1: Crashing

 *Hadley*

 “When are we going to be there ?” I look out the window of the bus, but there is not much to see. We are in the middle of nowhere, somewhere outside Austin in Texas and it’s dark outside. 

 There had been a big accident on the freeway and after being stuck for hours our driver suggested taking the back roads around the traffic jam to get us there.

 “Patience sweetie”. My manager Ryan says with a sleazy grin. “We will be at the hotel soon enough”.

 Suddenly I have no real desire to get there or to have to do what his eyes tell me will come. Okay you better get my story,  just to understand everything clearly, so you know who I am and my life and such.

 My name is Hadley King,  I know it sounds all fancy, unfortunately my early life was anything but that. I was abandoned as a baby, with no idea who my real parents are, found by the backdoor of a burger king in New York, that is how I got my last name, someone seemed to find it funny or cute.

 I grew up in foster homes, I guess they weren't the really bad ones. I mean we were not abused or beaten, but not really good either, more like we kids were a meal ticket ... an easy way to earn money.

 I guess I was not a bad kid or anything. I did okay in school and didn’t get into bad problems. I mostly focussed on my music ... for as long as I remember I wanted to be a star, a someone ... to be remembered.

 Because my secret is that I am part sirene, something I had no idea about before I met Ryan, he is part incubus, and he knew right away about my heritage.

 About three years ago, when I had just turned sixteen, tv started running these promotions. They wanted contestants for a new singing competition, one that was bigger than anything ever seen before ... a world wide show with some of the biggest stars as mentors and judges ... think American idol and x-factor, but much bigger and going live in over 30 countries each saturday.

 So I auditioned and I got through to the tv auditions. I was so happy when I made it to the live shows. I was assigned Ryan Davis as my mentor and manager, turns out he had asked for me after watching me perform, knowing what I am. 

 He was thirty and rather handsome and he had worked with some of the biggest names in the business. I was elated to be working with him. My admiration did not last long though.

 Basically he told me that if he was to do his best for me, I had to do my best for him ... or in other words he told me to get on my knees and blow him or blow my career. I was young, naive and wanted it so badly ... and I had no one to go to for help. I thought it was the norm and at least he was relatively young and handsome. I could have ended up with a lot worse than him.

 And he also understood me on a new level, told me everything about the supernatural world, or what I didn’t know already. I always thought we were just a silly conspiracy theory, that people claiming they saw a mermaid or werewolf were like drunk or crazy … turns out they are not.

 And I won … the whole thing. It is now ten months since the finale and I have just turned nineteen. I am, without bragging, the biggest pop star in the world, selling millions of albums, I cleared out every award show this year ... and feeling like a lost little girl most of the time.

 The fun thing is ... if fun is the right word ... while Ryan is having his way with me as he pleases, he has painted my public persona to be the innocent girl next door ... sitting there in interviews claiming to be a virgin, saving myself for the right man ... having to fight not to laugh at the absurdity.

 Being paraded around in lolita style clothes ... that weird mix of innocent dolls and ... Well sex doll the asians in particular seems to love. People either love or hate my look. I don’t like it much to be honest. For me I mean. I am more of a leggings and sweater kinda girl to be honest.

 But as I said we are right now somewhere outside Austin Texas ... We are on our way to Austin where we are going to shoot my new music video, so coming up is another week or two of me being cooped up in a hotel when I am not on set surrounded by security because ... let's face it I can’t walk anywhere in peace these days.

 Suddenly there is a big bang and the bus is lurking hard to the side, the next moment I am thrown to the floor being showered in glass from a broken window.

 I get to my feet, staggering slightly and calling out. “Is everyone okay ?”

 There are mumbles and confirmation coming from around me ... then Ryan’s annoyed voice. “What the hell happened ?”

 “Sorry Mr Davis”. The driver says. “I think the tire blew out ... I suddenly lost control ... I think we hit the ditch”.

 “It’s okay Mario ... it wasn’t your fault and luckily everyone is okay”. I smile at him, he is a nice man and normally a very reliable driver.

 Ryan comes stumbling through the debris. “Okay everyone outside ... let's have a look at things”.

 We get outside,  we being Ryan, Mario, my three dancers and me ... everyone looks okay beside small cuts and bruises.

 The bus is, as Mario predicted, stuck in a ditch and the right front wheel is in tatters, no doubt it exploded. I am grateful it didn’t happen at full speed on the freeway, I am quite sure we hadn’t gotten away with scratches then.

 “What do we do ?” Ryan is looking at Mario, like he expects him to pull the bus out on his own or something.