Ashton and Noah were already waiting for them when they got to Cody's room. Everyone wore a blank face, so it was hard to gauge whether they were in trouble or not.
"Good, everyone's here," Cody said, closing the door. "I have some news. Some may think it's bad, some may think it's good." He looked around at all the blank faces. "I just got a very interesting call. A producer from the MTV Music Awards called, and it seems one of the bands in the Best New Artist category have gotten themselves into quite a bit of trouble, so much trouble that they need to be removed from the nomination. They would like to put you guys in their place. It seems the makeshift video we put out has caused quite a stir with the audience, bad for the suckers who couldn't stay out of trouble, good for you guys."
Everyone looked at each other for a long moment. It was almost as though no one wanted to break the silence. Was this good? Was this bad? Colton was the first to voice his opinion.
"No way! That video was shit. All it shows are clips from our past concerts. How can anyone even call that a video when most of these artists spend serious bucks on their videos?"
"Well, your popularity is growing faster than we'd imagined. All the rest of the shows we have you booked to play are sold out now. It seems like you guys are better received than any of us had predicted," Jayden, always the publicist, told them. "That makes the format of the video irrelevant at this point. The fans have spoken and they really like you. To MTV, that's really all that matters. Besides, when you guys play, you're captivating, and people can't help but watch and enjoy what they're seeing and hearing."
"So, essentially in two weeks you will be in Miami at the Video Music Awards," Cody said. "This is a really big break for you. Even though you have a growing fan base, we still need this kind of publicity to launch you guys even further into the mainstream. That means you will be on your best behavior, and you won't cause any problems," Cody warned and looked at Ashton.
"Hey! Why're you looking at me?" Ashton asked, offended. "I always behave."
Cody actually rolled his eyes. Kaylee hid a grin behind her hand.
"Listen, Ashton, we know you're a 'playboy', and that's the image that you want to portray, but do you think you could keep it clean for one night? It's great if you have a date, but there are certain behaviors that don't belong at the awards ceremony," Cody explained.
"I get it, keep it PG-13," Ashton said. He thought for a moment. "Wait, do I know anyone PG-13?"
"Can we all bring dates?" Noah asked, unable to hide the smile spreading across his face. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening to them.
"Yeah, I'd actually recommend it. It'll give you guys more of a sexy, untouchable vibe, which will drive the women crazy," Jayden said. "Besides, you guys are going to be nervous as hell, and a lady by your side might just help to calm you down."
"Hey, not only does she have to be PG-13, but she also has to be a lady. You're in big trouble now!" Colton teased, knowing well the type of girls that Ashton usually went for.
"Not a problem. I can just take my pick," Ashton answered, the smile not faltering for a minute. He was confident that he would find the perfect date. He even had someone in mind already.
It seemed as though Cody's meeting was coming to an end, so the guys were finally able to show their excitement. They were laughing and passing out man hugs to each other, while Kaylee sat to the side. She was so happy for them that it eclipsed all the other emotions that had been swirling around her head and heart today.
"I'm so proud of you guys; you're going to have a great time there." Kaylee smiled as she was pulled into a giant bear hug from her brother. "I can't believe I'm going to get to watch my big brother on MTV at an awards ceremony!"
"Wait, you're not going?" Colton asked.
"Well...I'm not actually part of the band," Kaylee said.
Cody froze for a moment as the room got quiet. He hadn't even thought about Kaylee. "Sorry, guys. They only offered tickets to the band and their dates.