As the door closed, the Singer smiled at the awestruck young [Ladies], her fans. Then the door shut. The [Manager] locked it. And the [Guitarist]—winced as the [Popstar]’s smile vanished.
“This isn’t about enjoying yourself. This is a job. We’re not rockstars. And this isn’t Earth. Greg, you’re new, so you don’t get it. I’m not a [Popstar].”
“I’m not a [Popstar]. I’m a damn [Thespian]. This is an act. I have two classes. And as far as I’m concerned, I’m acting. I sing my songs—which are not mine—and we make money. But I don’t like those idiots out there.”
The [Popstar] turned and pointed to Nicolas. He hit a button—and an electric piano began to play. The crowd cheered—then went silent. Rae began playing the chords on her guitar.
Cara’s voice rose, and the audience swayed back and forth, shouting as Greg took the center of the stage for his guitar. But the [Popstar] shone—especially as the [Illusionists] conjured magical beams of light to follow her.
The [Popstar] became a rock-star. She laughed, eyes wide, channeling a completely different sort of energy. Some of her fans recoiled. But the rest began to cheer wildly and the world’s second mosh pit began evolving.
“Abebi. I’m acting. This—class. [Popstar]? I mean what I said. It’s just a class to make money. I don’t like pop songs. I sing them because it’s the most accessible music.”
I’m…ambivalent about that. But the reason the [Popstar]’s perspective is short is because it lost the poll! I warned you about that. It had to be written, but I didn’t devote an entire chapter just to Cara.
Aaron and Elena looked at him. They were both more influential—Aaron because he was the first Earther, Elena because she was from Cara’s group. She had travelled with the [Popstar] of Terandria. George shuffled his feet.
She had been friends with Cara, the [Popstar] of Terandria. The Earthers that Cara had found had sent Elena when Wistram had made contact. No one else, so far. Wistram was trying to persuade them through Aaron and Elena, but…Aaron suspected she’d sent some kind of covert message because the [Popstar] of Terandria was staying independent.
She had been friends with Cara, the [Popstar] of Terandria. The Earthers that Cara had found had sent Elena when Wistram had made contact. No one else, so far. Wistram was trying to persuade them through Aaron and Elena, but…Aaron suspected she’d sent some kind of covert message because the [Popstar] of Terandria was staying independent.
