CHAPTER 19 (FINISHED EDITING)

Rose, Taliah and I skipped out on breakfast, which was only porridge, and went down into town to find the nearest IHOP. Ordering pancakes, we slipped into a booth by a window where a beach lay across the street. We were joking around, glad to get out and about. Once our pancakes came, we greedily ate them, starving from the long-ish walk from the mansion.

Taliah and Rose were actually going insane, whether it be from the sugar in the syrup or not, they were mental.

We took a walk down the beach, our feet in the sand. The sun was refreshing and my mood brightened by a whole lot. I was in a daisy sun dress, barefoot holding my sandals and felt a whole lot more carefree than I have been in the past few days. We were running through the waves, splashing each other while laughing. We ended up drenched.

Taliah took a photo of all of us, our hair string with salt water in it, half damp clothes, and sandy skin. She posted it on Instagram, tagging us with the caption #letsgotothebeachbeachletsgetaway.

As we head back to the mansion, some fans of the show stopped us on the way to take photos with us all, and for autographs.

One girl was even crying, I couldn't believe the surreality of all it. Once we started to leave again, a fan, who looked to be about eighteen, said to all of us, "I love Xavier and we don't even know each other personally, but someone on that show does and is making him change for the better. He's not as sad as he was any more." Rose looked at me and gave me a smirk before thanking the girl.

The moment we stepped through the double doors our stylist's grabbed us, "Annie, you're late," Jo said. Apologising, I sat down as I remembered that they were going to be announcing what the next challenge was going to be today. I was put into a simple black dress, with a straight figure, a high straight neckline and sleeves which came off the shoulder. It fell above my knees and hugged my curves a bit, but in a way which didn't make it seem 'slutty'. I wore black velvet pumps with ankle straps and my hair once again was straightened and parted in the middle, make-up was simple and natural, although it didn't feel that way, except for the dark lipstick which stained my lips.

Once we finished we left to go to the lounge room where the announcements were made. I plopped down onto a couch while the crew was setting up the lights and cameras. Xavier came out a bit early and was talking to Jono before one of his managers pulled him to the side, making sure that he didn't talk to anyone.

I heard a dog's bark and looked up to see Jono giving me a warning look. Soon a small Labrador was running over towards me and ignoring Jono, I knelt down to the ground hugging him.

"Hey Coco," I cooed, quite embarrassingly but he just sniffed my neck, and I was grateful he didn't lick me otherwise Jo would have had a meltdown about my make-up.

Before anything could happen though a big deep voice boomed, "WHAT IS THAT DOG DOING ON THE SET?!"

I looked up to see a pair of angry eyes which belonged to the one and only Elliot. I had almost forgotten about him and his crazy temper and man period.

Sighing I stood up and held onto Coco by the collar bringing him behind the set to give to Jono. I could feel Elliot's glare burning into my back and Lindsay's smirk as I handed my puppy over.

Jono got a junior assistant to take the dog outside as I walked back to where I was sitting with my head held high. Stupid, angry, man.

The lights dim and the happy face of Elliot appeared as he came on screen with Xavier next to him. The spotlight was on him as well as all of us girls as we casually lounged. We ran through footage from the past few weeks before an ad break and afterwards he was announcing the next challenge.

As the show came back on, all of us girls were nervously waiting, wondering what it could possibly be.

And then it was announced; and etiquette challenge.

This consisted all of us to dress up, basically to the dimes, something you would wear to the Grammys (okay, maybe not if you're like Lady Gaga) maybe something like Mia from Princess Diaries would wear, and then go to a six star restaurant with overpriced meals and had to pay to breathe in the air, and dine with the other girls and Xavier himself.

Our manner was going to be critiqued as well as all other points of etiquette which only mattered in the 1800's but seeing as one girl was going to be Xavier's date for one night at the Grand Ball we needed to be well mannered and not embarrass ourselves.

Some girls were excited to dress up and act like a princess for a night but I was kind of freaking out. I mean I've just mastered the art of walking in heels. But ten inch heels and massive, long, heavy dress; I might as well become Jennifer Lawrence's twin!

I'd be falling over the place.

And how the heck could I eat in a fancy restaurant. I'm so clumsy, my music teacher, in a nice, calls me a gump cause I just trip over equipment, and I generally have a tendency to break things.

It's basically a cross between Jennifer Lawrence and Mia from Princess Diaries and I have no idea how this will end up.

Hopefully not in a hospital waiting room like at my aunt's birthday.

Yeah...

We were let free after three hours being all crammed into the large lounge room, but even after awhile large seems small.

Rose and I ran upstairs to get changed, into simple denim shorts and a Nirvana shirt with rolled sleeves, we then ran back downstairs where I found Jono, Xavier and Charlie plus Xavier's few managers lingering around him like a bad smell.

"We're going outside to play with Coco!" I yelled out to Jono before smiling briefly at Xavier and making our way outside where Talia joined us.

As soon we stepped outside my gorgeous puppy ran up to us excitedly, barking and wagging its tail. I had found an old tennis ball and all three of us were playing fetch with him.

The others; Jono, Charlie and Xavier came outside which also led a few girls outside, for them to watch Xavier of course.

Dinner time came and we all had Tacos for dinner. Xavier sat with us and we all casually talked among ourselves, starting to bond more as a group of girls except for those who thought they were too good for us. But I was soon reminded what I had to do when I saw how Xavier reacted when his managers walked into the room.

He went from a laughing, cheerful normal teenage boy with humour in his eyes to a slumped boy in his chair with amusement fading and his eyes dimming. As if they were some sort of dementor which haunted him.

After dinner though we all went to the lounge room, Xavier still with us for a change and we all switched on the TV, while some of us played some board games and chatted among ourselves. That was until a news report on TV caught all of our attention.

