Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Charity Concert (1)

    [Edward''s P.O.V.]

    After Mitchell explained Amanda''s situation, I agreed to help him by meeting the girl and taking a photo with her. I also gave her my poster and signature before ushering her away as politely and quickly as possible, as she was beginning to get on my nerves. She appeared satisfied, though, and Mitchell wouldn''t get into any trouble.

    "I''m sorry, Ed," Mitchell said.

    He felt apologetic for leveraging our connection for personal gain, but I wasn''t holding it against him. I knew from the TV series that he had practically no work-life balance, as his boss kept pressuring him.

    "It''s okay, Mitch. I''m just glad you could make it," I reassured him.

    "Bahhh-" Baby Lily displayed excessive enthusiasm as we hadn''t seen each other in a while. She playfully nibbled my cheek while I held her, resulting in my face being covered in baby slobber. I burst into laughter at her antics and started tickling her, eliciting baby giggles that made Cam''s face turn red with jealousy.

    "Hey, Ed, we should head backstage now," Alex suddenly entered the room. "Alex, good luck out there! Break a leg!" Cam exclaimed enthusiastically as he took baby Lily from my arms, despite her clear reluctance to leave me.

    "Wait. Taylor is almost here. I want to meet her before going on stage," I mentioned as I wiped my face with a wet tissue.

    Pepper, who had entered the room alongside Alex, chimed in, "No, she won''t make it."

    "Huh? Why?" I inquired, perplexed.

    "She actually went to the hospital to surprise you there, but now she''s stuck in traffic. She won''t be here for at least another half-hour, so it''s better for you to get backstage first," Pepper explained.

    I let out a sigh before responding, "Alright. Make sure to give her the tickets."

    "Don''t worry about it. Now, go and get ready," Pepper urged. "If you''re too late, the crowd will start to gather, and it will be problematic if they spot you walking backstage."

    The venue was situated in the middle of a field, with no discreet pathways to avoid being seen by fans. So my best bet was to get backstage before the crowd started congregating for the show.

    "It''s still an hour and a half until showtime. Isn''t it too early?" Alex questioned, looking a bit confused.

    "It''s not early at all! In fact, there are already DOZENS of people in the field," Pepper responded.

    "Hmmm..." I stepped out the door, and suddenly, a tall blonde girl shouted, "Surprise!" and embraced me.

    "Taylor!" I exclaimed excitedly, returning her hug, while Pepper and Alex snickered behind me.

    "Ahh, you bastards played me," I teased as I turned to the duo. Taylor continued to smile and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I missed you."

    "I missed you too," I replied. Suddenly, Taylor''s expression turned serious, and she began sniffing my clothes.

    "Taylor?" I asked, feeling both confused and concerned.

    "I smell the scent of another girl! Who''s that?" She inquired indignantly, but her eyes still sparkled playfully.

    "Does it smell like talc or baby powder? Because you can see my other girl right behind me."

    Taylor turned around and saw Lily, her face flushing red with embarrassment. I swallowed hard, wondering whether I should be honest or not, but Pepper came to my rescue. "Girl, he needs to get backstage right now. You can have your lover''s quarrel later."

    "Oh, is it time already? Alright, I''ll go be with my dad. I''ll introduce you guys after the concert," Taylor said with a smile.

    "Sure," I replied as I watched her walk away.

    Pepper suddenly grabbed my shoulder from behind and said, "Ed...why were you so nervous when she asked you...if there was another girl?"

    "I...don''t know what you mean? Let''s go! We''re already late!" I hurried towards the stage, not wanting to delve into that topic with Pepper.

    "Hmm...Suspicious," Pepper muttered as he followed me. "Hey Pepper, can we come?" Cam asked with a grin.

    "As long as you keep your mouth shut... Nah, we both know you won''t be able to do that. Just don''t get on Ed''s nerves," Pepper replied nonchalantly.

    As I exited the school compound, a few bodyguards joined me on my way to the staging area. Some fans recognized me and eagerly took out their phones to snap pictures while screaming for my attention. I waved politely with a friendly smile.

    "Hmmm. Only 30 people. Pepper, should I call them over?" I inquired.

    There weren''t many people around yet, as most fans didn''t see the need to arrive so early. However, this specific group consisted of members from my fan club, who were decked out head to toe in my merchandise and held banners with my pictures and name.

    "Why?" Pepper asked, taken aback.

    "Well, they came here quite early, so I want to create a nice memory for them," I explained.

    Pepper grinned and responded, "Okay, if that''s what you want."

    "Call them over," I instructed one of the bodyguards accompanying me. The burly African-American man nodded and approached the scattered fans, informing them of my desire.

    With faces flushed with excitement, the crowd of teenage girls hurried over to me, causing me to take a step back in surprise.

    "Hey, it''s Lily," I commented as I spotted the bespectacled blonde girl in front of me. Lily''s face lit up, and she asked with excitement, "You remember me?!"

    "Yeah. You gave me the keyword ''Fairytale'' at one of my previous concerts. You''ve cut your hair a bit shorter, but I can still recognize you. How have you been?" I inquired warmly. Other girls were grinding their teeth in envy as they waited for their turn.

    "I-I''ve been well," Lily replied with a stutter and a blushing face. She couldn''t even meet my gaze.

    "Don''t be so nervous. I just had another Lily slobbering all over my face a few seconds ago while she was in my arms. You guys share the same name, so you could borrow a bit of her confidence," I reassured her.

    "Huh?" The fan club members were puzzled, and some were infuriated, thinking I was talking about my significant other.

    "Ed! Eddddd!" Baby Lily called my name at a perfect moment. I chuckled and held her in my arms before saying, "See. You really could use some of her confidence."

