All Grown Up

Me against the World

Message from: Sammy
Re: Interview

Well, guess what? Did you guess? I get my first interview. You will not believe who it’s with. It’s with Matt Shadows. I know I know, our bet is still on, but you know what I’m going to ask him. I’m so nervous. How are exams going? When’s your last one?

Peace,
Sam

Message from : Jo
Re: WHAT?!?

I’m excited for you I mean your first interview with a big star. I’m so glad you got your internship. I knew sending your work out to different publications will help you out. I finished my last one today. I’m beat I need a major vacation. Somewhere in a far away land.

Going to sleep for a week, let me know how the interview goes. And I want my 100$ as soon as you find out, I’m in need of lighter fluid to burn all my books.

Lost in dream world
XOXO
Jo

Sam shut off her laptop. Swiveled in her chair and looked around the room. Quickly she checked her black nails for cracks. Applied some moose in her hair and got dressed. Making sure her back wasn’t showing she threw on her leather jacket. Put on her dickies, grabbed her bag, checked herself in the mirror one last time and walked out the front door, keys in hand frozen smile on lips.

This was the biggest thing she had ever done. And thinking about asking M. Shadows about his relationship, sucked. It made her even more nervous she could care less about the money, she just hoped she wasn’t going to screw up everything.

The company car picked her up, and she settled into the back of the car. Toronto was so different at night. Light on everywhere, people still out. The summer was coming in fast, and it was going to be brutal. The car pulled up to a stop.

“Here you are miss,” the driver said giving her a smile, he knew it was her first interview.

“Thanks, you don’t have to wait for me. I’ll take a cab back,” Sam smiled and got out of the car, yet not before she noticed his thanking smile. He probably had a family to go to, and besides if she failed miserably she didn’t want anyone present.
Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket.

JO:
Luck (=

Sam smiled, that word gave her the confidence she needed to enter the hotel. She walked up to the desk and asked for M. Shadows. The look she got was meant to kill. Sam only smiled and showed her journalist ID. The woman’s smile warmed up, gave her the room number, and told the bell boy to take her upstairs.

Standing in front of his door, she flipped her bangs out of her face. Took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Seconds turned to hours before she heard someone come to the door. It was thrown open, and there stood Syn.

“Hey, Matt. A groupie for you,” he smiled at Sam and she smiled back.

“Actually I’m a reporter,” Sam said showing the pass hanging on her neck.

“So she is, who knew they made them so young?” Syn said as he walked past Sam, for a second she was regretting not being taller, so she could look him in the eyes. He got to the door cross the hall fished in his pocket for a key and opened the door.

“Well I didn’t know they made guitarists this old,” Sam smiled as she walked into the room hearing Syn gasp in shock. She turned and closed the door, he winked at her. When she turned around there stood Matt, all 6 feet 3 inches of him. Making Sam feel like the smallest person in the room.

“Hi, I’m Sam Nantais,” Sam extended her hand to him.

“Matt Sanders,” he shook her hand and gave her a smile. Right away she noticed the dimples. “Why don’t you have a seat?” He showed the chairs that were opposites of each other, Sam took her coat off and she settled into one and reached into her bag for a tape recorder and her note pad.

“Ok, but I have a question off the record,” Sam said biting her lip.

“Shoot,” He smiled at her, he knew she was nervous.

“I noticed recent magazines and interviews you’ve done that there has been no mention of Val. Did you break up?” Sam didn’t look up, until the last second, she noticed he tensed.

“This is completely off the record?” He asked leaning forward he was intimidating even sitting down. But thinking of Jo’s curiosity gave her strength, that and her own.

“Of course.”

“Yes, we are broken up,” he said leaning back and taking a swing of the opened beer that Sam had not noticed there before.

“You don’t seem to broken up about it,” Sam said before she could stop herself.

“Well we broke up about a year ago,” Matt laughed.

“Really?” Sam asked.

“Yes, but we ended on good terms,” Matt said.

“Damn!” Sam said under her breath, she would have to get a check and mail it to Jo as soon as she could. She noticed Matt was looking at her. “Oh, I just lost a bet.”

He raised an eyebrow, unsmiling. “My friend is very good at reading people. About a year ago we saw an interview you did, and well Jo made a bet with me that you broke up with Val,” he looked intrigued.

“Oh, really? And how much did you lose to Jo?” Matt asked.

“Um, a hundred bucks,” Sam smiled realizing how foolish everything sounded.

“That’s not bad,” Matt smiled. “Want a beer?”

The question made Sam relax he wasn’t angry or remotely upset about the bet, or her blunt question, she felt like this was going to be a good interview. When asked about their latest collaborations with new artists Matt answered skilfully and professionally.

It felt like she had been doing this all her life. Two hours passed like they were minutes. Finally the tape ran out of her tape recorder. “You know most people use a memory kind of recorder.”

“I know, but this is the first thing Jo bought me when I got the internship. That and hockey tickets,” Sam smiled at the memory.

“Jo sounds like a cool person,” Matt said. Sam stood up and stretched her back. The door opened. Syn walked in. Sam froze she knew her stretching revealed her back.

“Damn,” Syn said, letting the door go. Johnny, Jimmy, and Zachy walked in.

Sam pulled her shirt down. And turned to face them red faced. “That is cool, I want to see it,” Johnny said coming into the room fully now.

“See what?” Matt asked standing up. Looking from the guys to Sam.

“My tattoo,” Sam said embarrassed. But she did the only thing she could do, turned around and lifted up her shirt. They all looked at each other then at her.

“That is sweet,” Syn said.

“I’ve seen this tat before,” Johnny said.

“Yeah probably,” Sam answered placing her notepad and tape recorder into her back. “We met back in 2007 at a signing, and I showed you my tattoo.”

“I remember that. I think,” Jimmy said. “You’re from Canada right?”

“Yeap,” Sam answered. Standing with her idols in this room as they tried to analyze when they had met her, intimidated her.

Sam’s phone vibrated loudly.

From: Jo
How did it go?

“Who’s that?” Syn asked.

“Jo,” Sam answered.

“Who’s Jo?” Zachy asked as he flopped himself on the couch.

“Jo’s Sam’s friend,” Matt answered.

“Oh, sounds interesting,” Syn looked like he was about to lick his lips.

“Well, Sam should go. It’s late,” Matt said realizing how uncomfortable Sam was with everyone staring at her.

“Yeah, nice meeting you guys,” Sam said as Matt walked her to the door.

“You too babe,” Syn called after her.

“Sleep tight, Brian JR.” She placed emphasis on the junior part, the boys laughed. Matt walked Sam to the elevator.

“That was ballsy,” Matt said, as he pressed the button for the elevator.

“So was him calling me babe,” Sam answered.

“Here’s a couple of tickets for any show, bring your friend, I’d like to meet this famous Jo,” Matt said handing them to Sam. She took them out of his hand, and stepped into the elevator.

“And I’m sure Jo would want to meet you too,” The doors closed and Sam realized that they had no idea who Jo was, and she would give anything to see their faces, when they realized Jo isn’t a he.