A wounded heart...
Chapter one - A new beginning
Gracie's viewpoint
I stare up at the gigantic building that's looming over me. Syco. Simon Cowell's recording company. I stand outside for a couple of minutes and just stare and the Syco sign at the top of the building. In the distance Big Ben chimes away, its 10:30 and I'm meant to be meeting Simon Cowell, for the first time, at 11:00. I can't believe I'm here. Only a couple of weeks ago I was just recording covers at my house (yes I'm 18 and I own a house big deal) in the New Forest and posting them on youtube only hoping that someone would watch them. However I didn't expect that person to be Simon Cowell, I really didn't believe that he would be a person who would be interested in looking up covers of songs on youtube. Big Ben chimes again its 10:45. I gasp! Surely I couldn't have been standing here for 15 minutes thinking. I rush in the building and trip as I get to the reception desk. I manage to stay upright though however I curse myself. What a way to make an entrance Gracie. The receptionist tells me to take a seat. I can see his office door from where I am sat and after 10 minutes a teenage girl, about 18, comes running out of his office tears streaming down her face. She obviously hasn't got a record deal. I feel a bit guilty now, knowing that I already have a record deal and a few of my own songs already lined up on a album. The receptionist taps on my shoulder, scaring me I nearly waste my water down my top.
"Simon Cowell would like to see you know," she says to me.
I calm myself down and walk to his office. I try and look all happy and smiley from the outside but inside I have thousands of butterflies in my stomach wanting to explode!
"Hello Gracie, I finally get to meet you instead of having conversations on the phone."
"Hi Simon, yeah nice to finally meet you face to face."
"Well Gracie lets cut to the chase, you may have wondered why I picked you from the thousands that post videos of themselves on youtube."
"Umm, yeah it has been puzzling me. There's people a lot better than me on..."
Simon interupts me.
"In this business you have to believe that you are the best and this will help you gain success. Okay?"
"Yeah, sorry. So why did you pick me?"
"You got requested by one of my other musicians I have on contract here at Syco."
"Oh, wh...wh...who was that then?"
"Well he goes by the name of Liam Payne."
I nearly spit the sip of water I just drank out all over his desk. Liam. I hadn't spoken to him for a year now. Not since I discovered he had cheated on me with his girlfriend Danielle. I loved One Direction and I listened to their songs but I had no idea that he still listened to my stuff.
"Oh. Right, yeah. Liam."
"I think that came as a bit of a shock to you didn't it?"
" Well, yeah. I mean I haven't spoken to Liam in almost a year not since..."
I trailed off, Simon didn't need to know this.
"Don't worry Gracie. I sort of know the story, Liam had to tell me it because I wanted to know why he had never requested you a long time ago."
I stared at him in shock.
"Liam...told you about us?"
"Don't worry Gracie he only told me the basics and I can see why you were angry with him but I think he just wants to say sorry now. Right look at me here, giving you relationship advice when I don't even have a successful girlfriend! Lets get down to business. You already have songs of your own don't you."
"Yeah, I have around 12."
"Well, that's enough to fill an album. Have you brought copies of them with you?"
"Umm yeah. Here they are."
He thoroughly looks through the songs occasionally humming one of the tunes. Then he spends about 20 minutes talking to someone on the phone. I look around his office when I notice a picture of One Direction sat on his desk. I look at Liam and see how much he has changed and also how much I miss him. Perhaps I should ring him. He deserves to explain why it happened at least. I realize then that Simon has come off the phone and is staring at me.
"Look Gracie. I loved all these songs and they're good enough to record and make an album out of straight away. I also think there are some definite number ones in there."
"Really, that brilliant. When can I start recording?"
"That's what I love, someone who is enthusiastic about their work."
I briefly look down at my boots and try and stop my cheeks from turning red!!
"I've already arranged for you to fly over to LA and record your songs there. You'll be there for 7 days, as well as recording your songs I'd like to film your first music video. When you come back here you will be practicing for being a support act on someones tour."
"Really, wow, already! That's incredible. Who's tour would I be supporting?"
"You haven't guessed. One Direction of course..."
"One Direction. You mean...Liam, Louise, Niall, Zayn and Harry?"
