"Ah-nothing, I was just lost in thought. I'm sorry," Angela snapped back to attention, offering a slightly awkward smile, and then inquired, "By the way, what were you saying earlier?"
"I was saying that I absolutely adore your movies and songs! Seriously, no girl our age can manage to write scripts, star in movies, and sing as brilliantly as you do!" the girl exclaimed with vibrant excitement.
"Thank you, but... well... um... I haven't actually written or sung any songs," Angela shifted her gaze and replied with a gentle smile.
"Really? Miss AM?" Britney countered playfully, leaving Angela wide-eyed.
"Are you confused? It's perfectly understandable. The initials of your name are 'AM', right? Of course, if I hadn't heard you sing, no one would have made the connection. Your voice is extraordinary. It's one of the best I've ever heard," Britney continued enthusiastically, her attention fully focused on Angela. "You're stunning, Angela, especially your eyes. They're absolutely... mesmerizing." She leaned in closer, as if she wanted to get even closer.
Angela tilted her head slightly, then chuckled wryly, "All right, you got me, I'm Miss AM." She quickly added with a touch of discomfort, "But hey, promise me you won't tell anyone!"
"Why?"
"Just promise, Brit... Britney, please don't tell a soul, okay?"
"Is this related to the record company?"
Angela blinked a few times, unable to speak, and Britney shrugged, "Okay, I won't tell."
" You promise?"
"Absolutely, I promise. I won't breathe a word about Angela being Miss AM unless she spills the beans herself! Is that a deal?" Britney announced with a cheerful smile and raised her hand.
"All right, thank you," Angela nodded.
Then Britney's mischievous grin reappeared and she leaned forward, "Okay, so what's my reward?"
Angela was taken aback for a moment before a mixture of mock irritation and amusement crossed her face. Suddenly, she reached out and tenderly cupped Britney's face and planted a kiss on her lips. Britney tried to resist for a few seconds, but just as she clasped Angela's hand, she stopped, and a strange sensation rippled through her heart, causing her to instinctively respond by parting her lips slightly to accommodate Angela's delicate caress. A unique sweetness flowed from the point of contact to every inch of her being.
As if only seconds had passed and yet an eternity, Angela finally broke the kiss, and Britney seemed to be yearning for more, her lips parted slightly, longing for Angela's crimson ones. But Angela didn't give her the opportunity, simply pressing her forehead against Britney's, and they both breathed softly, finally looking at each other. Silence enveloped them, the atmosphere electric.
"Ang... Angela, I think..." Britney stammered after a long pause, tugging lightly at the hand that cupped her cheek.
"Ah, that, I'm really sorry... I was just... it's just... I have a girlfriend, she likes to... play around like that, so... sometimes I do it too..." Angela let her go, explaining somewhat incoherently, gesturing with her hands from time to time, then folding them, looking a little flustered.
Witnessing her playful demeanor, and despite the lingering blush on her own cheeks, Britney couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Angela, you're quite the character."
"Character? Well, maybe." Angela scratched her head, then smiled wryly. Her complexion retained a hint of pink, undeniably enchanting.
"The last time I saw you, you were here to record that instrumental EP, right? So are you back today to record a new album? Are you officially releasing a new album? What tracks will be on it? Will you use the name Miss AM? When are you planning to release an album under your real name?" Back to normal, Britney rattled off questions as if trying to unravel each one in her head.
"Whoa, slow down!" Angela raised both hands, "Britney, are you a member of the Mickey Mouse Club?"
"Yes, why?"
"What's going on?"
"Are you here to record a duet single like last time?" Angela continued to inquire.
"Yes," Britney nodded.
Then Angela cleared her throat and asked, "You've been gone for quite a while. Won't the manager be concerned about your absence?"
"Don't worry, Mr. Hayden Hunter is overseeing our recording. He just went to find Mr. Burns in the instrument room. So we'll take a break now. Oh, and of course, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation!" Britney playfully stuck out her tongue.
