ChapterTwelve-Power Tangle

September 4th, 2007

 It's now September, and UTurn are now back in Boston. They've wrapped promotions for their Western European/North American single, Our Love; they released their debut Eastern European album, Here We Go; and have wrapped up their first-ever Eastern European tour, U.T.U.R.N. Tour. The charts for their debut British single staggered at 30. Their Eastern European debut album charted at 20, and their tour was almost sold-out in Moscow, Russia, Kiev, Ukraine, and Bucharest, Romania.

 About a month after Andrew and Alyson hooked up, they went on "pregnancy watch." As It turned out, Alyson was on birth control pills on the night it happened. Plus, she had her period on time, so she's not pregnant.

 All the while, Libby and Amanda had been trying to seduce Andrew. Andrew, on the other hand, struggled to avoid them. Alyson eventually found out, so she confronted the two girls. Also, Trevor just became Libby's boyfriend.

 The UTurn members arrived at Maurice's office for a meeting. Their promotions for both albums, Turn It Up and Here We Go, are starting to close as they're getting ready to release two final singles: Letting You Go for North America, and Dangerous for Eastern Europe. So as a result, it was time to discuss future plans.

 The members sat in front of their manager as he begun the meeting: "Okay, due to the sales of your British debut, we might have to figure out a way to gain more popularity, But in the meantime, we'll be focusing on growing your mild success. You'll be releasing your third album in North America, and your second album in Eastern Europe."

 The members liked the thought of that. Then Andrew asked, "What will our image be? Almost all of us are 18. I think it's time for us to start having a mature look."

 Alyson added, "Yeah, and when he says 'mature look,' he doesn't mean trashy. We can't have two images. Our fans from both America and Russia are talking. To each other."

 Andrew continued, "Our fans aren't stupid. This whole two-image crap is hurting our chance for success in Britain and Western Europe. They all know what's going on. They're already accusing us of having an 'identity crisis'. And besides, we already issued a court-order mandate on you and everyone else we're working with to tone down the sexuality."

 Maurice replied smugly, "Yeah, that mandate is out the window."

 As Andrew was about to confront him, Maurice stopped him, "Andrew John Hawthorne, you have no authority whatsoever in the band. Your parents may be lawyers, but you are nothing to me and everyone else. You're just a kid."

 With that, Andrew was getting ready to fight Maurice. Justin and Trevor stopped him. Alyson confronted Maurice, "Look, Andrew, and all of us for that matter, have every right to be angry. I was the one who created this band, along with Justin, Bailey, and Andrew. You didn't create UTurn. So we should have authority."

 Maurice told Alyson sternly, "I may have not created UTurn, but I manage UTurn. If you didn't have me, you all would've split up a long time ago. Got it?"

 With that, the members became silent. Maurice then calmly continued, "Now, UTurn will once again have two images. The trend here in North America is Disney. The Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus as both herself and Hannah Montana, and High School Musical are biggest teen music makers. Since you are an established act, you need to compete with them. So you'll have a tween-friendly image with a pop-rock sound. You won't be dancing much."

 Andrew replied with a snarky remark, "So we'll be a bunch 18-year-olds trying to look like 12-year-olds."

 Maurice resumed talking while ignoring Andrew, "As for Russia and the rest of Eastern Europe, you'll be having a sexed-up image. I've teamed up with some of Russia's top marketers. We all agreed that to throw out the court-ordered mandate, and go all out with the sexuality."

 Bailey asked nervously, "How far are we going to go?"

 Maurice replied, "Music videos with sex scenes, revealing outfits, and same-sex kissing, with a Eurodance-pop sound."

 The members were in shock when they heard that last part. All of them are straight, and they never did anything like that.

 Andrew spoke out angrily, "You are f*cking crazy?! Our fans are already figuring out that Aly and I are together. Justin and I are being questioned if we're either gay or bisexual due to our so-called 'outfits'. We don't need to add gay rumors to the list of scandals."