"Well, yes they are One Direction aren't they!"
I stare up at the gigantic building that's looming over me. Syco. Simon Cowell's recording company. I stand outside for a couple of minutes and just stare and the Syco sign at the top of the building. In the distance Big Ben chimes away, its 10:30 and I'm meant to be meeting Simon Cowell, for the first time, at 11:00. I can't believe I'm here. Only a couple of weeks ago I was just recording covers at my house (yes I'm 18 and I own a house big deal) in the New Forest and posting them on youtube only hoping that someone would watch them. However I didn't expect that person to be Simon Cowell, I really didn't believe that he would be a person who would be interested in looking up covers of songs on youtube. Big Ben chimes again its 10:45. I gasp! Surely I couldn't have been standing here for 15 minutes thinking. I rush in the building and trip as I get to the reception desk. I manage to stay upright though however I curse myself. What a way to make an entrance Gracie. The receptionist tells me to take a seat. I can see his office door from where I am sat and after 10 minutes a teenage girl, about 18, comes running out of his office tears streaming down her face. She obviously hasn't got a record deal. I feel a bit guilty now, knowing that I already have a record deal and a few of my own songs already lined up on a album. The receptionist taps on my shoulder, scaring me I nearly waste my water down my top.
"Simon Cowell would like to see you know," she says to me.
I calm myself down and walk to his office. I try and look all happy and smiley from the outside but inside I have thousands of butterflies in my stomach wanting to explode!
"Hello Gracie, I finally get to meet you instead of having conversations on the phone."
"Hi Simon, yeah nice to finally meet you face to face."
"Well Gracie lets cut to the chase, you may have wondered why I picked you from the thousands that post videos of themselves on youtube."
"Umm, yeah it has been puzzling me. There's people a lot better than me on..."
Simon interupts me.
"In this business you have to believe that you are the best and this will help you gain success. Okay?"
"Yeah, sorry. So why did you pick me?"
"You got requested by one of my other musicians I have on contract here at Syco."
"Oh, wh...wh...who was that then?"
"Well he goes by the name of Liam Payne."
I nearly spit the sip of water I just drank out all over his desk. Liam. I hadn't spoken to him for a year now. Not since I discovered he had cheated on me with his girlfriend Danielle. I loved One Direction and I listened to their songs but I had no idea that he still listened to my stuff.
"Oh. Right, yeah. Liam."
"I think that came as a bit of a shock to you didn't it?"
" Well, yeah. I mean I haven't spoken to Liam in almost a year not since..."
I trailed off, Simon didn't need to know this.
"Don't worry Gracie. I sort of know the story, Liam had to tell me it because I wanted to know why he had never requested you a long time ago."
I stared at him in shock.
"Liam...told you about us?"
"Don't worry Gracie he only told me the basics and I can see why you were angry with him but I think he just wants to say sorry now. Right look at me here, giving you relationship advice when I don't even have a successful girlfriend! Lets get down to business. You already have songs of your own don't you."
"Yeah, I have around 12."
"Well, that's enough to fill an album. Have you brought copies of them with you?"
"Umm yeah. Here they are."
He thoroughly looks through the songs occasionally humming one of the tunes. Then he spends about 20 minutes talking to someone on the phone. I look around his office when I notice a picture of One Direction sat on his desk. I look at Liam and see how much he has changed and also how much I miss him. Perhaps I should ring him. He deserves to explain why it happened at least. I realize then that Simon has come off the phone and is staring at me.
"Look Gracie. I loved all these songs and they're good enough to record and make an album out of straight away. I also think there are some definite number ones in there."
"Really, that brilliant. When can I start recording?"
"That's what I love, someone who is enthusiastic about their work."
I briefly look down at my boots and try and stop my cheeks from turning red!!
"I've already arranged for you to fly over to LA and record your songs there. You'll be there for 7 days, as well as recording your songs I'd like to film your first music video. When you come back here you will be practicing for being a support act on someones tour."
"Really, wow, already! That's incredible. Who's tour would I be supporting?"
"You haven't guessed. One Direction of course..."
"One Direction. You mean...Liam, Louise, Niall, Zayn and Harry?"
"Well, yes they are One Direction aren't they!"
