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Chapter 109 July Vacation
🕑 Added 2025-05-22 14:14:49 +0000 UTCThe air was filled with the sound of waves rolling in gently from the ocean, blending perfectly with the soft laughter coming from the group gathered outside.
Carly, Sam, Freddie, Cher, Laura, Regina, and I were all sitting on the deck, scattered around a mix of lounge chairs and wooden benches. Drinks in hand, snacks spread across a low table.
Laura was curled up beside me, her legs tucked under her as she sipped a cold soda. Carly and Sam were sharing a bag of chips, both occasionally tossing comments back and forth about a show they'd started watching.
Sam stretched with a loud sigh. "Ahh, vacations are the best."
"Surprisingly, everything’s went smoothly," I said, glancing toward Sam.
She narrowed her eyes. "You wanna say something?"
"No," I replied, holding back a grin. "Just happy to have you in the same grade as us in September."
The group chuckled.
Then Cher turned to me with a smirk. "So, mister number one from our grade, what’s the news?"
I reached under my chair and pulled out a box, setting it on the deck and opening it with a small flourish.
"Here’s the Marshmello CD," I said, grabbing a handful and passing them to Laura on my right and another to Cher on my left.
Both girls began handing them down to the others, making sure everyone got one.
"I saw it in the ads, but I think the design looks cool," Laura said. The CD cover was completely white, with just the two eyes and the Marshmello smile.
Nothing too creative—but I liked it.
"And it even has my autograph. So it’s pretty rare," I added with a grin.
Pepper made me create an autograph. But I signed very few CDs—only for family, close friends, and a few Pepper specifically asked for. None of them will be commercially sold with an original signature, just the printed one that comes naturally on the cover.
"Mello and a smile," Sam said, turning the CD around.
The autograph was just the word "Mello" with two X’s and a curve next to it, forming a simple smiling face.
Everyone complimented it.
Then Carly looked at me curiously. "What about the premium version? You still haven’t told us what it is. And the ads say it’ll include two exclusive songs."
"About that," I said, leaning back a bit. "One of the songs will be with Christina Aguilera."
That instantly earned a round of excited squeals from the girls.
Freddie, on the other hand, stayed quiet—apparently having learned from last time.
"And the second one?" Cher asked.
"We haven’t locked it in yet," I replied. "Negotiations are still in the early stages, but we might have some news later this week."
"Come on, now you need to tell us," said Regina, as I made a show of mystery just to tease them.
"Okay, I will say it," I said, pausing. "But remember, we don’t really know if she’ll accept."
" Damn, just say it," said Cher, a little impatient.
I laughed and said, "Britney."
Now there were full-on screams, especially from Cher and Regina. A chorus of "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" filled the deck.
After a moment, Laura leaned in and whispered to me, still stunned, "You wouldn't have been so mean to say Britney and mean another Britney, not Spears, right?"
"Nah, that would be too much. Those two would kill me," I said, glancing at Cher and Regina.
I took Laura’s hand gently, rubbing my thumb across it. "And I'm a singer too. I’d love to have Britney Spears in one of my songs."
Especially now that she’s at the top
"Okay, let's calm down," I said, trying to pull Cher and Regina back from their full-on fantasy trip.
Then I shifted the subject. "I need to say, Cher, you did great in the Titanium clip," I added.
"See, I told you I was natural," said Cher, a little pompous.
"Oh great, we have another Jake," said Sam, joking.
"What she's not saying—neither is Regina—is that the two of them have been taking acting classes with me for a few months now," Laura revealed, sharing a secret with a sly smile.
"What??" That took me by surprise. And judging by the expressions on Carly, Sam, and Freddie’s faces, none of them knew either.
"Where do you think we’ve been going on Tuesdays and Thursdays?" Cher said with a grin.
"I don't know... shopping!?" I guessed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
The two of them gasped indignantly, but then paused, looked at each other, and said in unison, "Makes sense!"
Carly raised an eyebrow. "So... you guys want to be actresses?"
"Yes," both Cher and Regina answered at once.
"We talked with Laura," Cher added. "And we know how hard it is."
Regina nodded. "But we think it's worth giving a try."
"Huh," I murmured, caught off guard.
I remember seeing a few scripts in the packets Pepper sent me about popular girls. Two stood out to me—Clueless and Mean Girls. I’m pretty sure I heard those titles back in my past life. I never actually watched them, didn’t even know who the characters were. But I have a weird feeling those movies are perfect for these two.
Next year, I think I could test it—see if they can really act in a movie.
I glanced at Carly. She seemed more like the spontaneous type. I still think about the iCarly idea. The internet still needs some time to mature, but it could be made into a kids' show. I'll talk to Pepper and see what could be done.
Laura nudged my shoulder. "What are you thinking so deeply?"
"Something that I hope you’ll see maybe next year. And might, in the future, involve you," I said with a smile.
Laura looked at me, confused. "Involve me? What do you mean?"
I just winked and leaned back
"You’re being cryptic again," she said, nudging me playfully.
"It’s part of the charm," I replied.
She rolled her eyes, but smiled, and rested her head on my shoulder
She was enjoying her last few days before going back to Canada
