Grayson Archer

"Hell is empty all the devils are here."- William Shakesphere

The crowd cheered as we closed the stage and welcomed the VIPS backstage to the waiting room, while we put our instruments up. I sling my red and white electric guitar over my shoulder to get it off and I sit it down on its stand  so it can be loaded up into my car and taken back to my house.

"Good job tonight guys, meeting in my dressing room after meet and greets." Austin, Our manager calls out. " Have you finished that new song?"Charlie asks me, as he slings his arm over my shoulders and starts to walk with me. "I'm working on it, just gotta get the last verse down and then it'll be good." I reply. " Alright, we need it in two days, remember." Charlie says. " Got it." I say. Charlie pats my shoulder and then walks off, going to his dressing room.

I mark another show off my calendar and wipe sweat from my face before leaning back on my black leather couch. I let out a deep sigh, another show, another check. Another lonely night is coming up. No time for those thoughts though, I have fans waiting to meet the great Grayson Archer. I pull myself together and spray some cologne on, rinse my mouth with mouthwash, and apply some lip balm before heading to the VIP rooms.

After the meet and greets are over and a thousand pictures are taken. I love my fans, I do but sometimes all of it can be too much. Now it's time for the band meeting and trust me I don't rush to it.

" Last as always, Charlie and Gray." Austin says. I'm not fazed, I just casually take my seat on the couch along with grabbing the bowl of pretzels he always has on his coffee table and start to shovel some in my mouth. " So I called in your promotion coordinator in.''Austin says, holding his hand over to Bridget. " So with recent magazine columns and questions coming out she has determined what we need to take each one of your socials and fan life up in general. I will give the floor to her now." Austin says introducing his wife. Bridget walks from her seat at his desk and in the front of the room where we can see her dressed in her professional but casual outfit for the concert.

I hate these meetings. They absolutely bore me but then again it's better than being at home. A big house with no company is just pathetic.

" Okay as for the main band account I think we should work on group posts. Be more active. You guys are teenagers. Go out, take pictures and upload them, ask them questions, do TikTok's but interact more. I also think we should start doing meet-me interviews. Once a month one of you hosts a zoom chat and a limited number of people get five to ten minutes with you. Maybe fifty people each month. Two of you do this so they can talk to you all."

That was the boring part, and now is where she gets into the drama of it all about gossip but this is boring. We need to post more. Why couldn't she just say that?

" Now onto what people are saying about you all. Scarlett and Charlie everyone is saying how your blooming relationship could affect the band and they think this isn't why you all aren't posting, so you both should address that and post each other a couple of times maybe. Show people, the band is doing well even with this." Charlie and Scarlett look at each other a few times during this and then they eye the rest of us but we kinda aren't listening very much. It's just we don't care that they are together. It's about time, they had crushes on each other on and off since eighth grade.

" Kenan everyone is into your relationship with Navea but we want to put you two out there more, see you two out and about. I scheduled a photo shoot with Teen Couples magazine for you two." Of course they need more publicity. They are the good ones, the perfect couple.

I can't believe their love. They have been together for two years. Classic sports romances, a cheerleader, and a basketball player, But Kenan has always been the guy who wanted to get tied down and he found his one.

" Okay Shawn your recent interview with Teen Vogue has blown up and is bringing in good press about your relationship with Zara Shane. I know you've said it's platonic but you pick the girl up from school and people are curious." Bridget says. Shawn is the quiet one out of us but not like Kenan quiet, he's serious and angry quiet.

Zara is his neighbor and she is two years younger which makes her seventeen, she is a junior and he picks her up from school every day. It's cute, ya know in an annoyingly perfect way.

"There's nothing there, we are friends." Shawn reminds Bridget. We all know they have feelings for each other, whether they say it or not." You've said that but other sources don't believe that so maybe if we expand or explore that gossip." Bridget says, trying to explain how she wants to exploit Zara.

He's never gonna go for it.

"No." Shawn states. "No, what?" Bridget asks. "I'm not exploiting Zara or leaning into their gossip, regardless of what they think or what may or may not be true between us. That is none of anyone else's business." Shawn answers. Bridget doesn't push it, she just moves on.

