Krissy stuck her head out of the line and immediately paled. It was too long.
"We're fucked," Zoe moaned, echoing Krissy's sentiment. "We're in this only because of you, Krissy."
"Hey! I resent that!"
"You should," Zoe shot back. "I don't ask for much, but when I call you near midnight and tell you to do something the next day, you do it. I mean, you go on vacation and ask your best friend to book an early Troy Armitage album, and she sleeps through the entire day."
Krissy sighed. "I told you I slept through my alarm, and by the time I woke up, it was sold out. You'll never let me live it down, will you?"
Zoe grinned. "Not for another century." Then her smile faded. "I shouldn't feel jealous of Riley, but she was one lucky bitch to get a personally signed album from Troy."
"Tell me about it," Krissy grumbled, inching forward as more people bought the newly released album titled '2006'.
The worst part was that Riley hadn't even let them hear the album. She claimed that the CD would get scratched if played too much. So their resentment was understandable.
"Why do you think Troy released an album now?" Krissy asked, changing the subject.
Zoe thought for a moment. "Probably to time the promotions of his film and album together. [Disturbia] has its premiere next week, so he won't have to do a double press tour. I remember an interview where he said how much he dislikes press junkets. This way, he only has to do one round—and it might have the same effect as [Little Miss Sunshine], where his music fans watched the film and vice versa."
Krissy's eyes widened slightly. "That hadn't occurred to me."
"Of course," Zoe nodded sagely. "Just like it didn't occur to you to ask one of your parents to wake you up and book the CD in advance."
"I said I was sorry!"
As they moved closer to the store, Krissy could hear a song playing—clear, powerful, and unmistakable. A voice she'd recognize even in her sleep.
[Grenade, Bruno Mars]
Gave you all I had, and you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash; you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
'Cause what you don't understand is
I'd catch a grenade for ya (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
"Holy shit," Zoe hissed, keeping her voice low so as not to speak over the song. "Is that a new song from his album?"
"Shush," Krissy whispered, leaning forward as if it would help her hear better. Around them, everyone stood silently, absorbing the beautiful, painful song—Troy's heartbreak laid bare after the breakup.
The music store owners were very clever as they played the song on a loop, and any passerby, who didn't even know about the album release would be willing to buy one, because it was a damn catchy song.
"How the fuck can someone churn out one great song after another?" A boy slightly ahead of Krissy called out when the song ended for a second time. "Golden Hour, Arcade, That's Hilarious, and now this? I don't like Troy's films, but when he makes music like this, you can't hate him personally."
Zoe chuckled before turning to Krissy, "That's the power of Troy, baby. Inducts even the haters into the Trojan Army."
After what felt like an eternity, it was finally Krissy and Zoe's turn at the counter.
"Please don't tell me it's sold out!" Krissy begged the music store clerk. After all, it had been nearly three hours since they had been standing in line to buy the record.
The girl behind the counter just chuckled before taking out two sets of CDs for the girls. "We knew how big of a deal it was, so we placed a bulk advance order and made a strict policy that no one could buy more than one copy of the album. We are good for the next thousand or so customers."
"Oh, thank God!" Zoe moaned in delight when she finally had the album in her hands. She cradled it close to her chest as if it were a baby.
"Here you go." Krissy paid for her copy before turning to Zoe. "Quick, let's go to my place. My parents are out. I want to hear the rest of the songs ASAP."
"That's what I was gonna say!"
The two friends rushed back to Krissy's place. Neither of them had a CD player, but they could listen to the song on her computer, which had a CD drive. As Krissy was entering the CD in the drive, Zoe took control of the mouse and opened the browser, casually browsing Troy's YouTube channel to see if there was a new video about the album release. What she saw made her gape at the screen for all of two seconds before she clicked the video.
"Krissy!" she yelled. "Watch this first. Troy just released the second video of the album!"
Krissy looked up to see what Zoe was talking about, and seeing the scene in front of her made her all the more excited.