"Really? But when I stepped out just now, Mr. Hunter was about to leave as well. I have something to discuss with Mr. Burns, so he... will be the one handling your affairs," Angela explained, scanning her surroundings.
"Really?!" A hint of apprehension flickered across Britney's eyes and she hurried to leave. "Then I should hurry back, Mr. Hunter getting upset is really scary."
But after a few steps, she turned back and clasped Angela's hand, her expression slightly worried. "Will you be around for the next few days, Angela?"
"Well, perhaps. If my interview with Mr. Burns goes smoothly, I may begin recording. However, I'm about to go to Europe for a movie shoot, so it's difficult to predict when I'll be able to return to the record company," Angela thought for a moment and answered.
"Can I see you again? I usually visit the TV station... Oh, by the way, my address is 52 Walterand Street and my phone number is 5523641..." Britney seemed a little unsure of what to say.
Angela felt the need to interject, "All right, here's the plan: you go back first, and I'll ask Mr. Burns to give you my address. You can write to me when the time comes, okay?"
The girl thought for a few seconds before nodding, "Alright, that sounds like a plan?"
"Agreed!" Angela nodded in agreement.
"Alright, then I'll say goodbye." Britney hesitated, walked toward the exit with obvious reluctance, then abruptly turned around, wrapped Angela in a quick hug, planted a quick kiss on her lips, then giggled and scurried out.
Angela remained slightly dazed, touched her lips, rolled her eyes, and leaned against the sink. What the hell, Lindsay! This is all your doing! If it hadn't been for the French kiss game you started on Halloween Wednesday, how could she have impulsively kissed Britney? But wait, was Britney ever part of MMC? She didn't recognize her last time. It's really... she didn't know what to make of it.
Shrugging, Angela decided to put the matter aside for now. She left and returned to the instrument room. John Burns was the only one there, still engrossed in studying the sheet music in his hands.
"John, did Hayden leave?" Angela inquired.
"Yes, he had to supervise the recording for MMC," John nodded.
Well, at least I didn't deceive Britney. Angela thought to herself as she sat down next to the music director. "So, what do you think now? Do you stand by your opinion?"
"Well, you said it best yourself, what else can I say? The songs you've written are incredible," John chuckled wryly, shook his head, and then put down the music. "I have another suggestion, though. Would you like to hear it?"
"Of course, go ahead."
"It's quite a challenge to maintain a consistent overall style when you're composing both lyrics and music on your own. So I've been thinking that maybe you could consider covering some old songs. What do you think?" Burns suggested.
...
"Did you agree?" Sparrow inquired after they got into the car. He wasn't driving - since their interview, Jared had replaced her car with a silver Rolls-Royce for out-of-school trips, and he had made David Angela's driver.
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that. John's point makes sense. Even though I have considerable talent, it may not be enough to effectively manage the style coordination of the entire album on my own. If I really want to create a diverse album, relying solely on my own lyrics and music might not achieve the desired balance," Angela explained with a shrug.
In truth, she could easily create ten songs that would harmonize stylistically. However, Angela had already decided to take inspiration from at most four existing songs, while composing the remaining six from scratch. With the multitude of songs she had heard and her 42 years of experience, coupled with 12 years of musical practice, she was confident in her ability to create suitable pieces.
However, her emotions had been fluctuating significantly lately due to the media exposure, especially the "false report incident. Although the《Los Angeles Evening News》issued an apology the following day, the incident had left her feeling depressed for several days. So apart from《God is a Girl》and《Forever Young》which remained unchanged, she had slightly modified《Sk8er Boi》the song she had sung at Avril's house. As for《Everytime》which she had originally planned to rework considerably, she had yet to make any changes. In fact, she hadn't even begun to refine her original compositions.
It wasn't until Halloween, when she had a wild night out with Jessica and Lindsay, that her mood had improved considerably, despite the fact that she had once again been pranked and embarrassed. The next day, she had reworked《Everytime》in one fell swoop, even coming up with two new songs:《Under the Blue Sky》and《Light.》However, as a first-time composer, and considering that she had to create six more tracks while also ensuring stylistic harmony, the task proved to be a bit daunting. So Burns' suggestion of covering two or three existing songs to supplement the album seemed like a practical solution.
