SuperStar!

"Good night, New Mexico!" Ethan's voice rang out with passion and energy, but the crowd didn't respond. The silence lingered until someone from behind said, "Dude, really? It's 4 AM—how are you this energetic?" The voice was cold.

Ethan, the star who had just wrapped up successful shows in California and Arizona, turned to see his band. Now, in New Mexico for their third stop on the nationwide tour, the one who spoke up was Mike, the drummer. His eyes looked like he hadn't slept in days. Ethan chuckled and scratched his head. "Sorry," he said, trying to contain his grin.

Carlos, the bassist, chimed in, "Yeah, but seriously, why are you so hyper this early?"

Sarah, the keyboardist, raised an eyebrow and added, "The real question is, why are you guys so tired? It's just the third concert, and you already look like you want to faint. Well, except for Leo—he looks fine."

Leo, the lead guitarist, was casually adjusting his guitar when the others called his name. He looked up, confused. "Pardon?" he asked.

Sarah, who had been eyeing the tired bandmates, responded, "I was saying, why do Max and Carlos look so worn out, but you look perfectly fine?"

Leo nodded in recognition, oblivious to the glares from Max and Carlos. "I don't know, the tour's been going fine so far," he said, shrugging.

Max, looking frustrated, shot back, "How wouldn't you know? You've been snoring every damn day, not letting us sleep!" He glared at Leo as if he wanted to strangle him.

Leo's eyes widened in shock. "What? Me? I don't snore!"

Carlos quickly chimed in, "Like hell, you don't!"

As the band started arguing, Rebecca entered the room. "Ethan, come on, we need you," she called out, and Ethan laughed as he left the stage. The rehearsals were already finished.

Sarah, trying to calm down the bickering boys, glanced over at Ethan leaving. "Yeah, I have to admit, Ethan's been looking a lot happier lately," she said.

Leo, Max, and Carlos paused their argument and exchanged knowing glances. Sarah noticed their looks. "What?" she asked, puzzled.

Leo spoke up, "Sarah, Ethan's been like this since the LA show. It can only mean one thing."

Sarah looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

Max groaned, "A girl, Sarah. A girl! Man, you're such a prude, how do you not know this?"

Sarah's eyes widened in disbelief. "No... the tour just started. Not that quick. It's probably just because he's excited about the tour. Yeah, that's it," she said, trying to sound confident.

The boys exchanged glances and simply said, "Okay then," before going back to their argument about the night.

As Ethan stepped off, he said, "Hey Beks, what can I help you with?" He stood opposite Rebecca, who was deep in business mode, her face glued to her tablet. She looked up briefly and replied, "Yes, people from Time Magazine will be here soon for the interview, so we need to get you in makeup first."

Ethan, already accustomed to makeup being applied to his face, nodded. "Oh, sure. I'll be right there, but before that—"

Before he could finish, Rebecca glanced up at him with a playful grin. "What? Expecting a call?" she teased.

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I just wanted to call Bill and ask when he's joining us. He went off on his so-called big deal hunt."

Rebecca raised an eyebrow, still grinning. "Hmm, well, your phone's in your dresser, and before I came in, I saw it ringing."

"Shit!" Ethan muttered, moving quickly toward the dressing room, with Rebecca calling out from behind.

Inside, he greeted his makeup artist and immediately spotted his phone. He grabbed it, saying to the artist, "I'll be right back." Stepping outside, he saw that he had two missed calls from the same person.

Quickly dialing the number, Ethan arranged his hair and checked himself in the mirror as the video call connected.

After a few rings, the call was answered, and the person who appeared on the screen immediately caught Ethan's attention. She had blonde hair that fell loosely around her shoulders, her blue eyes striking and full of life. She was wearing just a simple singlet, the casual attire making Ethan swallow a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. His gaze lingered for a moment longer than intended before he cleared his throat.

"Hey, good morning," her voice came through the phone, smooth and melodic. Ethan, despite being a renowned singer, couldn't help but feel like she had the better voice.

"Hey, morning. How are you?" he asked, a smile naturally tugging at his lips.

The girl on the screen appeared to be in a place that looked like a trailer—something Ethan had become all too familiar with during his days touring.

"I'm good, what about you? How's the tour going? Sorry if I bothered you," she asked, her expression softening with concern.

Ethan smiled warmly, reassuring her, "I'm fine, and no, you didn't bother me. I was just rehearsing."

"Good, because I wanted to talk to you. I'm missing you already," she said, her tone shifting to something more flirtatious. Her eyes sparkled with a playful glint.

Ethan couldn't help but smile wider, his mind briefly wandering, thinking, Man, it's nice being a star.

The conversation flowed easily, filled with laughter and inside jokes. Ethan talked about his upcoming plans, while she mentioned she'd be heading back to shooting soon. The banter between them was light, but both seemed to enjoy the connection, making it feel like no time had passed at all.

After talking for nearly 20 minutes, Ethan sighed. "Sorry, I have to go put on makeup and head to an interview."

The lady on the screen pouted cutely, "Hmm, that's so soon."

Ethan smiled, feeling the warmth in her voice. "Yeah, I know. I'll catch up with you later."

"Okay then, later. Bye, Ethan. Have a great show, call me later," she said, her voice softening as she signed off.

"Thanks, okay then, bye Sydney," Ethan replied, his smile lingering as the call ended. He sat there for a moment, remembering the first time he had met her backstage at his LA concert. He'd collected her number, and since then, they'd been talking and calling almost every day. It felt like a connection he never expected, but one he cherished.

As Ethan sat there daydreaming, a voice jolted him back to reality. "Well, how was Bill?" It was Rebecca, her usual know-it-all grin plastered on her face.

Ethan jumped, almost dropping his phone. He quickly turned to face her, still a little flustered. "Geez, Rebecca, that's not nice, sneaking up on me. Since when have you been there?"

"Nothing much," Rebecca teased, "Just when you were telling her about how you went to watch her movie scenes and how talented she was... cooing," she added, laughing.

Ethan's face turned bright red. "What are you even doing here?"

Rebecca laughed even harder. "Well, I wouldn't have come if you hadn't disappeared. Now come on, the makeup artist has been waiting, and your interview is soon."

She turned around, walking toward the makeup room, leaving Ethan no choice but to follow.

Ethan groaned, rubbing his temples as he followed Rebecca toward the makeup room. "I swear, you have the worst timing," he muttered under his breath, but there was a small grin tugging at his lips.

Rebecca, unfazed, led the way. "Hey, I'm just trying to make sure you're ready. We've got an interview to nail," she teased, glancing over her shoulder.

Once in the makeup room, Ethan settled into the chair, the makeup artist already waiting. As they started their work, Ethan leaned back, his mind drifting back to the past year. It had been an amazing ride—success after success, and everything seemed to be falling into place. The tour, the album, the fans—it was all going better than he could've imagined.

As the makeup artist finished, he caught his reflection in the mirror, the familiar confident look returning. Despite the pressure, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. The year had been going great, and he was ready to take on whatever came next.