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3rd POV
Georgie and George arrived at the Luminous Records studio, looking up at the enormous building. "No matter how many times I've visited, this place still looks huge," George commented.
Georgie, walking beside him, nodded. "Maybe we should start calling it a mansion instead of a house?"
Currently, Luminous Records used Miss Rosie's home as their main office. Although she insisted it was just a 'house', clearly, no ordinary house would be this big.
"Georgie!" Miss Fenley greeted him warmly and shook hands with George C. "He arrived a few minutes ago."
"Who's 'he'?" George asked, confused. He had no idea who they were talking about since Georgie hadn't explained anything clearly to him yet.
Georgie smirked slightly. "George S." he whispered.
George stopped abruptly, eyes wide in shock, while Georgie and Miss Fenley continued walking without him.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" George exclaimed, quickly catching up—practically running at this point.
Georgie chuckled, seeing his father's reaction. Fenley laughed too; it reminded her of herself when she first heard the Superstar George S. would be visiting their small studio.
"So, why exactly is he here?" Georgie asked Miss Fenley.
"He wants to meet you personally before heading to the next town. Maybe he wants to hear you sing before officially deciding if you're worthy of opening for his concert." Fenley explained.
"Worthy, huh?" Georgie said, grinning confidently.
George was still visibly shocked beside him. "Wait, so he's actually here?! Why didn't you tell me clearly earlier?!" he demanded, glaring at his son.
Georgie shrugged innocently. "I told you to bring a pen and paper, didn't I?"
"That was a code?! You know I didn't get that!" George protested, flustered.
Georgie laughed loudly. "Relax, Dad. He's just stopping by quickly before he leaves town."
George stared at his son in disbelief. "Somebody get me a cowboy hat!" he suddenly demanded, looking at Miss Fenley.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Cooper. The only hat we have here belongs to Georgie." Miss Fenley replied apologetically, making George glare even harder at his son.
"What?" Georgie said casually, ignoring his father's annoyed look and stepping into the studio.
Inside, George S. sat comfortably on the couch, dressed casually in a cream-colored shirt, dark blue jeans, and his trademark modern cowboy hat. His leather boots tapped rhythmically against the floor as music played softly in the room. He had his eyes closed, fully immersed in the song—a song written and performed by a 15-year-old kid.
Beside him, Rosie stood wearing an elegant red dress, watching him nervously. No one else noticed her tension, but she was deeply concerned about George S.'s reaction. If he didn't like Georgie's performance, he could easily cancel the opening act offer. This was a critical debut opportunity for Georgie, and Rosie couldn't afford to lose it.
George S. finally opened his eyes, nodding thoughtfully. "I like it," he said simply. His gaze shifted to the three newcomers who'd just entered the room, focusing on the young man in the middle. "You must be Georgie." he smiled, rising from the sofa.
Georgie, George C., and Miss Fenley quickly approached.
"Mr. S." Georgie said politely, extending his hand.
"Well-mannered young man." George S. commented, shaking Georgie's hand firmly.
Georgie met his gaze confidently. "I hope you genuinely liked my song."
"I did," George S. replied honestly. "It might feel a bit too modern for my taste, and the elements you've chosen differ from traditional country music, but I can tell you sing it because you truly love country music."
"You're mistaken, Mr. S.," Georgie corrected gently. "I don't just love country music—I love all music." A confident grin spread across his face.
George S. paused, momentarily stunned by Georgie's boldness, then laughed warmly. "You're quite the remarkable young man. I like that."
Rosie and Fenley both visibly relaxed, exhaling softly. They'd been nervously holding their breath since Georgie dared to correct the Star.
"Mr. S., this is my father, George Cooper C." Georgie introduced the eager man beside him.
George S. turned his attention to George C., smiling. "We have the same name, huh? Well, George is a pretty common name around here." He offered his hand, amused by George C.'s eagerness.
George C. quickly grabbed his hand, shaking it enthusiastically with both hands. "He… Hello, Mr. S., I'm George…" his voice trembled nervously.
"Haha, don't be nervous," George S. reassured him warmly. "Maybe someday we'll go grab a beer together."
George nodded excitedly. "It would be an absolute honor." he stammered.
Georgie sighed internally, watching his father act so star-struck. Obviously, George S. was just being polite.
After releasing George C.'s hand, George S. turned back to Georgie. "So, I heard from my manager that you'll be the opening act for my concert in Houston?"
George S. settled back onto the sofa, prompting everyone else to follow his lead.
"Well, I didn't even know about it until Miss Rosie told us." Georgie admitted honestly.
Rosie chuckled lightly. "In this business, it's always better to have friends rather than enemies." She was half-joking, but everyone knew she spoke the truth.
George S. nodded in agreement. "Absolutely true. And honestly, I had no idea you were Harlan's daughter. He'll probably invite me out drinking again once he finds out." he laughed.
"Ugh… that old man," Rosie grumbled, sipping her whiskey. She noticed Georgie's amused expression. "What are you smiling about?"
"Nothing, can't I just smile politely?" Georgie replied innocently, though his expression clearly hinted otherwise. "I always knew you had money, but I didn't realize your family had enough influence to attract George S.—the King of Country Music himself." He flashed a knowing, businesslike smile at George S.
Fenley, George C., and Rosie simultaneously rolled their eyes at Georgie's boldness—but none of them contradicted him.
After all, right now, they really needed George S. on their side.
George S. laughed at Georgie's flattering remarks. "Hahaha, don't celebrate just yet. Even though management has decided you'll open my concert, I still need to hear you sing live."