 Alyson angrily added, "Yeah, we're not gonna turn into some sex band for Russia! We just barely turned 18, and already you're trying to turn us into porn-stars!"

 Maurice, once again, ignored Alyson and Andrew, and continued, "Pack up for New York City. In two days, we're be meeting with the executives of the Disney Channel. Meeting adjourned."

 With that, UTurn coldly left his office.

 It's now an hour later, and the UTurn members were back in their house. They were still fuming over the meeting. They all sat in the living room for their own meeting.

 Andrew spoke up, "We can't let Maurice keep bullying us like this. We need to have our own image with our own sound."

 Stacie asked, "What should be our image and sound?"

 Then there was silence for a minute or two. Soon Alyson spoke up, "I think we should be sexy, but not trashy. We should make a smooth transition from teen stars to adult stars. As for our sound, we should do dance-pop. That seems to be the trend here in the US, and it's already popular in Russia."

 Amanda asked, "So are we still trying to be the new American S Club 8?"

 Andrew suggested, "I think it's time we start moving away from the whole 'American S Club 8' concept. We're already being called the 'R-rated S Club 8.' I mean, we can still be influenced by them, but I think we need our own identity."

 Justin asked, "But how exactly are we gonna do that? We've developed an S Club 8-like image. It might be impossible for us get out of that concept."

 Alyson replied, "We'll figure this out."

 It's a few days later, and UTurn are now at NYC. They're meeting with the executives of The Disney Channel. The members, along with Maurice, arrived at the meeting.

 One of the executives spoke up, "You know by now that there were plans for UTurn to start having their own TV series. Well, after your manager talked with us, The Disney Channel would be glad to produce and air your series."

 With that, the UTurn members were excited. They've been wanting to do a TV series for some time, but they were too busy with school, recording sessions, and promotions.

 Andrew asked, "What will the TV series be about?"

 One of the executive replied, "Let me ask you all this question: Had any of you watch the S Club 7 series when you were younger?"

 The members answered that they did. Then the executive said, "Well, we decided to create a series inspired by S Club 7's series."

 The members were pleased with this concept. Andrew, once again, asked "So the storyline would be about us going across the US to get signed and become famous?"

 The executive replied, "Yes, that will be the storyline. As for the characters, you'll all be very cheesy and outlandish. Think Hannah Montana with exaggerations."

 With that, the members' faces became visibly irritated. Alyson spoke up, "So we'll be even more cheesy than ever? Let me guess, we'll be filming a porn movie for Russia?"

 Maurice said her name sternly, but Alyson continued on, "No Maurice, that's exactly where this is leading! This two-image crap needs to stop!"

 Maurice then scolded her, "Alyson Bauer, enough! No one, not even Andrew, has any say for UTurn's direction."

 Alyson told him in a low voice, "We're not afraid of you. We'll stand up for our rights, and we'll speak out against you."

 With that, Alyson got up from her seat. Immediately, the other members followed her. As they were about to walk out, Maurice stopped them with this threat: "If you walk out that door, UTurn will dropped, and I will make sure you don't get pick up by any label, American and Canadian."

 The members turned to face their manager. Their faces were showing anger. Then Andrew responded with a stiff voice, "You would blackmail us just so you can keep controlling us?"

 Maurice replied, "That's exactly what I'm doing. You can stay together and sell records, or your careers can be utterly destroyed. Take your pick, but know this: I will squash any chance of you speaking slander against me. Get it, powerless children?"

 With that, the members stood there, cold and silent. This was the beginning of war.

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THERE ARE TWO SONGS. IN THE VIDEO SECTION, THIS SONG IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT COULD BE ON UTURN'S EASTERN EUROPEAN ALBUM. IN THE EXTERNAL LINK, THAT SONG IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT COULD BE ON THEIR NORTH AMERICAN ALBUM.