"Raven you came out and now everyone is curious to see if you are with Rosette Abrams from the Chosen Ones.  I say keep the questions up and hang out with her, make people wonder, but don't start drama." We all know over our fall tour with the Chosen Ones when they became very popular and upcoming, it was their big break. Rosette and Raven  became close and a picture of them kissing was leaked and Raven came out as a lesbian. Rosette been came out, it's in her Instagram bio. Now they are close but not dating close or so we don't think.

"Finally Gray you are the only one no gossip is going around. Sure fans fawn over you but overall you have a private life but you are supposed to be our star we need to find you someone." Bridget points me out and I sit up at this.

" You mean you want him to date." Charlie says, holding back his laughter. " Well maybe not really date but we need to find you, someone, to stir up talk with. Maybe even a scandal if you will. To maybe come back from the Jazzlyn situation" Bridget explains. "You mean  more drama after Jazzlyn. I'm good that stuff isn't for me. Besides, I'm happy by myself." I shrug and eat a pretzel. " Come on there has to be someone you fancy.'' Kenan says, trying to help.

His normal pacemaker duties. Sometimes I hate it.

"Actually I don't. I'm fine alone. And I want to be alone." I say, specifically trying to get alone across. Then I sit back on the sofa eating more pretzels and kicking my feet up on the table. " Get your feet off my table Grayson ." Austin says and I remove them with a roll of my eyes. Fuck, how does he always know? " Sure you want to be alone." Charlie says to me. " I do." I simply say. " You know one day a girl is going to come into your life and turn you upside down and even though you are scared of commitment and being loved you won't be able to deny you've fallen for her." Kenan says. " Then that my friend shall be the day I give your whole love thing a try." I tell  him.

" So a relationship scandal is out the window." Bridget says and I nod. "Well, we will figure something out for you Gray." Bridget sighs. " Everyone dismissed. Up and early tomorrow the sweepstakes winners are  coming tomorrow." Austin says and I jump up, sitting his pretzel bowl back down but now it's basically empty. Austin looks at me knowingly and I mouth sorry but I know at this point he sits them out accepting the fact that he won't get to any.

"Are we going out tonight?" Raven asks us. Normally we all go out after a show. " I don't think tonight we should. We have sweepstake duties tomorrow and none of us have filmed the video we should have."Kenan recommends. " Yes father, we will get it done." Charlie replies in a cadet's voice and salutes Kenan. "But first picture, you heard what Bridget said about posting." Scarlett says pulling out her phone setting it up against the wall for a timed photo.

After the photo I went off and packed up my bag and headed out to my car that was waiting for me. Tonight I had Ornan pick me up and drive me home because I didn't bring my car and we were supposed to go out so I thought I'd ride with Charlie but since I'm going home I guess I'll take this way.

I've always liked the ride home from LA to Beverly Hills. It's almost thirty minutes but it's a nice ride and the last calm I get before getting home to my father and Lena but then I have Beatrix and she's my favorite person outside of Charlie.

I pull out my phone and text Beatrix, I'm on my way home before leaning my head on the window and watching the building go by.

***

" Thanks, Ornan." I say and grab my guitar and bag and exit the car, to walk up to the big white  house I live in. " See you tomorrow, Grayson." Ornan replies and closes the door and starts to walk up the stairs to the door.

I pad across the big opening area and sit my things beside the marble stairs before heading to the kitchen. " You're back." I hear my father say from the kitchen island. " I am." is all I say and open the fridge and grab a sprite. " You shouldn't be chugging down sugar at almost one in the morning." He tells me as he always does. " I'll be fine dad." I say, opening it and letting the sizzling coldness hit my mouth. " You have a workout in the morning." Dad tells me. " I know, be up at six am, no sleeping in." I reply before he walks out.

Just like how our talks normally go. He says what he needs to tell me or yells at me about and then walks away. It's more like living with a roommate than a dad. It's been like that since mom. I wish they never got that stupid divorce.

I make my way back to the stairs and up to my dark room at the end of the hall and drop my things Inside before heading to Bea's room. I knock on the door three times before she says come in. " How's my favorite sister?"I ask her. " I'm your only sister." Bea says. " I know."

" How was your show?"

"Good, I wanted to see you before I went to sleep." I tell her. " I know. I love you, Archie." Bea says and blows me a kiss. " I love you too Bea."

At least she loves me.