The news reporter, a blonde haired woman with bright red lipstick and a black dress presented the report, "Party boy Xavier Matthews has been at it again. Two nights ago the bad boy hit the LA strip and hit six clubs in one night. He was reportedly with a group of male friends who were all drunk and smoking substances." As she read the report out footage played of Xavier's clone partying it out in various nightclubs with a cigarette between his lips while grinding on a beautiful model.

The girls in the room didn't really react. Rose and Taliah gave me sympathetic looks as they believed the boy was him, Xavier gave me a pleading look, for me not to believe the TV but him and I did as I saw the pistol tattoo peep out of the guys shirt in TV which Xavier himself did not have. I nodded at him and gave him a small smile of reassurance and he deeply relaxed.

But my plan was once again set into place and I excused myself to go upstairs.

I sat on my bed with my laptop as I went through the songs Xavier had given me. I had heard all of them and loved every single one. But now I chose five of my top favourite, five which a recording label would stop and listen to. They varied in sound from each other and soon I had burnt them onto a spare blank CD I had, from making mix CD's all the time. And burned them onto it.

The five songs which I had chosen were; Dying Fire, Bambi Eyes, White, Always Love and Letter to Heaven. All of them had different but similar sounds which I know would show his talent off the most.

Once it was burned I put it into a CD sleeve and wrote on it in a permanent marker "anonymous" I was about to leave and find Mr. Matthews office before I realised he might not even work here but in an office in town.

It was late, around 10:30pm but I went downstairs with the CD in my jacket pocket, and I walked around the first level floor before finding Jono fiddling with some equipment, "Hey Jono," I greeted him.

He jumped and looked at me with surprise, "Oh hey Annie," he feigned not being scared but I brushed it off.

"I was just wondering if Mr. Matthews have an office here? Or does he keep all of his work related stuff at the studio in town"

Jono replied, "Nah, he does have an office here, its on the second floor, how come?"

"Just wondering, do you know where about it is on the second floor?"

He nodded, "Yeah, when you step out of the elevators you'll see a fountain and behind the fountain is a red door which his office."

I nodded, about to leave before asking, "Is there an alarm or anything at all,"

"It's normally locked, but I doubt it's alarmed, the only people who normally are here is Xavier and Mr. Matthews himself so I don't think he would bother alarming it."

I thanked Jono before making my way to the elevator.

Sometimes I wish I had an elevator in my house.

I got out on the second level and faced a circular fountain, but instead of a typical fish spurting water out of it's mouth instead was a golden record player and seemed to be coming from the record as it slowly rotated. I thought it was heaps cool and couldn't help taking a photo of it for Instagram later.

I saw the red door behind the fountain and walked over to it before checking the door knob. To my complete surprise it was unlocked so I slowly opened it making sure the room was empty, and it was. I crept inside, not wanting to make any noise. I don't know why I found it so scary, maybe because I viewed Mr. Matthews like he was royalty.

I found his desk cluttered with paper and contracts and album designs but I placed the demo disc right in the centre so he couldn't miss it.

I quickly turned around and literally sprinted out of the room with adrenalin coursing through me. I shut the door behind me and fell into a walk, and jumping into the elevator again.

I am so embarrassing sometimes. Why do I even have friends?

Walking towards the elevator, about to enter it I hear to people to the side arguing. Both of their voices are recognisable but I couldn't place from where.

"Why haven't you done it yet?!"

"I can't, I need more time okay!"

The other voice made a frustrated sound, "You've had at least two months to do it!"

"I can't do it now anyway, the show is almost over, people will notice straight away that Xavier is missing."

"You know the plan, stick to it." Footsteps were coming in my direction so I jumped into the elevator and furiously punched the button to take me to the third floor hoping that whoever was talking wouldn't come in.

The doors instantly shut and I was so grateful when I felt the lurch I always get in my stomach from an elevator.

I made it alive and in one piece on my floor and I was flowing in nervous adrenalin. Needing to calm down I headed straight for the grand piano near the balcony and played the first song which came to my fingertips, 'Turning Tables' by Adele.

Glad to let off steam I finally calmed down enough to think about what I did and what I had just overheard.

I put a demo CD of Xavier's top songs for his dad to listen to, not knowing that it is his son singing, he probably wouldn't be able to connect the raw voice and the auto-tuned voice together anyway.

Then I heard the two people, talking, arguing about something which seemed dangerous, like they were planning something against Xavier.

But what? How many people could really be against the Matthews family.

It's always so hard to trust people in this world.

A/N: Hey guys, brace yourself for a long authors note, sorry xx

First of all, I AM SO FLIPPING SORRY THIS IS SO LATE!

Second, I am Australian and I'm not going to start typing American because then I'll I get into the habit of that

Thirdly, all chapters are unedited and I'm looking into getting an editor cause I hate looking over my work so I apologise for mistakes. (also, there has been a mix up with names when I was first wrting the story. Jai, Liam and Charlie are the same person and I'll go back and fix that ASAP)

Fourthly? THIS IS BASED OFF A BOOK CALLED FIRST DATE! Many people have picked this up which is pretty cool. First Date is one of my favourite books (which you should all read) The main idea is the game show, and the competition type thing, other than that all other ideas, characters, scenarios etc. are mine. I didn't copy the book, it was inspired by it and yeah cause I wanted the relationship between the main character to be more in depth and the fact that I prefer music over politics etc etc (If you read the book you would understand)

And LASTLY. I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SO MUCH I WANT TO SEND YOU ALL A VIRTUAL HUG! I never thought this book would make it this far so thank you times a million!

Alexis xo

Question of the update: A secret about yourself which you have told no one ever ;)