Wishful Thinking by Lynette Sofras Read Free Book Online Page A

verbal response and so followed Katya along the corridor to her room – a pink and mauve glittering wonderland fit for a fairy princess and far too young for Katya, Jess thought. Her pink laptop was open on a little heart-shaped desk and Katya quickly pulled up her blog page – also pink and crammed with information and photos. There was Christian in a dozen guises and poses: receiving awards, out on the town, Christian with numerous, glamorous women, Christian smiling alongside famous Hollywood stars both male and female, Christian on stage and crooning into a microphone with Amber at his side and a surrounding band – it was a pink shrine to Christian Goodchild and Amber Rayne.
     
    Katya hit a button and loud band music filled the room. The sound was indistinguishable from many other modern bands in Jess’s opinion, but the vocals were surprisingly melodic and harmonious and, of course, it was not unfamiliar to her. She must have heard it on the car radio several times without really registering what it was.
     
    “And this is Amber. Most people say it’s not her best, but I don’t care. It’s my favourite.” Katya flipped the screen to a YouTube video where a young woman in a provocative school uniform with the obligatory short tie and mini-skirt sulked into camera through a laser cage before stepping through the bars and strolling around a mock classroom complete with old-fashioned blackboard. Jess tried to focus on the lyrics rather than watch her climbing over desks and upturned chairs.
     
    It ain’t that I bunked my lessons; it’s not that I was bad.
    I sat in the back row, good as gold; smiled and did what I was told,
     
    Jess quickly lost interest in the trite lyrics, expecting one of those typical teenage protest songs but then the tempo suddenly changed and Amber’s voice seemed to drop about an octave, her voice becoming very earthy and soulful as she practically sobbed the repetition on the next line:
     
    I was a low, low, low, low flier; tried my best, just couldn’t climb higher
     
    From then on it was impossible not to take notice and acknowledge that Amber had a remarkable and versatile voice that made compulsive listening. The lyrics turned around the usual message, evidently aimed at the low-profile, middle of the road kids who drift through school without ever being noticed or singled out as special. Amber’s message was about not letting the lack of academic achievement prevent them from following their heart's desire. No wonder the kids rate it, Jess thought. The song had been Amber’s first solo hit. It was certainly different to the girl band songs she’d listened to at Katya’s age.
     
    “You like?” Katya asked as the song came to an end.
     
    Jess nodded. “Very interesting.”
     
    “You can sign in and join here, if you like,” Katya invited. “I haven’t had any new followers for nearly a week and I need to get my numbers up. Then I can keep you posted on both of them.”
     
    Jess gazed at the crowded page and noted that the site had over three thousand followers. “I’ll tell you what – here’s my email address. If you send me the link, I’ll do it as soon as I get home so I can post a comment too. You have a lot of posts here and I’d like to sit and read them properly. It’s an impressive site, Katya. Well done.”
     
    Katya preened. “I know. I work very hard on it. I should run Christian’s fan club really – I’d do a much better job of it than Paige Steele.” Katya paused, before muttering “Even if she has met him in person.”
     
    Jess nodded sympathetically. “So his relationship with Amber is not…on, at the moment, as far as you know?”
     
    Katya sat back in her chair, looking for all the world like a little starlet being interviewed on television. “Well personally I think Amber should stick with Adam. After all he says he adores her and that’s what she needs. Christian has his own career to take care of now and the fans can’t