ChapterSeventeen-Dirty Involvement

December 7th, 2007

 It's now December, and UTurn has wrapped up their secret nightclub tour. Their last stop as Boston, and their name was 'Class 07.' They ran out of ideas for aliases for the band.

 During the secret tour, they also went on full promotion of their single, Letting You Go. All the while, they were learning the lines for their up-coming Disney Channel TV series, United States of UTurn. They were to start filming in January of 2008.

 UTurn were now in Los Angeles. They were to film two music videos for two singles. The songs are Starting Over and Zero Degrees. These two songs are projected to be on their upcoming album, tentatively titled Zero. The band had to film the music videos before they start working on their TV series. It was planned that they begin promotions for their album soon after they finish filming their TV series. Promotions are planned to start in late March/early April of 2008.

 As the members were unpacking their luggage, Trevor was on his cell-phone. After a few minutes, he hung up. Andrew asked him, "Who were you calling?"

 Trevor replied with a satisfied grin, "Several different nightclubs here in LA want us to perform. There are about three in Beverly Hills and four in Hollywood that want us. I told them that we'll be in LA for a week, but we could perform anyway. Then I told them that I have to talk to the UTurn members first. What you all think?"

 The members looked at Alyson and Andrew. The couple looked at each other, and then they shared a smiled. They faced the others. They both replied, "Yes!"

 Then Andrew said, "We can stay in LA for another week. Besides, LA is a lot warmer than Boston right now."

 Justin chimed in, "You know, we could go to nightclubs at San Francisco and San Diego, and perform too."

 Alyson cautioned, "We shouldn't be pushing our luck. I mean, we're all over YouTube. So far, we've denied that it was us performing."

 Andrew added, "I agree with Aly. Last time we were questioned was when TMZ caught us arriving at LAX. We can perform in LA, but that's it. If we keep doing these secret tours, our record labels will catch, and then our manager will find out. We could get dropped, and be forced to split up. Besides, we have to film our TV series in a few weeks at Pasadena."

 Right then and there, all the members received a text message from Maurice. He told them to meet for an emergency meeting. So they abruptly left, and soon they arrived at Hollywood Records.

 When the members arrived at a conference room, they saw Maurice looking pissed. This made the members nervous, so Alyson spoke up, "What's wrong, Maurice?"

 Maurice opened up his laptop, and showed them a YouTube page. It was a preview clip of UTurn's upcoming PBS Christmas special, Breaking Out On Christmas. He played the clip. After it was over, he asked them coldly, "Why did you disobey my orders?"

 The members were silent. He demanded, "Answer me!"

 Andrew asked coldly, "And then what? You drop us?"

 "Damn it, answer the damn question!"

 "Yeah, we did the special. I co-wrote the screenplay, and co-directed the special. It went really well, and the acting was decent. Is there a problem?"

 This made Maurice more frustrated as Andrew's face grew a smirk. Then Alyson taunted, "What? Can't handle the fact that you didn't create UTurn? That we have more control over the band than you do? That Andrew and I are the couple not to be underestimating?"

 Maurice said nothing as he glared at her. Then he sent them away.

 It's now the next day, and back at Boston, Ethan arrived at Q Division Studios to meet with Josh. He found him setting up the sound board for a recording artist.

 Josh saw Ethan approaching him, so he asked, "You want more news on UTurn?"

 Ethan smiled as he said, "You know what I want."

 "UTurn are living in Hollywood right now. They're filming a couple of music videos that won't be up until March of next year. They're about to film their TV series. And they'll be performing on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve 2008."

 With that, Ethan got bored. He asked, "What? No dirt? Nothing illegal?"

 Josh thought for a moment, and then he said, "Well, a couple of months ago, they were recording songs in the middle of the night. They were supposed to record 20 songs, but they ended up recording 40. Those extra songs were well written, and different from their usual cheesy crap."

 This got Ethan thinking.

 It's now Monday, and back in LA, UTurn were on set to film their first of two music videos, Starting Over. Over the weekend, they perform in two nightclubs in Beverly Hills. In one club, they were 'The Club,' and in the second club, they were '8 Starz.'

 Now they're filming Starting Over, and they were dressed in bright, neon colours, and cutesy clothes. In fact, they looked like a bunch 18-year-olds trying look like they're 12.

 As the members arrived at a fake outdoor stage, Amanda said sourly, "I look like a cupcake."

 Andrew commented, "Well, it could be worse..."

 Justin interrupted, "It's gonna get worse. Did you see those so-called costumes that we'll be 'wearing' for that Zero Degrees video?"

 Andrew said, "Okay, that's worse."

 "I'd rather look like birthday cake than a gay porn-star."

 Then Bailey said, "We get it, we look like food, and soon we'll look like we're wearing next to nothing. At least we're wearing clothes. For now."

 The members looked at her. She responded, "You know what I mean."

 After several hours of filming, UTurn were finished with the video. There wasn't much to film. They went into the dressing room to look their 'costumes' for their second music video, Zero Degrees. The clothes were very burlesque-like with French lingerie influences, for both the guys and the girls.

 The guys were disgusted, while the girls weren't impressed. Justin said bitterly, "I'm afraid what we'll be doing in the video."

 Andrew said, also bitterly, "Something we'd never do."

 Stacie asked nervously, "Like what?"

 Andrew looked Stacie as he said, "We were given sexual choreography. You tell me."

 Alyson said hastily, "Let's wait and see what we'll be doing tomorrow."

 Andrew told her, "I'm already pole-dancing in the video. I have bad feeling where this would be heading."

 Then Amanda asked him, "Why, out of everyone in UTurn, are you the most sexualized? Are your fans that crazy for you or what?"

 Andrew replied, "I have the biggest female fan base...and I have a growing male fan base. Trust me, those guys wish I was gay, but I'm not."

 Then he kissed Alyson on her lips, and he told her, "Aly, I'm not gonna let my fans and the porno music videos we film turn me to like guys."

 Alyson smiled nervously.

 It's the next day, and UTurn were back on set. This time it was to film Zero Degrees. The set was dark, and it looked like a burlesque club. There was a bar, a dance floor, a cage, a swing on the ceiling, and a pole.

 The members were in their normal clothes as they check out the set. They were being guided by the director. The cage was for Justin; the swing was for Bailey; the bar was for Alyson; and the pole was for Andrew. The dance floor was for the band's dance routine.    

 Then the director told the band, "There will be same-sex kissing: Andrew and Justin, and Alyson and Bailey."

 The four members were outraged by this. Andrew angrily said, "F*ck no! We're all straight, and we would never something as crazy as that!"

 Alyson argued, "Andrew's right. Look, we're not homophobic, but pulling this stunt would fuel even more gay rumours. Those rumours are already out there, and there shouldn't be more of them running around."

 Andrew said sternly, "If you force us to pull this stunt, we will walk out. We'd rather have no music video than a porno music video."

 The director, feeling frightened, said, "Okay! Okay! I'll take that out!"

 Andrew said, "You will? If you don't, then we'll sue you. I'm Andrew Hawthorne, my parents are lawyers."

 "Fine! I won't!"

 With that, Andrew gave a satisfied smile. Then it was time to film the music video.

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UTURN'S SONG, 'STARTING OVER,' IS IN THE EXTERNAL LINK, AND HERE'S A PICTURE OF JUSTIN (Jesse McCartney) IN GLASSES>>>