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Chapter 95: Las Vegas

"Hey, that makes four," I added with a smirk, shifting slightly in bed, still balancing the stack of papers Pepper had sent.

"You’re impossible," Pepper sighed on the other end.

"Are you sure you don't want to be interviewed by anyone? We're getting requests from every direction."

"Yeah," I replied, "too tiresome. If someone talks bad about it, just put them on a list. Let the future show the consequences..."

Pepper consented with a sigh. "Alright. Talk later, Jake."...

Chapter 94: Info Dumping

A few days later, the recording session with Ellie Goulding finally happened.

Everyone was gathered in the studio lounge, watching through the glass as Marshmello and Ellie stood inside the recording booth. The room was dimly lit, focused entirely on the two figures behind the soundproof wall.

Ellie adjusted her headphones and gave a small nod to the producer. Then, as the track began to play, her voice floated effortlessly into the room

Outside (Carlvin Harris)

♪Loo...

Chapter 93: Recording Reveal

Laura and I were on the deck at Charlie’s house, locked in a long, lingering kiss.

She pulled back slightly, just enough to look me in the eye. Her cheeks were flushed, her smile soft.

"So, today it's only the two of us?" Laura asked, tilting her head.

"What? I'm not enough?" I replied, pretending to be offended, a playful smirk tugging at my lips.

Laura laughed softly and rested her head on my shoulder. "You’re more than enough. I was just surprised, that’s all....

Chapter 92: The secret

It was early evening at Carly's house.

"Freddie," Carly called but he didn’t answer, so she blasted pressurized air at his hair.

"Ahh," Freddie flinched.

"Why so jumpy?" she asked.

"'Cause you blasted me in the head with pressurized air," he replied.

"I was here, I know what happened," Carly said, rolling her eyes.

"So, how'd Sam do at the dentist? Did she bite him?" Freddie guessed.

"Four times. He may lose part of his finger. But then, the dentist...

Chapter 91: The Call III

The day after, I picked up my phone and called Missy.

"Hey," I said as soon as she picked up. "So, what did you think of the movie?"

There was a short pause before she replied, "Okay, first of all—my parents didn’t want me to go see it just because it was a horror movie. My mom said something about 'blasphemy' and 'demons' and refused to come."

"So how did you see it?"

"I convinced my brothers to go with me," she said proudly.

Missy didn’t need to convince ...

Chapter 90 - Party Planners

Regina, Cher, and Laura showed up at the house less than an hour later.

"Hi Jake, I brought reinforcements," Regina said brightly, gesturing to Cher and Laura.

Laura chuckled. "I think she means Cher. I don’t have much knowledge when it comes to fancy parties..."

"Hey, girls," I greeted them with a smile. "Come on in—join my uncle and dad on the couch. They’ve been waiting for backup."

Everyone settled on the couch, making room as I pulled out the guest list and ...

Chapter 89 - Momentum

Ellie Goulding was older than I remembered from my past life. She was already 20 years old.

She had some fame—sure, a few songs floating around—but nothing that had fully launched her into stardom just yet.

I wasn’t surprised she accepted so quickly.

Then I turned to Pepper and asked, "So... Jennifer Lopez is really going to say yes?"

"Yes. Marshmello's momentum is incredible," Pepper said without hesitation. "You’re the singer of the moment. Your songs might n...

Chapter 88 - The Marketing

The next day, we all gathered at Carly’s house.

Carly, Freddie, Sam, Cher, Regina, Spencer, Laura, and I were spread out across the living room, still buzzing from the success of the premiere.

In my hands, I held a DVD.

"Alright, guys," I said with a grin, "let's see something funny."

I walked over and slid the disc into the DVD player.

The night before, I had handed the night-vision camera over to Pepper. She made sure it got to someone reliable—who knew how...

Chapter 87 - Premiere Day

The day had finally arrived.

The premiere of Paranormal Activity.

Even though it was technically an indie project, the buzz around it had grown steadily—especially after Pepper worked her magic getting the right people talking.

I stood in front of the mirror, straightening my collar. Black jacket, charcoal shirt, dark jeans.

Downstairs, Dad was already pacing by the door.

"You ready?" he asked, trying not to look more excited than me.

"Yes," I re...

Chapter 86 - Another kiss

Two weeks later, I was on the deck of Uncle Charlie’s house, kissing Laura.

Not like those soft, shy kisses we exchanged when she first came here—this was deeper, a French kiss. 

The sun was dipping low, casting everything in that golden hour glow. The ocean murmured nearby, and the breeze was just cool enough to make her lean a little closer.

Inside, in the kitchen, Dad and Uncle Charlie were both watching from the window.

Charlie let out a low whistle.

Chapter 85 – Dating himself

I looked up from my book just in time to see Uncle Charlie step into the living room. He stood there for a second, his face somewhere between annoyed and baffled.

“You okay?” I asked, setting the book down. “You’re back early…” I pointed out.

He didn’t answer right away—just dropped his keys on the table with a soft clink and made his way to the kitchen, muttering something under his breath.

When he finally returned with a glass of whiskey, he flopped onto th...

Chapter 84 - New Dynamics

Sam gave me one last skeptical glance before finally stepping out onto the deck.

I followed behind her as Carly and Freddie were already making themselves comfortable. Laura greeted them both warmly, and it didn’t take long before the four of them were in conversation.

I sat back in my chair, watching the dynamic unfold. It was interesting. Carly was naturally friendly, asking Laura about her acting classes.

Honestly, I felt lucky. I ended up with the iCarly crew—light c...

Chapter 83 - Radio Buzz

The next day, I walked into the kitchen and found Charlie already leaning on the counter, flipping through stations on the small radio tucked near the coffee maker. His face lit up when he found the one he was looking for.

