Romeo & Juliet - The Killers (PART 3)

A year went by and things started to look up for Will and his band. They played gig after gig around the local pubs and clubs and finally, finally, someone spotted them.

Nothing could take away Will’s wide smile as he and the guys walked out of the studio having just signed a deal with a top label. That night, they went out and celebrated. In the morning, Will still had a grin on his face. He stayed in bed all day, savouring the knowledge that his dream was finally coming true.

That evening, dressed in pyjama bottoms and an old Bullet for My Valentine T-shirt, he made himself a cup of tea. He sat on his sofa and flicked on the TV. Will nearly dropped his tea down his front when he recognised the red-haired woman on screen.

The phone rang next to him and he seized it with his free hand.

‘Gemmazontelly!’ slurred Tony, the drummer, from the other end of the line.

‘Yeah, I just saw. You’re still celebrating?’

‘Yeaha! I’m happy Will, izall goin’ good!’

The phone went dead, Will chuckled to himself and he looked back at the screen. It was indeed, all going good.

 

 

Adrenaline pumped through his veins as Will and his band jumped off-stage after a sold-out Wembley Arena gig.

‘That was f*****g ace!’ Chris punched the air with victory.

‘Good show guys!’ Terry, their manager, walked towards the White Wolves, winding his way through wires and plugs. ‘I’ve got news �" tomorrow you’ll be going to the Premiere of the new James Bond and the director wants to talk to you about a song for the next film’s soundtrack.’

The band roared with approval. Jim started walking stealthily away, singing the Bond theme to the others. They laughed and followed him to the dressing room to cool off.

 

The following evening found the White Wolves dressed in sharp grey suits in the back seats of a long white limousine. They heard screaming outside the car and they knew they were close to Leicester Square Odeon. Will tapped his converse nervously on the floor of the car.

‘Hey, chill, we’ve performed on stage to more people than are here tonight buddy!’ Tony clapped him on the back.

‘I know, but I’m playing music then, I know what I’m doing. Here I’m just standing around waving and smiling at people.’

‘He’s right Tony, waving and smiling is far too difficult for our William. Maybe we should leave him in the car… Do you mind babysitting him Chris?’ joked Jim.

‘Alright, alright guys,’ Will laughed, the guys could always cheer him up. ‘I’ll be fine when I’m out there.’

‘Speaking of, we’re there now.’ Their driver, Craig, informed them through the window between the driver and the back.

There was a smart clunk as the door was opened and a wave of sound hit them. Jim, the cocky guitarist, went first. Then Tony, the confident drummer. Chris, the quiet bassist followed them. The screams increased in volume as Will, the handsome lead vocals and guitar stepped out of the limo.

They were ushered by a harassed looking photographer towards a huge poster of the new Bond Film. The band had been so busy on tour that they hadn’t seen the hype that the film had created across the U.K. The camera flickered, the photographer bustled off to find new celebrities. Will turned around and looked at the poster, the names emblazoned across the top. One of them made him pause and nudge Tony.

‘What?’

‘Gemma.’

The rest of the band looked up and read the name. It did indeed say, in gold capital letters, Gemma Williamson.

Jim smirked at Will and winked. But before he could say anything, Janine, the band’s media advisor, slipped elegantly between them and briefed the band.

‘Right, all you need to do is go out there and sign autographs. Be nice to the fans, and you’ll sell out more concerts. Don’t decline interviews, but do try and go for the big shots.’ The band nodded and took a pen each that she was handing out. ‘Be stars!’ She called after them, that was her catchphrase.

 

Out on the Red Carpet, Will was surrounded by adoration. Film fans screamed his name and thrust notepads towards him. He signed as many as he could and spoke to a few of them. He was quite surprised to find that many of the ones he spoke to had been on the band’s tour. He told a security guard to back off as he hugged a fan for a photo. The guard’s body was about twice as thick as Will’s, but he couldn’t do anything to stop the photo from being taken.

‘Over here! Over here!’ A radio presenter called to him, a sticker on the microphone told him that they were from Radio One. He thought that Janine would approve.

‘Well I’m here, now, with Will McGregor of the White Wolves!’ The presenter enthused for a few moments about the current tour and asked if they’d be interested in going on the show sometime. He said they’d be thrilled to and he’d talk to their media manager. The rest of the band joined him as he talked to the presenter about how he loved the Bond films as a boy.

The screams increased again as a new star arrived. Tony nudged Will mischievously so that he turned to see who it was.

Even though it had been years since he had last seen her in the flesh, there was no mistaking her. The long, luscious red hair, tall elegant frame, high cheek-boned face and sparkling hazel eyes. Will knew that it was Gemma. As the band continued talking to the presenter, Will watched Gemma pose perfectly for the paparazzi in between signing autographs for her fans. She was to play the villain in the new film.

Halfway down the Red Carpet she spotted him. The band had just finished their radio interview.

‘Will! Wow, it’s been a long time!’ Gemma rushed gracefully up to him in her slender black dress. She reached up and put her arms around him in a hug, he hugged her back, a smile breaking out across his face.

‘Congratulations, you’ve made it big.’ He said, looking down at her warm eyes.

‘So have you! I went to your gig last night,’ she admitted guiltily. ‘You sang one of the songs you wrote at Summer Camp.’ She blushed slightly as she said it, but it made Will feel ecstatic to know that she remembered a specific song from all those years ago.

Gemma looked away, embarrassed, and turned to the rest of the band and hugged them each in turn.

She said a quick goodbye to them as she was called away by the Radio One presenter. Will was grabbed by another photographer who snapped a few shots of him signing autographs for fans.

He passed by Gemma and the presenter, close enough to hear what they were saying.

‘So, you seem to have already met the White Wolves, and you were quite friendly with their lead singer, Will McGregor.’ The presenter winked knowingly.

‘Oh, Will?’ Gemma laughed as if she had forgotten, ‘we went to a Summer Camp together, it was nothing.’

Nothing. The happy feeling Will had inside of him evaporated, like a flame that had been extinguished. A camera caught his confused, shocked face. Gemma flicked a glance towards him and met his blue eyes. She didn’t realise he had heard her, but one look at his stony face and she understood immediately. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. Her face paled slightly and she nervously bit her lip. She apologised to the presenter and said she had to go elsewhere. Gemma turned to go to Will and say sorry, but he wasn’t there anymore.

Both of them tried to put on smiles for their fans, but inside they were both uncertain.

 

“You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin

Now you just say, "Oh, Romeo, yeah, you know

I used to have a scene with him"

 

Author's Note

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