"She's-" Haley tried to interject, but Phil stopped her in his rare sternness. "Let him finish, Haley."

"First. She mocked my clothes. Said I was homeless. I will bring the band image down. I will hurt the band's reputation. That was before I could even say hello." I continued.

Mitchell suddenly placed his hand on my shoulder. "It's okay."

"I'm okay. It doesn't bother me anymore." I said and patted his hand twice before he released it.

"I tried to play, but Yoko brought up how my mother had run away from my family. And she continued to be rude to me." I continued in a calm tone.

"Your mother…is gone?" Pepper asked in shock. He now has a new understanding of the Amnesia song.

"Yes. She decided she was a lesbian after 12 years of marriage. Run away from the family with her lover. Cut off all contact with my dad and me. Filed for divorce and disappeared forever."

The gays rolled their eyes and mouthed the word 'lesbians' without any sounds.

I am still casual, but the gay group there didn't expect a simple teenage fight to bring out a more depressing topic. Honestly, they would find out soon from Claire and Phil, so I would rather they know it from me.

"So I cursed at her. I told her, If you don't want to listen, then why the audition? She said then they already had a bass player. Her boyfriend auditioned the day before and asked me to get lost."

"I knew right then that I never had a chance, to begin with, so I flipped out," I concluded the story. "Haley wasn't the one I was mad at, but I may have cursed at her as she was there. I'm sorry, Haley," I said sincerely.

"Haley, Ed is saying he's sorry-" Phil tried to interject after Haley didn't respond to the apology.

"He called me '10 bucks an hour girl' you can get down the street!" Haley exploded at her father. Cam and Pepper giggled, and they got hit in the back by Mitch. Then, Mitch covered his mouth with his hand and laughed a bit too.

"To be fair, I was calling your friend that. You're just collateral damage." I explained.

Inwardly, I thought, 'Basically, I flipped out like Jake Peralta, calling everyone's mothers.'

[C/A Jake Peralta? Nice.]

-Flashback Cutscene-

"And your MOTHER!" Ed cursed at Dylan. "And your mother!" He cursed at Haley. "And your mother's little dog!"

Brain interjected, "You're done!"

"No. I'm not done! You can't handle THE ME!"

-Cutscene ends-

"That didn't make it okay!" Haley shouted and ran away outside the cafe. Claire called her out and quickly pulled Luke with her to chase Haley.

"Phil. Settle this. I will bring Haley home. I will have a talk with her in the car." Claire said. "I want my iced chocolate-" Luke tried to object, but Claire had already pulled him away.

"Okay," Phil replied. "Edward, you already know what you did was wrong, so I wouldn't make you feel bad anymore."

"... that's it?" I asked in confusion. Pepper was called by Steven and Stephan to the VIP booth, so he got up and walked there.

"Yeah… you even apologised. Now, it's up to Haley whether or not she'll take your apology." Phil explained with a smile. "So I need you to work a bit hard on that when you come to our house for dinner tomorrow."

"I'm coming to dinner tomorrow?" I said flabbergasted.

"Yeah. We need to settle this soon. I'd like to invite you today, but you already have plans with your dad, so…" Phil said.

"Settle what? I don't need to beg for her forgiveness, Phil. No offence, but I don't feel like getting closer to her." I said calmly. Phil smiled as he'd expected this and replied, "Well…consider it a payment for getting you to the grocery store. How about that?"

"Hmm… Okay, fine." I said in defeat.

[Phil's commentary.]

"When Edward comes by tomorrow, I will show him some of the songs I've been writing in my spare time…." He laughed excitedly before he realised he was missing something.

"Oh yes. And fix the kids' relationship. Edward is a good boy. I'm sure he'll be a good friend …for Haley."

[Commentary ends.]

"Phil, we're going to take him back, so you don't have to worry," Cameron said. Phil nodded and said, "Okay. I will go back now and try to calm Haley down."

He ran after his family, pinning me to the corner and forcing me to accept the invitation to dinner at his house. I shook my head as I thought, 'I'd avoided the awkward situation. Why the hell did it come back?'

"We must go now if we want to stop by Longinus boutique," Pepper said abruptly as he came back and stood behind Cam and Mitch.

"Whydo we need to go there again?" Mitchell asked in confusion.

"To pick up the fabrics Edward wants. Also, Steven and Stephan decided to pay you for your performance and for bringing the customers in. They also asked if you could play this Thursday night again, but I declined as the time slot is near midnight, and you need to go to school." Pepper said and handed me an envelope.

I didn't open it on the spot and placed it in the back of my pocket. "Congratulations, Edward. Not many songwriters could say that their Song had made money, but you can." Cam congratulated me sincerely.

"Why fabrics?" Mitchell asked again.

"If you weren't late, you would know." I teased.

[Cam and Mitch Commentary.]

"Urghh! That boy is making me so angry!" Mitchell said in frustration. Cam laughed at him and said, "He sure can hold a grudge. That's why I never went back on my promise to meet up with someone."

"Sure. Let's go with Never." Mitchell rolled his eyes and mouthed, 'Try couldn't.'

"You know. Edward reminded me so much of when I was young. I am…also as musically inclined as he is." Cam said smugly. Mitchell rolled his eyes again.

"Music is more fun when you play it with someone else. Some friends kicked me out of the band because I was different. Some even straight away tell me that I can't play with them because I'm a homosexual, and they don't want to hear HELL music coming from me."

"That didn't go in the direction I expected," Mitchell commented.

"But Edward isn't gay? He is a good dresser, but I don't think we can judge him on that. Boys nowadays aren't as bothered with traditional masculinity as in the olden days. He may just be a really good dresser."

"I'm not saying he is. Even I am only 60% sure that he's gay. When we're walking around earlier…."

-Flashback.-

A group of models in bikinis was walking by inside the mall and inside the group's eyesight.

"Ohh la la. I wonder if they will get cold inside the mall with such clothing." Pepper said sarcastically. "Seeing things poking out from their bikinis, I think they had been cold for a long time." Cam added.

Cam and Pepper chuckled and turned to look at Edward, but they were taken aback by what they saw. Edward was staring at a cute boy heading in the opposite direction of the models instead of the group of models with skimpy clothings.

[Cam and Mitch's commentary continues.]

"Right? Maybe he's not all the way there, but he has some of the characteristics." Cam said.

[Edward commentary]

"Wait…I got one of these too? So cool…So anyway, I think I saw Shawn Mendes at the mall today. He has a funny-looking bowl cut that made me stare at him the whole time. It was freaking funny."