“Here it is,” he said, adjusting the dial. “Told you they’d play it again.”

He turned the volume up slightly. Sia’s voice poured through the speakers, filling the kitchen with the familiar beat of ‘Titanium.’

I grabbed a mug and poured...

Chapter 82 - Five-Finger Discount

Later that weekend, I was having dinner at a fancy restaurant in downtown Los Angeles with Dad, Uncle Charlie, and Gradma.

Evelyn was studying the menu with that usual air of half-interest

She looked up from the menu and asked casually, “So, Jake, do you see anything you like?”

"Venison..." I murmured, intrigued. "Uncle Charlie, have you ever eaten a bambi?"

Charlie immediately started choking on his drink, glaring at me 

"What?" I said, trying to look i...

Chapter 81 - The Final Tracks

Sia set her bag down near the vocal booth, taking a quiet moment to look around the studio. There was a calm focus to her movements, like someone who’d done this a hundred times but still knew how to appreciate the moment.

Pepper handed her the printed lyrics, but Sia was already familiar with them. She glanced at the page briefly and said, "Yeah, I’ve gone through it a few times. I actually really liked the first track—Titanium. That was one of the main reasons I said yes to this...

Chapter 80 - Studio

Sam and Freddie were still going at it, trading snarky jabs back and forth while the rest of us just watched, mildly amused.

Laura leaned toward me and whispered, “Are they together?”

Before I could respond, Sam and Freddie both shot back in unison, “No!”

Their expressions were equally offended, like the very idea had crossed some sacred line.

I caught the exchange and chuckled. “Honestly, they’ve been like this since day one. I don’t even think they real...

Chapter 79 – New girl

The new recording session.

This time, it was the turn of the third song: “Happier.”

I stood inside the booth, fully dressed as Marshmello.

The guest singer was Richard.

He wasn’t famous, but he walked into the booth with quiet confidence. I stood nearby, nodding to the beat, occasionally adjusting a setting or giving subtle hand signals to guide the vibe.

The track began, and as soon as Richard started singing, everyone in the control room leaned in a littl...

Chapter 78: Songs

I was sitting at the usual corner table of the school cafeteria with Carly, Sam, and Freddie. The lunch rush was just starting to peak, and trays clattered all around us as students shuffled through the lines.

A few minutes later, Regina and Cher approached with their trays. Regina sat down right next to me. Cher slid into the seat across from her.

"Hey, everyone," Cher said with a friendly nod.

"Hey," we all responded almost in unison.

The table filled up quickly, but...

Chapter 77: Josh

Dad and I were gathered around the breakfast table. The morning sun streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow on the kitchen. Plates clinked and soft chatter filled the air.

Alan had gone out of his way to order all of my favorite breakfast items—fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, and a basket of buttery croissants.

I sat down and raised an eyebrow, looking at the spread.

"You did all this?" I asked Dad.

He shrugged, trying to play it...

Chapter 76: Big Plans

"Yes," I said with a nod. "And that’s actually something I want to talk about."

That caught everyone’s attention.

"Wait, for real?" Sam asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Like… seriously?" Carly added, shifting closer.

"Yeah. I’ve been thinking a lot about it," I continued. "Not just as a hobby, but as professional. But I don’t want to get too famous before I’m of legal age."

Freddie sat up straighter. "Dude, I think that’s awesome. You definitely hav...

Chapter 75 the Kiss

"So, what do you wanna talk about?" Freddie asked.

"I'm sorry again about telling people you never kissed anyone, and about putting blue cheese dressing in your shampoo bottle, and about sending your cell phone to Cambodia," Sam said in one breath.

"So this means you're not gonna mess with me anymore?" Freddie asked cautiously.

"No, I'm still gonna mess with you," Sam admitted. "I'm just gonna apologize every few years so I can start fresh again."

"Good," Freddie said....

Chapter 74 The Apology

Sam didn’t show up to first period.

Carly noticed right away. She kept glancing at the empty seat, then at the door, then over at me. Her fingers tapped nervously on the edge of her notebook, like she wanted to ask but didn’t know how.

I sat still, eyes forward, pretending not to notice.

—

Then, during second period, Sam showed up.

She walked in quietly, not saying anything, her steps slower than usual. Her eyes were a little red, like she had cried.

...

Chapter 73 The Day After II

I was sitting in Carly's living room, sipping a soda and talking about everything except the Super Bowl. Her place was cozy—warm lighting, tidy shelves, and Spencer’s usual bizarre artwork scattered everywhere. Carly sat across from me on the couch, legs crossed, a smirk dancing on her lips after one of my jokes.

"You and Cher?" she asked, obviously fishing for gossip.

"Just good friends," I replied with a grin.

Before she could press further, the front door swung open u...

Chapter 72 Superbowl III

By 5:30 PM, everyone had gathered back at the hotel. The lobby buzzed with energy, our group slowly reuniting after their own afternoon adventures. People were dressed in jerseys, team scarves, or whatever merch they had picked up since arriving in Tampa.

I looked around and started the roll call. Terrance and Parker wore matching Ravens gear and were still talking about the pre-game breakdown they had watched. Grandpa and Dad were already arguing over who had the better quarterback. Re...

Chapter 71 Superbowl II

After the flight, everyone headed straight to the hotel. We were all a bit tired from the trip, but the energy was still high with the Super Bowl just around the corner.

As we stepped into the lobby, Cher looked around with a casual glance and said, "Oh, I remember this hotel. It is a nice one."

Exactly what you’d expect from a Beverly Hills princess.

The place really was nice, though—polished marble floors, staff in tailored uniforms, and that faint, expensive scent tha...