Chapter 77: Second Fiddle

At first it started distantly. Then it gradually amped up, the chants loud, crystal and excited!

"SILVER, COMETS!"

"SILVER, COMETS!"

"SILVER, COMETS!"

As a massive crowd in a very familiar auditorium--the very same auditorium they’d performed [Heal You] at before losing the competition--kept chanting their name, the silhouette of four decked-out individuals in rockstar outfits warming up backstage took up most of the screen.

Around them, was what one could’ve only assumed to be the coordinators of the concert of their very own.

On stage, and currently hyping up the ever-exuberant crowd, the host spoke;

"Two years ago, the world thought they were mad for going independent!"

"Yet, against all odds, they did the impossible, they topped the charts with their very first album, and they’ve proven, time and time again, that they would become the stars they wanted to be, on their own terms!"

"So, without further ado, everyone, give, it, up, foooooor... SILVEEEERRRR COMETS!!!"

No sooner had the host announced that, the four silhouettes looked to one another briefly with an acknowledging nod, of which three jogged out and onto the main stage, the crowd going wilder from their appearance.

As for the last silhouette, he stayed back a while, jumping a few more times in an effort to psych himself up for their performance.

Then, turning his head sideways, his father revealed to be dressed in a business suit and giving him a thumb up and equally a nod of approval, Owen faced forward, a proud smile on his lips.

Then, as the trio on stage kicked off the performance with the tune of [I’ll Keep Rising], Owen Winters jogged out and onto the stage much the same.

Then, the screen cut to black.

-

It was only a short scene. Not even up to a minute.

Yet, it added so much context and rounded things up perfectly.

For one, [Silver Comets] did in fact become a rather successful band.

Two, Henry Winters, clearly became their manager judging from how well-dressed he was.

And three, the quartet went independent, hence giving the audience the belief that they had remained tight-knit, even after their rise to fame.

Judging by the way the audience had once again broke into yet another round of applause, it seemed clear enough that they were left completely satisfied.

Brendan and his parents were much the same, and the latter glad that their kid’s first movie viewing experience at the cinema was [Silver Comets].

As for Brendan himself, he knew for a fact that he wasn’t just going to be renting the movie when it came out in Blu-ray, he was definitely going to buy it to support his favorite artist.

As for Bella, she was already searching online like many others, hoping that the soundtrack of the movie had already dropped on GrooveBox.

Seeing that it in fact, had, she inwardly squealed.

As for the quartet, they chose to do something rather... crazy.

Filing out of the auditorium alongside everyone else, their excited, exuberant chatters filling the air, they all sang together, their voices lively;

I’ll keep rising!

Like clockwork, everyone sang along without thinking twice!

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Once again, their voices repeated;

I’ll keep rising!

Yet again, the crowd followed up, some of them pumping up their fists into the air;

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

By now, the Tyler Kingstone fans had equally filed out of their theatres looking just as satisfied.

The only issue however, was that most of them had experienced the songs from the movie before at their own convenience so it all felt rather... lackluster, in a way they couldn’t quite put it.

Not that it stopped them from glazing the movie. Afterall, for a lot of them, it had been a good way to experience the tours they missed out on.

"Bella was wrong!" Katy remarked audibly, a smug smile on her lips.

"Yeah, we had a good time!" Veronica remarked to which Sharon chipped in;

"We should come back for another screening!"

"I can’t wait to see the look on Bella’s face when we--" Jennifer was already spreading her peacock wings when they arrived at the reception...

...only for her and the girls, alongside every other individual whom had gone to watch the popstar’s movie, look on in perplexed bewilderment at the crowd whom had gone to watch [Silver Comets] singing in sync as they filed out the door, their spirits clearly through the roof.

Even they, for as much as they’d all believed they’d enjoyed the tour movie, weren’t singing the songs from it.

Yet, as they watched their former boyfriends lead the charge while singing, a bunch of people already recording with their phones, they simply looked on, stunned beyond measure.

I’ll keep rising!

Immediately after, they watched Bella equally pass by, her hands in the air as she repeated alongside everyone else;

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Witnessing the entire thing play out, almost like an organized acapella that had been planned, they looked from the crowd to themselves, a similar question ringing in their heads;

What the hell just happened?

*

TweetTalk was always buzzing with one burning hot discussion or the other.

