The One: Fueling the Fire (The One Series-Book6) (ORIGINAL DRAFT)

Chapter5: Public Breakup

Chapter5-Public Breakup

June 30, 2009

 It's now the end of June. 7th Anthem were finally promoting their comeback single, Over You. It was a girl song. So far, this song has become very popular, and it was being overplayed on radio stations across Britain.

 As for their TV series, The Delinquents, they finished filming all thirteen episodes. The series were slated to premiere in September. Even their album was finished.

 While they were promoting their new single, they went to Eastern Europe to rebuild their still-intact, very big UTurn fan-base. So far, they're becoming successful. They're even making headways in the rest of Europe. Apparently, the sting of split-personality UTurn was gone.

 It was evening. 7A were resting from their long day of being interviewed and photographed by a top pop magazine. They were still living in their studio apartment, but they were getting ready to move into a new condo.

 Amanda was looking through her iPhone's calendar app. Ever since The X Factor was over, Amanda and Aston had been dates, or at least tried to. But their schedules were always conflicting. In fact, 7A had more things to do than JLS. Now that both bands are promoting their singles, they're struggling to make time for each other.

 Amanda then called Aston, and said, "Okay, how tomorrow afternoon? 7A has a gig on a late night show."

 Aston replied, "I have a radio interview with the boys in the afternoon."

 "Aston, we have to find some way to date."

 Aston was silent for a moment, and then he asked, "Do you have plans this Friday?"

 "Actually, that's our day off. Why?"

 "JLS will be performing in the morning, but that should be it for the day. We could go on a date that evening."

 Amanda smiled, and said, "That's great! See? We'll find a way to be together!"

Then the two hung up. Suddenly, Amanda saw the 7A girls standing in the doorway to the girls' room. She asked them, "Were you listening to my conversation with Aston?"

 Bailey replied, "It's just that we're concerned about you and Aston."

 Alyson chimed in, "Yeah. You two have struggled to make time for each other. And when you do make time, the paparazzi follows you two."

 Libby added, "There's already rumors of you two breaking up."

 Amanda said, "I know. Ever since we opened up about our relationship during The X Factor, we became one of the tabloid couples."

 Then Amanda brought up this question: "How do you all do it?"

 Alyson asked, "Do what?"

 "Being in a relationship. I mean, you girls are still with your boyfriends. You able to make time with them, even with the paparazzi following you."

 Bailey gave a small laugh as she said, "Our boyfriends are in the same band as we are."

 Amanda muttered, "F*ck my life."

 Alyson said, "Well, didn't you two make plans for a date this Friday?"

 "Yeah."

 "Don't lose hope. You two just have to make time for each other, that's all."

 "I know."

 It's now Friday evening. Amanda and Aston were at a low-key, posh restaurant. They gave each other small, awkward smiles. Amanda said, "Nice place, isn't it?"

 Aston replied, "Yea, nice. No paparazzi."

 "That's the good part. By know, I'm used to them, but it still feels unreal."

 "What? UTurn didn't have paparazzi following them?"

 "No. We were minors then. Even after we turned 18, we didn't have paps following us."

 Then there was an awkward silence again. It was like this for almost the whole dinner. Amanda, feeling uncertain, asked, "What are we?"

 Aston asked, "What do you mean?"

 "Look, I like you and all, but how long can we keep going with this relationship when our schedules keep conflicting?"

 Aston scoffed, "Tell me about it."

 Amanda, taken back by that comment, asked suspiciously, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

 "You and 7th Anthem are doing more projects than JLS is doing. Not only are you lot recording an album and going on The X Factor, you're also filming a TV programme. It's like your management is trying to make you into the new S Club 7."

 Amanda muttered, "We're not trying to be them."

 "What?"

 "I said that we're not trying be them!" she exclaimed. She saw everyone looking at the couple. Then she said with a loud whisper, "If you were to watch our show, you'd see it's like that programme, Skins, but with a musical twist."

 "Oh yeah, on top of that," Aston said, also with a loud whisper, "your group is already promoting your music in Europe."

 "We're an established band. We're basically a made-over UTurn. We have a large fan-base in Eastern Europe, and we're given a second chance in the rest of Europe. At this rate, we just might make a successful comeback in America."

 "That's another thing. JLS was unknown before The X Factor. We tried to catch a break, and we did. As for 7th Anthem, you lot complain that you were unknown when you were quite famous around the world. You've released several albums, had chart success, and an establish fan-base. You just went on that show to get more famous."

 Amanda gritted her teeth, "You know f*cking nothing about my band! Do you know why we were over-sexualized in Russia? We were forced into that shit! Yeah, it made us more popular cuz sex sells, but it hurt our chances of success in the rest of the world. Even the two-faced American media got on our backs about this! We got second chance now, and no one is screwing it up!"

 Then she threw her drink at Aston's face, and stormed out of the restaurant. As soon as she walked out the door, she was hit with the paparazzi. She put on her sunglasses so the flashing cameras wouldn't blind her. She was to get into her car, and she sped off. She struggled to lose the paparazzi, but she was able to.

 She entered into the apartment building where 7A was living in the back. She went inside the studio, and flopped onto her bed. The members noticed her sulking, so Bailey approached her. Amanda explained everything to her.

 It's a few weeks later. 7th Anthem and JLS had released their singles on the same day. As a result, both bands were on a massive chart battle. They both competed for the number one spot. In the end, JLS took that spot, while 7A finished in second place. They hadn't chart this high since 2007, that was only in a few countries and Radio Disney.

 To celebrate, 7A went to a celebrity hot-spot club. They all stood at a round table. They held their drinks as Andrew said, "To us, who just kicked Maurice's ass with our kickass comeback!"

 They clinked their cups, and drank their alcoholic drinks. Then Amanda saw JLS across the club, apparently celebrating their chart success. She texted on her iPhone, and excused herself.

 She went into a hallway, and saw Aston. She asked him without any emotion, "Got my text?"

 He replied, also emotionless, "Yea, I did."

 "We're done."

 "Obviously."

 With that, they both walked back to their groups. Manston (Mandy/Aston) was over. The two eventually announced this on their Twitter pages. The break up was huge gossip all over Britain.

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7TH ANTHEM'S COMEBACK SINGLE, "OVER YOU", IS IN THE VIDEO, AND JLS's DEBUT SINGLE, "BEAT AGAIN", IS IN THE EXTERNAL LINK.>>>