"It's actually a viable concept. So, are you going to pick the songs yourself, or will they offer recommendations?" Sparrow asked with a smile.
"Absolutely, I'll make the selections, but their input is always welcome," Angela replied, remembering her past encounters with Avril and suddenly realizing that singing someone else's song seemed to create a connection with that person. At the waterfall, her rendition of《Complicated》had caught Avril's attention. Singing《Everytime》here had summoned Britney. If she performed《God is a Girl》in Germany, would Mell also materialize?
Such a fantastic idea, Angela thought and rolled her eyes. Nevertheless, the thought brought her back to Avril. It had been a while since she had last seen her. She missed her a lot. Maybe she could pay Avril a visit during New Year's in New York this year.
Her thoughts then drifted to New York and she wondered how Natalie was doing. After the《Los Angeles Evening News》incident had ended with an apology, Angela had worried that Natalie might still be holding a grudge. Unfortunately, she had accompanied Luc Besson to France for promotional activities shortly thereafter, and they hadn't shared a single phone call. Even Halloween had been celebrated in Europe.
Hopefully she hadn't harbored any negative feelings. Angela's thoughts turned dark. At that moment the phone rang. Sparrow answered it in a subdued tone, said a few words, nodded and then looked at Angela. "Angie here's some... well, good news. Natalie is back from France."
"Really?" Angela's eyes widened.
"Yes, she just landed," Sparrow confirmed. Angela quickly snatched the phone from him and dialed a number.
"Dad, it's me. I want to go to New York... for some reason... I want to talk to her in person... Yes, it's incredibly important! Extremely important!... Thank you, Dad. I love you!" Angela hung up, turned to the driver, David, and said, "Let's go to the airport, David. Dad has arranged a flight. It leaves in an hour. I want to go to New York right now!"
"Ah-nothing, I was just lost in thought. I'm sorry," Angela snapped back to attention, offering a slightly awkward smile, and then inquired, "By the way, what were you saying earlier?"
"I was saying that I absolutely adore your movies and songs! Seriously, no girl our age can manage to write scripts, star in movies, and sing as brilliantly as you do!" the girl exclaimed with vibrant excitement.
"Thank you, but... well... um... I haven't actually written or sung any songs," Angela shifted her gaze and replied with a gentle smile.
"Really? Miss AM?" Britney countered playfully, leaving Angela wide-eyed.
"Are you confused? It's perfectly understandable. The initials of your name are 'AM', right? Of course, if I hadn't heard you sing, no one would have made the connection. Your voice is extraordinary. It's one of the best I've ever heard," Britney continued enthusiastically, her attention fully focused on Angela. "You're stunning, Angela, especially your eyes. They're absolutely... mesmerizing." She leaned in closer, as if she wanted to get even closer.
Angela tilted her head slightly, then chuckled wryly, "All right, you got me, I'm Miss AM." She quickly added with a touch of discomfort, "But hey, promise me you won't tell anyone!"
"Why?"
"Just promise, Brit... Britney, please don't tell a soul, okay?"
"Is this related to the record company?"
Angela blinked a few times, unable to speak, and Britney shrugged, "Okay, I won't tell."
" You promise?"
"Absolutely, I promise. I won't breathe a word about Angela being Miss AM unless she spills the beans herself! Is that a deal?" Britney announced with a cheerful smile and raised her hand.
"All right, thank you," Angela nodded.
Then Britney's mischievous grin reappeared and she leaned forward, "Okay, so what's my reward?"
Angela was taken aback for a moment before a mixture of mock irritation and amusement crossed her face. Suddenly, she reached out and tenderly cupped Britney's face and planted a kiss on her lips. Britney tried to resist for a few seconds, but just as she clasped Angela's hand, she stopped, and a strange sensation rippled through her heart, causing her to instinctively respond by parting her lips slightly to accommodate Angela's delicate caress. A unique sweetness flowed from the point of contact to every inch of her being.
