The whole story

Jason slowly lets his hands fall from his face, gaining back some composure. Katie's words strike his heart like never before. She was speaking of his dreams, and she had loved seeing him and hearing him tonight. He'd known she'd liked hearing him sing, but this...this was something different. Now he KNEW. The audience really had liked him, Jetstream had liked him...and Katie had too. What more could he have asked for?

Seeing her open arms catches him just a little off guard, and he hesitates for just a moment. But seeing the innocence in her eyes - the look that conveys her pride and simple pleasure, he relents. He scoots onto her bed to sit beside her, and pulls her up into his strong arms to hug her gently. "Thanks, Katie...I'm sorry I didn't tell you..."

He withdraws to look at her face, his hands resting on her shoulders. "I...I didn't think it would go this far. Sheriff Brown...the one who came and got me a while back - he'd lined up Jetstream for this event but they lost their lead singer. He found me and wanted me to get hooked up with him. I didn't think I was good enough...figured they wouldn't want me, so..." He grimaces, now a bit embarrassed about the whole thing. "...I figured if I didn't tell anyone about it, it would save me the agony of admitting defeat when they said I wasn't good enough." A lame laugh forms. "Then they actually wanted me, so I agreed to singing and playing for this one event, knowing that the audience would probably hate me. By then I figured I should still keep quiet since I'd gotten in that deep without saying anything, and I still thought I'd crash and burn."

Jason lets his hands drop onto his lap, shifting his gaze away from Katie as melancholy settles over him. His head hurt from the amount of sugar he'd downed earlier, and his exhaustion was returning. "And now..." He gestures with his head to his bag on the floor. "Now I've got an agreement in that bag from Jetstream, waiting for my signature that commits me to playing with them all this summer at the events they've got lined up." He shakes his head. "I can't tell you how much fun I had tonight...I don't know which I enjoy more - working for TJY or being on stage." He glances at Katie a bit sheepishly. "I wanted to pass up this whole thing, but I just couldn't. But at this point in the game...." He sighs. "I can't join up with Jetstream indefinitely. There's no way I can play with them in the area AND keep up with TJY. Not to mention, Reese is going to kill me for just this one night being out in the open like I was."

He forces another annoyed laugh. "Oh yeah, and did I mention that the band is pressuring me to enter that radio contest for local talent? I'd never be able to do that....maybe people like hearing me on stage, but actually having people vote from hearing me on the radio? Actually getting a contract for an album? No...it's not worth my time...especially since it's still a conflict with TJY."

Jason catches Katie's eye, his mouth straight, but his eyes smiling. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself though...I'd rather have your approval than the whole audience any day."