    The fans blushed in embarrassment, while the fan club president was initially startled but then broke into a wide smile. "Hi Lily," the adult Lily greeted the baby.

    "Lily," the one-year-old mumbled her name while clinging to me, casting wary glances at the girls to assert her possessiveness.

    I conversed with all of them, learning their names and chatting with those who were brave enough to ask for personal pictures. Only after that did I enter the backstage area, still holding baby Lily in my arms.

    "She really doesn''t want to be apart from you! What magic did you use? Why does my daughter adore you so much?!" Cam grumbled in confusion as he took Lily away for the second time, despite her reluctance to leave me.

    "Cam, my entire existence is magic. Alright, Alex, what about Finneas and Billie? Have they arrived yet?" I inquired.

    Alex responded, "Yes, they''re on their way here. So... what do we do backstage?"

    "Typically, we''d familiarize ourselves with the stage and check our instruments. But there''s already a professional team handling that, so let''s just get a feel for the stage layout. Oh, and we need to change into our outfits."

    "Outfits?"

    I glanced at her boyish attire and remarked, "Yes, you DEFINITELY need to change."

    "Ugh," Alex groaned and obediently went to change her clothes. When Finneas and Billie arrived, their fashion choices were also critiqued, and they too willingly went to change.

    We proceeded to the stage, which still had the curtains drawn, to acquaint ourselves with its layout and ensure we didn''t interfere with the dancers as we moved around.

    "Actually, we won''t even move around; we''ll just perform from our designated spots," Billie teased. I playfully tapped her head with my knuckle, causing her to pout and almost shed a tear.

    "Peps, have the dancers arrived?" I inquired.

    "EDWAAAARRRD!" Before Pepper could respond, someone called my name from behind, and I was enveloped in a dual hug.

    "Kaya, Anna! Glad to see you guys here," I greeted them warmly as Anna examined my height with her hand, looking incredulous.

    "How are you taller than me now?! What did you eat to grow this quickly!?"

    Sweep the streets I used to own??"

    Claire''s expression froze while Phil teared up, murmuring, "He must''ve been so lonely." Cameron was also moved, while Gloria asked Manny, "What did he say?"

    The song continued, "??I used to roll the dice... Feel the fear in my enemy''s eyes??"

    "??Listen as the crowd sings... Now the old king is dead, long live the king??"

    The elderly history teacher pushed up his glasses and mumbled, "This feels familiar."

    ??One minute, I held the key~ Next, the walls closed in on me??

    ??And I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand??

    Finneas smirked as he played the violin, his eyes locked onto Edward''s back with an intense gaze. Billie smiled as she struck the bell.

    Edward, brimming with excitement, raised his hand as he sang the chorus.

    "??I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin''!

    Roman Cavalry choirs are singin''!

    Be my mirror, my sword and shield.

    My missionaries in a foreign field.

    For some reason, I can''t explain.

    Once you''d gone, there was never, never an honest word.

    And that was when I ruled the world! ??"

    The crowd erupted in excitement, even those initially reluctant parents had now changed their minds and were fully immersed in the concert.

    "??It was a wicked and wild wind.

    Blew down the doors to let me in.

    Shattered windows and the sound of drums.

    People couldn''t believe what I''d become??"

    A gentle breeze caressed Edward''s face as he continued to perform. Taylor whispered, "Is it time for the revolution now?"

    Taylor''s dad, Scott, maintained a stoic expression, but his left foot tapped the ground subtly, following the rhythms.

    "??Revolutionaries wait.

    For my head on a silver plate.

    Just a puppet on a lonely string.

    Oh, who would ever want to be king???"

    Unbeknownst to Edward, the lyrics had stirred deep emotions in two people close to him—his dad and his aunt—causing tears to flow.

    "??I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin'' (??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh??)

    Roman Cavalry choirs are singin'' (??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh??)??

    Be my mirror, my sword and shield,

    My missionaries in a foreign field (??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh??)??

    ??For some reason I can''t explain,

    I know Saint Peter won''t call my name??

    ??Never an honest word,

    But that was when I ruled the world??"

    "The guy who stands in front of the Gate of Heaven." Abby''s eyes lit up as she realized what Edward meant.

    "??Never an honest word,

    But that was when I ruled the world??"

    "So he was never true to himself while he was on top of the world," RDJ muttered. "Damn, I have no words... Damn..." Don Cheadle was astonished as he tried to comprehend the lyrics.

    "??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~!??

    ??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~??

    ??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~!??

    ??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~??

    ??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~!??"

    The chant of "??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh~!??" filled the air with an inexplicable emotion.

    Jacob muttered, "Is this about the French Revolution? Why are some people crying?"

    Elsa rubbed her forehead in frustration and retorted, "Do you really think this is JUST about the revolution?"

    "That''s what Ed told us," Jacob replied naively.

    "??I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin'' (??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh??)

    Roman Cavalry choirs are singin'' (??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh??)??

    ??Be my mirror, my sword and shield,

    My missionaries in a foreign field (??Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh??)??

    ??For some reason I can''t explain,

    I know Saint Peter won''t call my name??

    ??Never an honest word,

    But that was when I ruled the world...??"

    Beads of sweat glistened on the children''s faces, yet their eyes shone with fanaticism as they soaked in the thunderous applause from the audience. Mrs. Henderson wore a satisfied smile, while the Dunphy family had never been prouder of Alex and Edward.

    Edward, catching his breath, flashed a grin before addressing the microphone, "WHAT''S UP, FRANKLIN MIDDLE!!!"

    "OHHHHHHH!" The crowd surged with excitement, their voices ringing out as they cheered for Edward and the rest of the band!