ChapterTen:The Rumours Are Real

FLASHBACK-Monday, March 1, 2004

Alex was in Seth's office, waiting to get his first script from Dare2Dream. He watched his manager taking out a packet from one of the drawers. He had to audition for the show, which he didn't understand why. He was playing an exaggerated version of himself. It wasn't like he was playing another bandmate, as if he wanted to be Caleb. The last thing he wanted to do was act like arrogant asshole over a stupid position.

Seth handed him the packet. Alex saw it was the second episode. He wasn't sure why that was the case. The only theory he could come up was that there would be people joining them in Nice, France. Maybe juniorConnect weren't going to be the main cast? Why couldn't they do things like Connect7 and their TV series?

He looked through the script to see where he would begin speaking. He raised an eyebrow at a conversation between him and some person name Kati:

Alex: You want me to wear a ruffle shirt?

Kati: You'll get the ladies that way!

Alex: I guess I could. Why not?

Alex looked at Seth, and asked, "So I'm the lad who wears stupid costumes?"

Seth shrugged, "The writers know you have your GCSEs. This is the best they can do."

"But how would me wearing a ruffle shirt get all the ladies? That sounds dumb."

"Well, your character on the show also thinks he's smooth with other girls. If you didn't have your exams, we'd expand your character."

"But couldn't you think of another way? My character sounds like he tries too hard."

Seth replied in a seemingly irritated tone, "Look, you got rumors surrounding you. People on these fan forums are saying that you might be gay. I know you have a girlfriend, but it's not enough."

Alex raised an eyebrow. It seemed either Seth's team did their research, or Caleb blabbed to him again. Probably both. He wanted to ask his manager but felt a bit scared. He figured he could just ask Caleb.

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Alex glanced at Caleb, who was doing his homework. So was Alex, but he felt he needed to confront his bandmate, as usual. It seemed the arguments were becoming more frequent.

He asked, "Did you talk to Seth recently?"

"Huh?" Caleb asked, seemingly absentminded.

Alex repeated his question with a little bit more forcefulness in his voice. Caleb replied, "No, why?"

"Seth's team is trying to make me seem more straight than I really am."

Caleb chuckled, "I mean, you got those rumors and those fanfictions. It's any wonder why they're trying to make you a ladies' man. I mean, you are, yeah?"

Alex kept his glare at Caleb. He wasn't sure if he really was a "ladies' man," a persona that was placed on him. He only had a few girlfriends, including the one he was dating. He knew he was straight, so why try to prove that he was? Wouldn't people press further with their questioning?

He noticed Caleb giving a smirk, so he said, "I'm straight, Caleb."

Caleb nodded his head, as if he didn't quite believe him. Alex rolled his eyes, going back to his GSCEs studies. Even though he was focused on the paper in front of him, he couldn't help but feel bothered by all of this.

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PRESENT DAY-Sunday, October 2, 2005

"Alex?" Jerrod's voice woke him up. He slowly pushed his comforter off his head to see his bandmate standing over him.

"What?" he asked groggily.

"Seth was on the phone. He said you need to meet with him within an hour or so."

"Why?" Alex groaned as he pulled the covers back over his head.

"I asked that too, and he said it's between him and you."

Alex sighed out of both exhaustion and irritation. He just wanted to stay inside and rest off his hangover. He downed a bottle of wine when he came back from the gay club. He never told his bandmates what he experienced there. He wanted to forget how everything felt; yet the guy he ran into was on his mind. Damn, two guys already?

He sat up on his bed, running his hand through his hair. He noticed Jerrod was staring at him, seemingly concerned for him.

Alex said, "I know, I drank a whole bottle of wine."

"You okay?" he asked.

Alex wasn't sure what to say. He never really opened up about anything. Sure, Caleb wasn't around to mock him, but he didn't feel like telling anyone the truth. The realization scared him enough to keep silent, push it to the back as far as possible.

Alex said, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine."

Alex sighed as he got out of his bed. As much as he wanted to stay home, he had a private meeting to attend to.

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Alex faced Seth in his office. He felt somewhat underdressed in his jeans and a plain tee underneath his black hoodie. Then again, it wasn't like a professional meeting.

Seth said, "You seem tired."

Alex yawned, "Yeah, I guess. It's that obvious?"

"Yes. You seem both tired and hungover."

He sighed, tugging at the hoodie, attempting not the pull it up. Seth continued, "You know you lot are about to start your promotions, yeah?"

"Yeah, I know, but we're just in rehearsals right now."

"Yes, but your gigs begin next weekend."

Alex sighed, rubbing his forehead, hoping that would nurse his hangover. Seth asked, "Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Can everyone stop asking me that?" Alex snapped. He looked at his manager, who seemed peeved by such an outburst.

He said calmly, though he was sure his tone came out as irritable, "I'm sorry. I'm just tired of people asking me if I'm fine. I mean it. I'm fine."

Alex looked away from Seth, not wanting to see his displeased face. Seth said, "I see. Well, I don't know what you're going through, but make sure you get your act together."

Alex kept his eyes on the desk as Seth continued, "I called for you because there are rumors surfacing that a young celebrity had gone to a gay nightclub last night."

He wanted to make a reaction but forced himself not to. He didn't want to give any hints to Seth that the rumors were true.

Seth added, "Some witnesses said that the person was a young man, around your age, wearing sunglasses. They said his voice sounded like yours."

Alex gripped the arm on the chair, though he tried to calm himself down. He told that bartender not to tell anyone he was there. Then again, there were other people that walked around them. They probably watched him have almost a meltdown at the club. He needed to go back there and confront that man. Wouldn't that just make the rumors worse?

Seth asked, "Alex, were you at that club last night?"

"No," he said flatly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am. I was at the penthouse."

"Alright, making sure. You know what people are saying about you. We can't have those rumors spiral out of control."

Alex kept staring at the corner of the wall. He wasn't going to confirm what Seth was saying. He was also going to make sure that guy wasn't going to say a word. He wasn't sure how, though. It wasn't like he was made of money. Sure, he made decent money during the first run of Connect8, but everything was split eight ways.

No, he just needed to talk to him.

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Alex walked into the nightclub with sunglasses and a baseball hat. He made sure he had them off when he approached the bouncer. It wasn't as busy as the night before, but it was still lively.

He eyed the bar, watching that guy mixing a drink. He must be barely twenty, probably juggling work and university. Alex figured that he could've become that, but would he want the taunting for not continuing his pop career? At least he didn't have to worry about that since his band got a TV gig on Friday evening.

Alex marched up to the bar, sitting in front of the guy. He glanced at Alex, then asked, "What would you like?"

"I need to talk to you," Alex said sternly, though he heard his voice crack a bit.

The man raised an eyebrow, and asked, "About what?"

"You didn't tell anyone that I was here last night, yeah?"

The man narrowed his eyes at him, as if he was trying to figure out if Alex was the same person from the night before. Then he asked, "Is that you?"

"Yeah, the same guy."

The bartender walked up to him, and said, "I didn't tell anyone anything. Why?"

"My manager told me there are reports of me being here."

"The only person I could think of that would leak that would be the bouncer. But I didn't go to the paparazzi or on MySpace. Your secret is safe with me."

Alex nodded his head, feeling somewhat satisfied. He got off the stool, ready to walk out of the club. He was going to walk towards the exit like planned, so why were his feet stuck to the floor?

He turned back to the guy, and asked, "What's your phone number?"