Today, literally a day after the first screening of the new movies at the cinemas, the discourse had naturally shifted towards them.

Which was why, it had come as a surprise to so many people that [Tyler Kingstone: Under the Lights], was currently playing second fiddle to [Silver Comets] in several discussions across the platform.

On a post made by one of the individuals whom had gone for screening of Tyler’s movie but had shared a video of the acapella session from the crowd whom had gone to see [Silver Comets] was the caption;

I’m so pissed that I succumbed to my girlfriend’s whims to go watch that darn tour movie for movie date night when I’d initially planned that we go see [Silver Comets].

Imagine going for a screening of a tour movie, only to come out to see a literal crowd singing in sync from a movie they’ve only watched once. If that isn’t the mark of a great musical, I really don’t know what is.

Having garnered over 3M views, 68K likes, and a little over 32K retweets, the top comments were getting equally as much attention as the original comment itself.

-

BluntBellina: Great musical?! Sir, this entire movie wasn’t just a great musical, it was a spiritual experience! The likes I would wish for my memory to be wiped off of, just so I can reexperience it again for the first time.

Selena Gomage: @BluntBellina; You’re 100% right. I was literally bawling my eyes out during the [Heal You] performance. Even as I’m listening to the song now, it’s taking everything in me not to breakdown again.

CinemaBuff: Honestly, I was a bit blown away by how Niall went from the stoic knight in [The Promised Queen] to a relatable youth in [Silver Comets]. At some point through the movie, I’d wondered if it was even the same actor.

TenToesDown: @CinemaBuff; Right?! His range as an actor is insane! And let’s not even talk about his singing skills. I even read in article somewhere that it was all live performances! Can you imagine that?!

Boulevard Buster: And here I thought a backing song was being played @TenToesDown! That’s crazy!

Chronically Online: I thought the reviews were glazing this movie until I experienced it myself in theatres. Ten out of ten, would rewatch again. I literally just bought my ticket for another screening might I add.

Jayce_TheMan: Thank heavens I broke up with my ex a couple months back. That lady would’ve forced me to go watch Tyler Jerkstone in theatres and made me miss out on peak with the boys!

Foo Bar Fighter: Everyone keeps talking about the songs and the performances, and I’m here wondering how one guy practically wrote all this?! Insanity, I tell you. Absolute insanity.

Paramore_or_Less: @Foo Bar Fighter; Don’t forget Midnight Avenues too. I haven’t seen those guys perform in years, I’d forgotten why they won ’Rising Icons’ years ago! But damn did I not expect them being such great actors too.

Silver_Comets_Fan: I swear to high heavens, if Niall Parker and Midnight Avenue don’t capitalize on this movie to do live performances, I’d be so, so sad.

Melting John: You’ll think you’ve listened to high frequency songs until you watch [Silver Comets]. Trust me, those songs are going to put you in a chokehold. [I’ll Keep Rising] especially, is a godsend!

Generational_Tyler_Hater: Go check out the metrics of the soundtrack. It hasn’t even been up to a day and they’re practically at the top of the GrooveBox ’Buzzing 100’... which is interesting because Tyler’s songs aren’t even in the top five! Why, you ask?! Because all of the songs from [Silver Comets] are currently occupying it! Haha!

-

True to that last comment, the soundtrack from the movie was currently wreaking havoc on the charts, enough that it almost felt like a wacky dream of some sorts.

More so when some people realized that asides from the three major songs, the other two were from the fictional band of Red Velvet, songs that Niall had also written and produced!

As for the Tyler fans, they were even more baffled, as was Tyler and the executives at Vinewood Records themselves.

Clearly, they had underestimated the movie and equally, the power of a unified audience that was not their own.

Despite all that though, not a single one of them, including Diamond Productions--and by extension, Joaquin Hall--were worried about their movie actually failing at the Box Office.

In fact, judging by the disparity in the returns on the opening day alone, one that was skewed completely towards their side in a $15M to $5M ratio, they were more than certain that they would crush the movie at the Box Office.

Clearly, they were of the belief that they could easily coast on Tyler’s rabid fans to generate the greens for them without a doubt.

Unfortunately for them, that confidence of theirs was quickly put to the test with a rude awakening when the tallied results for the opening weekend came knocking.

Advance Chapters are available on Patreon!

/Caer07