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Chapter 128: Yes, Monsignor
🕑 Added 2025-06-11 12:03:23 +0000 UTCBritney and I kept exchanging messages. In just a few months since we met, we’d become good friends.
She’s funny and genuinely nice—a far cry from the chaotic image I had of her in my past life. Maybe it’s because she hasn’t yet run into the tabloid storms (I’m still not sure how true those stories about heavy drug use were, but if she ever starts heading down that path, I’ll do my best to stop it).
She’s just a little needy, that’s all.
After class ended, I announced to the whole group that there would be a Halloween party at my house in Santa Monica.
Then Cara came over to talk with Pippa. But before that, she turned to me with a smile.
"Hey Jake, we sure will go to your party!" she exclaimed, placing an arm around Pippa.
Pippa agreed with a small nod.
I smiled back and replied, "Great, you are all welcome!"
Cara turned to Pippa, visibly excited.
"I can’t wait to get home and listen to Marshmello’s new songs! According to what my sister texted me, it’s five tracks. Their names are: Something Just Like This (Chainsmokers), Don’t Let Me Down (Chainsmokers), A Sky Full of Stars (Coldplay), I’m Good (David Guetta), and Time of Our Lives (Pitbull)."
I smirked and said, "The first one is by far the best."
"You already heard it?" Cara asked, a little astonished—considering the songs had only dropped two classes ago.
Pippa turned to me and glared. "Jake does everything during class... except pay attention to it."
I gasped, "How could you say that, Pip?"
---
After school, I headed back to the Malibu house.
As I stepped through the front door, I heard Charlie call out from the living room, "Hey, Jake. Do you remember Lisa?"
I turned and saw a beautiful blonde girl standing beside him.
"Yes, last Thanksgiving. Lisa Geller. Or whatever surname you have now..." I said, trailing off as I remembered she was supposed to be getting married.
"Good to see you again, Jake," Lisa replied with a smile.
"And her surname will be back to Geller," Uncle Charlie added with a smirk.
I raised an eyebrow and gave a charming grin. "Soo, what happened?"
Lisa glared at Charlie. "What are you teaching this boy?"
Apparently, I asked the same question and in the exact same tone as my uncle...
"Nothing. He didn’t learn that from me..." Charlie said, hands up in mock innocence.
Still, Lisa answered, "I thought he was the sweetest guy in the world... but after we got married, he changed. He started drinking a lot and lying around the house all day. And then I caught him in the shower with some bimbo."
"Some guys, huh?" I muttered, sneaking a look at Uncle Charlie.
"Yeah. If I wanted that kind of life, I could have stayed with your uncle," Lisa finished.
I murmured, "And yet you're here..."
Then added, "With my uncle, it would be much better. He’s still a funny guy. And you wouldn’t catch him in the shower with some bimbo—"
Lisa looked at me suspiciously, not believing the last part.
I explained, "—we have security now, so I’d warn him before you could catch him in the act."
Lisa glared at me, while Charlie gave a neutral, "Thank you," not quite sure what to think about the last part.
Then we heard the sound of a baby crying. I looked around and spotted a baby in a carrier seat by the couch.
"This is?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That’s my angel," Lisa replied sweetly.
I leaned slightly toward Charlie and murmured, "That’s not yours, right?"
"No!" both Lisa and Charlie answered at the same time.
Then Charlie turned to her. "No?"
"NO!" Lisa repeated, louder.
"Hey, I'm not judging," I added quickly, raising my hands. "And from what you told me, your ex-husband can’t either..."
We chatted a bit more, then Lisa and Uncle Charlie headed out to her place.
I made my way to the other room and flopped down on the couch to watch some TV.
On the screen, the presenter was speaking energetically. "Marshmello released another five songs, and they are already flooding our radio stations. Can he even become more popular?" he asked rhetorically.
Then he turned to the commentator.
"Yes, John. He’s not giving anyone else a chance anymore. He keeps releasing song after song after song... How can other artists even compete with that?"
He continued, "And it feels like déjà vu—reminds me of the first time he dropped five songs all at once at the beginning.
Last week, when I went out to a club, I basically heard only two songs that weren’t his: 'One More Time' by Daft Punk and 'Played-A-Live (The Bongo Song)' by Safri Duo. He’s basically monopolizing the genre.
If in the last decade electronic music broke into the mainstream with artists like The Prodigy, Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, and Chemical Brothers—today, one name alone seems to represent the entire revolution."
The presenter jumped back in, "Now the term 'Electronic Dance Music'—EDM—has become widely popular. It's even printed on Marshmello’s album cover."
"Yes," the commentator added, "It refers to a type of electronic music made specifically for dancing, often with a pop edge. Marshmello didn’t invent the term—it existed before him—but it’s undeniable: if someone wants to explain what EDM is nowadays, there’s no way to do it without mentioning his name."
I turned off the TV and decided to head to the house in Santa Monica. Uncle Charlie had left with Lisa, and my dad wasn’t expected back until late anyway.