Rosie swallowed nervously. "Geo—I mean, Mr. S., didn't you already listen to his song?"
"I did, and I liked it," George S. replied, raising his hand calmly. "But that was just a recording. I want to hear your real voice. I can't risk the quality of my concert just because of a management decision." His words were blunt and honest.
He didn't care about the awkward glances from those around him, nor about George Cooper C.'s visibly annoyed expression. Hell, he didn't even know these people personally—he was here only to assess Georgie's potential. George S. would rather deliver a spectacular show and face consequences later than blindly trust management decisions.
George C. was about to speak up when Georgie grabbed his father's hand.
"It's okay, Dad. I understand exactly what he's feeling. We both love music," Georgie said, smiling calmly.
George S. was slightly taken aback. He had expected anger or defensiveness from a 15-year-old, not such mature acceptance.
"Well, you're in luck," Georgie continued confidently. "I just finished writing a new song. You might like it." He grinned. "Wait here, I'll grab my guitar." Georgie quickly ran off to fetch his guitar, leaving everyone stunned.
George S. stared after Georgie in confusion. Shouldn't the kid look nervous or worried? Instead, he looked…excited?. "I don't understand." George S. muttered quietly, but everyone around him still heard it.
George C. scoffed, proudly defending his son. "My son's a genius. Every single song you've heard was written entirely by him—without any help." He stated it firmly, remembering Georgie's words clearly: Family First. From that day onward, George C. decided that whether facing George S. or the Queen of England herself, he'd always stand by his family.
George S. turned to George C. with an awkward smile. He couldn't really get angry, even though he knew George C.'s tone was sarcastic.
Fenley and Rosie exchanged awkward glances, worried about the escalating tension.
"Calm down, Mr. Cooper…" Rosie said softly, trying to ease the situation.
George S. finally sighed. "I apologize. I just wanted to test him a bit," he admitted, leaning back on the sofa. "He passed."
George C. huffed proudly. "Of course he did."
George S. smiled understandingly. "I get how you feel. I have a son too." he said, tipping his cowboy hat respectfully to George C.
George C. grumbled slightly but accepted George S.'s gesture. "You know, if Georgie hadn't stopped me, I probably would've punched you right now." George C. muttered.
George S. laughed openly. "Haha, I don't doubt it!" he said, standing up. "Well, tell Georgie I really enjoyed meeting him, and we'll see each other again at the concer—"
George C. suddenly grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back down. "Where do you think you're going? My son said he's gonna sing you a song!"
Rosie and Fenley turned ghostly pale. Just as they'd begun celebrating George S.'s agreement, George C.'s actions threatened everything.
"Wait, George! Mr. S. must be really busy—we shouldn't impose further, right Fenley?" Rosie quickly said, pulling George C. away. Fenley nodded rapidly, joining Rosie to gently urge him back.
"What are you doing, Mr. Cooper?" Fenley whispered urgently. "Mr. S. already said yes! Don't ruin this."
George C. hesitated briefly, then firmed up his stance. "It's okay. I believe in my son." The last time he doubted Georgie, his son had delivered a harsh wake-up call. He wouldn't make that mistake again.
Fenley stared, then finally nodded. She trusted Georgie too, but this opportunity was too crucial. She just wanted Georgie's debut to soar like a rocket.
"What's going on here?" Georgie returned with his guitar, smiling confidently.
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3rd POV
"Go, Missy! Go, Sheldon!" Veronica shouted, cheering the twins in their three-legged race.
Standing beside Veronica, Mary anxiously watched Missy and Sheldon struggle. "Oh no, they're gonna lose…" she sighed sadly, but suddenly perked up when Sheldon began running frantically, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"AHHH, BEE!" Sheldon shrieked, sprinting wildly, dragging Missy along. They sped past Billy Sparks and the other kids, surging into the lead.
"What's happening?" Connie asked, glancing toward Mary and Veronica.
"I don't know—Sheldon suddenly started running and screaming," Veronica replied before calling out again. "That's right! Run, Sheldon! Run!"
"Oh my—they might actually win!" Connie exclaimed, surprised. She'd assumed they had no chance with Sheldon involved.
"Of course they'll win!" Mary huffed at Connie, proudly watching her childrens.
Missy and Sheldon crossed the finish line first, but didn't stop running. Sheldon charged directly toward his family, terrified.
"BEE! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!" he shrieked hysterically.
"Sheldon, calm down!" Missy pleaded, stumbling alongside him as their ankles remained tied.
Sheldon ignored her, reaching Mary and hugging her tightly, trembling. "Bee! Mom! Make it go away!"
"What happened?" Mary hugged him protectively.
"Bee, Mom!" Sheldon insisted.
Concerned, Connie stepped forward. "Sheldon, there's no bee behind you!"
Missy stood next to Sheldon with a blank, innocent face, feigning ignorance.
Sheldon cautiously turned to check behind him—no bee anywhere. He spun toward Missy angrily. "You tricked me!"
Missy gave an exaggerated gasp. "What? I don't know what you're talking about!" She swiftly untied their ankles, quickly walking away before Mary could react.
Mary and Connie immediately realized Missy was responsible.
"Missy Cooper!" Mary shouted, glaring at her retreating daughter.
Veronica quietly giggled at the Cooper family's chaos, whispering to Missy, "Did you really tell Sheldon there was a bee chasing him?"
"Oh yeah." Missy replied smugly, thoroughly satisfied with her clever prank—and their victory over the Sparks family. In the distance, Bobby Sparks scowled in frustration, watching Missy triumph.