The video started in black & white, with Troy sitting on a couch, avoiding looking at the camera. As the music started in the background, he finally looked up, and there was an undeniable pain in his eyes.
[If You Could See Me Now - The Script]
~It was December 25, Christmas Day
Presents came, but they took you away
Tattooed on my heart is a charm to disarm all the harm
Gotta keep myself calm but the truth is you're gone
And I'll never get to show you these songs
Dad, you should see the tours that I'm on
I see you standing there next to Mum
Both singing along, yeah, arm in arm~
As soon as she realized what the song was about, Krissy turned to Zoe and put an arm around her in support. As expected, Zoe immediately became emotional. She'd lost her father last year, so the lyrics hit closer to home than either of them had anticipated.
Back in the video, Troy was on stage singing—probably a clip from one of his concerts—while the crowd in front of him went absolutely crazy as the chorus kicked in:
~I still look for your face in the crowd
Oh, if you could see me now
(Oh, if you could see me now)
Would you stand in disgrace or take a bow?
Oh, if you could see me now
(Oh, if you could see me now)~
The rest of the song was just as powerful—if not better—than that electric beginning. Sung in a blend of pop-rock and hip hop, it hit all the right notes. The latter genre wasn't new territory for Troy; he'd used a similar style in That's Hilarious.
When the song finally ended, Zoe wiped her face with the back of her hand and turned to Krissy. "Let's play the next song."
"Err… the CD drive got jammed," Krissy said apologetically. "I haven't used it in a while, and they can stop working if you don't."
Then, as if by divine intervention, a few suggestions popped up on YouTube:
Arcade – Troy Armitage ft. Taylor Swift [Official Video] – 19 minutes ago
Golden Hour – Troy Armitage [Official Video] – 23 minutes ago
Playlist – 2006 – Troy Armitage [Official Audio Album] – 34 minutes ago
Zoe turned to Krissy with a small smile. "It would seem Troy just released three video songs today—along with the full audio album on YouTube."
Without waiting for Krissy to recover from the shock, Zoe clicked on Arcade.
The video opened with Troy Armitage and Taylor Swift standing face-to-face, clearly displeased. Taylor removed a bracelet from her wrist and threw it at Troy's feet before storming off. Troy bent down to pick it up—a bracelet with a heart-shaped charm in the center, now visibly cracked. That's when the lyrics began:
[Arcade - Duncan Laurence, Fletcher]
~A broken heart is all that's left
I'm still fixing all the cracks
Lost a couple of pieces when
I carried it, carried it, carried it home~
As the video continued, it showed the struggles in Troy's life—random people yelling at him for no apparent reason, possibly a nod to the backlash from Rihanna's fans after their breakup.
Then came a scene of Troy alone in a real arcade, repeatedly playing the same game, never winning. Frustrated, he punched the machine and collapsed to the floor in anguish.
The video wasn't just from Troy's perspective—it also told Taylor's side. Her section began with her sitting in a makeup chair, waiting for her next shot. When she stepped on set, she couldn't perform, and the director harshly rebuked her in front of everyone. Humiliated, Taylor ran back to the dressing room in tears.
At that point, the two narratives merged, presented side by side, as Troy and Taylor sang the chorus in unison.
~Ohhhh ohhhh,
All I know, All I know,
Loving you is a losing game~
"That was good," Zoe noted. The song was great, though the video wasn't anything out of this world. Still, she'd probably watch it again—if only to feel a part of the story.
Without waiting any longer, she played the third and final video of the day: Golden Hour.
This one was breathtaking from the very first shot—Troy and a girl sitting in a car.
"Is that Scarlett Johansson?" Krissy asked.
Zoe could only nod as Troy began singing the beautiful track:
[Golden Hour - JVKE]
~I was all alone with the love of my life
She's got glitter for skin
My radiant beam in the night
I don't need no light to see you
Shine
It's your Golden Hour~
As the words golden hour were sung, the two lovers in the video were transported to a stunning, untouched beach. There wasn't another soul or settlement in sight. The sunset—the golden hour itself—bathed the landscape in warm light, casting Scarlett in a radiant, ethereal glow, just as described in the lyrics.
