Excerpt: The Way You Are

The last page of the scrapbook showed a picture of them receiving their first people’s choice award. It had been a huge upset at the time, and there had been suggestions of vote fixing, of hacking, and of paying for votes. Though there were people who did not want to accept the result, it had been the beginning of Spitting Cobra's rise to international fame.

“Somehow they look a little different here.” Sylvia said. “Don’t you think?”

“Mmmm.” Had her sister noticed something too? “They’re really happy,” Candice said.

“Happy, yes, but it’s more than that. They seem more themselves some how. Like…”

“Like they’re hiding something now?” Maybe Sylvia could be an ally. Maybe Candice wouldn't have to do this alone.

“Not hiding exactly.” Sylvia frowned. “More like… like they’re compromising with their music. In these days they were really free to express themselves.”

“Ah, I get what you mean.” Candice said. “Their latest stuff is still good, but it’s not as experimental and they've toned down the socially challenging edge.” So her sister had been talking about something else entirely. Well, it was better this way. Bringing her sister into it would create a weakness in her plan. Someone to try and stop her. Someone who could give it away.

Sylvia was nodded. “Yes, right. And in THIS picture,” her finger landed on the award held high in Nika’s hand, “they knew that it wasn’t only their music that got to people. It was also their message.”

“I wonder if the management company is controlling them somehow?” Candice replied. She was sure they would be one of the biggest problems in her plan. “I don’t think Nika, Mark or Evan would sell out like that willingly. And like you said, they do seem kind of less themselves somehow. Like they’ve been edited or manipulated. Like their playing characters of themselves.”

“Do you think it’s because they’re so tired these days?” Sylvia asked.

“But being tired doesn’t change who you are.” Candice shook her head. “Its got to be more than tiredness.” Why did everyone else want to blame it on tiredness.

Sylvia flipped the book closed and pushed it away. “It changes who you are.”

“Huh?” Candice met her sisters eyes and was surprised by the intensity of her stare.

“Lately you’ve been really tired all the time.” Sylvia said. She reached over and grabbed Candice's hand. “You’ve been like a robot sometimes, like an AI version of yourself or something. You say and do all things we expect from you, but it's like your on automatic pilot or something. Is something going on?”

“No. Not really. Well…I guess I haven’t been sleeping well lately.” Candice thought of all the nights lately she’d stayed up late huddled over her computer screen under the covers.

“Well then, is there something worrying you?”

Yes. Candice thought. Nika's falling apart and doesn't have someone like you to care. “No,” she said.