The sea of screams surged like an apparition, completely detached from any single cause. Billy kept singing; this time, it was Connor who set the rhythm and carried the moment forward. It was raw—the first song hit like a punch, then rushed into fast, shouting, jumping rock, before shifting again into something sadder, more romantic.
An hour into the concert, people were already relying on backup batteries just to keep going, because the warm atmosphere had filled the stadium with an emotional upheaval unlike anything else.
-—Well, sometimes we simply have ideas that live in our minds, and when our minds suffer, we suffer as human souls who don't understand, and we gain wisdom when we least expect it. I want everyone to take a deep breath. Enjoy your life, make love, drink, work, sleep, and breathe. Because how else can a life exist in this aching world that so often leaves us in silence? I don't say this because I'm intelligent, or because I know a lot—I say it because I'm a fool, and I learn the hard way.—
The next song Billy sang was…
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶
It started with a low light
Next thing I knew, they ripped me from my bed
And then they took my blood type
It left a strange impression in my head
You know that I was hoping
That I could leave this star-crossed world behind
But when they cut me open
I guess I changed my mind
And you know, I might
Have just flown too far from the floor this time
'Cause they're calling me by my name
And they're zipping white light beams
Disregarding bombs and satellites
That was the turning point
That was one lonely night
The storm maker says, "It ain't so bad"
The dream maker's gonna make you mad
The spaceman says, "Everybody, look down
It's all in your mind"
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵
His voice didn't give in to the haze; it was a brief pause where people only shifted in their places, the cold creeping in, united under a soft hum as they followed the melody. The album was still new, many were hearing a song like this for the first time.
-—He's doing it again.— said Jerry, watching how he controlled the crowd, the professional photos being taken from impossible angles that would be on his blog by morning—pictures and short videos that became a guiding light for the lost.
-—You sound surprised.— said George Martin.
-—I'm not. It's just that he arrived late. He's famous now, but rock isn't what it used to be. His image isn't as strong as Elvis Presley or The Beatles—he's below that. Now people prefer pop, and even so, he's still a true superstar, selling billions. Women are crazy about him—everyone is, really.—
-—Well, the old crowd will come around with the new wave.— said George Martin.
-—Thanks, George.— said Jerry.
-—I don't think your thanks belong to me. People appreciate him. The kid has charisma, and he's so self-assured that the old guard chose to accept him once they realized he's a true music fanatic.—
-—By December, we'll break the boundaries of music.— said Jerry with a laugh, seeing how everyone now wanted a piece of it.
-—Honestly, he leaves me speechless. And I like that—someone with real weight supporting something that urgently needs new blood. Only when new blood enters the stage will we bring rock back to the world.— said George Martin.
-—You can't really blame him for his ballads, not when no one's chasing hard rock anymore.— said Jerry, a flicker of clarity mixed with sadness in his voice.
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵
Well, now I'm back at home, and
I'm looking forward to this life I live
You know it's gonna haunt me
So hesitation to this life I give
You think you might cross over
You're caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
You'd better look it over
Before you make that leap
And you know I'm fine
But I hear those voices at night sometimes
They justify my claim
And the public don't dwell on my transmission
'Cause it wasn't televised
But it was the turning point
Oh, what a lonely night
The storm maker says, "It ain't so bad"
The dream maker's gonna make you mad
The spaceman says, "Everybody, look down
It's all in your mind"
The storm maker says, "It ain't so bad"
The dream maker's gonna make you mad
The spaceman says, "Everybody, look down
It's all in your mind"
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵
The good thing about being in that city was that there was never a shortage of people falling in love, and that was Billy's greatest business—he watched his success unfold completely.
Spencer closed his eyes, feeling the pulse of the music; his guitar was like a war bow. Darry refined his piano, blending it with the violin in a slow, deliberate way—he was a man who shaped sound with force. In just two days, he had seen more beautiful women than in his entire life. Someone gave him a leather jacket, and he had already collected six phone numbers.
Sarah—the love of his life back at the academy, the sweet girl—had called him. Him, Darry, the one who had once been overlooked. Well, not entirely overlooked, but she called, and it made him happy. Still, they were all lovers of music. Spencer was an authority in music, almost like his professors who held doctorates. And Billy stood like a giant before kneeling believers. Even Darry felt moved.
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵
My global position systems are vocally addressed
They say the Nile used to run from east to west
They say the Nile used to run
From east to west
I'm fine
But I hear those voices at night
Sometimes
The storm maker says, "It ain't so bad"
The dream maker's gonna make you mad
The spaceman says, "Everybody, look down
It's all in your mind"
The storm maker says, "It ain't so bad"
The dream maker's gonna make you mad
The spaceman says, "Everybody, look down
It's all in your mind"
It's all in my mind
It's all in my mind
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵
As the song ended with one of those soft, powerful whispers, Billy took a breath. His image on camera—perfect sweat, the way he tore through every word.
…
He walked off completely drenched in sweat, exhausted, his throat burning, his head on the verge of splitting. He was sleepy and wanted a drink—something refreshing, maybe a salted tea with honey, something to soothe the ache running through his body.
-—Hey.— said Billy.
-—You were… you left the audience completely speechless.— said Scarlett Johansson.
He smiled.
-—When someone as special as you is here, if I don't show what you make me feel, what's the point of my life?— he replied.
-—I felt it. It made me doubt.— Scarlett said.
-—What did it make you doubt?— he asked.
-—Whether that's truly what you feel.—
-—It is. When it comes to emotions, I'm terrible at handling them.— Billy said in a whisper, placing a soft, gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.