As if only seconds had passed and yet an eternity, Angela finally broke the kiss, and Britney seemed to be yearning for more, her lips parted slightly, longing for Angela's crimson ones. But Angela didn't give her the opportunity, simply pressing her forehead against Britney's, and they both breathed softly, finally looking at each other. Silence enveloped them, the atmosphere electric.
"Ang... Angela, I think..." Britney stammered after a long pause, tugging lightly at the hand that cupped her cheek.
"Ah, that, I'm really sorry... I was just... it's just... I have a girlfriend, she likes to... play around like that, so... sometimes I do it too..." Angela let her go, explaining somewhat incoherently, gesturing with her hands from time to time, then folding them, looking a little flustered.
Witnessing her playful demeanor, and despite the lingering blush on her own cheeks, Britney couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Angela, you're quite the character."
"Character? Well, maybe." Angela scratched her head, then smiled wryly. Her complexion retained a hint of pink, undeniably enchanting.
"The last time I saw you, you were here to record that instrumental EP, right? So are you back today to record a new album? Are you officially releasing a new album? What tracks will be on it? Will you use the name Miss AM? When are you planning to release an album under your real name?" Back to normal, Britney rattled off questions as if trying to unravel each one in her head.
"Whoa, slow down!" Angela raised both hands, "Britney, are you a member of the Mickey Mouse Club?"
"Yes, why?"
"What's going on?"
"Are you here to record a duet single like last time?" Angela continued to inquire.
"Yes," Britney nodded.
Then Angela cleared her throat and asked, "You've been gone for quite a while. Won't the manager be concerned about your absence?"
"Don't worry, Mr. Hayden Hunter is overseeing our recording. He just went to find Mr. Burns in the instrument room. So we'll take a break now. Oh, and of course, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation!" Britney playfully stuck out her tongue.
"Really? But when I stepped out just now, Mr. Hunter was about to leave as well. I have something to discuss with Mr. Burns, so he... will be the one handling your affairs," Angela explained, scanning her surroundings.
"Really?!" A hint of apprehension flickered across Britney's eyes and she hurried to leave. "Then I should hurry back, Mr. Hunter getting upset is really scary."
But after a few steps, she turned back and clasped Angela's hand, her expression slightly worried. "Will you be around for the next few days, Angela?"
"Well, perhaps. If my interview with Mr. Burns goes smoothly, I may begin recording. However, I'm about to go to Europe for a movie shoot, so it's difficult to predict when I'll be able to return to the record company," Angela thought for a moment and answered.
"Can I see you again? I usually visit the TV station... Oh, by the way, my address is 52 Walterand Street and my phone number is 5523641..." Britney seemed a little unsure of what to say.
Angela felt the need to interject, "All right, here's the plan: you go back first, and I'll ask Mr. Burns to give you my address. You can write to me when the time comes, okay?"
The girl thought for a few seconds before nodding, "Alright, that sounds like a plan?"
"Agreed!" Angela nodded in agreement.
"Alright, then I'll say goodbye." Britney hesitated, walked toward the exit with obvious reluctance, then abruptly turned around, wrapped Angela in a quick hug, planted a quick kiss on her lips, then giggled and scurried out.
Angela remained slightly dazed, touched her lips, rolled her eyes, and leaned against the sink. What the hell, Lindsay! This is all your doing! If it hadn't been for the French kiss game you started on Halloween Wednesday, how could she have impulsively kissed Britney? But wait, was Britney ever part of MMC? She didn't recognize her last time. It's really... she didn't know what to make of it.
Shrugging, Angela decided to put the matter aside for now. She left and returned to the instrument room. John Burns was the only one there, still engrossed in studying the sheet music in his hands.
"John, did Hayden leave?" Angela inquired.
"Yes, he had to supervise the recording for MMC," John nodded.