Then Troy was shown playing the piano in the middle of the ocean, singing as the sun dipped behind him. It was likely a clever CGI trick replacing the ground with water, but the visual effect was striking. Scarlett stood in front of him, offering her perfect smile. The cinematography and composition were truly exceptional, giving her a nearly heavenly appearance.
As the lyrics came to an end, the two lovers were back in the car. Troy looked at Scarlett with quiet affection while the closing notes played. Sensing the emotion between them, she leaned in and planted a tender, romantic kiss on his lips. When they pulled away, they rested their foreheads against each other as the video faded to black.
"Woah!" Krissy exclaimed. "Troy's chemistry with Scarlett was out of this world."
"I know, right?" Zoe agreed. "Now I really can't wait to see [Disturbia] and watch them together."
(Break)
Rod Meyer looked around as the other critics gathered around him. He was one of the more distinguished film critics invited to the premiere of [Disturbia] in the heart of Hollywood at Grauman's Chinese Theater.
Of all Troy's recent films, this was the one Rod hadn't been particularly looking forward to. It seemed too much like a [Rear Window] ripoff, and from the trailer, it looked to share a lot of similarities with the original. It didn't help that Rod wasn't much of a suspense-thriller fan. Sure, Troy was a great actor, but in films like these, it was rarely the acting that stood out.
Honestly, Rod would rather listen to Troy's album 2006 again. The songs were simply out of this world. Although he wasn't a music critic, Rod used to believe no album could top [Echoes of You]—not even by Troy himself. But somehow, Troy had done it. 2006 had deeper, more meaningful lyrics, more complex compositions, and an overall maturity that made it incredibly relatable, even for older listeners like him.
"Hey, Rod!" Troy greeted him enthusiastically. "It's so nice to have you here."
One thing Rod absolutely loved about Troy was his uncanny ability to remember names. For a superstar of his stature to remember a lowly film critic from the New York Post—someone he had only met once in passing—felt incredible.
"Hi," Rod said, shaking Troy's hand. "I absolutely loved 2006."
"Thank you," Troy nodded genially. "Hopefully, you'll feel the same about [Disturbia]."
Rod smiled. "Since it's your film, I know it'll be amazing. You have never disappointed."
"As much as I'd love to talk more, I have others to greet as well. Enjoy the film," Troy said before moving on to the other critics.
Rod watched the teen star disappear into the crowd when a woman stepped up beside him.
"What a kiss-ass," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "The film must be bad if he's sucking up to all the major critics, don't you think?"
Rod shrugged. "He did the same thing at [Little Miss Sunshine]'s premiere, too. And that film was great. In fact, he's done it for all of his non-Harry Potter films where he's also a producer."
He turned to get a better look at her. She was a rather plain-looking, overweight woman who seemed quite young, early twenties, maybe.
"Are you a critic as well?" Rod asked.
"Yes, I write for The Complete News," she replied curtly.
Rod frowned. "Which outlet is that?"
"It's a local Californian channel. We've got a very strong following on YouTube," she said matter-of-factly.
Ah. One of those critics, likely the kind who had nothing positive to say about any film. From her attitude, it was clear she wouldn't write a favorable review unless Troy personally sucked up to her. Which he wouldn't. And why should he? It didn't make sense to prioritize a no-name critic over someone like Richard Roeper, the man he was currently talking to.
Rod decided not to entertain the woman any further. He made up some excuse and walked into the theater where the film was about to be screened.
Soon enough, the entire cast and crew of [Disturbia] filed in and took their seats. After a brief announcement by one of the producers, thanking everyone for coming, the movie began.
_________________________
AN: Visit my Pat reon to read ahead, or check out my second Hollywood story set in the 80s.
Link: www(dot)pat reon(dot)com/fableweaver