loved by you // j.b

twenty-four

☆ twenty-four: take a chance ☆
word count: 1367

  "Will you excuse me for a minute?" I asked politely as I swallowed the lump growing in my throat. "Take your time! We've got time," Josh smiled as I quickly stood up and headed out the door. As I closed it behind me, I tried shaking the nerves out of my hands as I took a seat on the staircase.

  I sat there taking deep breaths, propping my head in my hands. I don't exactly know what was wrong with me. I was overwhelmed and felt so much pressure in this moment. I mean, I had always dreamed of showing Scooter my songs and rejection was a huge possibility. I had no time to prepare for this. I was under the impression that Justin would be working on some new music. I had no idea he had brought me here to introduce me to Scooter fucking Braun.

  As I sat there taking a minute to myself, the door opened and Justin peered around the corner. I looked up at him, flashing him a worried smile. "Are you mad at me?" he asked with his hands shoved in his pockets as he walked towards me slowly.

  "No, I'm not mad," I laughed in a sigh as he squatted down in front of me, "You could've told me, though." He raised his eyebrows to me, looking down at me, "If I had told you, would you have came with me?"

  I cocked my head to the side, "Mmm, probably not." We both laughed as he sat a step above me, wrapping his arms around mine. He held me in his arms, his legs cradling mine as well, as he placed his lips in the bend of my neck sweetly.

  "You're too good not to be recognized. Let me do this for you," he said muffled as he comforted me. "Am I? What if they hate it?" I sighed in worry. "Hey," he said sternly as he lifted my chin up to look at him upside down, "You are amazing. If there's any small chance that he doesn't like it, he's an idiot. I'm not afraid to tell him that, either."

  I smiled as I mouthed, "Okay." He placed a small kiss on my forehead before standing and pulling me up with him. He wrapped me in a quick hug, whispering in my ear, "You got this. Just go in there and show them Rylee."

  I took a deep breath, pulling away from him and reentering the room. "Everything okay?" Poo Bear asked as he turned to look at me with concern. "Did you beat him up?" Chaz snickered.

"No, she could never," Justin cooed as he followed behind me. "Never say never," I joked, pointing a finger at him as everyone laughed. "To answer your question; yes, everything's fine! I would love to show y'all my music, but it's all on my phone," I smiled softly as I held my phone in my hand.

  "That's no problem. Can I see that?" Josh asked, reaching out for my phone. I nodded, handing it over to him as he plugged a cord into the end of it. He motioned me closer, telling me to choose which song I wanted to play.

I took a deep breath, turning to face everyone, "Okay, this one is called 'Nobody'." I clicked the track on my phone, playing the same song I had performed at the party in NYC. Without realizing, I began shaking my leg from the jitters as everyone listened intently. Justin must've noticed for came up behind me, slinging his arm around my shoulder in an attempt to help me relax.

"You wrote and recorded this?" Poo asked as he nodded his head to the beat. "I did. One of my friends who's into producing made the beat for me, and I wrote to it almost instantly. I recorded it on my phone, actually. It could definitely be much better," I laughed in admittance.

  "Woah. You made this on your phone?" Josh asked, pointing to the phone that was playing my song. I nodded, smiling awkwardly. "It's very amateur," I replied, darting my attention to Scooter.

  "It's good. You have talent, that's for sure," he said as he tapped his foot to the beat. The song soon ended and I showed them the second song I had performed at the party. They all seemed to have liked this one as well. "You definitely have a style," Ryan smiled as he danced subtly.

  "I told you she's amazing!" Justin exclaimed as he giddily nodded his head and truly felt the music. "I like to think it's a mixture of R&B, Pop, and maybe a dash of Hip-Hop inspired in the instrumentals. That's typically what I stray towards, but I would love to try different styles," I said as I leaned against the sound panel.

As the song ended, I decided to play them a song that no one had heard before; not even Justin. It was a slowed R&B styled song that really showcased the components of my voice. The song started, slow and beautiful. Justin turned to me with a concentrated smile as he listened to what played through the speakers.

  "Wow," Justin said in almost a whisper, "This is beautiful." I blushed as I thanked him, eager to know what the rest of the room thought. "Let me ask you this," Scooter said, "What exactly are you looking for?"

  Puzzled on what he was referring to, I shot him a confused glare. "I-I, uh, well... I don't exactly know. My entire life, I've only felt led to music. It's always been an important part of my life. It's such a beautiful art form with many different interpretations behind it. Music has helped me through so many dark times in my life along with many happy times. I can't begin to describe the amount of emotion I have felt simply listening to a song."

  I continued, "I'll say it for everyone to hear. Justin already knows I'm a fan of his music. I have been practically since his career started. What he doesn't know, however, is that his music actually saved my life. There were so many times that I was fighting battles within myself and my childhood, and often times I felt like giving up. Instead, I would listen to his music and it would give me the strength to keep going. I just want to be that for someone else. Their light in the dark."

  I hadn't noticed, but Justin was looking at me with such emotion in his eyes. Th faint smile on his face was a mixture of sadness and admiration. Scooter was just nodding, taking in everything I had said. "It's not about the fortune and fame. Don't get me wrong, it's nice. For me, it's about the music. Making people feel it. Whether it be sexy and empowering, happy and in love, or strength when they need it most," I sighed.

  "Have you ever released any music?" Scooter asked as he looked up from his folded hands. I shook my head, "No, but I've recently been trying to grow a social media presence. I've been teasing my songs on TikTok and Instagram. I just need a little help when it comes to actually releasing it."

  "Growing a social media presence is very much needed. It shows the demographics and desire that people have for your music. It does seem like you just need someone who can introduce you to the professionals of it all. Let me do that," Scooter spoke, truly sending shivers up my spine.

  Was this really happening? I had dreamed of signing with Scooter for years. Of course I wouldn't have turned down any other offers holding out for Scooter Braun, but he was my first pick. I took a deep breath, looking at Justin before turning back to Scooter as a smile spread across my face, "Okay!"

☆ author's note ☆
— hey everyone! i hope you enjoyed this chapter. i know it didn't include much besides music, but i'm trying to build up the story here lol. anyways, more to come <3