Well, at least I didn't deceive Britney. Angela thought to herself as she sat down next to the music director. "So, what do you think now? Do you stand by your opinion?"
"Well, you said it best yourself, what else can I say? The songs you've written are incredible," John chuckled wryly, shook his head, and then put down the music. "I have another suggestion, though. Would you like to hear it?"
"Of course, go ahead."
"It's quite a challenge to maintain a consistent overall style when you're composing both lyrics and music on your own. So I've been thinking that maybe you could consider covering some old songs. What do you think?" Burns suggested.
...
"Did you agree?" Sparrow inquired after they got into the car. He wasn't driving - since their interview, Jared had replaced her car with a silver Rolls-Royce for out-of-school trips, and he had made David Angela's driver.
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that. John's point makes sense. Even though I have considerable talent, it may not be enough to effectively manage the style coordination of the entire album on my own. If I really want to create a diverse album, relying solely on my own lyrics and music might not achieve the desired balance," Angela explained with a shrug.
In truth, she could easily create ten songs that would harmonize stylistically. However, Angela had already decided to take inspiration from at most four existing songs, while composing the remaining six from scratch. With the multitude of songs she had heard and her 42 years of experience, coupled with 12 years of musical practice, she was confident in her ability to create suitable pieces.
However, her emotions had been fluctuating significantly lately due to the media exposure, especially the "false report incident. Although the《Los Angeles Evening News》issued an apology the following day, the incident had left her feeling depressed for several days. So apart from《God is a Girl》and《Forever Young》which remained unchanged, she had slightly modified《Sk8er Boi》the song she had sung at Avril's house. As for《Everytime》which she had originally planned to rework considerably, she had yet to make any changes. In fact, she hadn't even begun to refine her original compositions.
It wasn't until Halloween, when she had a wild night out with Jessica and Lindsay, that her mood had improved considerably, despite the fact that she had once again been pranked and embarrassed. The next day, she had reworked《Everytime》in one fell swoop, even coming up with two new songs:《Under the Blue Sky》and《Light.》However, as a first-time composer, and considering that she had to create six more tracks while also ensuring stylistic harmony, the task proved to be a bit daunting. So Burns' suggestion of covering two or three existing songs to supplement the album seemed like a practical solution.
"It's actually a viable concept. So, are you going to pick the songs yourself, or will they offer recommendations?" Sparrow asked with a smile.
"Absolutely, I'll make the selections, but their input is always welcome," Angela replied, remembering her past encounters with Avril and suddenly realizing that singing someone else's song seemed to create a connection with that person. At the waterfall, her rendition of《Complicated》had caught Avril's attention. Singing《Everytime》here had summoned Britney. If she performed《God is a Girl》in Germany, would Mell also materialize?
Such a fantastic idea, Angela thought and rolled her eyes. Nevertheless, the thought brought her back to Avril. It had been a while since she had last seen her. She missed her a lot. Maybe she could pay Avril a visit during New Year's in New York this year.
Her thoughts then drifted to New York and she wondered how Natalie was doing. After the《Los Angeles Evening News》incident had ended with an apology, Angela had worried that Natalie might still be holding a grudge. Unfortunately, she had accompanied Luc Besson to France for promotional activities shortly thereafter, and they hadn't shared a single phone call. Even Halloween had been celebrated in Europe.
Hopefully she hadn't harbored any negative feelings. Angela's thoughts turned dark. At that moment the phone rang. Sparrow answered it in a subdued tone, said a few words, nodded and then looked at Angela. "Angie here's some... well, good news. Natalie is back from France."
"Really?" Angela's eyes widened.
"Yes, she just landed," Sparrow confirmed. Angela quickly snatched the phone from him and dialed a number.
"Dad, it's me. I want to go to New York... for some reason... I want to talk to her in person... Yes, it's incredibly important! Extremely important!... Thank you, Dad. I love you!" Angela hung up, turned to the driver, David, and said, "Let's go to the airport, David. Dad has arranged a flight. It leaves in an hour. I want to go to New York right now!"
