Prologue!
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO...!”
I jolted awake to a scream so dramatic it could’ve easily qualified for an award.
It was 7:30 a.m., and there I was sitting upright in bed, heart racing, soul offended. I hate being woken up early. Okay, fine, 7:30 isn’t technically early, but for someone who currently has no school, no college, and unfortunately no job, it absolutely is.
Wait.
Did I just say no job?
Hold on a second. I don’t think I’ve introduced myself yet.
Hi. I’m Mira Baskaran, professional photographer, certified overthinker, and currently someone who is moments away from committing a crime... specifically against her best friend for waking me up. On that note, I should probably go check what chaos she’s created this time. Hopefully, she hasn’t burned another skirt. (Long story. Deeply traumatizing.)
I dragged myself out of bed and rushed into the hall.
“Diya, what the he...”
I stopped mid-sentence the moment I saw her. She was... a sight. Clearly, she hadn’t planned for anyone to witness this meltdown. One side of her freshly dyed purple hair was hastily twisted into a messy bun, while the other tumbled in loose curls around her tear-streaked face. Her eyes were red-rimmed, lips trembling, as if she were holding back a storm ready to break.
Something had happened. And it had happened when she was least prepared.
Last night, she had been fine completely herself. Which left me with only one logical question:
Did she break up with her boyfriend at 7:30 in the morning?
Honestly, I wouldn’t even be surprised. Their on-and-off three-year relationship was chaotic enough to qualify as a full-time job. My full-time job, apparently. I sighed and sat beside her, pulling her into a hug before asking gently, “What happened?”
No response.
Instead, she shoved her phone into my hands. I braced myself, please, let this not be another “Andreas said WHAT?!” situation. Honestly, I liked the guy, but he could be really dumb sometimes. Taking a deep breath, I looked down... and found a news article glaring back at me. Great.
The headline read:
“TRENDSETTERS THROUGH A ROUGH PHASE?”
Okay... that explained nothing.
I frowned at her in confusion, since she clearly was in no place to explain, I proceeded skimmed through the article.
“The popular YouTubers-turned-boy-band Cupid’s Disaster appear to be navigating a challenging period. The chart-topping group recently confirmed that their lead singer, Aiden Kane, has officially left the band.
Guitarist Cian Gallagher addressed the situation in a brief interview, saying,
“Yes, Aiden is no longer with the band, but we are not disbanding. Diego will take over lead vocals moving forward, and we hope our fans will continue to support us just as passionately.”
Aiden Kane has not issued a public statement, and the reasons behind his sudden departure remain undisclosed. Fans, particularly the self-proclaimed “disasters” are expected to feel his absence strongly as the band transitions to its new lineup.
Cupid’s Disaster have yet to announce any upcoming tour dates or projects following this change, leaving fans wondering what the future holds.
“Seriously?” I asked, looking up at her.
“Yeah... Ai, Aiden is....” she sniffed.
“I meant, seriously? You’re crying over this?” I cut in, mildly horrified.
“I’m going to miss him,” she said, like this was a completely reasonable life crisis. I blinked trying to make sense of the situation. She couldn’t be serious.
“So let me get this straight, you screamed very, very early in the morning, loud enough to shatter glass within a ten-meter radius... because you’re going to miss some member of this stupid band?”
“You dare not call them stupid,” she snapped, instantly defensive. I sighed. It was too early for this level of emotional investment.
“And if you win that photography contest, you’ll be working for this ‘stupid’ band,” she added, air-quoting dramatically as she walked toward the kitchen. “So maybe watch your tone.”
Oh.
Right.
That.
How did I forget? The Best Photographer of the Year contest. And the winner? Oh, just casually gets to become the official photographer forCupid’s Disaster.
“Do you think this whole band drama will affect the opportunity?” I called out, practically sprinting to my room to check my email, heart hammering in anticipation.
“Probably not. They’re not disbanding...yet!" Diya yelled back from somewhere in the apartment.
The word yet sent chills down my spine.
I want this job. No I need this job.I need to win this contest. I need this to work out.
I opened my laptop. An email from the organizers blinked at me. My hands trembled as I clicked it open. The contest was still on... but they were announcing the results tomorrow. Relief washed over me and then fear crept in, the kind that reminded me that tomorrow, my life could change for the better.......or not at all.
Tomorrow is the day. God, this was actually happening.
Without thinking, I called the one person I most wanted by my side, no matter the outcome.“I won’t be able to make it, Mi,” my brother said after a few pleasantries.
I froze. “But you said you would. You can’t just back out now, Sid.”
“I know, but I didn’t expect they’d move up the results this early,” he explained. “And you know I have my shoot tomorrow. I do want to be there. I want to see my little sister win, but I can’t risk the film. You know how important it is.”
“Fine.”
“Don’t be mad at me, Mira.”
“It’s okay,” I said, and hung up, without a goodbye.I knew he hated that, instead of staying mad, I let myself smile faintly, imagining how annoyed he’d be that I’d cut the call. Small victories.
I took a sip of my coffee, letting my thoughts drift back to tomorrow. Because tomorrow?
I’d be standing on that stage...
Winning that title...
Becoming the official photographer of the most famous band in town...
And, most importantly,
Getting to be around my celebrity crush. Marco Santos.
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A/N: This is my first book which I tried to publish back when I was a teen and then life happened - stopped this book, took down the chapters and forgot about it for a while. After 10 long years, I’m back here to rekindle my love for writing, what better than re-writing and finishing what you originally began.
If you love the book, show this some love. It motivates me to keep writing :) As I am a first time writer, feel free drop in any construction suggestions and I am more than happy to take that into consideration.
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